CD REVIEWS
Mar 1, 2006 12:00 PM
PREFUSE 73
Security Screenings (Warp)
“Glitch-hop” steps forward
Although none other than Scott Herren himself (Prefuse 73's alter ego) has identified Security Screenings as a “transitional” album, there's a lot more here than first meets the ear. Diehard fans of Herren's hyperchopped sample manipulations and sleepyhead hip-hop beats — as heard to hypnotic effect on 2003's One Word Extinguisher and 2005's vocal-driven Surrounded by Silence — will immediately have something to grab onto with the RZA-like strains of “With Dirt and Two Texts.” Meanwhile, the chaotic breaks of “When the Grip Lets You Go” and the nutty backspins and ring-modulated synths of “Weight Watching” illuminate the hidden chambers behind Prefuse's aggressively old-school — but still MPC-based — slice-and-dice aesthetic.
But the truly radical change in the Prefuse sound comes with the instrumentation. Four Tet (Keiran Hebden) makes a guest appearance on “Creating Cyclical Headaches,” a freestyle noise fest with distorted Rhodes, which also emerges — along with Moog Voyager — on “Mud in Your Mouth” and the mournful ballad “Matrimonioids.” Herren has expressed a desire to move toward more live-in-the-studio arranging; this defiantly oddball set may represent the first glimpse. — Bill Murphy
APOLLO NOVE
Res Inexplicata Volans (Crammed)
Eclectic Brazilian lounge-electro
By turns lounge, psychedelic and electro, Brazilian producer Apollo Nove reinterprets slinky '60s bossa nova and avant-garde '70s tropicalia into a tasty cocktail rich in warm electronic effects. Music/film star countryman Seu Jorge (City of God's Knockout Ned) adds warbling bass vocals to the breezy acoustic guitar of “Ensaboar Você” as electronic noises percolate softly beneath. “Yage Cameras” teams effects-heavy dance funk with airy female vocals, and “Inexplicata” alternates between Hawaiian luau guitar and dream-sequence electric organ. Drink in the new sound of Brazil. — Rob Kirby
ROY AYERS
Virgin Ubiquity Remixed (Rapster)
House pros remix jazz legend
The mallet-wielding godfather of acid jazz glides back on the dancefloor as A-list house producers remix rarities in the '70s jazz legend's catalog. On “Holiday,” Kenny Dope honors the original, stretching disco bass and shuffling drums into a nine-minute workout as Ayers bangs away on the vibraphones. Basement Jaxx accentuates the mellow soul of “I Am Your Mind Part II” with muted horns, ebb-and-flow bass and finger snaps that complement the track's hypnotic vocals. Jazz snobs need not inquire: Virgin Ubiquity is like late-night Trix cereal — strictly for club kids. — Rob Kirby
CAROLINE
Murmurs (Temporary Residence)
Oh, sweet Caroline
Okinawa native Caroline Lufkin returns quickly to breathy child-choir tones from her occasional forays into near-operatic pop, as it's the quiet she's most comfortable in. Murmurs brims with the intimacy that domestic phone calls used to offer, with mild, dreamy tracks (“Sunrise”) and sassy-pants dance fare (“Everylittlething”). Opener “Bicycle” offers somber reflections overtop minimal beats and chamber strings, much like 2005's “Where's My Love” teaser. But plentiful vocal effects and skittering tempos never crowd the most memorable murmur here, though: Lufkin's compelling voice. — Dominic Umile
CHINO XL
Poison Pen (Activate)
Return of the lyrical Messiah
It can be argued that Eminem emulated Chino XL early on in his career. So why is Em on top of the world and Chino merely a mid-'90s afterthought? The answer lies in the ability to make creative songs and choose good beats. No one can argue that Chino isn't one of the best lyricists. With lines like, “I could paralyze with a parable/Make rhymes out of religion,” he truly is “The Wordsmith.” During his hiatus, Chino compiled a stack of ill beats to match his impressive wordplay. The rolling synths of “Our Time” along with the imperial strings of “Messiah” should bring Chino back to relevancy. — Omar Hamza
DJ CAM
Revisited By (Inflammable)
French cult DJ re-imagined
Even under the talented scalpels of Thievery Corporation, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, Kid Loco, J Dilla and others, the music of underground jazzbo DJ Cam retains its smoky, ominous air. Cam's The Beat Assassinated and Fillet of Soul slung murky beats under hothouse sounds; the remixers here reshape his tracks with Bollywood, tech-step and hip-hop injections. Meera's “Extra Lucid” sounds like a hip-hop hornet's nest, DJ Vadim's “Innervisions” disrupts Cam's tranquil keyboards with angry snare-drum slaps and Bob Sinclar drops Gypsy handclaps and Clavinet gurgles into “Espionage.” — Ken Micallef
JIMMY EDGAR
Color Strip (Warp)
Techno young buck packs the funk
Edgar is a Detroit native of barely legal drinking age, primed by the region's reigning champs of rave (Juan Atkins, et al). But he brings his own flavors to the table — including groovy '70s synths — and the result is a poppy debut with white-collar techno sensibility. The album is best at its darkest: The plodding, industrial bass line and satanic vocals of “My Beats” are anthemic; the glitchy breakbeats and kid-style raps on “I Wanna Be Your STD” are infectious; and the muted guitar riffs and electro punches on “Personal Information” are like a screwed-and-chopped Prince track. — Stacey Dugan
THE PRODIGY
Their Law: The Singles 1990-2005 (XL)
Thumping house party must-have rips your ears off
It's hard to believe, but The Prodigy has been around for 15 years. So it's only fitting that the group releases Their Law: The Singles 1990-2005, a compilation of the band's primo work. This double-disc set is full of aggressive energy at its most fun, with Liam Howlett creating power-pumping bass grooves that pave the way for Keith Flint's punklike screaming and Maxim Reality's in-your-face rapping.
Disc one is a solid retrospective of The Prodigy's hits, including the dub-laden “Out of Space” (Experience, 1992), from which DJs still sample with incredible frequency; “Their Law” (Music for the Jilted Generation, 1995), with its Slayer-like guitar licks that give way to an infectious dance groove; and “Smack My Bitch Up” (The Fat of the Land, 1998), which spawned a controversial yet brilliantly shot video full of adrenaline, sex and drugs. Disc two is clearly geared toward full-fledged Prodigy fans, with live tracks, remixes and B-sides. Nothing new or spectacular there. But even now, the singles still rip through your eardrums with the same ferocity that they did when they were first released. — Lori J. Kennedy
GRAND NATIONAL
Kicking the National Habit (Recall)
Good habits here
Now two years old to UK audiences, Grand National's Kicking blends dance, an affinity for The Police and occasional rowdy brass bursts for sultry results. It's party-heavy with noteworthy songcraft in its intricately arranged vocal harmonies and quirky moments of jubilance. Jumpy breaks of piano and dense choruses peek around the bend of the carefully structured guitar leads in “Coming Round” and the gospel, disco sample-spiked “Cherry Tree.” And if “Daylight Goes” doesn't reek of Sting, listen to the chorus of “North Sound Off” and Sting's “King of Pain.” Theft or homage? Who cares? — Dominic Umile
TRÉ HARDSON
Slimkid3's Café (Flying Baboon)
Takin' it back to the Pharcyde
Life as a solo artist can be rough, as former Pharcyde front man Tré Hardson reveals with his second solo release. After serving as the polished and soulful leader of one of the most underrated hip-hop groups of his time, Slimkid Tré has resurfaced with an album of bright spots and disappointments. While thought-provoking rhymes shine on tracks like “Knockin” and the especially impressive “Stepping Stones,” the remainder of the album lacks flow and consistency. Tré's delivery, though often on-point, is at other times lacking, never fully leaving a lasting impression. — Chris Clark
ILLOGIC
Write to Death II: The Missing Pieces (Dove Ink)
Rapper is now a writer
Illogic has been an indie hip-hop staple in the past five years, touring with the likes of Atmosphere. Here, he gives his heart and soul to the second Write to Death installment. With production handled by Walter Rocktight, Blockhead and others, the musical aesthetic is abstract with clicky, then booming snares and unsettling half-heard melodic samples. Illogic owns this sonic netherworld, dishing out socio-racial polemical prose on “They Wonder Why I'm Insane” and trademark oblique metaphors on “Liquid Meets Land.” Beautiful writing with unsettling music. — Daniel Muessig
JUNIOR KELLY, BOUNTY KILLER, CAPLETON
The Good, the Bad and the Blazing (Minor7Flat5)
Jamaican heavyweights unite
German producer Brotherman presents the genius of three of Jamaica's best and brightest in 12 new solo tracks that work seamlessly, proving that an international incident can be a good thing. Junior Kelly delivers impassioned roots-reggae lyrics over the syncopated organs and crisp trombones of “Jah Jah's People,” while Capleton decries genocide in Africa over soul-stirring female backup harmonies on “Hear the Children.” The dark menace of Bounty Killer's gravelly vocals make the drum 'n' bass — tinged “Hey Yo Yallo” a must-listen. — Rob Kirby
LILYS Everything Wrong Is Imaginary (Manifesto)
Phila-psyche-delphia rides again
Lilys visionary Kurt Heasley has alternately obsessed over re-creating the sounds of My Bloody Valentine, The Kinks and The Smiths. His eighth studio album again bows to Brit-rock and runs the gamut of psychedelia — from shoegaze to space funk — but stands as perhaps the first true realization of a brilliant, individual Lilys sound. While relying heavily on pretty vocal melodies and guitars bent to heaven and back with fuzz and filter banks, Everything Wrong is awash with analog-synth trickery that lends additional wings to this high-flying trip. — M. Rovito
MISSTRESS BARBARA
Come With Me… (Uncivilized World)
It's not all sugar and spice
With recent releases from DJ Rap and Baby Anne & Jen Lasher, it's a good time to be a female DJ. Canada's Misstress Barbara recognizes the hot demand for female DJs and throws her own hat back into the ring with a new mix CD, Come With Me. Barbara's been DJing for more than ten years and has made a career out of spinning the freshest techno. This time looking to break into more diverse territories, Barbara pairs her signature techno with electro, funk and minimal IDM — her track selection getting particularly interesting with all the weird, bleepy stuff toward the end. — Justin Kleinfeld
STEREOLAB
Fab Four Suture (Too Pure)
Settling for less (is more)?
Not an album per se, but a singles collection released to coincide with Stereolab's spring tour, Fab Four Suture shows our favorite French socialists breaking no new ground but focusing on the spin-cycle arrangements that have become the band's trademark. Added to the Stereolab equation of '60s Farfisa grooviness, Krautrock motorik beats and Brian Wilson ambience is an unceasing loop madness that sets almost every song in concentric circles, ultimately spinning in place.
Shorn of Mary Hansen's harmonies, Laetitia Sadier sounds oddly alone, but Tim Gane surrounds her with a sea of clattering shapes wrought in a Pro Tools palette. Similarly, with the jazz inflection of prior albums gone, Fab Four Suture is as pure a Stereolab project as ever; even keyboardist Sean O'Hagen's Brian Wilson-isms are toned down to an afterthought. “Excursions into ‘Oh, A-Oh’” is the album's most overtly rocking track, trading programmed sound circles for raucous instrumentation worthy of the B-52s. But the overarching sound is one of smoothness and happy Day-Glo colors, casting a warm sheen in such tracks as “Kyberneticka Babicka” (Parts 1 and 2), “Plastic Mile,” “Widow Weirdo” and “Vodiak.” — Ken Micallef
PEDRO
Pedro (Mush)
A series of lovingly tweaked trashcan symphonettes
Grounded in the Four Tet/FSOL school of sampling psychedelia, Manchester's James Rutledge (aka Pedro) fuses acoustic instruments and hip-hop beats with jewel-like textures for a resplendent sound collage. Consistently soft and gentle, Pedro morphs strings and chattering keyboards through backward effects in “The Water Ran This Way Back and Forth”; creates a brass-blasting Pink Floyd soundscape in “Fear & Resilience”; and drops a free jazz/electro spew in “123.” A bonus disc includes remixes by Prefuse 73, Four Tet and Danger Mouse. — Ken Micallef
PLANET ASIA
The Sickness (Copter)
Cali agent ready to infect wack rappers
No-Cal rapper Planet Asia is back with his sophomore effort, the first in a set of two releases. The Sickness re-introduces an MC once heralded as the next big thing outta the West. And the absence of an Interscope deal has the Planet back to spittin' like a hungry unsigned rapper. “Black Bandanas Low,” a posse cut that demonstrates that it is not all sunshine in the Golden State, is surefire lyrical warfare. But aside from the cinematic “Time After Time,” the album's production disappoints. Hopefully, the upcoming The Medicine will cure the ills that plague this album. — Omar Hamza
URSULA RUCKER
Ma'at Mama (!K7)
Captivating poetry with perspective
Spoken word is perhaps an unfair category for Ursula Rucker's music. With her third full-length release, Rucker uses her voice and words to probe the space where language and music meet. Besides the carefully rendered lyrics she's famous for, Rucker skillfully manipulates the meter and flow of her poetry while altering the tone and timbre of her voice to blend with the instrumental backing or rise above it, depending on the circumstance. The music (aided by Anthony Tidd) is at times lush and cinematic (displayed in “Humbled” and “Rant [Hot In Here]”) and at others, razor sharp. — Christine Hsieh
SPECIAL TEAMZ
Special Teamz, The Mixtape (Str8up)
Boston hip-hop hybrid
Bona fide Beantown legend Ed OG teams up with Jaysaun of The Creators, Southie's lyrical champ Slaine and turntable phenom Jayceeoh to drop hip-hop chemistry on Special Teamz, The Mixtape. “Main Event” and “Shed a Tear” features production from two guys named DJ Premier and Pete Rock, respectively, and each MC holds it down like 1992 while flipping 2006 syllables. Jayceeoh in turn alternates between party rockin' selecta and DMC animal, savagely juggling from one track to the next. Special Teamz successfully updates the style while maintaining the sacred essence. — Daniel Muessig
SUB-CONSCIOUS
SubTalk (Eastern Conference)
Two of the best get better
Sub-Conscious is the complete package — an excellent songwriter with a preacher's voice and arresting live skills. This freakishly talented and criminally slept-on artist teams up with New York veteran DJ Eli of Fondle 'Em fame for an album of jazzy, Latin influences and a light touch. Eli's sampling style allows Sub-Con the room he needs to get open. With a mellifluous voice and lyrical flow that is complex yet accessible, he comes off like a mix of Rakim and Gil Scott-Heron. “Don't Go” and “Gabriel's Trumpet” are evidence of these dudes' stylistic and technical range. — Daniel Muessig
VITALIC
OK Cowboy (Citizen)
Ride 'em cowboy!
Vitalic has generated a buzz ever since the release of 2001's devastating Poney EP, which combined sinister electro and pounding techno and was a mainstay in the crates of the world's finest DJs. Longtime fans will be pleased to know that Vitalic's debut full-length CD is nothing short of stunning. And “My Friend Dario,” a cheeky electro-metal-pop track, should definitely draw in people from other genres. While OK Cowboy does feature previously released tracks such as “Poney” (Parts 1 and 2) and “La Rock 01,” the overall set is banging and unrelenting — an instant classic from start to finish. — Justin Kleinfeld
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