CD REVIEWS
Jun 1, 2006 12:00 PM
CUT CHEMIST
The Audience's Listening (Warner Bros.)
Volatile chemistry set
When everyone in the room is drunk, the cherished lifeline of turntablist albums often goes unnoticed. The clipped drum breaks, a recurring '50s-style voice sample (usually muttering something about “stereo” or about the record being a “journey”), and ample scratch interludes get nary a nod. Cut Chemist, the Jurassic 5/Ozomatli DJ and highly regarded decks maestro, successfully illuminates the classic turntablist mixtape aesthetic with an acid test of his own on The Audience's Listening.
The West Coast native snips and swerves through plentiful campy, vanilla commercial samples on intro track “Motivational Speaker” before unleashing more scratches over the shifty break changes of the fittingly branded “My 1st Big Break.” Those are sizzling openers, but Cut Chemist's real head spinners feature earthy, jangling percussion and guitar from Brazilian friends (“The Garden”) or shards of a slippery dayglow choir loop (“Metrorail Thru Space”). Though they're quite welcome, ardent verses from MCs Edan and Mr. Lif linger somewhat in the background of “Storm,” upstaging Hymnal's monotone rap on “What's the Altitude” but remaining out of Cut Chemist's quirky, wandering spotlight.
— Dominic Umile
NATACHA ATLAS
Mish Maoul (Mantra)
Golden throat amid questionable songs
Extending the stylistic mash-up of 2003's Something Dangerous, Belgian-born Natacha Atlas seeks to repeat the trick on Mish Maoul. Fans of her extraordinarily sensuous vocals, typically surrounded by Middle Eastern strings, Bollywood beats and percussion, will find much to love here. But hip-hop and bossa nova diversions largely fail as Atlas sounds like she has little invested, emotionally or musically. Thankfully, her good taste wins out in the rumbling rhythms and aromatic allure of “Oully,” “Hayati Inta” and “Bathaddak,” songs drenched in enough sexual simmer to melt a sand dune.
— Ken Micallef
BEEF TERMINAL
Anger Do Not Enter (Noise Factory)
Guitar as flotation device?
Canadian guitar fanatic MD Matheson has recorded four albums as Beef Terminal, and while that name may conjure images of solidity and fat, this music is anything but. A serious member of the David Gilmour school of liquidly refracting guitar effects, Matheson suspends ethereal, sweet-toned loops ad infinitum, sometimes over chock-a-block beats, other times over pastoral arrangements sans overt rhythm. There is little diversion from that simple formula, but Matheson's unique way with bittersweet melodies offers a refuge from hard-headed dance drivel. Now if only he could cheer up.
— Ken Micallef
CX KIDTRONIK
Krak Attack (Sound Ink)
Hectic beats spaz on wax
Former Anti-Pop Consortium DJ CX Kidtronik unleashes a full-on assault that makes librarians shudder the world over. On the double-time, borderline grime style of “Tricky Dick,” old-school tweaker Rammellzee rants semicoherently through the dense haze of hectic, layered scratches, static, truck horns and toy keyboards. Fat, flatulent bass thuds through “Sky Is My Roof” as Kong laces the track with prickly rhymes, and “Bloody Biscuits” explodes in a firestorm of lasers and machinery squelches. Simply put, electronic effects go haywire at every conceivable opportunity. Sissies be damned.
— Rob Kirby
DABRYE
Two/Three (Ghostly International)
Fast-forward hip-hop in the now
Ann Arbor producer Dabrye has built up quite a reputation over the years as a producer with a brain 50 years ahead. On his sophomore release, Two/Three, Dabrye delivers an album that's futuristic in scope and production style while tapping into an impressive group of talent to anchor things to the ground. MCs like MF Doom (“Air”), the late Jay Dee (“Game Over”), AG (“My Life”) and many more of indie hip-hop's royalty deliver solid performances, all backed by Dabrye's sparse, avant-garde beats and deep electronic throbs. It's an explosive collision that works beautifully.
— Aaron Schultz
DAEDELUS
Denies the Day's Demise (Mush)
Stunning sound collage mesmerizes
Electronic guru Daedelus rocketed out of the gates in 2002 with his critically acclaimed debut album, Invention. With his latest release, Denies the Day's Demise, the Santa Monica — based producer delivers yet another fascinating album. From the dark, throbbing “Our Last Stand” to the humorously funky “Bahia,” every track is a mix of swirling sounds and samples entwined with an endless array of challenging beats. Just another step forward for an artist who can be compared to the likes of Amon Tobin in his originality and ability to create music that defies classification.
— Dustin Glick
DIESELBOY PRESENTS
The Human Resource (Human/System)
Give yourself to the dark side
In the past four years, Dieselboy's Human Imprint has proved to be a reliable source for heavy metal — styled drum ‘n’ bass. The Human Resource compiles the label's formidable catalog of original material and remixes, unmixed on disc one, with a second disc (that also includes Dieselboy-related projects) mixed by Evol Intent. The production on Resource is noteworthy, but the excessively hard quality provides for a challenging listen. There are moments of head-banging relief such as “Subculture,” “Catherine Wheel” and “Broken Sword,” yet there is a good chance you will come away with a splitting headache.
— Lily Moayeri
GNARLS BARKLEY
St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
A deep, unique and sleek soul treat
Atlanta soul singer Cee-Lo and producer Danger Mouse have each churned out various albums, including Cee-Lo's collaboration with Jazze Pha (Happy Hour) and Danger Mouse's alliance with MF Doom (Dangerdoom's The Mouse and the Mask). Despite juggling work, the two keep making undiluted, quality tracks, as with their project, Gnarls Barkley. For starters, they share a sense of humor, playing dress-up in promo photos as characters from Wayne's World, Clockwork Orange and Napoleon Dynamite.
The music also reveals a range of character. The string-filled chorus of “Crazy” is a feel-good, belt-out-in-your car song. “The Boogie Monster” reveals a spooky Cee-Lo sounding like rocker Chris Cornell over simple piano and muted clap rhythms. And “Just a Thought,” which pairs odd-couple Spanish guitar and stop-and-start tumbling drums, shifts from somber to exasperated. Cee-Lo's voice has a grit and soul that can send waves of emotion through your body. Aside from the Violent Femmes cover, “Gone Daddy Gone” — fairly true to the '80s hit — St. Elsewhere is R&B that pushes forward rather than rehashing the perfectly layered but tired, hot-and-heavy bedroom stories heard on the radio.
— Kylee Swenson
KENNY DOPE
Choice: A Collection of Classics (Azuli)
Classic tracks for DJ racks
As with past Choice releases, Azuli commissions a highly regarded DJ (in this case, Masters at Work's Kenny Dope) to create a two-disc mix of the label's all-time classic tracks. Dope pulls it all together with artists who will make your parents proud: Earth, Wind & Fire; Kool & the Gang; and The Manhattan Transfer, among others. The mix is incredibly inspired — you get the feeling Dope wanted to educate his listeners. Tracks like The Beginning of the End's “Come Down” and Tavares' “It Only Takes a Minute” aren't dance tracks in today's sense, but they really get you humming along.
— Justin Kleinfeld
ELAN
Together as One (Kingsbury Studio)
Mixed bag of new-school reggae
Elan's unlikely story is that of an L.A.-born-and-bred kid who eventually found himself as the three-year front man for the legendary Wailers. On his debut, Together as One, Elan calls in some heavyweights such as Sly & Robbie, Tony “CD” Kelly and No Doubt's Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani to craft a poppy reggae record. Elan's voice is captivating solo (“Nothing Is Worth Losing You”) and as an accompaniment to DJs like Cutty Ranks (“You Don't Come Around No More”), but the record falls short when delving into overproduced dancehall numbers (“Girl”). Still, it's a solid debut.
— Aaron Schultz
LES FLEURS DU MAL
St. Moritz Vibes, Vol. 4 (Milan)
Swiss beats for beautiful people
Okay, there are no Swiss producers found on this installment of the popular downtempo series inspired by the chic Alpine ski town's scene, but rather Parisian DJ Julien Lebrun deftly weaving an ebb and flow of feel-good chill-out cuts. Still, calling it downtempo doesn't aptly credit the Afrobeat house DNA of “We Shall Overcome” or the unabashed Jamaican one-drop of Fat Freddy's Drop's “Roady.” Elsewhere, muted horns and seductive vocals serve to loosen the conversation — and possibly your morals — as Lebrun's tasteful blending rises above standard global mish-mash fare.
— Dan Frio
THE MOOG COOKBOOK
Bartell (Cookbook Kitschen)
Delicious leftovers
One of the greatest conceptually campy bands released a collection of B-sides, unreleased remixes, covers and originals in honor of the late Bob Moog, whose lexicon of classic synths supply most of the sounds. Although not as vital as its studio albums, Moog Cookbook's synth shenanigans make rock standards swing like the UFO props of an ancient sci-fi movie (check Cheap Trick's “Surrender”). The five remixes, especially Air's “Kelly Watch the Stars,” sound like the original artists got lost somewhere between Sesame Street and Studio 54. The Cooks even tacked on a Christmas EP that's spacier than spiked eggnog.
— M. Rovito
MR. LIF
Mo' Mega (Definitive Jux)
Political MC packs a megaphone
Boston MC Mr. Lif may rock dreads and short stature, but the Lil Jon similarities stop there. Politically aware and battle-ready, Lif busts uncompromising rhymes over hard-knocking beats that keep the subterranean masses satisfied. El-P's distorted guitars and lead-heavy boom bap on “Collapse” breathe raw aggression, and his beats on “Brothaz” depict a landscape of unrest that Lif whips into outright revolution. Lif and Murs then take the industry to task over the Edan-produced “Murs Iz My Manager,” which runs a hurry-up offense propelled by up-tempo bass and natural pass-the-mic chemistry.
— Rob Kirby
PROJECT POLAROID
Project Polaroid (Threshold)
Paranoid android funk
Splice James Brown and George Clinton and you get Kool Keith: a hard-working showbiz man and earthbound galactic traveler handy with a non sequitur. In between hustling cameos, the recent Mr. Nogatco record and new Dr. Octagon material, Black Elvis connected with Bay Area producer TomC3 for this imaginary hip-hop soundtrack to sci-fi B-movies. C3's beats, though repetitive and one-dimensional, achieve perfect grit. Built on an MPC60, the big drums and sparse backing open the lanes for Keith's trademark free associations, best heard on crusty '70s throwback “Diamond District.”
— Dan Frio
JEFF MILLS
Blue Potential (Uncivilized World)
Mills' orchestral maneuvers
One of Detroit techno's founding fathers, Jeff Mills has always sought to create the “geist” that has long been missing from electronic dance music. Mills' latest project finds him hooking up with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra for an event called “Blue Potential.” The orchestral/techno interpretation of Mills' most recognizable tracks was performed live in July 2005 beneath the Pont du Gard Bridge in Paris, and this CD/DVD release documents the entire event.
The DVD displays a massive orchestra overwhelming the stage and filling the air with gorgeous strings and horn parts as Mills adds in his 4/4 techno rhythms. Lots of credit should be given to composer/arranger Thomas Roussel who transforms the synthetic techno tracks into magnificent dreamlike sequences. Roussel made smart choices with the arrangement, such as demanding that an orchestra member physically play the bell parts on all-time techno classic “The Bells.” For the ambition and quality of music, it simply does not get any better than this.
— Justin Kleinfeld
LUISITO QUINTERO
Percussion Maddness (BBE/Rapster)
Champion steps in the spotlight
Percussionist Luisito Quintero has played alongside some of Latin music's biggest names, yet he still remains relatively unknown. Now, Louie Vega (Masters at Work) aims to change all that in producing Quintero's debut album. Percussion Maddness is a first-class album that delves heavily into straight Latin percussion tracks (as on the title track) and jumps to Afrobeat (“Gabagada…”), deep vocal house (“Our Love”) and even a cover of Ray Barretto's “Acid” — all showcasing, but never showboating, Quintero's incredible skill and creativity.
— Aaron Schultz
RHYMEFEST
Blue Collar (J Records)
Chicago MC got game
Principally known for a writing credit on Kanye West's “Jesus Walks,” Chicago MC Rhymefest steps to bat with A-list producers West, Just Blaze and others on his debut. As West chops up high-energy synth blasts over a jaunty bass loop on “Brand New,” Rhymefest crams in dense, “wacktose-intolerant” rhymes that cleverly incorporate the vocal sample/title with cocksure flow. “Feva” connects the MC with Chicago stalwart No I.D., infusing jazz singer Peggy Lee's classic with brass and sizzling Latin percussion, while “Dynomite” features the throwback '70s-soul flavor of Just Blaze.
— Rob Kirby
SMALL SINS
Small Sins (Astralwerks/Boompa)
Depression never sounded so sweet
The debut album from Small Sins sounds like it suffers from multiple-personality disorder — but in a musically intriguing way. Fronted by singer Thomas D'Arcy, most of the album's tracks are musically upbeat — breathy, melodic vocals alongside dreamy, spacey synths set against simple beats. But if you listen closely, most of the lyrics are, well, depressing. D'Arcy delivers songs like “We Won't Last the Winter” with such enthusiasm, you forget that the lyrics are about the inevitable demise of a relationship — that is, until you start singing along with the song, which is imminent.
— Lori J. Kennedy
TIËSTO
In Search of Sunrise 5: Los Angeles (Black Hole)
Summer-soaked trance set
Tiësto's ISOS 5 starts the Malibu beach party with all-too-familiar ethereal and emotional female vocals and surprising house-heavy progressive cuts on tracks such as “Beside Me” and “Moonlight Party.” A funky cover of the Billie Ray Martin song “Your Loving Arms” — with its melodic synth and arpeggiated patterns — provides a short departure from the intensity of Matthew Dekay's floor-filler tracks. Disc two radiates peak-hour vibes with warm bass lines and euphoric sweeps, along with the drive and energy expected of the trance superstar.
— Elizabeth Mitkos
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Hefty 10 Digest (Hefty)
Anniversary celebrates diversity
Rather than ply boring beats throughout an extended mix, Chicago's Hefty celebrates its 10-year anniversary by showcasing its extremely diverse roster, coupled with a second disc of remixes by Prefuse 73. If there is a unifying Hefty sound, it is the label's fondness for acts that focus on laid-back ambience over driving rhythms, including Telefon Tel Aviv, Savath + Savalas, Slicker, Euphone, Bill Ding, and label boss John Hughes. Prefuse 73's 21-track mix adds hip-hop antics and a fractured-collage aesthetic, but the results aren't as strong as the original artist tracks.
— Ken Micallef
WAX TAILOR
Tales of the Forgotten Melodies (Decon)
No room for making out
Barely a minute of lazy downtempo stumbles by on Tales of the Forgotten Melodies that isn't brimming with jacked dialog from vintage films. French producer Wax Tailor borrows generously from Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much for “Que Sera,” where deep, cocktail-hour grooves set an elegant, loop-laden precedent that powers many of the tracks. The cinema fixation here chases away any Portishead have-sex-during-this vibe that might surface in “Our Dance,” but live cello, sleepy beats and sporadic scratch work make for nice summer-night listening anyway.
— Dominic Umile
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