CD REVIEWS

Aug 1, 2003 12:00 PM

VARIOUS ARTISTS

!K7150 (!K7)

Sprawling group of quirky tunes

!K7 is one of those rare labels that continually defies categorization, and with its 150th release, it's easy to see why. Combine a multifaceted stable of recording artists with a uniquely accessible avant-garde aesthetic, and you get !K7 in a nutshell. Surely, you wouldn't normally associate artists such as Bristolean trip-hoppers Smith & Mighty with electro-glam boy Tiga or a subtle wordsmith like Ursula Rucker. But why the hell not? So here you have it, the aforementioned artists plus more seemingly random choices, all bundled up (some with alarmingly original remixes) into a two-disc comp with a lovely DVD thrown in for good measure. Minimal electro-tech (Swayzak's “I Dance Alone”) slides right into shattered hip-hop (courtesy of Terranova) on the same disc as a lovely slice of ethereal breaks from A Guy Called Gerald. And Berlin hipsters Ghost Cauldron turn in a scalding disco remix that moves easily into the android funk of DJ Hell's take on a raunchy Princess Superstar groove. Despite the apparent haphazardness of it all, this retrospective is a surefire winner.
— Christine Hsieh

ANANDA PROJECT

Morning Light (King Street)

For grown-up house-music lovers

The plentiful wealth of tunes that highly productive Chris Brann is capable of creating doesn't seem to be dissipating in the slightest. Morning Light, his second proper Ananda Project album, is a strong, roots-based, decidedly organic exercise in house-oriented songs. Featuring a slew of warmly soulful and uplifting vocals, such as the happy “Big Boat” and delicate “Rain Down,” Morning Light's softly rolling beats and pretty rhythms are along the lines of the Naked Music style. Unequivocally sensual, it's the traditional bent of these songs that makes them last.
— Lily Moayeri

CLIENT

Client (Mute)

Eurotrash without the flash

“Fuck off / Don't touch me there”: These words from Client's eponymous opener capture the essence of its appeal. Efforts to channel the icy cool of Adult. and the quirky retro flair of Ladytron fall flat. Client succeeds mainly when borrowing ideas from its predecessors. The catchiest tunes — such as the Pet Shop Boys — esque “Here and Now” — are tasty synth-pop confections posing as serious retro-futuristic tunes. Despite Client's chilly beats, monotone vocals, plaintive melodies and melodrama, the group is practically begging you to sing along. And it's pretty hard to resist.
— Christine Hsieh

SEB FONTAINE

Perfecto Presents (Perfecto/Thrive)

Oakey successor hits it hard

Until about five years ago, Seb Fontaine had been quietly building steam on London's rave scene; once he inherited Paul Oakenfold's seat at headlining club Cream, the word was out. On this two-disc set — the follow-up to his 2002 Perfecto release Horizons — Fontaine digs for a darker seam, unearthing some nasty hard-house and tribal tracks (such as UDC's “Workshop of Devil” and Bjorn Mandry's sci-chedelic “Timefactor”) that would induce nightmares if it weren't for the infectious groovability of the music. Douse the lights and crank the sound.
— Bill Murphy

LARRY GOLD

Don Cello and Friends (Rapster/BBE)

Sounds of Silkadelphia

Given his legacy as a prime mover on Philly's soul and disco scenes, it's almost criminal that Larry Gold hasn't made a solo record until now. Wax classics from the Salsoul Orchestra and MFSB bear his indelible stamp as cellist and arranger, and, recently, hometown admirers Jill Scott, The Roots and Jazzy Jeff have enlisted his studio skills. Don Cello is a lush mix of funky soul, hip-hop and lovers-only “quiet storm,” with guest shots from Black Thought, Floetry and Gerald Levert (on club-killer “Dance”) proving that you can never be too retro to stay ahead of the curve.
— Bill Murphy

J-ZONE

$ick of Bein' Rich (Fatbeats)

Geek in pimp's clothing

At first glance, J-Zone seems like a surly pimp who slakes his thirst with haterade and borrows his MO from Eazy-E or Geto Boys. But the rapper-ruffian's scabrous, eccentric beats almost make up for his eighth-grade sense of humor. $ick recalls petulant lyrics and sample-addled cuts that characterized his 2002 album, Pimps Don't Pay Taxes. At his most inventive, J-Zone sutures thwump-da-thwump bass with comic-book sounds (“Whiplash [Pimpotent]”) and Chinese lute (“Ho Kung Fu!”). But his production outpaces the content of his lyrics: consistently pimpy and piddly.
— Rachel Swan

KIYO

Chaotech Odd Echo (Schematic)

Seek solace in womblike electronics

Japanese artist Kiyo might hint at chaos in the title of his full-length debut, but the product is anything but. Calculating — though not in a robotic, mathematical sense — he injects a distinctly human quality that is often purposely absent from brainy, abstract electronic music. By infusing round edges rather than sharp angles, warmth rather than sterility, Kiyo settles into a pulsing, muted groove garnished with odd filter sweeps, diaphanous LFOs and white noise. Never deviating from its soothing theme, Chaotech reaches actualization with the intelligent slow jam “On a Place.”
— Erin Hutton

TRICKY

Vulnerable (Sanctuary)

Old dog, old tricks — reinvented

If, like most, you believe that Tricky shot his sonic load on his debut masterpiece, Maxinquaye, think again. Vulnerable finds him re-evaluating and revisiting his original sound with a fresh Italian female vocalist named Costanza Francavilla and that smoky voodoo that Tricky does so well. As before, Tricky recorded his band and then reassembled their performances on a controller to meet his eclectic head-tripping style. Using Akai S1000 and MPC60 samplers, Digidesign Pro Tools and an old Mackie board, Vulnerable sounds both ethereal and spooky (just like old times). Often built on dual beats that flow broken but somehow conjoined out of left and right channels, Vulnerable is a potpourri of Tricky style. “Stay” could be a Maxinquaye outtake; “Ice Pick” busts hard like a Blowback rocker; “Dear God” has the lumbering thickness of Nearly God; “How High” recalls the metal dirge of Pre-Millennium Tension. So although it's not Maxinquaye Part 2, it is Tricky's best work since his much-vaunted 1996 debut. It's Tricky matured: past and present fused as one.
— Ken Micallef

KLUTE

Lie, Cheat & Steal/You Should Be Ashamed (Breakbeat Science)

D'n'b dude serves up surprises

Klute's third album is one part light, musical and listenable drum 'n' bass, which, although dancefloor-friendly, sits just as well outside of it. The other part acknowledges techno roots and a derivation of downtempo sounds. It's a daring attempt from Klute, primarily known for d'n'b ventures. If his d'n'b tracks are any indication, more elements than prescribed floor-fillers are at work. Although those factors brighten Klute's d'n'b material, as they start appearing stripped-down (disc 2), they lose some charm.
— Lily Moayeri

µ-ZIQ

Bilious Paths (Planet Mu)

Maddening yet brilliant noise

Bilious Paths isn't exactly easy on the ears, but that's precisely what makes it such a compelling listen. Mike Paradinas' characteristic shattered beats, gloomy atmospherics and intricate drum patterns resurface, but he rarely descends into all-out electronic madness. Lurking beneath layers of fractured beats and ghostly vocals (as in the abrasive, organs-gone-mad “Theo, Herself” and dreamy “Geo Geo Hors”) are compelling, plaintive melodies that, though hard to pick out, cushion the shattered drill-and-bass hardcore-techno mash-up and worm their way to the top.
— Christine Hsieh

TUJIKO NORIKO

From Tokyo to Naiagara (Tomlab)

A peek inside a lo-fi diary

Listening to this album feels so private that its almost like eavesdropping on a girl alone in her room, singing to herself. With just snippets of English, the lyrics are almost entirely Japanese, but its hardly noticeable. Tujiko Noriko's voice is so expressive that what she's saying is immaterial. (And the translation of her lyrics is somewhat disappointing.) With squonky blips, determined drums and effervescent textures, Noriko's delicate melodies present a pensive aesthetic that keeps them from being twee but still proudly feminine, as in the sexy, woozy “Zipper” and longing, whispery “Robot Hero.”
— Erin Hutton

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Rise (Utensil)

Soundtrack fights the power

It's not often that a soundtrack helps expose suppression of artistic freedoms, but Rise does just that, featuring Josh Wink, Leftfield, Adam Freeland, Hawke and others. Documenting New Orleans promoter Disco Donnie's Freebass Society parties, the film gained special significance after Donnie was arrested under the nationally implemented “crackhouse law” designed to discourage illegal drug transactions. Beyond politics, Rise is excellent, from Thievery Corporation's tabla dreamscapes to the Crystal Method's skyscraper beats to Ils' electronic boogaloo.
— Ken Micallef

VARIOUS ARTISTS

State of the World (Tableturns)

NYC's finest rap and hit the wax

Following up its last release, Rob Swift's impressive Sound Event, Brooklyn label Tableturns drops a dope collection highlighting some of the game's best DJs. Wax-wreckers include Swift, Total Eclipse, Roli Rho (5th Platoon) and Bay Area mixing maestro DJ Quest. But State of the World isn't limited to just fresh scratching; several MCs also get busy, with standout tracks from J-Live (“Don't Get It Backwards”) and Cannibal Ox (“Cosmos”). Whether you're a turntablism fanatic or simply enjoy high-quality hip-hop, this album is a sure bet.
— Brolin Winning

VIKTOR VAUGHN

Vaudeville Villain (Sound-Ink)

When rap supervillains attack

A full 180 from recent instrumental work, MF Doom (named after Marvel Comics villain Dr. Doom) sticks to the verbals this time around, deputizing King Honey, Max Bill and Heat Sensor on production. Packing trademark offbeat-but-dead-on flow, Doom as alias Viktor Vaughn murders the sparse hip-hop beats. Dark, murky and dope, the syncopated cowbells and Scooby-Doo-but-spookier keys of the title track, as well as the laboratory whirrs and whistles over the staccato bass kicks of “Lactose and Lecithin,” deliver that good ol' cartoon-baddie feel. MF Doom is still the illest villain.
— Rob Kirby

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