CD REVIEWS
Aug 1, 2007 12:00 PM
Remix writers review the latest CDs, including those from Aesop Rock, Yesterday’s New Quintet, Apparat, Caribou, Mocean Worker, Liars, Dizzee Rascal, Shakes, Sharkey & C-Rayz Walz and DJ Alibi
AESOP ROCK
None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux)
Def Jukie steps forward
After a decade of recording, MC/producer Aesop Rock has proven that an upsurge in recognition can come without making your sound more accessible. Sure, it's arguable that Aes could benefit from bouncier beats, catchier hooks and more decipherable raps. But on None Shall Pass — his first full-length album in four years — he still doesn't budge. And Aes' always-expanding fan base will likely appreciate this persistence.
While not quite as solid as his Def Jux debut Labor Days or as surprising as his CDR-only album Music for Earthworms, None Shall Pass is a pretty thorough effort. With the aid of Blockhead, El-P, DJ Big Wiz and a few live musicians, this album sees Aes revive his gloomy downtempo mastery (“Bring Back Pluto,” “Fumes”) but also reach further. On the reggae-ish “Coffee,” he sounds more alive than ever, rapping double-time atop bubbly drums and guitar strums. Then on the break beat-driven “Getaway Car,” he energetically trades verses with Cage and Breezly Brewin as if this were his first time in the booth. Granted, you're still probably not going to hear Aes on pop radio, but as this album proves, this Def Jukie ain't afraid of change. — Max Herman
ARIANO
Music2breakup2 (Technicali)
Sullen words, sunny beats
Cali-based Ariano engineered the bulk of his debut's production, but he's also MCing and singing on Music2breakup2, a highly therapeutic effort for him, rife with virulent post-coupling complaints and occasional healing. If Ariano weren't lobbing these inward ailments on every cut (“I've been doing so much better since we both went our separate ways,” he sings on “The Answer Is No”), Music might be a bit more diverse. His strongest productions lean on loose MPC beats and are mostly defined by crackling guitar loops or string-and-organ samples. Maybe the sun will come out for the sophomore LP. — Dominic Umile
THE BUDOS BAND
The Budos Band II (Daptone)
Thoughtful, genuine and dope
When the initial framework of the Budos Band crossed paths at an after-school jazz ensemble rehearsal in Staten Island, N.Y., they couldn't possibly have anticipated that their convergence would eventually birth such an immense conglomeration of sounds. The Budos Band II, obviously the outfit's sophomore effort, simmers in golden-crisp servings of unbridled funk soul, baked with class-act sax wonks overtop Leslie speaker warmth (“Ride or Die”). Even its hand-drum tapped, slowly bubbling meditations (“Origin of Man”) draw constant, complete attention. Hotness. — Dominic Umile
CARIBOU
Andorra (Merge)
It's sunnier on the tundra
In a coherent, thrilling follow-up to 2005's Milk of Human Kindness, Caribou's Dan Snaith meets lofty expectations on Andorra. He single-handedly mashes hippie flower pop with the sun-drenched drum blasts of his Up in Flames and Four Tet's Everything Ecstatic, and pockets of lush vocal harmonies grace each glaringly uptempo entry on the album. “Niobe” brims with split-synth jabs and prog-techno riches, but Snaith looks backward and buries plentiful loops under rampant snares for a '60s, Association aping on “Sandy,” his brightest work yet. Andorra is Canadian for “pinnacle,” evidently. — Dominic Umile
COLETTE
Push (Om)
More of the same
Former choir girl and current Smart Bar/SuperJane DJ Colette tackles her second solo album with a team of production pals, among them Chuck Love, Lucy Woodward, Santiago & Bushido and Drew K, and it's bound to keep the dancefloors busy. Unfortunately, there's nothing very pioneering here. Colette's pleasant if thin vocals recall Norwegian DJ Annie or a “Borderline”-era Madonna, and the tracks are similar in approach — heavy on style, light on substance. “Call It Out” has some flair, and the robotic vocal of “Get You Over” is a cool changeup, but overall, there's nothing to distinguish Colette from the pack. — Kristi Kates
DJ ALIBI
One Day (Tres)
Global greatness from up north
Like the city he calls home, Russian-raised Torontoan DJ Alibi produces an appetizing global stew of culture with his debut, One Day. On the outstanding banger “Guns of Kabul,” Alibi curiously combines trigger-happy M.O.P. and Lord Finesse vocal samples with an invigorating Middle Eastern melody and robust drums. When not making political statements using only his hands, this sample junkie cooks up jazzy, Latin-inspired beats (“Samba Internacional”) and funky hip-hop (“Round and Round” with Giant Panda) with equally agreeable results. At only 21, this kid is sure off on the right foot. — Max Herman
DJ THEO
Summer Clubbing Vol. 1 (Nervous)
Raising the dancefloor barometer
DJ Theo's world is one big male fantasy revolving around vinyl. Does it get any better than spinning at in the Hamptons for the likes of Jenna Jameson and Paris Hilton? The do-all DJ jocks for leading dance radio station (NY's Party 105.3 FM), spins at top clubs in the New York area and still found time to release Summer Clubbing Vol. 1. The aptly titled collection of remixes bundles the fever of summer in a tidy package. Progressive house meets orchestral strings and upbeat vocals, particularly on “Shining Star.” At times, it's dirtier than a sweaty dancefloor filled with tanned bodies. — Jason Jurgens
EARLIMART
Mentor Tormentor (Majordomo)
Approach with caution
The members of Earlimart are apparently having a bad day, in spite of their pretty, shoegaze-y sound. From the first track onward, the set is both mysterious and, well, kinda ticked-off — an unsettling yet intriguing dynamic. “Call in the airstrike, tell 'em to make the drop,” they sing on the chiming “Happy Alone,” and drop it they do, demanding that you “Don't Think About Me” and threatening (with harmonies, of course) that they're “Gonna Break Into Your Heart.” By the end, they're convinced that “Nothing Is True,” and you're resentfully hitting Repeat so you can listen to these damned catchy songs again. — Kristi Kates
BILLIE HOLIDAY
Remixed and Reimagined (Columbia)
The empress' new groove
Opening with the appropriately sunny “I Hear Music” as heard by Swingsett & Takuya, these retooled vintage tracks are fresh, sophisticated and most definitely modern, yet they still retain respect for the unequaled Lady Day. DJ Logic gently adds his turntablist skills to the lush orchestrations of “Glad to Be Unhappy,” Tony Humphries does a disco-Billie take on “But Beautiful,” and Count de Money pays up big with his zippy mix of “Pennies From Heaven.” The highlight? NYC's Organica, who gives Gershwin's ol' chestnut “Summertime” a perfectly new echo-laden, wide-open-meadows feel. — Kristi Kates
APPARAT
Walls (Shitkatapult)
Bringing down walls
Following the universal approval and tides of acclaim heaped upon a collaboration project with Ellen Allien in 2006 called Orchestra of Bubbles, Berlin's Sascha Ring, or — as a more visible music press came to report last year — Apparat, has continued to explore unconventional variants of electronic music and exercises an effort to fill each milli-second with captivating arrangements on his fifth album. Walls is artful and extravagant, with generous strings, chirping melodies and splintering static bits that inevitably serve as beats. It seems orchestrated by a madman or a genuinely insatiable experimentalist. There's probably a little of both at work here.
Vocalist Raz Ohara lends a soulful delivery to four of Walls' tracks, sounding not unlike Prince overtop the car engine-synth rumbles in “Holdon” and far more rested on “Over and Over,” amid a swirl of backward-trailing guitar and hi-hats. The entries featuring Ohara, a tad too friendly and pop-heavy, are balanced gracefully against “Like Porcelain,” where a smattering of plinks are cut short for a dense hidden track, bleary with feedback noise and a dangling melody that leaves no millisecond untouched. — Dominic Umile
LIARS
Liars (Mute)
Unconventional conceptuals
Nearly every song on Liars' latest sounds like it could be from a different phase of the band's existence. “Plaster Casts of Everything” is tightly wound and accomplished in structure, while “What Would They Know” regresses to purposefully recall a bunch of 15-year-olds in the basement with their first electric guitar. “Cycle Time” is another stage again, with its repetitive guitar line and chain-gang grunts supporting the main vocal. That said, there are still the ties that bind Liars' sound, namely their aggressive motorcycle-whines of guitar, their splattering drums, and Angus Andrew's tense, band-defining vocals. — Kristi Kates
MICHAEL FAKESCH
Dos (!K7)
Funky disc from ½ of FunkstÖrung
Michael Fakesch made his name as one half of the German electronic duo FunkstÖrung. After more than a decade together, the two recently parted ways, leading Fakesch to team up with vocalist Taprikk Sweeze on Dos. This first “solo” effort is truly a funky affair, from the techno breaks of “Travel” to the slow electronic soul crunch of “Wire.” Featured on most of the album, Sweeze's vocals combine with Fakesch's funky bleeps, innovative beats and top-notch production for a finished product that sounds like a cross between Prince, Justin Timberlake and Jamie Lidell. Not bad for a debut. — Dustin Glick
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS
Roots, Rock, Remixed (Quango)
Perfect Marley bliss
This modern reinterpretation of Bob Marley is full of warmth and ultrachill vibes. Featuring remixes by Afrodisiac Sound System, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Fort Knox Five, Yes King, DJ Spooky, Trio Eléctrico and more, Roots, Rock, Remixed retains the potency of the analog versions while infusing a boost of bass and dub-drenched funk. Only one remix strays from the infectious vibes of the original — Jimpster's too polished, heavy dance beat in “400 Years.” All others, such as “Duppy Conqueror” and “Soul Rebel,” seemingly suspend time, back to the Black Ark days of Lee “Scratch” Perry. — Aria Mayland
MOCEAN WORKER
Cinco de Mowo! (MOWO! Inc)
Slicing and dicing
On his fifth album, Mocean Worker goes back to familial roots (his dad was a jazz producer for Atlantic Records). A loose blend of jazzy styles, big-band sensibilities, lounge-y rhythms and large-throated vocals, Cinco forms a dense web of global sounds. Although working in the realm of electronics, Mocean was able to get a deep, warm sound incongruous with his inorganic work environment. Through live instrumentation and the chopping thereof, Mocean delivers “Que Bom,” which sounds as though it was recorded live on a sultry South American beach, and the smoky jazz club-esque “Changes.” — Lily Moayeri
YESTERDAY'S NEW QUINTET
Yesterday's Universe (Stones Throw)
Madlib breaks up the band
He produces for hip-hop's heavies and its indie undercurrent, but Otis Jackson, Jr. — Madlib to you and I — will always be a jazzman. His love for jazz, soul and R&B peaked with 2001's Angles Without Edges, a rich, organic record that cemented his ability to speak a language outside of hip-hop. Five years and a few releases later, Madlib reveals the evolution of his quintet of alter egos: 10 new groups formed from the bones of YNQ.
The 15 tracks span the creator's broad palette, including cop-show wah-wah funk, soothing R&B sway and limber Brazilian shake. The sharp lines of “Marcus, Martin & Malcolm” and “Slave Riot” add tension and unease, the latter a cascade of drum fills, feedback and a restless horn section. Both share an angularity and anger rooted in Charles Mingus.
But the overall message is serene, as on the piano and ride cymbal-driven bliss of “One for the Monica Lingas Band.” And in his most ambitious moment, “Vibes From the Tribes Suite,” Lib melds flutes and funk, using vibes and bass to cast a wide net for piano wanderings until resolving into a soprano sax-fueled coda; it feels like we've spent a lazy day in Lib's workshop, watching a succession of artful pickup jams. — Dan Frio
DIZZEE RASCAL
Maths + English (XL)
The third's just as charming
Dizzee Rascal's third effort shines most when knocking beats and gentle synths match the UK MC's rampant mood shifts. He lumbers into lazy Stateside radio hip-hop excesses, but Dizzee's still throwing fists, railing on haters at an erratic pace in the dubstep-driven “U Can't Tell Me Nuffin'” and talking big shit over a well-trod but still useful break in “Pussyole.” The quirky, introspective corners do a much better job of illuminating Dizzee's abundant skills than Maths' infrequent silly ones (“Wanna Be,” “Suk My Dick”) do, needlessly reminding us of this pronounced talent. — Dominic Umile
SECRET STEALTH
Hooked on You (Kosmica)
Cosmic disco dancefloor
You'll catch a nasty case of boogie fever after spinning Secret Stealth's Hooked on You. The UK duo — Jim Baron and Bob Sadler — explore the long-forgotten fun of disco à la Daft Punk and add a refreshing flavor of drum 'n' bass, emotive vocals and house and lounge sensibilities to the mix. While lasers, soaring strings and whimsical guitar strums abound, teasing keys and rolling bass lines keep it groovy, baby, particularly on “High Riser” and “Hooked on You.” Disco may have died with bell-bottoms and Studio 54, but it'll live on in the hearts of Secret Stealth forever. — Jason Jurgens
SHAKES
Sister Self Doubt EP (Insound)
Shakes-inducing electro
Brit brothers Matt and Darren Farrow grind out timely electro rock as Shakes. Sister Self Doubt is framed by sinister melodies and arena-type reverberating vocals. Having remixed Kasabian and Datarock, Shakes' second takes are noticeably stronger; the alt version of the EP's title track spirals uncontrollably toward its end, following tighter beats and persistent, indiscriminate squeals. The rowdy “Disneyland Part One” won't be prescribed for NyQuil hangovers, and the stuttering synths and Laser Tag sonics of “Part Two” have even less of a chance of garnering these guys the key to Anaheim. — Dominic Umile
SHARKEY & C-RAYZ WALZ
Monster Maker (Babygrande)
Frankenstein's got nothing on them
Fed up with music industry lameness — that is, not getting credit where credit is due — Sharkey and C-Rayz Walz introduce Monster Maker. Hardships make for the most passionate lyrics, don't they? The pairing — D.C. meets the Bronx — works in everyone's favor, particularly Walz, whose recent woes find the perfect outlet through Sharkey's production. As Walz says of Sharkey's beats, “They're rock, they're synth, they're techno, they're hip-hop.” Anyone who can revive Eddy Grant's '80s masterpiece “Electric Avenue” has Remix's vote. This is a monster you shouldn't be afraid of. — Jason Jurgens
SWAYZAK
Some Other Country (!K7)
Deep techno dub fusion
Swayzak's Some Other Country is a sophisticated sonic experience full of intelligence and emotion. Dubby delays and minimal techno are interspersed with tribal-tinged beats and haunting, twisted vocals. In the midst of these hazy depths, tracks like “Claktronic” emerge — a menagerie of happy drums layered with a wacky flute groove, only to be followed by the dark, soulful vocals of “Silent Luv,” a cynical homage to young unrequited passion. Key elements overall include the seemingly incongruous fusion of rumbling bass, bleepy acoustic pops and electro vocals dipped in deep house and minimal techno. — Aria Mayland
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Now-Again RE:Sounds (Now-Again)
Brand-new funk
Since 2001, Stones Throw Records' offshoot Now-Again has been giving rare funk records a second shot. But on Now-Again Re:Sounds, the young label reveals how these dusty tracks sound revamped by able hip-hop acts. Many songs, like Aloe Blacc's L.A. Carnival-sampled “Blind World” effectively pair the old-soul sounds with the modern mindset of an MC. Meanwhile, the J.Rocc edit of “Rap It Together/Funky Crawl” proves that some funk is best left largely untouched. Aside from a few out-of-place tracks (for example, Guilty Simpson's dark “Before I Die”), this compilation hits its target. — Max Herman
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