CD REVIEWS
Aug 1, 2006 12:00 PM
DJ SPOOKY
In Fine Style: 50,000 Volts of Trojan Records (Trojan)
DJ drops original dub/reggae science
The best DJs know when to tweak and when to just leave well enough alone. As master curator to 34 classic Jamaican tracks from the Trojan vaults, DJ Spooky lets the volts course through his body unadulterated — no blends, no cuts — mixing it straight with commendable self-control. Where others might have showboated with interminable look-at-me turntable meddling, Spooky steps back to let the masters shine through unfettered and unfiltered, delivering a flawless compilation in the process.
Disc one delves into early reggae cuts such as the perky guitar syncopation of Desmond Dekker's “007 (Shanty Town)” and the infectious two-chord progression of Winston Williams' “Sweet Like Candy.” Meanwhile, Lee “Scratch” Perry's “Disco Devil” enters the slo-mo zone with an extended dub jam that melts and reforms segment by segment in the stereo speaker. Disc two gets doubly dubby, ranging from the seminal thud, bang and delay of “King Tubby's Explosion Dub” by King Tubby to the pleasantly peculiar bass and harmonica combo of “Bridgeport Dub” by The Blackbeard All Stars.
For those who believe Shaggy and Sean Paul have no business in the reggae aisle, In Fine Style delivers the straight dub dope. — Rob Kirby
BROADCAST
Future Crayon (Warp)
The future is in the past
Balancing brooding melancholia on tracks like “Distant Call” and “Unchanging Window/Chord Simple” with '60s psychedelia-meets-krautrock freak out as on “One Hour Empire,” Future Crayon, the UK group's compilation of pre-2001 EPs and rarities, deftly balances the group's two distinct sounds. With ethereal organs and Trish Keenan's sensual voice — “Illumination” induces chills — Crayon stands as the best way to explore the dark, mellow pop of this quartet. Showing the band's impressive versatility, Crayon stands as an essential purchase for any U.S. fan who hates buying music in pounds. — Jason Newman
BUSTA RHYMES
The Big Bang (Aftermath)
Dungeon Dragon's best work in a decade
After three discs worth of big expectations and little return, Bussa Bus has finally found his niche with Dr. Dre. Eight tracks worth of fire from the good doctor is just what Busta needed. “How We Do It Over Here” is a futuristic club banger respite that will keep heads incessantly nodding all summer. One of the main factors to this veteran's resurgence seems to be a return to the early '90s grimy style that made him a star, as evidenced on “New York Sh**.” Also, Busta's chemistry with old pals Nas and Raekwon is reignited with two Dre-produced collaborations. — Omar Hamza
COLETTE AND DJ HEATHER
House Of Om (Om)
The ladies are in the house
Erstwhile SuperJane cohorts Colette and DJ Heather put their combined talents together for this now sought-after series from Om. They prove that the sum is indeed greater than its parts as their collected efforts throw a formidable one-two punch. Rolling house rhythms are the order of the day, with healthy doses of builds and drops and appropriately placed vocals for a high-energy mix that is — simply put — perfect. Keeping to their individual styles, Colette's half is forthright, getting straight to the heart of the beat, while Heather's goes a subtler, more organic route. — Lily Moayeri
EVERY MOVE A PICTURE
Heart = Weapon (V2)
Smarter than the average pop band
Every Move a Picture (EMAP) has made its debut with Heart = Weapon, an invigorating swell of angular guitars over post-punk, nu-wave and disco-rock music. Employing a broad range of influences, ranging from early U2 and The Cure to INXS, EMAP may sound like Franz Ferdinand or Arcade Fire, but the group's infectious energy and eclectic style completely trump the competition. Synth lovers will recognize the Korg MS2000 and MC-505 throughout; old-skool heads might even hear the Roland TR-808 kick in “On the Edge of Something Beautiful (at 12 a.m.).” — Deana Aria Mayland
EVIL NINE
Fabriclive 28 (Fabric)
Breaking things up
Evil Nine counters its hipster message-board picks for Fabriclive 28 with bright electronic and breakbeat expertise. Disco synth splashes and stop/start beats upstage Paris-based Uffie's bland vocal on “Ready to Uff (Dub)” early on. Meanwhile, Thomas Schumacher shimmers with a surprisingly simple melody on “Kickschool 79,” first in subtle blunt tones before it morphs into rigid, trancey buzzes. Sadly though, Evil Nine works too hard toward the end. The band pins Test Icicles against the Clash, rendering the former even lousier than they were before (at least according to hipster message boards). — Dominic Umile
THE HACKER
A.N.D. N.O.W… (Uncivilized World)
Unexpected staying power
Trends only die to the people who follow them. The dark, minimal, electro/techno/breakbeat music spanning three decades on this mix compilation may have lost the hype of a few years ago, but not its appeal. The Hacker deftly segues from '80s synth rock such as Front 242's “No Shuffle” to present-day driving electro techno such as Kiko & Gino's “Oddyssey” with a tasteful and seamless flow heard less and less in mix albums. Although a few nondescript tracks mar the mix, it ends on a high note with the synth-poppiest moment of the hour, “Restless,” by Mount Sims. — Markkus Rovito
JURASSIC 5
Feedback (Interscope)
Broadcasting the evolution
Jurassic 5's fourth album includes production work from Scott Storch, Salaam Remi, Bean One and the mighty DJ Nu-Mark (but no Cut Chemist), with guest vocals by Mos Def and Dave Matthews. This mega artillery might lead you to think that J5 is abandoning underground omnipotence for mainstream banality (and God knows the group needs a hit). But Feedback's wealth of creativity — whether in beats, vocal harmonies or barely disguised samples (Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Art of Noise) — quickly dispels that notion. Feedback is built, from the ground up, on a maddeningly diverse bed of beats, from the jolting ska of Storch's “Brown Girl” and the staccato funk in Bean One's “Gotta Understand” to the skip-mad soul of “Baby Please” and the full-scale Brazilian beats of Nu-Mark's “Canto De Ossanha.” Dave Matthews brings his Peter Gabriel yawn to the sludgy “Work It Out.” “Get It Together” sounds like an angrier Chemical Brothers fulminating dub rhythms for a gang war. But the record's spiritual centerpiece is Nu-Mark's “Future Sound,” which plies a head-jerking beat and Three Dog Night samples with a vocal call to arms that should alert posers and punks alike. — Ken Micallef
HYLOZOISTS
La Fin Du Monde (Boompa)
Canada's blind faith
The word “supergroup” is often relegated to chatter about bands like Traffic or an impromptu 20-guitarist jam session for televised broadcasts of Sting's birthday. Canada's Hylozoists are a different “supergroup” on La Fin Du Monde — an intricate chamber-pop excursion with lavish orchestral accompaniment. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Aucoin and his cast of 10 players pile dense string arrangements, organ, vibes and more on works that never ramble but surge repeatedly in triumphant Gershwin-like heights (“Hearts and Harps”) and swelling piano-pop swing (“Lover Becomes Lovers”). — Dominic Umile
KON & AMIR AND DJ MURO
The Kings of Diggin' (BBE)
Dig these finds
Kon & Amir have been resurrecting overlooked vinyl for years in search of floor-rattling standouts. Japanese record aficionado DJ Muro has two apartments, one of which he uses to store his crates. As they did on 2004's The Cleaning, Kon & Amir coat Diggin' in sexual funk, with moan-spiked porno-score pinnacles in Cesar Mariano and Cia's “Metropole” and treasured break finds in Unico Black's “A Vida.” Muro's 44-track wonderwork on disc two never slows; its short cuts of Latin funk and boisterous drum workouts ensure that this set shouldn't share the fate of its dusty components. — Dominic Umile
LORD JAMAR
The 5% Album (Babygrande)
Twenty-one lessons in 60 minutes
Old-school heads who miss groups like Brand Nubian and Wu-Tang shouldn't worry because Lord Jamar is here. The rapper-turned-actor is back from the studio with his first solo effort. The album's dense subject matter, aimed at educating the “85 percent who are dumb, deaf and blind,” is packaged in head-nodding beats and potent guest appearances. The bouncy brass hits of “Deep Space” almost make the listener forget that they are listening to a concept album. Jamar scores with “Greatest Story Never Told,” which is the most in-depth account of the 5% Nation on record. — Omar Hamza
ONEIDA
Happy New Year (Jagjaguwar/Brah)
Future-psychedelic guitar rock
Brooklyn psych-rock trio Oneida celebrates its 10th anniversary with an eclectic new album featuring several special guests, including Phil Manley of Trans Am, who will be joining the band on tour as its new fourth member. Known for its innovative and versatile sound, Oneida doesn't disappoint with Happy New Year, crushing heads with thundering guitar and driving percussion on “The Adversary” or weaving synths and static together on the album's title track. While weak vocals prevent Happy New Year from reaching its potential, it's still an interesting listen. — Dustin Glick
PLAID & BOB JAROC
Greedy Baby (Warp)
Warp's finest cultivate their id
A double CD/DVD package, Greedy Baby is Warp's first 5.1 release, and who better to advance the technology than label mainstays, Plaid. Ed Handley and Andy Turner create their familiar sound on the audio-only disc, blending classic acid structures through artificially derived sounds. Plaid gets angry in the distorted concussion of “I Citizen the Loathesome” but soon returns to placid comfort in “The Launching of Big Face” and “E.M.R.” and trademark playfulness in “Return of Super Barrio.” The tracks accompany Bob Jaroc's DVD visuals, proving Plaid's worth beyond the audio spectrum. — Ken Micallef
QUANTIC
An Announcement to Answer (Ubiquity)
Ethnic blends and breakbeats galore
Unlike Quantic's previous releases, many tracks on Answer have elements of international sounds, as with the Far East meets Caribbean vibe of “Blow Your Horn.” Quantic combines the mentality of a funky breaks-obsessed b-boy with the dedication and range of an ethnomusicologist. Breakestra-style deep funk is the foundation, but Quantic injects heavy parts Latin funk (“Sabor”), hip-hop (“Ticket to Know Where” featuring up-and-comer Ohmega Watts) and Far East instrumentation (“Absence Heard, Presence Felt”) to create the perfect summer block-party soundtrack. —
Jason Newman
THOM YORKE
The Eraser (XL)
Some satisfying solitude
The Eraser picks up where scorched collages like “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” and “Like Spinning Plates” left off, but that is no surprise, given that Thom Yorke was the prime force behind Radiohead's head-rattling experiments into tape loops and scrabbled beats. The real revelation is that rather than dive into the deep end of instrumental/psychotic cut-up, The Eraser combines Yorke's melodic romanticism, weary world outlook and frantic sonics more cohesively than in the past.
The Eraser's Aphex Twin — enamored production is the perfect foil to Yorke's woeful melodies and soul-scouring observations of life's messy entrails. The direction is perhaps warmer and less obscure than the previously mentioned tracks, as is Yorke's literate vocal spew, which covers everything from the desire to be someone's lapdog (“Skip Divided”) to the New York subway system (“And It Rained All Night”). But the production is similar to Radiohead's electronic tomes — minimalist arrangements of buckling bass lines, ominous synth washes, sped-up tape swooshes and crippling beats erupting as quickly as they fizzle out. There may be no “Karma Police” here, but The Eraser's head-rushing tales still comfort. — Ken Micallef
RINÔÇÉRÔSE
Cubicle (V2)
Schizophrenia on the pod
It seems odd that French duo Rinôçérôse — who hasn't had two of its four albums released stateside — released Cubicle, a greatest hits collection. Always a confusing blend of styles, from highly danceable numbers (“Dead Flowers”) to squawking guitar-driven ones (“Bitch”) and crunching rock (“Music Kills Me”), Cubicle is mood jarring. When exposed to a song at a time, Rinôçérôse is acceptable, although variable, based on which genre you hit. Individually, Rinôçérôse's creations are sonically interesting and inventive, but hearing them mashed together like this is enough to give you musical whiplash. — Lily Moayeri
RYAN TOBY
Soul of a Songwriter (Mass Appeal)
City High crooner goes solo
Former City High R&B crooner ditches the girl and the other guy (actually, Claudette Ortiz is now Toby's wife) for his solo debut. Having written songs for Usher, Mary J. Blige and others, Toby knows his way around a melody, and “Just My Thang” pops off slick and radio-friendly, with punchy horns and requisite guest-MC gruff-talk from Beanie Sigel. The impulse to cheese out is the danger, though. The syrupy “Miss America” stumbles in its attempt to woo, while the smooth croon and tasteful guitar of “Come Back” succeeds by resisting the standard sweet, corny nothings. — Rob Kirby
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The New Gold Standard (Fort Knox)
Worth more than its weight
This disc will cure sucky parties like Listerine cures stank breath. Fort Knox Five is the new force in funky, soulful, genre-busting dance music. The group's ethnic and '70s Blaxsploitation-inspired funk tracks kill it, but its highlight is the chanted group vocals and staccato notes of “Dodge City Rockers.” International Velvet contributes a pair of Indian-influenced floor burners, and Liftoff drops three tracks of psychedelic breaks. But Speedy Consuela steals the show with her catchy melodies on the loungy space-pop of “Sundaydream” and dance rock of “Sukka Suited.” — Markkus Rovito
BEN WATT
Buzzin' Fly Volume III (Buzzin' Fly)
Take only as directed
Do not listen to this mix of mellow progressive and tech house while operating heavy equipment. Label boss Ben Watt's latest suits the sleepy hours after the bar stops serving, when the only thing keeping you going is the persistent rhythms. His own sublime, beatless creation “Old Soul” — featuring the poetry of Baby Blak — kicks it off, and it's a lazy head nodder from there. That's not to say there's no energy. The mix peaks with the funky bounce of Darkmountaingroup's “Lose Control” and the robotic John Tejada remix of Nino Astronaute's “San Fernando Road.” — Markkus Rovito
JOSH WINK
Profound Sounds Volume 3 (Thrive)
Altered consciousness at work
With this double-disc set, the long-established electronic-music DJ, producer and label owner keeps his beats dark, elusive and, at times, head-shakingly intense. The first disc (“Subconscious”) ventures into deep, heady intelligent techno with cuts from the likes of Hardfloor, Steve Bug and his own remix of Radiohead's “Everything in Its Right Place” setting the mood, but Wink truly shines on the second disc (“Conscious”), invoking The Orb, John Tejada and Jeff Mills to unleash subterranean bass and enough acid to keep hearts pounding and limbs moving well past sunrise. — Christine Hsieh
YOUNG RJ
Dirty District Volume 3 (Barak)
Dusty beats from the Motor City
Detroit producer Young RJ picks up the mantle of the late J Dilla and continues the legacy of soulful, dusty production from the Motor City. Undulating horns wash over the bright jazz guitar of “Welcome to the District,” while Proof of D12 (R.I.P.) flips the reflective pianos and crisp snare pops of “I Thought I Told You” into a tale of steely eyed determination and, in light of his recent death by gunshot, loss. As a welcome bonus, the extended “Special Slum Village Mix” preserves 21 minutes of unreleased early Dilla mixes in tribute to the man's huge influence on RJ. — Rob Kirby
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