LIVE: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

18 03 2008

James Brown was known as the hardest working man in show business, the Godfather of Soul, and generally one funky mutha - so the events of Friday 7th March 2008 in Brisbane, Australia would then surely have made him an immensely proud man. I’m talking about Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings playing live at The Tivoli in Brisbane.

I’m still pinching myself even now, well over a week after the amazing event.

Touring off the back of their latest release ‘100 Days, 100 Nights’ on the label Daptone Records, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings had arrived in Australia to play several gigs, including appearances at some local festivals. I had been anticipating this for over six months and then as if by magic, the date was upon us.

Brisbane can be a fickle town for live music. There is an obvious bias towards rock and dance music and you never can tell how many people might actually leave the house for certain gigs on certain nights. When Breakestra came to Brisbane, there were probably around 300 people at the modestly sized club The Colombian. Late last year around the same number had turned out for Ohmega Watts at The Step Inn. But exactly who in Brisbane was really a Sharon Jones fan? Prior to the gig I knew around half a dozen people that were fans, so you’d understand my curiosity with regards to how many people would actually go. A friend had told me that one ticket outlet had sold over 100 tickets on their own and we came to the conclusion that if 500 people turned up, that would be a good result for Brisbane.

Doors were due to open at 7:30pm and as I was driving I really wanted to get a parking space, so I was there right on the dot! Found a spot easily and navigated myself to the back of the queue waiting to get into the old theatre. At this point there was about 50 people in the queue, all of varying ages and backgrounds - this seemed encouraging enough. Once inside I marvelled at the historical venue. As previously mentioned, The Tivoli is an old theatre, but now a venue for live music. I gazed around my surroundings and couldn’t help but crack a wry smile. I knew this would be the perfect venue for such a gig: the raised stage, huge draping deep red curtains, large dance floor and a massive balcony.

I grabbed a shirt from the merch table and a drink from the bar. After mingling with a few familiar faces (Brisbane is a small town!) I realised that I still wasn’t sure who the support act was. There were rumours of a Beat Junkie, but what we got was something altogether ‘different’. The curtain raised and out walked a man wearing an Evil Kanevil style blue jump-suit and a flight helmet with something attached to the front of it near the mouth. It turned out to be a guy named Bob Log III and the item attached to the front of the helmet was a telephone handset!

Bob is an Arizona native and one funny bastard! The telephone handset is plugged into an amp and he uses it as a mic. He also has a steel guitar, a huge kick-drum, a hi-hat and an effects machine. Basically, Bob Log III is a one-man electro-blues thrash band! It was fucking loud. Once my brain had settled and learnt to accept what it was being exposed to, I started getting into it. The style of Bob’s vocals reminded me slightly of Kings Of Leon (who I love). But the country overtones and crazy lyrics, coupled with Bob’s charismatic persona, was an experience to behold.

Bob also relies heavily on audience interaction and, as I mentioned, he is one funny bastard. His songs all seemed to be about alcohol and women, but they were extremely tongue in cheek and the crowd absolutely loved him. He played for a good hour before finally taking a bow. In hindsight, despite how different Bob is to Sharon and the boys, I think such an up-tempo and raucous support act worked perfectly to hype the crowd for the main spectacle.

Around an hour later than advertised, the Dap-Kings made to the stage. I knew it would be something special from the outset. There is always the worry that hyping something in your mind so much before an event can make it a bit of a let down, but the next two hours of my life did nothing but exceed all expectations.

Binky Griptite announced the band and proceeded to play the part of master of ceremonies for the evening. The band started by playing some of their instrumental numbers, including ‘Mellowmatic Mood’. Then finally they invited Sharon Jones out onto the stage. Wow, what a reception she got - and I should mention at this point, as I turned around the place was absolutely packed. Easily 800+ in The Tivoli. Brisbane had done me proud.

Sharon jumped straight into it. She is a fiery live wire if ever I’ve seen one. A true entertainer. She oozes talent and class - she was clearly born to do this. So much energy, she didn’t stand still once all night. Like Bob, she loves to include her audience and immediately set about collaborating with us for her live rendition of ‘Nobody’s Baby’, enticing us to fill in the ‘ooo-ooh’s’. The crowd lapped it up - she had us wrapped around her little finger.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Nobody’s Baby
>> download track / YSI
>> buy 100 Days, 100 Nights @ Daptone Records
This download link will expire on 25th March.

I was only about 30 feet from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, but they were so on key and so perfect, that I had to keep rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn’t actually watching some sort of 3D movie. The Dap-Kings are immense. They had two sax players, a trumpet player, a drummer, a guy on the congas and three different guitarists. Not forgetting Sharon, what a voice - ridiculously strong. The live show sounded easily as tight as the studio recordings, it all just seemed to come so naturally.

They played a large selection of their back-catalogue, but Sharon added stages to the performance too. At one point she decided to tell the story of her ancestors. Stating that one side comes from West Africa, this culminated in her doing an African peace dance. Then the other set of ancestors were Native American and she did a Native American peace dance. The crowd went absolutely spastic. There is no way just anyone in their fifties can do what Sharon does, she is incredible.

The show also included two separate occasions where people were invited up on to the stage. Sharon invited a few guys on stage for a dance and then at the pivotal points in the accompanying song she nudged them towards the edge of the stage with a snappy “bye-bye!” Then it was the turn of the girls and around six were invited up. Each had a little go at doing their dance piece - it was very entertaining!

Around two hours after the start, the band wrapped things up, they thanked Brisbane for coming out and they all left the stage. The applause that came straight after was the loudest I’ve heard in a long time and seemed to last forever. After what was actually about two minutes, Binky Griptite came out and declared that they were informed this was meant to be an early show and they thought they just had to come out, play a few songs then go home and go to bed. He asked “oh you want more?!”. Yes, Brisbane did want more. So the band assembled once more and Binky invited Sharon to come back out.

What followed was a near on hour-long encore that focused around James Brown covers. I started this article by stating that the late great James Brown would be extremely proud of what occurred on the night of Friday 7th March 2008, and this was why. Now Sharon Jones is originally from the same town as James Brown (Augusta, Georgia), but I don’t think any of this can be attributed to there being something in the water in those parts, this is something different, something very special indeed. Sharon sang ‘It’s a Man’s World’ and I think the collective number of goose pimples in the audience probably reached well into the millions.

The show finally concluded and a sea of people was left in complete awe of what they had just witnessed. I’ll state it once more: I’m still pinching myself.

I bumped into a few mates after and they looked like Santa had brought them all of their wildest dreams, but with some added interest. Then out the corner of my eye I spotted Binky Griptite walking my way. I seized the opportunity, and whilst trying not to sound like a crazed teenage girl at a Backstreet Boys concert, I shook his hand and told him exactly what I thought of his band and what I had just seen. Binky is truly a gentleman, and a humble one at that. We spoke for a few minutes bout music, vinyl and the future - oh, of which he divulged that there will be more Binky Griptite podcasts, so look out for those. I told him that what I had just witnessed eclipsed the amazing Breakestra gig I had attended in November 2006. I could tell that these words were accepted as a big of a compliment as they were intended. Others were waiting to speak with him, so we shook hands again and I wished him a pleasant remainder of his stay in Australia.

What more can I say?! I suppose like I said in my Breakestra article after seeing their live show, I’d just advise each and every one of you to ensure that if you ever get the opportunity, you have to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings live. They blow their contemporaries out of the water. Even people that don’t listen to soul or funk have been hypnotised by the Daptone effect. Get involved!

Up-coming tour dates:

  • UK & Ireland
    • Thursday April 10 - Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland
      -
      Friday April 11       - Mint Lounge - Manchester, England
      -
      Saturday April 12th       - Concorde 2 - Brighton, England
      -
      Sunday April 13th - The Yardbird - Birmingham, England
      -
      Wednesday April 16, 7pm
      Thursday April 17, 7pm
      Friday April 18, 7pm       - Jazz Cafe - London, UK
      -
      Saturday April 19       - The Sage Gateshead - Gateshead, England
  • US

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Categories : Live Show, Review

Invisible Superstars

24 02 2008

One would presume that this name was in direct reference to the fact that this compilation is made up of tracks created by amazing artists that many people will simply never have heard of before. Minus Controller 7 (of recent “Get Ready For The Young Folks” 7″ fame) I honestly had never heard of anyone featured on this release before.

The Secret Life Of Sound presents Invisible Superstars Volume 001. The Secret Life Of Sound is a record label owned by Rob Seeman and he enlisted the help of Controller 7 to create a sort of beat tape/sonic experiment featuring a host of their favourite electronic beat producers, all to be released; digitally, on 1000 pieces of limited vinyl and also 300 pieces of extremely limited GOLD vinyl. They wanted to create a unique record that could give the listener an insight into a world of diverse analog samples generated through non-traditional means of music composition and instrumentation. I have the said sought after gold vinyl, and I can tell you right now that it is something special indeed.

For starters, here is the tracklisting:

1. Miles Tilman - Chicken Salad Beats
2. Scott Matelic - Thoughtless
3. Controller 7 - Consumer
4. Tenshun - Mindfuck
5. Zombie Mountain - Heretic
6. Meatsock - Another Place
7. Mormon Freegan - Seeing n=0
8. Corsic - Romoxy
9. Buddy Peace - Slow Gang Funeral
10. PNS - Storm
11. Skoweyajeed - Papal Brakedance At 23.33
12. Thomas Dimuzio - Tire Damage

As soon as I heard the opening bar of Miles Tilman’s Chicken Salad Beats I knew this LP was gonna be good. Really gritty bass driven electronic beats - proper head nod stuff, whilst not being too overwhelming or overbearing. Like an up-to-date continuation of some of the early Coldcut material. Exquisite production and layering, this one would go down just as well in the car as the club. Next up is Thoughtless by Scott Matelic, no word of a lie, my favourite track right now, just incredible. So understated, yet so pure. Check it for yourself…

Scott Matelic - Thoughtless
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Invisible Superstars Vol. 1 @ TSLOS
This download link will expire on 2nd March.

The third track is a guitar driven heavy beat track by Controller 7, flexing that musical muscle and opening further the wide array of sounds Controller 7 can produce. Following that is a cinematic Wu-Tang’esque piece by Tenshun that breaks down into a real moody piece indeed. Many purists will want to seek out further Tenshun work after hearing this one!

Heretic brings us a more downtempo, yet trippy track. Enriched with details but light enough to just chill to. Keeping it relatively chilled, but switching the tempo up, Meatsock presents an almost drum ‘n’ bass tune with big props to Boards Of Canada and other such contemporaries. Mormon Freegan then flips the whole thing on its head and gives it some mash-up styles, somewhere between sci-fi soundtrack and gameshow in a steady beat style. Romoxy then brings everything back into line with a beautifully paced hip-hop beat laced with ethereal keys and brass. Just lie back and immerse yourself in this one.

The last quarter of the LP is a little more off the beaten track and commences with Buddy Peace’s Slow Gang Funeral - an eclectic blend of jazz-hop beats, vocal samples and electronic bleeps. It has a great rhythm to it and in ways reminds me of some of the more courageous Skalpel efforts. Following on is PNS with Storm, a downtempo head nodder for the head nodders. Often it can be the most simple sounding tracks that are the hardest to perfect - to create something so open can take great levels of detail and technique, well this PNS track hits the nail on the head, music for musicians or productions for producers?!

Skoweyajeed provides the penultimate track, an out there soundscape that Four Tet would be proud of. The final track is by Thomas Dimuzio and if nothing else just goes to show what can be achieved with sound. Thomas is a “sound designer” and will sample anything to create a desired sound. It’s hard to label exactly what he does, but it is bloody interesting.

I have to doff my cap to The Secret Life Of Sound, as with this release they have really gone out of their way to share with us such incredible talents that seem to have been overlooked previously. It has been good to see Controller 7 records being raved about of late and perhaps now some of the other artists on Invisible Superstars Volume 1 will also achieve some further recognition, they definitely deserve it. If you can, definitely try and cop a copy of that gold vinyl… if you still can!

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Categories : Links, New Discovery, New Release, Review

Weapons Of Jazz Destruction

3 02 2008

Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But relax, the only thing that is threatened with destruction is the ignorant belief that jazz music is dead. Jazz music isn’t dead, my friend - jazz music is alive and Ben Lamdin is here to testify. Who is Ben Lamdin?! He is Nostalgia 77, front-man of the Nostalgia 77 Octet and producer of the new Octet LP Weapons Of Jazz Destruction, out now on Tru Thoughts! That’s who!

Weapons Of Jazz Destruction dropped towards the end of November last year and kind of got sucked up into the end of year whirlwind vortex, so perhaps only the staunch fans had this register on the old radar. However, I’m not one to be committed to putting things in particular boxes and I believe that ones enjoyment from the arts does not have to be restricted by any boundaries. Fortunately in the case of this new album, I do think that it is very much accessible to anybody willing to relax and open their mind. The album is an hour long and takes the listener on an immense journey through time and styles. Inklings of legendary sounds, coupled with a fresh modern influence intended to stretch ones ear beyond its usual path. Of course, if you are actually a big jazz fan, then you are in for one hell of a treat.

Although not always an option, it really is advisable to listen to this record on a decent sound system. The array of instruments, and the sounds they obviously produce, is both rich and refined - it is a real sensory experience. You can close your eyes and invisage being dragged along a beautiful journey. Initially sounding like some powerful early Miles material, then later bounding through string laden lounge dreams, as soulful as they are hypnotic.

Ben Lamdin’s career thus far tells an interesting tale of a young man that started in the relms of hip-hop and funk, then made his journey back in time to find a more organic and hands-on sound that perhaps only jazz can provide. If one was to suggest that Danger Mouse or Dr. Dre were to head up their next project with an 8 piece jazz ensemble, you’d probably choke on your cheerios. Alas this is what Benjamin Lamdin did. Many hip-hop aficionados confess to a love of jazz and/or funk, but rarely do you expect them to output such material. I guess the closest we have come recently would be some of Madlib’s work, most of which was largely sampled and remixed. The Nostalgia 77 Octet is just that… an Octet.

This blend of electronic production techniques, paired with jazz and various soulful elements is perhaps what gives the sound such an edge. It would be easy to miss the target with something so bold - but Lamdin and his cohorts seem to pay a lot respect to the sounds they are crafting, no shortcuts are taken. The results are spectacular. Cliche as this might sound, Weapons Of Jazz Destruction truly makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It is exquisite. Powerful, emotional. A set of 11 masterful compositions, that even in their infancy already sound timeless.

Nostalgia 77 Octet - The District
>> download track / YSI
>> buy Weapons Of Jazz Destruction @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 10th February.

It’s all about the peaks - the highs and lows. From melancholy to inspiration, and back again. This album has a lot of depth to it, expressed in such an awesome fashion. Three quarters of it is instrumental, whilst the fantastic vocal talents of Sophie Smith are evident on a few tracks. As I said before, this already seems timeless. The only thing that could possibly better it would be to experience a live session of the said material. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for that. Weapons Of Jazz Destruction is in a similar vein to the previous Octet albums Sevens and Eights and Borderlands, although perhaps a bit darker. I’ve always felt that the best songs were the dark ones, and this just goes further to back up my theory. Well Ben, you’ve done it again.

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Categories : New Release, Review

The Best of 2007

19 01 2008

I heard a few people say that 2007 was a bad year for music, specially compared to 2006, but I have a list of 84 titles that beg to differ. I’m gonna detail 30 of my top picks, then I’ll just list the rest in no particularly special order. There isn’t enough hours in the day! In an ideal world I’d have mentioned all of the below albums at some point over the last year, but 84 albums is nearly one album every four days - even if by some miracle I did give a semi in-depth review of each one, I doubt you’d have enough time to read them all. I do often substitute my lack of prose with a slot on my podcast for new stuff that I dig, so try to catch that if you can.

Anyway, here’s my definitive Top 30 albums…

Pepe Deluxé - Spare Time Machine [mp3][ysi]
Beastie Boys - The Mix Up [mp3][ysi]
CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn [mp3][ysi]
4hero - Play With The Changes [mp3][ysi]
Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - Voices And Choices [mp3][ysi]
Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace
Nostalgia 77 Octet - Weapons Of Jazz Destruction
Antibalas - Security
Me&You - Floating Heavy [mp3][ysi]
The Sweet Vandals - The Sweet Vandals
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Ohmega Watts - Watts Happening
The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Tropidelico
Speeka - Bonfire
The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
The Heliocentrics - Out There
The Bamboos - Rawville
Little Dragon - Little Dragon
Nostalgia 77 - Everything Under The Sun
Jay Bharadia - The Yeti Cave [mp3][ysi]
Sia - Lady Croissant
Jazz Addixx - Oxygen Refreshed
Bullion - Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee
Cookin’ On 3 Burners - Baked, Broiled & Fried
Kid Acne - Romance Ain’t Dead
Amon Tobin - Foley Room
Jumbonics - Talk To The Animals
Flevans - Unfabulous [mp3][ysi]
Thes One - Lifestyle Marketing
The Dynamics - Version Excursions

And the fantastic rest (in alphabetical order)…

2Tall - Beautiful Mindz (feat. Dudley Perkins & Georgia Anne Muldrow)
Battles - Mirrored
Blockhead - Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book
Bonde Do Role - With Lasers
Bumps - Bumps
CunninLynguists - Dirty Acres
Diesler - The Rhythm Station
Dinner At The Thompson’s - Lifetime On Planet Earth
Distance - My Demons
DJ Day - The Day Before
DJ Kentaro - Enter
Dntel - Dumb Luck
Dyno - Dyno is Sol Waters [mp3][ysi]
Elizabeth Shepherd - Besides
Feist - The Reminder
Fink - Distance and Time
Flow Dynamics - Flow Dynamics
Grieves - Irreversible [mp3][ysi]
Hot 8 Brass Band - Rock With The Hot 8
Husky Rescue - Ghost Is Not Real
Intellectually Sound - Beats and a Poem Vol.1
J Dilla - Ruff Draft
Juba Dance - Orange
Kidkanevil - Problems and Solutions
Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
Kutiman - Kutiman [mp3][ysi]
Lack Of Afro - Press On
Lefties Soul Connection - Skimming The Skum
Lotus Tribe - S.E.L.F.: The Art & War Of Misanthropic Philanthropy
Lou Rhodes - Bloom
Lukid - Onandon
M.I.A. - Kala
Madlib the Beat Konductor - Beat Konducta in India Vol 3-4
Norah Jones - Not Too Late
Orgone - The Killion Floor
Prefuse 73 - Preparations
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Robert Glasper - In My Element
Rup - Rup On Zebra
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
Scianka - Secret Sister
Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
Speedometer - Four Flights Up
The Budos Band - The Budos Band II
The Haggis Horns - Hot Damn!
The Heavy - Great Vengeance & Furious Fire [mp3][ysi]
The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army
The Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft Of The Lost Art
The Sound Stylistics - Play Deep Funk
Thief - Sunchild
Unkle Ho - Circus Maximus
Voice of the Seven Woods - Voice of the Seven Woods
Wajeed - The War LP
Wax Tailor - Hope and Sorrow
Yesterdays New Quintet - Yesterdays Universe

See, plenty of great albums came out in 2007. If you have the time, I’d advise you to check out any of the above if you haven’t heard of them before. Not every artist has millions of dollars worth of marketing push behind them, but that isn’t a measure of quality by any means what-so-ever. The Police have reformed and are taking Fergie (?!) on tour with them to sell out crowds around the globe. Sure, The Police were good in their day, but Fergie as SPECIAL guest?! Meanwhile Ohmega Watts played to a couple of hundred people in Brisbane. If enough commercials said so, some people would spread shit on their toast in the morning and wear condoms on their ears. Mass marketing and advertising doesn’t mean shit. However, it means that if you genuinely want to get your hands on decent music, then YOU have to put the effort in. Do your research, spend that extra five or ten minutes rather than waiting for your big FM station to ram some shit down your throat. Don’t settle for second best, get up off your arse and find the best yourself. The good stuff is there and is more accessible than you think, so go get it.

Belated Happy New Year!

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Categories : Info, Review

Tropidelico

14 10 2007

Coming at you in full effect, The Quantic Soul Orchestra are back with a vengence… and a third album: Tropidelico. Duo for official drop 22nd October on Tru Thoughts, this one will knock your socks off with its latin rhythms and funky vibes.

Will Holland (the mighty Quantic) has been killing it live style with the QSO for a few years now, and as well as the aforementioned QSO album releases, there have been some sevens and also last year’s Spanky Wilson album, that was pure dynamite by the way. Now we are on the cusp of a third full QSO release and no doubt you want to know just what is in store. Perhaps I can help.

Tropidelico is both 12 tracks and fourty-eight minutes strong. There is a distinct latin sound throughout the album and that is immediately evident with the opening, self-titled, track Tropidelico. You’ll have to get your cha-cha on to this feverish starter. I love the paired extremes in this track - the subtleties and complexities. In ways it is understated with the lowkey approach, but the layers are exquisite, they entice and trap. For all its subtleties, it is at times a tad dramatic - in a good way, mind - even those less accustomed to such blatant latin sounds should appreciate the pure energy.

The second track is Panama City and this falls into slightly more familiar funk territory. The brass is strong, and the funky guitar stabs are hypnotic. An early theme to spot in this album, aside from the latin sounds, is the energy it exhumes. It’s addictive stuff indeed and Panama City will have you reaching for your dancing shoes! That said, you’d just as equally be comfortable listening to this in a more chilled state of mind or other relaxed surroundings.

She Said What? features J Live, the established and incredible hip-hop emcee. He flows nicely over the mixture of latin keys, cowbells, bass and drums. A definite head-nodder, and more evidence that the mood of this release is set not to change. Check it out for yourself…

The Quantic Soul Orchestra - She Said What?
>> download track
>> buy Tropidelico @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 21st October.

Track number four is Melodious Wayfarer and it has some cool attitude going on. I’m particularly feeling the drum arrangement on this funk/latin effort. I can just imagine this one kicking arse live. It almost seems audacious in a way that the stylings of funk and latin could be blended in such a way, but then on the other hand… it sounds so damn natural. The rhythms, the brass, that damn energy again. Even if you wanted to hate this I doubt you actually could. I mean what’s not to like! Then it’s into Regi Bugalu, a slightly calmer, but moodier, deep affair. This is rich and smooth as silk. An album like this could turn anyone into a fan of latin music.

A short, but soulful Interlude takes us into Lead Us To The End (featured on #21 of the JLM Podcast). The sweet sound of Noelle Scaggs accompanies this funky ditty. Currently one of my favourite tracks on the album, although it is a bit like choosing a favourite child! The guitar riff gently dances around the infectious rhythm to the sweet swoon of Noelle’s on-point vocals. Simply blissful. San Sebastian Strut takes us deep into the Columbian quarter - an instrumental piece intent on possessing your hips against your own will. The instrumentation is flawless with its amalgamation of sounds - varying from piano to maracas to brass to congas to bass, it goes onwards and upwards.

Track nine of the scheduled twelve is Marrakech. I own a few tracks by that name, but none quite hit the spot like this one. Intentionally raw sounding, this could have come from Lalo Schifrin himself - had a Bruce Lee movie been filmed in South America of course. Who Knows will be recognisable to either jazz affeciandos, RJD2 fans or perhaps both. The bluesy vocal provided by Kabir is as strong as the music it follows. This has a real loungey feel to it, the brass over bass gives it such a powerful backbone.

Father may also leave you thinking “where do I recognise that from?”. The glockenspiel rides over guitar stabs and steady percussion to provide a gentle but energetic aural experience. I love the mood, sombre yet uplifting. It’s soulful and steady. The last track is totally latin: Los Olvidados closes the album in much the way it was started.

Tropidelico is a very strong album. There is no escaping the latin components, they make for 90% of the guts of this album, but alas no-one is trying to hide this fact. Sure if you don’t ordinarily dig such obvious latin tones, yeah you may not feel this, but as I said earlier: I feel that this album would have a greater chance of turning the most casual listeners into latin fans. I stand by a theory that says regardless of genre, with the right people behind the music, success will be met. Forgive me for the negative stance to this conclusion, as I do regret it, but I wanted to ensure that any skeptics would listen to this album and surely make an educated judgement. No doubt most will love this album as much as I do.

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Categories : Info, Links, New Release, Review

Spare Time Machine

1 07 2007

With over half of 2007 already been and gone, now is the time that we start to get an idea of what the top albums of the year have been. Spare Time Machine, the new album by Pepe Deluxé, dropped just last week and it is definitely one of my fav albums of the year by far. I wanted to make that perfectly clear within the first paragraph of my review - we can all get a bit lazy when it comes to reading reviews, so if there is one thing I’d like people to skim-read here… it’s that Spare Time Machine is one fantastic album.

If you haven’t a clue who I’m talking about, then shame on you, but don’t worry, you are forgiven. Pepe Deluxé are a Finnish duo signed to the British label Catskills. The fellas have been messing with electronic downtempo sounds since the mid nineties, but with this new album they have taken a new direction. The new album sees a venture into the more psychedelic pop and rock sounds, and it works oh so well.

The Mischief Of Cloud 6 is the opening track and I actually purchased the 7″ vinyl of this one the other day. This is an upbeat track comprising of a highly addictive melody and very retro vocals. The blend of electronic instruments and more organic instruments gives a good result. One thing I really like about this track is the drums - nothing beats raw sounding drums, and these certainly have attitude to boot. Overall it just sounds extremely well produced, the culmination of the psychedelic slant on the proceedings along with some great guitar riffs helps to give that well rounded sound - essentially it is retro-pop, but there really is nothing bad at all to say about it. Check out the video…

Next up is Ms. Wilhelmina And Her Hat, and already at this early stage in the album it becomes pretty obvious that the theme to the album, as mentioned earlier, is that whole slant on psych-pop/rock. Not usually a genre I’d find myself immersed in ordinarily, but hey, if it’s good music… it’s good music! This track goes from eastern chant like vocals into a really heavy bassline, this will be the one to get your foot tapping. For the group Spare Time Machine was also their first time experimenting with original lyrics and they are definitely in keeping with the musical style, give it a listen…

Pepe Deluxé - Ms. Wilhemina And Her Hat
>> download track
>> buy Spare Time Machine @ Catskills eShop
This download link will expire on 7th July.

Track three of ten is Go For Blue, one of the more ‘poppy’ tracks on the album, but it still maintains the level of depth held by its predecessors. I guess one theory would be that any genre or style can sound good if it is produced the right way, but not that many artists are actually brave enough (if brave is even the right term) to do it. Pepe Deluxé have shown their diversity and talent with this album - it all sounds so natural and complete. Heavy guitar and strong vocals marry with the melody to create another catchy tune.

I love the intro to Last Of The Great Explorers, slightly drawn out in an almost DJ Shadow style, then in comes the heavy guitar and gruff vocal - sublime. Albeit dipped in a certain level of retro, this sounds extremely fresh, perhaps this is just a good time to be reminded of certain sounds. I’m certain this will appeal to fans of all corners of rock, pop and dance music.

Pussy Cat Rock is the shortest full length track on the album and is straight up 60s high energy rock. It will get you dancing for sure, even as a sort of bridging track it contains enough to warrant repeat listens and interest. Seemingly a lot of effort was put into every facet of Spare Time Machine, nothing sounds rushed or incomplete.

The melodically sweet Apple Thief comes up next, a pairing of male and female vocals backed with guitars a plenty. Very downtempo and very uplifting. Fantastic use of rainfall bridges to the middle part of the song, a country sounding guitar ditty, it’s actually pretty beautiful. God knows what made the guys make music in this style, but I am so glad they did. Just like Joanna Newsom’s Ys caught everyone off-guard last year, this album has done the same but for 2007. The back end of Apple Thief gains a bit more energy, the chorus is addictive as hell and the drums are fantastic - great song.

Lucky The Blind is currently my fav song on the album, I say ‘currently’ because I am sure it will keep changing as the weeks pass, but that’s a great dilemma to have! This track is essentially split into two parts; Lucky The Blind and Vacuum Cleaning Monster. The first part is a catchy ditty that will keep you moving like you’ve got ants in your pants - brilliant instrumentation matched with shadowed male and female vocals, it’ll put a smile on your face. Then midway through, the track breaks down into ethereal electronic keys, then moody western’esque guitar and vocals, before the big crescendo - finally it pushes into the second half of the track, which sounds totally different but somehow fits like a glove. The drum break nearly pushed me over the edge. The chorus is cool too: “there’s another sideburn sucking blackhole… a vacuuming cleaning monster”.

The longest track on the album is Captain Carter’s Fathoms. You’d be forgiven for thinking the beginning sounded like one of the newer Prodigy tracks, it’s pretty full on. But very quickly that descends and a spine tingling guitar, pipe, and drum session builds into a steady but unstoppable machine. This is a tense and liberating piece of music, could be from a film score. It is very orchestral in a certain sense and definitely carries an air of theatre about it.

Forgotten Knights Prelude is a short prelude and pretty self explanatory. Sounds like it came straight from A Clockwork Orange! Right right brother! However, Forgotten Knights itself actually sounds more like a grittier version of a sort of crossover between Lenny Kravitz and Maroon 5. Hmmm, not entirely sure that sold the track very well. Anyway, trust that this is the least psychedelic track on the album, but it is still very good. A nice outro track indeed.

There are a few things to note about Spare Time Machine; I do genuinely believe it is accessible to just about anyone, but at the same time I don’t think everyone could just put it on and immediately appreciate it. It is a bit of a grower. Took me a few listens to truly start to digest it. This was the same with Joanna Newsom’s Ys, as mentioned previously, and that went on to be the best album of 2006. Definitely purchase this album and definitely give it the time it deserves. It is also one of those albums that is best listened to from start to finish, a bit like the new Beastie Boys album The Mix Up. Be sure to check out Pepe Deluxé and Catskills on MySpace, add them to your friends etc… We’re all friends after all!

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Alice Russell - Live In Paris

21 05 2007

I’ll cut to the chase, this DVD is an absolute must for all Alice Russell fans. Due for general release on 11th June, this 79 minute long presentation shows Alice and pals in all their musical glory. Recorded live in Paris last year it is set in a spacious, yet intimate, venue, jam packed with faithful fans from France (don’t try and say that a few times after some drinks!).

Alice is accompanied by a fantastic band that includes TM Juke, Michael Simmonds, Benjamin Jones and Daniel Swaine and launch straight into things with the mellow Soul Felt. Highlights include; Mean To Me with fantastic fiddle work by Michael Simmonds, a brilliant cover of Andre 3000’s Dracula’s Wedding, and of course the famous cover of Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. The full set list looks like this…

  1. Soul Felt
  2. What We Want
  3. Humankind
  4. Taking Hold
  5. Mean To Me
  6. To Know This
  7. Something That’s Real
  8. Search The Heaven’s
  9. Munkaroo
  10. High Up On The Hook
  11. Dracula’s Wedding
  12. Hurry On Now
  13. Seven Nation Army
  14. My Baby Just Cares For Me
  15. Fly In The Hand

Alice Russell - Seven Nation Army (feat Nostalgia 77)
>> download track
>> buy Under The Munka Moon II @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 28th May.

The production quality, on what is amazingly the first ever DVD from Tru Thoughts, is superb. All recorded with three cameras on the night, the final edit is simply sublime. There are no swanky DVD menus and extras, but there doesn’t need to be - a great example of WYSIWYG, the main event is all we need. The good news is that this wont be a one off, expect more DVD releases from Tru Thoughts. Rumour has it the next one will be a live recording of Spanky Wilson and The Quantic Soul Orchestra, so look out for that one later in the year!

Back on subject, Alice and co. clearly show what great entertainers they are on this DVD and give those that have never seen her live the opportunity to see what they are missing, and those that have seen her live a choice reminder of what they have seen previously. Only a few weeks till this one comes out officially, so make sure you remember to pick it up! You can get this directly from the EtchShop or at Amazon.

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Rawville

1 04 2007

As promised, here’s a full review of the upcoming album from The Bamboos on Tru Thoughts: Rawville. The album will be available from all good retail stores on 7th May, just over a year after they released their debut album Step It Up. Rawville features twelve tracks that span a total of just over 48 minutes - each staying true to the Bamboos’ patented funk sound, but with a few twists this time round.

Things kick off with The Bamboos Theme, a four minute long, exhilarating entree to the proceedings. It’s high energy stuff, crammed with melody and fast paced beats. The culmination of different instrumentation, intertwined and fused within one-another, makes for quite an intro. Straight after comes the first guest appearance, Tru Thoughts queen-bee Alice Russell on Bring It Home. On this track we see the funk sounds of The Bamboos combine with the soulful tones of Alice Russell to create an extremely addictive and melodic track that wouldn’t be out of place somewhere in the back-catalogue of any famous old-time funk soul combination - alas with the unique, and very modern, grit of these highly talented individuals.

Last week I featured the first 7″ release from this album Get In The Scene feat. Ohmega Watts and that track is actually number three on Rawville. Like I said in that feature, this track is an upbeat affair, with a fantastic blend of funky guitar, brass and wood along with the smooth and dynamic flow of Ohmega Watts. The track has a very laid back air about it, but manages to maintain the upbeat groove, perfect summer time track really. The next track is one of the main reasons I purchased The Witch by The Broken Keys on 12″, it’s the Bamboos’ very own remix! Those that know the original track will know what to expect, but for those that don’t… The Witch is a heavy track with a killer bassline and The Bamboos have worked their magic with an all instrumental version with that distinctive Bamboos funk sound.

My Baby’s Cheating (I Sure Got The Feeling) feat. Fallon Williams sees the third use of a guest vocalist on the album thus far. Fallon lends his gravelly, yet deeply soulful, voice to a track that rides along the crest of a Hammond organ wave whilst carving it up around the sharp brass stabs. I can just tell that performed live this would really get a party started - I defy you to sit still whilst this one is playing! Now switching slightly further into the soul realm we have I Don’t Wanna Stop feat. Kylie Auldist - think roughly along the lines of the latest Amy Winehouse material, but perhaps in a more optimistic vein. This reeks of 60s soul, laced with brass and keys, chirpy melodies and genuinely authentic and silky vocals from Kylie Auldist. This will appeal to anyone from casual pop-picker right up to dedicated soul enthusiast - very accessible stuff indeed.

Still on the soul tip Head In The Clouds feat. Tyra Hammond sees the variation in sounds visit heavier beats and slightly darker melodies. This track in particular really expresses how The Bamboos are moving with their sound, the subtle blend of styles and sounds - in particular the heavy beat matched with the soulful vocal, where the track breaks down and builds again. Like the last track it is accessible to anyone, but if you are wanting to look deeper, there definitely are details there to be found. It’s these intricacies that fascinate me most, how upon first impressions things can seem simple enough, but if the right efforts are applied, then so much more can be discovered. Listen for yourself…

The Bamboos - Head In The Clouds feat. Tyra Hammond
>> download track
>> buy album @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 8th April.

Happy is a track that has been previously released on 7″, it’s dark, it’s instrumental, and it’s bloody infectious! A steady funk beat starts, joined by a tentative bass and some cool keys, slowly building and teasing. It’s quite tense in an upbeat kind of way, then half way in *boom* the brass crashes the party… but it’s still building, it eventuates into an organ crescendo of blaxploitation proportions, then back into that steady chorus before a crazy percussion breakdown. Huge replayablity factor with this one and sure to get a funk crowd moving - class. Then we are graced with the second appearance of Ohmega Watts on Rockin’ It. Essentially it is Ohmega, a steady beat, groovy bass and some brass stabs - but melodically speaking this is fresh, like something Ugly Duckling might look to achieve if they played with a live funk band.

Pussy Footin’ was on the same 7″ as Happy and is another instrumental track oozing with class. Along similar lines as Happy, Pussy Footin’ is not as dark, but as equally focused on the progressive nature of building melodies. Stacked chock full of groove, armed with crazy keys, deep bass and an atmosphere that was resurrected from somewhere in the 70s. The penultimate track on the album is actually the title track: Rawville. It’s an instrumental track that beautifully marries the organ and the brass, with percussion and bass playing their parts as groomsmen and bridesmaids respectively. The enter a cameo from guitar and you’re left with what would appear to be the soundtrack to a million different funky situations. The final track is Tongan Steel, which funnily enough does have some pretty mean drumming going on. This is as groovy and catchy as can be expected, The Bamboos excel in this area, it’s no secret. Tongan Steel proves to be a good outro piece, with its consistent melody and tight instrumentation - just another example of what sharp talents these fellas are.

Rawville says a few different things to me, I’ll condense and conclude these thoughts thus; I’m satisfied, personally, that the guys are progressing their sound by furthering themselves with how they create their music. This is evident via the collaborations seen on this album and the sounds presented. The Bamboos have proved that they can indeed create funky tracks that are also soulful and match their skills wisely with vocalists, and also an emcee in the shape of Ohmega Watts. Albeit too easy to type cast a funk outfit and pressure them into experimenting, I feel that they’ve pushed the boundaries without losing touch with their roots. They’re as funky as ever and it was good to hear as many instrumental tracks as tracks featuring vocalists. This album will definitely help to attract new fans, but I’m sure will also please the already existing fanbase.

EDIT: Forgot to mention some live dates for The Bamboos as they are on tour very soon…

* Fri 04 May ‘07 Derry
* Wed 09 May ‘07 Dundee
* Fri 11 May ‘07 Plymouth
* Sat 12 May ‘07 Newquay
* Tue 15 May ‘07 London
* Wed 16 May ‘07 Birmingham
* Thu 17 May ‘07 Southampton
* Thu 24 May ‘07 Berlin
* Sat 26 May ‘07 Kortrijk

For more details check out the gigs page on the Tru Thoughts website: http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/gigs

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Categories : Info, Links, Live Show, New Release, Review

Get In The Seven Inch Scene

19 03 2007

A confession: I’m totally addicted to collecting 7″ vinyl. I just cant get enough of the little bastards. Got over 60 of them now, and that is less than three months of collecting. If you love your music and have a few coins to spare, buy a turntable and get collecting 7s! Your vinyl collection doesn’t take too much looking after, it’s not like a pet fish that will die of hunger. You just need to make sure you keep it stacked upright (not on top of each other) and out of direct sunlight, and it will be yours for (nearly) ever. Nothing beats the warmth of the vinyl experience. I think it is the culmination of senses used to experience, not just the music, but the whole vinyl package, as it were. It’s very hands on, requires your respect not to damage it by manhandling too much or generally mistreating, and gives such an authentic listening experience. There really is no need to get technical with the whole “vinyl versus CD” debate, no-one cares anymore - if you want a CD instead of vinyl, just buy the CD… I buy both formats anyway.

Anyway, this leads me on to my next point. The Bamboos, those funked up Aussies on Tru Thoughts, are dropping their new 7″ on 9th April. The A-side is Get In The Scene feat. Ohmega Watts, and the B-side is the instrumental version. This track is taken from their upcoming second album Rawville that is due out in May. The track is an upbeat funk affair with a laid back style. It features some funky guitar work with a catchy brass and wood melody - not to mention Ohmega Watts’s consistently wicked flow - a great blend. Get In The Scene is beautifully structured and really pays homage to those classic laid back funk sounds, whilst still sounding fresh as a daisy. Catch a clip of the track below…

From what I understand the new album will feature quite a few vocals on the tracks, unlike the debut album on Tru Thoughts from The Bamboos, but if they work anything like as well as this track does… then I cant wait!

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I’ve Been Tru Thinking

3 03 2007

If you read my “Best of 2006″ blog entry, you may have noticed the label Tru Thoughts pop up more than a few times. If you don’t know who Tru Thoughts are, have a quiet little sob to yourself for being so out of touch, and then read on.

Dry your eyes, it’s time for a fat slice of factuality…

Tru Thoughts is an independent record label out of Brighton, England, founded in 1999 by Robert Luis. They specialise (for want of a better word) in the more funky, jazzy, electronic, breaks, hip-hop areas of the musical spectrum. Some of their earliest releases include Bonobo’s Animal Magic and Quantic’s The 5th Exotic. Anyway, I’m hoping you know most of this already, so fast forward to now and the label is as strong as ever - was the best label of 2006, as far as I’m concerned.

2006 came to a close and was proof, in the medium of calendar, as a very successful period of time for the label. TM Juke dropped his much acclaimed second album Forward, Nostalgia 77 Octet won Jazz Album Of The Year at the Gilles Peterson Worldwide awards, the legendary Spanky Wilson made an appearance with The Quantic Soul Orchestra, and Alice Russell gave us a nice little remix album - a mere handful of memories out of plenty. But this is 2007 and time waits for no-one! No better way to kick off a new year then with a compilation showcasing just what’s going on, Tru Thoughts (and a little bit of Zebra Traffic) presents Shapes 07:01.

Shapes 07:01 is culmination of the current talent on both Tru Thoughts and its sister hip-hop label Zebra Traffic, it is due for general release on 2nd April. When this one turned up on the doorstep I was like a kid tearing through the wrapping paper of a Birthday present! This is the tracklisting…

1. Alice Russell - Hurry On Now (Boub Remix)
2. Spengler - Good Things
3. Freddie Cruger - Pushing On Feat. Linn
4. Up Hygh - Compatible
5. TM Juke - Skin (Remix) Feat. Rup
6. Quantic - Politick Society Feat. Noelle (Quantic Remix)
7. Jumbonics - Last Nite
8. Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Waiting For Your Touch (Instrumental)
9. Nostalgia 77 - Wildflower
10. Lanu - Dis-information (12″ Mix)
11. The Bamboos - Happy
12. Me & You - Ze Zam
13. The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Paintings & Journeys
14. Diesler feat. Carla Alexandar - Into The Woods
15. Rup - Step
16. Dirty Diggers feat. Fourteen Corners - It’ll Be Ok

It kicks off with the Boub remix of Hurry On Now by the ever impressive Alice Russell. The notes on this track basically state that this remix turned up at Tru Thoughts HQ and they liked it so much they released it! Essentially this is a sort of dub/reggae slant on the original - it works beautifully and never gets tired. You may have heard this on Under The Munka Moon II, I think I listen to this version more than the original! Next up is Spengler with Good Things. I’d say I know Tru Thoughts pretty well, but I actually wasn’t familiar with Spengler until hearing this track. Still, that’s what compilations like this are for right? Discovering new things you may have over looked or just never heard of. This track is really soulful. Has that whole start-stop head nodding groove thing going on. It’s really smooth. The guitar, subtle keys and on-key dual vocals work a treat.

Freddie Cruger (AKA Red Astaire) is up next with the track Pushing On featuring Linn. The Swedish reggae/hip-hop maestro is a relative new comer to the Tru Thoughts stable, but is already asserting himself with style. I love this track. The beats are chilled but carry a certain level of funk to keep the groove moving - the samples are precisely placed and Linn’s vocal is silky. Pretty addictive stuff by all accounts. Up Hygh are the other act I wasn’t exactly familiar with until listening to this album, but their track Compatible had me intrigued. It’s a strange style of hip-hop that makes you stop in your tracks, contemplate if it ‘works’, then conclude that actually, yes, it is pretty damn heavy! It’s a laid back affair with heavy, heavy beats, clever rhymes and a hard chorus… “Me…and you………we’re not compatible!……..What was I thinking?!”. Give this the time it deserves, it’ll grab you at some point.

Man of the moment TM Juke presents a remix of Skin featuring the hottest Rupert since the bear. Rup first hit us hard with his cypher on Wilderness Kids from Juke’s first album a couple of years back. But on the cusp of his own debut album release, here he is adding his unique vocal wizardry to this Juke banger. I actually asked Rup bout the lyrics for this track and he had this to say “The lyrics are about humanity, truth and having a drunken dance with a member of the opposite sex or whatever you happen to be into. It’s all about that Skin!”. Well there you go, straight from the horses mouth. It’s a tight track anyway from TM Juke, with ragga style beats and arrangement, you wont be able to sit still, but with one of UK hip-hop’s hottest talents on the mic, it just adds an extra pinch of flavour - more on Rup later in this feature, but for now give this track a listen…

TM Juke - Skin (Remix) Feat. Rup
>> download track (YSI)
>> buy Shapes 07:01 @ EtchShop (out in April)
This download link will expire on 10th March.

Quantic is up next with his samba’esque Politik Society featuring Noelle on the vocals. This has bundles of rhythm and energy, as can probably be expected. A tight melody and structure from Quantic, with an exquisite vocal delivery from Noelle - this is, frankly, infectious! You heard of Jumbonics? You have now! They give it to us a straight with a fierce funk cover of Last Nite, originally by The Strokes. This track is being rinsed by plenty of people right now, and I’m one of them! If by some freak chance you’ve ever wondered what a funk cover of Last Nite might sound like, quit your wondering and check it out - I picked up the 7″ vinyl a few weeks back, it’s top stuff indeed.

60s soul singing legend Spanky Wilson teamed up last year with none other than Quantic to release a full LP, and what we have here is an instrumental version of one of the tracks; Waiting For Your Touch. It’s a funky affair to be sure. Mean brass stabs, a consistent funk beat and some eerie strings. I bet it would sound great live, goes without saying really. Nostalgia 77 serves us up a jazzy number with Wildflower. A tribal sounding deep jazz track with soulful female vocals, this is real nice. Just another example as to why Nostalgia 77 has picked up so many accolades of late.

Lanu of The Bamboos has released some solo stuff and shares with us the 12″ mix of Dis-information. This is a real loungey nu-soul track with plenty of funk added for good measure. A total summers day kind of track - it’s chilled, but has attitude. And straight after that is The Bamboos track Happy. Happy indeed, sounds like it has been taken straight off the soundtrack of a blaxploitation film. It’s a killer track for sure - plenty of brass, keys, and a heavy bassline - a funky excursion into the world of this Australian funk band. Check out their album Step Up for more of the same.

Ze Zam is credited as being by Me & You, which is actually Alex Cowan (TM Juke) and Robert Luis (Tru Thoughts head-honcho). This track bizarrely blends samba/bangra/breaks to create what you can only really describe as some sort of avantgarde floor-filler. It’s a rhythm filled and effects drenched electro banger. It speaks pure energy and will leave you wondering what else these fellas have instore for us! The Quantic Soul Orchestra then give us a taste of their latest brew with Paintings & Journeys. I always find one constant thing with any track remotely involving Quantic is the bass. Emphasis always seems to be on the bass - which is cool in my book, and this track is no exception. But there are plenty more layers to this fantastic composition. The strings are a beautiful touch and work well with the other orchestral elements, namely; guitar, drums, and other organic parts of the percussion.

Northern lad Diesler presents the latin groove Into The Woods, featuring Carla Alexandar. This is a tight production, a downtempo latin creation with Carla killing it on the vocals. I cant understand a word of it, but that doesn’t matter, it sounds good. Remember Rup from earlier? Well this is his track Step. The intro reminds me a bit of the tracks on Lewis Parker’s It’s All Happening Now, sort of dark yet chilled. Then in comes Rup, armed with the intelligent flow I know him so well for. This track is wicked. He serves it up with honesty and maintains relevance throughout. Too many emcees these days seem content with simply rhyming any old crap, but Rup proves it is still possible to create well thought out and clever rhymes and deliver them in a creative and sonically sound manner. His debut LP, Rup On Zebra, drops round about now, get it seen to.

The last track on the compilation is by Zebra Traffic’s Dirty Diggers with It’ll Be Ok featuring Fourteen Corners. The Diggers have dared to mess with what some people see as a grey area; hip-hop with rapping AND singing. It’s ok, stop it with the cringing… it works… this time. Cast your prejudice to one side and give it a thorough listen. The track is solid. Real smooth beats and samples and flowing rhymes from Young Max & Pat Stash.

Tru Thoughts also recently relaunched their website, so make sure you give that a visit… http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk …it features all the latest news etc… and they even have a forum, very fancy! One other cool thing is the creation of a new Tru Thoughts podcast by Robert Luis. You can find the feed URL in the sidebar of this blog and also on the Tru Thoughts website - it’s definitely a good way to hear what the label is up to music wise.

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Categories : Info, Links, New Release, Review

Play With The Changes

3 02 2007

Do you know 4hero by name? I’d bet you at least know them by sound. 4hero have been around since the early 90s and are seen by many as UK pioneers of the jungle and drum ‘n’ bass scene, fast forward to 1998 and the group obtained a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize for their album Two Pages. Jump forward again to 2001 and 4hero dropped the album Creating Patterns, it was this album that included what has now become a bit of a renowned calling-card for the group, the track Les Fleur.

4hero have always managed to create fresh and innovative music, incorporating a plethora of sounds from varying genres. Often delving into their jungle roots, whilst exploring lighter, more soulful jazzy sounds. But it isn’t their mere efforts that have earned them acclaim in the past, but their results. Many have tried to ‘mash’ genres and sounds, yet ended up with an aural nightmare, but 4hero always come up smelling of Les Fleur… or roses.

And so fast forward for me one more time, if you will, right up to February 2007, teetering on the edge of the brand new album release; Play With The Changes. In the past, 4hero have hit us with d’n'b sounds, electronica, jazz, cinematic pieces, the list goes on, and this time they are back and back with a bang. Added to the roster of sounds for Play With The Changes are soul and blues. That’s not to say it is a first for the guys, but more just to explain the extra emphasis of this new record. The album is 14 tracks long and due for release through their own Raw Canvas label on Monday (5th of Feb). Not that you need any more excuses to go out and buy it on monday, you should still read on and see just what I thought of Play With The Changes.

The first track is Morning Child feat. Carina Anderson. Within the first 2 seconds you know it is 4hero; dramatic strings and raw beats. Then Carina’s vocal comes in, frankly it’s angelic. The track gives me goose-bumps, don’t paint me soft, but I think it is beautiful. The breakdown strips the track to bass, piano, steady beats and Carina… “open your eyes to the morning wont you?” …then *bam* a big beat and back into those dramatic strings, partnered with strong brass - I just love the structure to this track. Take My Time features the ever-talented Jack Davey. A sort of neo-soul excursion, dripped in smooth, yet clean execution. In a sense it sounds to me as if what a Ty track would sound like if he was a lot more laid back soul than raw hip-hop - it’s a classy joint indeed.

The third track is Look Inside feat. FACE and it kicks it to us straight away with some jazzy d’n'b stylings. The strings are there, as is the fat bassline and kicking beats. FACE adds a beautiful component to an already groove-ridden track, it feels very complete. The beat, although comparable (or recognisable) to d’n'b is perhaps actually a lot closer to more uptempo lounge sounds, and it works a treat. Sink Or Swim feat. Lady Alma is up next, and it’s got real dirty bass and a 2-step kind of beat going on. Lady Alma is yet another silk-laden songstress to grace this album, she is as smooth as she is soulful. Take a listen for yourself…

4hero - Sink Or Swim feat. Lady Alma
>> download track
>> buy album @ Amazon US / Amazon UK
This download link will expire on 9th February.

Give In features the talents of Darien Brokington and Phonte. By this point one thing that really stands out about the album is simply the quality of production. The beats are solid, all the layers are in all the right places, and most importantly the tracks sound like complete compositions. Darien and Phonte mark the first extra male presence on the album, and man it’s all good. This track appears to be quite simple with its soulful melody and vocals, but if you listen carefully it is actually very intricate. Phonte’s rap is nicely placed and works well also. The title track is number six of 14, Play With The Changes. Larry Mizell and Tilita Long lend themselves to this subtle and funky creation. A beat balancing on the boundary between latin and jazz, with a song structure paying homage to sounds of old, whilst offering invigoration - but all the while the evidence points to something extremely soulful and melodic, one to nod your head to, upbeat and positively brimming with solace.

The halfway point in the album sees Something In The Way feat. Bembe Segue & Kaidi Tatham. This is a very upbeat track, once again incorporating that 2-step style beat pattern, but this time with a jazz-funk melody. I can see this appealing to both fans of lounge and also soulful jazz, I mean often those are the same thing, but often they can be totally different too. It just feels more like a ‘proper’ fusion of the two sounds have been used to create something that only 4hero could even dream to achieve. Once more it is all about the execution. FACE returns for Stoke Up The Fire, a real head nodder. The energy to this track is good, it feels hectic without becoming overwhelming. The balance has been found and exploited, I just couldn’t sit still. The use of electric guitar as a melody laced on top of catchy beats and a heavy bassline works very well with the soulful vocals.

Sophia is track nine and it brings us back into the realms of the cinematic arena. The beats are impressive, sound so raw and fresh, the strings add atmosphere for sure, and the keys pull it all together. Another beautiful piece. But sneakily there are elements of jazz funk in there, I’m not entirely sure why I think it is sneaky, but it just feels like it has been subtley placed at the breakdown - I’m talking in minor Shaft (yes John Shaft!) proportions - don’t get me wrong though, it works fantastically! A brilliant instrumental track. Then we have Superwoman, the longest track on the album at 7m50s. Sounds like it could have been a rare 80s Motown b-side that never really saw the light of day. It’s definitely yet another good example of the production prowess on the part of 4hero.

You may remember The Awakening from Volume 6 of the Just Like Music Podcast - if not, what are you playing at? Get subscribed! This track features the lyrical talents of Ursula Rucker, as she gracefully dances around the funky beat, brass stabs, mean bassline, and strings. You can view the new video to this track below…

Why Don’t You Talk is track number twelve. A funky jazz style instrumental piece that features more instruments than you could shake a stick at. It lies somewhere between Quantic Soul Orchestra and Georgia Anne Muldrow (minus the vocals), a big compliment in my books. The inclusion of these few instrumental tracks, I believe, has really helped to make the album a complete listening experience. Then Bed Of Roses has a blatant low-key d’n'b thing going on. Jody Watley adds some deeper soulful vocals to the proceedings - her sound is like a spliced recreation involving Jill Scott and Alice Russell. The bringing together of cinematic strings, subtle d’n'b beats, keys, and soul singing is a beautiful amalgamation of artistic intent and, ultimately, creation.

The final track is Dedication To The Horse, a shorter track, deliberately suited as an outro. This is instrumental and focuses on electric guitar (think Hendrix style) and hectic live sounding beats. A definite head-nodding, finger tapping, closing ceremony to what has been a fantastic listening experience. Marc Mac and Dego have really outdone themselves with Play With The Changes. Anyone that has read a few of my past reviews will know that I personally worship the idea of a track becoming more than a track; a complete composition. As I mentioned a few times in this review, the production on this album is exquisite. To attempt something is one thing, but to achieve something is another matter entirely - I believe they’ve achieved a lot with this album. I sincerely hope Play With The Changes does 4hero proud, they certainly deserve to do well with it.

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The Best of 2006

13 01 2007

It’s been a long time coming, but finally I am ready to detail my very own personal favourites of 2006. I think it was a great year and I’ve actually managed to compile a list of around 40 albums to discuss. I’ve never been one to easily rank my preferences - I just find it so bloody hard - so I’ll go into a little bit of detail on my favourite five of last year, and then I’ll just list the basic details of the remaining. Either way you should know that every album deserves to be mentioned as one of the best of last year, and hence is very much worth checking out. So if you find yourself reading this list and you stumble across something you previously chose to ignore, or you’ve just never heard of it… please, spare some time to check it out, that’s one of the reasons this blog even exists!

 

Joanna Newsom - Ys (Drag City)
What an album! It took me two full listens to truly start appreciating it, but Joanna Newsom’s Ys is an orchestral alternative-folk album, highlighting once more her incredible talents as a ‘harper’, singer, and writer. Each time I listen it just grows on me more and more. I even find myself at times craving to hear it. Keep an open mind, hit play, and just take it all in.

Daedelus - Denies The Day’s Demise (Ninja Tune)
Previously I had heard Daedelus’ last album, that was a bit of an alternative electronica/hip-hop effort featuring MF DOOM on a few tracks, it was pretty good. Randomly I spotted this album in a shop and took a listen - I knew straight away it was something special. Just like Joanna Newsom, this one wont take everyone’s fancy, it’s a bit out-there, but absolutely beautiful in a bizarre electronica kind of a way. This album just sweeps me up and takes me away every time.

J Dilla - Donuts (Stones Throw)
If you hear someone saying that Donuts is crap cos “all the tracks are really short, it’s stupid”, ignore them, they’ve clearly missed the point… also feel free to smack them in the face. This is pure genius from the late Mr Yancey (RIP) - as much as there was beauty in Newsom’s 5 track masterpiece, Ys, there was as much in Dilla’s 31 track banger, Donuts. Listen deeply and closely to these tracks, the production is so adventurous and intricate, not many people can pull off stuff quite like this. The album is also laced with cryptic messages to his friends and family - Dilla is already sorely missed, Donuts is a harsh reminder as to why.

Dr Rubberfunk - My Life at 33 (GPS Recordings)
I’ve pretty much run out of superlatives to use on the Doc. I wrote a detailed review of this album back in December, so it’s worth reading that to get the full picture. With this album, Simon Ward managed to create something organic that paid homage to the roots of funk, whilst invigorating that same sound with a fresh approach. The music was upbeat, rich, and inspiring. If you even so much as remotely enjoy upbeat and funky sounds, you’ll be sure to love My Life at 33.

TM Juke - Forward (Tru Thoughts)
If you’re a fan of Tru Thoughts, then TM Juke surely needs no introduction, but it always surprises me how quite a few people I speak to have never heard of him, that is a crime y’all. The Juke was responsible for producing Alice Russell’s second album, My Favourite Letters. If you are still lost, you have some catching up to do. Forward was TM Juke’s second album, a soulful record expressed through electronic experience and classical execution - this album was nothing but original, vibrant, and highly addictive.

Want to quickly mention a few excellent EPs that came out in 2006; Sirka Ragnar - I Am, You Are, He/She/It Is, The Q4 - Sound Surrounding EP, Grudle Bay Riots - DJ In Korea EP, Foreign Beggars - Slow Broiled Ilk EP. As far as labels went, Ninja Tune and Tru Thoughts really came through for me last year, plus I made a few new discoveries, like Melting Pot Music out of Germany - they’re releasing hot and funky vinyl all the time, and now a lot of it is available on CD too. There was also a good few remix albums out in 2006, like; Alice Russell - Under The Munka Moon II, Jamie Lidell - Multiply Additions, Quantic - One Offs Remixes & B Sides, DJ Krush - Stepping Stones - The Self-Remixed Best (Soundscapes), and DangerDoom - Occult Hymn. 2006 also saw the release of DJ Format’s FabricLive 27 CD, one of the best (if not THE best) FabricLive CDs I have heard, and also Foreign Beggars’ brilliant Bukkake Ski Trip mix CD - UK hip-hop at its modern finest.

If 2007 turns out to be half as good as 2006, then I’ll be happy. Onwards and upwards though - In the words of Hird, “always moving on”. I’m discovering new music every day, and a lot of it ends up in the relatively new Just Like Music podcast - speaking of which, volume 6 went up yesterday, this is the track listing…

1. Ty - Closer feat. Maceo
2. 4hero - Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) feat. Terry D
3. All Good Funk Alliance - Major C
4. Nightmares on Wax - Deepdown
5. Eulorhythmics - Sociology
6. Quantic - Ticket To Know Where Featuring Ohmega Watts
7. Nostalgia 77 Octet - One For Man
8. Surreal & DJ Balance - Speak Facts
9. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears (Quarterbar Redo)

I’m not really one for new year’s resolutions, but I will sincerely try to update this blog at least once a week now - still, at least the podcast is pretty regular!

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My Life At 33

3 12 2006

This year has seen some epic English releases, I’m talking; Bonobo, Loka, The Broken Keys (Nostalgia 77 and Natural Self), TM Juke and also… Dr Rubberfunk, with his new album My Life At 33. The Doctor (or Simon Ward as family and close friends probably know him) ignited the embers within our woofers in 2003 with his debut electro/funk/chill crossover album The First Cut. This album proved to be a priceless twelve track excursion into the wonderful realms of raw funk and carefully spliced samples, and as such, anticipation for a follow up was accordingly high. Alas wait no more, My Life At 33 recently dropped on his own label; Funkydown Productions. So “Wassit all abaht?”, I hear you politely enquire.  Allow me to explain…

My Life At 33 is eleven tracks long… or twelve tracks long, depending on which websites you check. I did however check this out with Simon and he confirmed; “…on the inlay it only shows 11 tracks, but a lot of online sites (Amazon etc) have been listing ‘Heavy Street’ despite the fact that the only way of knowing it’s on the CD is when it starts 3 minutes after ‘Father’s Lament’ finishes…” - so basically it is really twelve tracks long, and lucky for all concerned they are twelve fantastic tracks!

The album kicks off with Livewired, which pays true homage to old skool guitar funk, but with a very modern arrangement. The beats are tight, as can be expected from Dr Rubberfunk, and the melody is immediately captivating with its upbeat flow and steady progression. About half way in there is a breakdown that you could describe as being slightly country oriented, but that is really just with the guitar, the layers of the track are generally very consistent and exquisitely constructed - great way to kick off the album. Up next is Taking Over. This track is immensely infectious - right from the hand claps, to the keyboard melodies, and then onto the soulful vocals of Bridgette Amofah. It is worth noting the more subtle components to this track also; like the brass stabs and prolonged strings - I always find it is these subtle elements that complete a composition.

Theme For A Latter Day Lothario is an absolute monster of a track - I get goosebumps every time I hear it. The piano sample is chilling, the beats kicking, and Rogiers’s voice is pure silk. It is hard to pigeon hole a song like this, it has obvious funk elements, but also treads on soul and r&b - however I try not to dwell on genre-debate for too long, it can be a rather pointless exercise. This track almost says to me “see, this is what your average r&b track ‘could’ sound like if it had decent beats and sharp arrangement” - like I said, an absolute monster of a track. Track four is Baby Bossa, a point in the album at which I wondered how I was just four tracks in and already in total heaven. I pinched myself, but it turns out I wasn’t dreaming. Keeping with the tight beats and acoustic samples, Baby Bossa has more of a latin angle to it - guess the clue is in the name! This is 5m21s of pure instrumental bliss, genuinely inspirational stuff - there’s never time to become tired either, as Dr Rubberfunk breaks down with supreme execution, before exploding into a different melodic stanza - a culmination of exciting sounds sparring playfully with your eardrums.

Then we have Watch The Tables Turn, a funk creation with attitude. Sara J provides the emceeing and vocals to this dance floor thriller - I’d love to see this one performed live! Funk guitar and seriously heavy beats dance around the catchy vocals, all to deliver a really upbeat result. Rooster sounds like it could have been Breakestra and Choklate, but no, it is Dr Rubberfunk and Helena Wood, with Mr Guder. “I saw the gold and green in the morning, I heard that rooster calling in the morning!” - the vocals are pretty damn addictive! I defy you to keep still whilst listening to this track, I’m sure it’s impossible - a fantastic blend of organ and sax accompany the beats and funk guitar - brilliant.

All Day Playing commences the second half of the album. It’s a calmer track than what has been heard thus far, more downtempo, yet charmingly soulful. Beats, guitar, and a bit of the old reed instrumentation, sooth your ears whilst maintaining the consistent rhythmic stylings of the album. It is this blend of funk, bossa, soul, and just raw heavy beats that genuinely excites and entices me - the only other artist I can think of that has tried such a blend, with such great results, recently is Cut Chemist, with some of the tracks off his album The Audience’s Listening. Following is Riding With The Ratman, a track I’m playing a lot at the moment. The first two minutes are purely instrumental, with some of the funkiest sounds I’ve heard for a while, then enter a few different vocal samples - they are so simple, yet fit so well, very catchy! “Every night there’s rats all running in and out the basement and coming out the yard stuff” - “They say rats don’t have any bones, what am I looking at?” -