CD REVIEWS
Sep 1, 2006 12:00 PM
J DILLA
The Shining (BBE)
Shine on, Jay
Early in 2006, beloved producer J Dilla, aka Jay Dee, almost completed the last album he would ever work on before an illness stole his final breath. Unlike the masterful instrumental-centered Donuts album, issued days before Jay Dee's passing, The Shining follows the unrivaled beatmaker's Welcome 2 Detroit format and pins a handful of guests against his venturesome grooves. Jay Dee's live/sample sound features pronounced MC spots on The Shining, while radiant arrangements ripple with fuzzed-out Moogs and live drum claps.
Like Frank N Dank's brawl-amped recklessness on Welcome 2 Detroit's “Pause,” MED and Guilty Simpson ride tom-toms on The Shining's “Jungle Love,” a chunky swagger joint fitted with tambourines and roomy background squeals. Exec producer Karriem Riggins' synth noodling and J. Rocc's cuts in “Body Movin'” bring wordless clamor, answering Common's organized contribution over the buzzing loops of “E=MC
THE ALBUM LEAF
Into the Blue Again (Sub Pop)
Electronic shoegazer looks up
Though sweeping melodies, glacial atmospherics, synth haze and percolating rhythms abound on Into the Blue Again, Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf wisely tones down the bald emotion deployed on In a Safe Place. The music here has room to breathe, and much of it feels sparser and more elegant — the vocal turn on “Always for You” is backed with crisp drums, and sharp programming adds much-needed texture to swooning tunes like “Red-Eye” and “See in You.” Though some songs can tip toward oppressive, LaValle largely succeeds in lightening his touch while lending gravity to his music. — Christine Hsieh
THE DFA
The DFA Remixes Chapter 2 (DFA/Astralwerks)
More cowbell + bass = audiogasm
The DFA boys are back, and this time around, James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy have added their quirky synth stabs and fat beats to the likes of N.E.R.D., Goldfrapp, Hot Chip and Nine Inch Nails, to name a few. Some tracks have been funked up (N.E.R.D.'s “She Wants to Move” and Junior Senior's “Shake Your Coconuts”), while others have had their beats completely re-arranged (Nine Inch Nails “The Hand That Feeds”). As always, The DFA have added cowbell (Goldfrapp's “Slide In”), which only enhances your serious ass-shaking experience. In a word: genius — Lori J. Kennedy
DR. WHO DAT?
Beat Journey (Lex)
Anything beats Journey
Philadelphia's Jneiro Jarel slips behind a comic book — styled moniker for Beat Journey, but as Dr. Who Dat?, the producer (and MC, but not here) doesn't loop absurd cartoon samples like MF Doom might. In 18 instrumentals, Jarel scratches along slinky jazz/psyche grooves, drops malevolent key buzzes and vintage drum breaks and polishes brass honks with playful experimentalism. Whether the stop-start beats (“B-Boy Portrait in Spain”) mirror Madlib's recent work or the warm soulful frame (“Deep Blaque”) of Tribe's Beats, Rhymes & Life, it isn't really “who dat” so much as it is “play dat.” — Dominic Umile
MARK FARINA
Sessions (Ministry of Sound)
House to make you happy
Ableton might be the latest go-to program for DJs when it's time to splice together a smooth CD, but these two discs — mixed live — demonstrate why Farina doesn't rely on a computer. He layers songs like Joss Moog's “Room 25” and the Jesse Rose mix of Layo and Bushwacka!'s “Life 2 Live” for minutes at a time, turning track distinctions into barely discernable mixes. Throwing in an assortment of samples (trucker radio transmissions and train whistles), Farina jacks up the fun factor and adds summery spice like Nick Chacona's steel-drum layered “Pool Party.” Better watch your back, Ableton. — Genevieve Powers
HYPER
We Control (Thrive)
Big beat lite
DJ Hyper and former Prodigy members Leeroy Thornhill and Jim Davies snag VIP guest shots from The Crystal Method and The Prodigy tour guitarist Kieron Pepper in this bid for the mainstream. Suffice it to say, the result is Prodigy-esque, except this is big beat lite, the fur without the bite. Trance instrumental “Cascade” and '80s-retro dance track “Morning” do the club crowd proud, but the soft synths of “Twisted Emotion” seem limp and wimpy compared to an ear-splitter like The Prodigy's “Breathe.” And while “Set Fire to Me” packs pop appeal, its heat index doesn't hold a candle to the original “Firestarter.” — Rob Kirby
MASTA KILLA
Made in Brooklyn (Nature Sounds)
Wu solo big ups Brooklyn
Wu-Tang has always repped Staten Island to the fullest, but on Masta Killa's sophomore solo, the quietest Wu member acts up and airs some good-ole Brooklyn swagger, with each of his fellow Clansmen aboard. The Bronze Nazareth-produced “Ringing Bells” locks target on a dark, steady beat as Masta Killa spits the slow, controlled menace, and Pete Rock brings the horns on knowledge-dropper “Older Gods Part 2.” U-God, RZA and Method Man then help slice up the spot on the high-octane cipher “Iron God Chamber,” while MF Doom and Masta Killa get it good and B-movie creepy on “E.N.Y. House.” — Rob Kirby
MOUSE ON MARS
Varcharz (Ipecac)
Their anger is delicious
The prolific Germans Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner have proven to be true masters of electronic music. As Mouse on Mars, they frequently exhibit the attention to sound design of Autechre, the arrangement brilliance of Orbital and the beat prowess of Aphex Twin, all while maintaining a signature sound that holds up across different stylesand moods.
Mouse on Mars' ninth studio album, Varcharz, hops along in the duo's typically atypical fashion, except for a noticeably more abrasive and industrial sound sprinkled into a handful of tracks. The initial joint, “Chartnok,” includes a barrage of what sounds like fragmented guitar solo shrieks, as if the ghosts of former guitar heroes were calling out to the living in a horror movie. “Inocular” throws in some blatant guitar chugging and riffing over a soundtrack to robotic mass production. One of the standout tracks, “Hi Fienilin,” follows along these same lines but with a more melodic lead and bass line. But despite this new heaviness, Varcharz retains the Mouse on Mars character, and it isn't all aggro either. “Bertney” lightens it up with mostly 8-bit video game sounds from the Atari 2600 era. — Markkus Rovito
MOTION MAN
Pablito's Way (Threshold)
Bay Area vet does it his way
Motion Man has dropped a ton of material over the years, working with Kool Keith, DJ Vadim and Linkin Park. On his sophomore solo piece, he serves up witty verbalisms and overflowing charisma, backed by hard-knocking production from longtime collaborator KutMasta Kurt. The guest list is on point (Mistah Fab, Too Short, Gift of Gab, Keith), but Motion is the star of the show. Dopeness abounds, with highlights including “I Crack Tall Ones” and “Dat Ass.” This is one of the year's tightest albums and further proof that there's more to the Bay than just hyphy and Hiero. — Brolin Winning
RADIO CITIZEN
Berlin Serengeti (Ubiquity)
A Ra-Safari of Sound
Intent on bringing live performance into DJ culture, multi-instrumentalist and producer Niko Schabel injects deep bass, a percussive pulse and Bitches Brew — era horns into a collage of jazzy, driving beats. Berlin Serengeti, denoting his homeland mixing with the African continent's sonic wildness, is capped by Schabel's überpassionate saxophone and clarinet blowing (“Night II” is a serious Coltrane throwback). The true highlight proves to be globetrotting vocalist Bajka, whose sensuous, intimate growls over dubby rhythms could tame any inner beast. — Derek Beres
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO
Bricolages (KAB America)
Electronic upstarts rework award-winning composer
For his latest trick, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto recruits a handful of electronic poster boys, including quirky Cornelius and noddy Craig Armstrong, to remix 10 tracks from his 2005 album Chasm. The result Bricolages also features Skull Sverrison's melodic fusion of folk, chant and rap on “Undercooled;” Rob Da Bank and Mr. Dan's blunted beat mining on “Word;” and Steve Jansen's lovelorn dot-matrix aria on “Break With.” Sakamoto's synesthesia of populist aspirations and avant aesthetics is rarely easy, but as Bricolages affirms, it's often sublime. — Jorge Hernandez
DANI SICILIANO
Slappers (!K7)
Left-field dance's new diva
In long-time collaborator Matthew Herbert's hands, Dani Siciliano sounds sultry and wise, as if plucked from another era. On her own, however, she unabashedly contorts her voice in lovely, combative and otherworldly ways. Dodging in and out of herky-jerky rhythms and shifting sonic textures with remarkable resilience and verve, Siciliano makes the extraterrestrial clicks and whirs of “Think Twice,” “They Can Wait” and “Big Time” sparkle with unexpected beauty. Slappers is sharp, arch and more confident than her debut, Likes…. It is, in fact, the ultimate tease. — Christine Hsieh
SLEEPY BROWN
Mr. Brown (Purple Ribbon/Virgin)
New old soul from the South
Frequent Outkast collaborator and Grammy winner Sleepy Brown of Atlanta's Dungeon Family blends his falsetto with the smoothest of soul on his solo debut. The Neptunes-produced “Margarita” gleams with high-gloss polish, and Pharrell and Big Boi both lend their Platinum touches. Meanwhile, the self-produced “Me, My Baby & My Cadillac” interpolates the groovy '70s with chopped soul strings, and Sleepy's hit Barbershop 2 single “I Can't Wait,” with its rare Andre 3000 rap, sees a welcome reprise. Brown brings old soul to deliver one of the best R&B releases this year. — Rob Kirby
STRANGE FRUIT PROJECT
The Healing (Om)
Something more than special
Myone, Myth and Symbolyc One (S1), who make up Strange Fruit Project, return with lyrical and production precision from S1 and guests Illmind (Common) and 9th Wonder (Little Brother, Jay Z), among others. Everyday-life hip-hop glistens throughout, from Illmind's laid-back beats on “You (The Only One),” the S1-laced underwater soul-funk of “Under Pressure” and Erykah Badu's so-so smooth soaring harmonies on “Get Live.” But “Special,” 9th Wonder's flavor-filled, old-school pearl, features some of the smoothest lyricism seen on either side of the Mississippi. — Chris Clark
PUBLIC ENEMY
Bring That Beat Back (Koch)
New recruits remix the revolution
When Chuck D bellows “Bring that beat back!” for a new remix album, brittle Casio plinks and snap music just won't do. If you're a producer, you come with the hardest beats you've got and stand back lest the blast radius consume you.
Concentrating on the group's four albums since 1999 and employing mostly unknown remixers — many of whom got in the door as fans posting on PE message boards — Beat stands on its own two feet, although more star power and more emphasis on early material would have helped. C-Doc the Warhammer's title track remix transforms the dramatic staccato stabs of the 2005 New Whirl Odor original to a funkier and more fluid version, as Chuck D calls music and minds to arms. But when lone old-schooler “Public Enemy No. 1” gets stripped and reassembled, the straight-ahead, bland bass loop and catch-up drums sorely lack the megaton shock value of the loud and raw 1987 Bomb Squad version.
All said, nothing matches the remix genius of omitted 1992 classic “Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock Mixx)” or Shocklee and company's sonic assault from back in the day, but remixed PE in 2006 still has the bark and the fangs of the revolution, if a bit less razor-sharp deadly. — Rob Kirby
TEDDYBEARS
Soft Machine (Big Beat/Atlantic)
Nostalgia strikes randomly
If you feel yourself missing the classic albums from a decade ago by the Chemical Brothers or Fatboy Slim, where the music covered a lot of stylistic ground, but every track was slamming, get this tour de force by Swedish band Teddybears. Soft Machine focuses on solid, catchy songs that put that ass in motion. Other than Iggy Pop's tepid turn on “Punkrocker,” the vocals shine, including feel-good sing-along “Yours to Keep” (with Neneh Cherry) and the hands-in-the-air highlight “Are You Feeling It?” (with Elephant Man). Instrumentals bounce from tech house to energetic post-rock. — Markkus Rovito
TIGA
Sexor (Last Gang)
Sassy Canadian shakin'
Flippant remakes of Public Enemy songs, such as Tiga's take on “Louder Than a Bomb,” are as nauseating as VH-1's Flavor of Love. But Canada's electro veteran Tiga and friends pull off some sparkling sass on the rest of Sexor, silly lyrics or not. The party lifts off when the vocal harmonies and syrupy hook of “(Far From) Home” give way to a funked duet with Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears on “You Gonna Want Me.” In wormy synths and disco flashes, Tiga's floor-focused exercises could easily score the closing credits of an '80s after-school special about huffing paint thinner. So break out the paint thinner. — Dominic Umile
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Confuzed Disco: A Retrospective of Italian Records (Mantra Vibes)
Disco cognoscenti serve it Italo-style
International club culture owes a great deal of its resilience to its American R&B DNA. From the late '70s to early '80s, Italy repaid its debt with Italo Disco, a mutant strain of post-disco, electro-funk and new wave. On the two-CD Confuzed Disco: A Retrospective of Italian Records, crate-digging loyalists dust off the subgenre anew. Gaz Nevada fares best with a sparse, dubby Morgan Geist retooling of “Special Agent Man,” while Lindstrom & Prins Thomas strip “Call Me Mr. Telephone” to low-slung strut. “Cin, cin, Italia!” — Jorge Hernandez
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Silverware (Audraglint)
Go indie pop, it's your birthday
Audraglint's fifth-anniversary compilation kicks down an adventurous offering of 20 previously unreleased tracks. A lo-fi aesthetic colors the collection, which includes indie poptronica and some acoustic instrumentals, electronic lullabies and experiments with ambient and trip-hop. Orange & Allred's broken beat “Sy Block” impresses with a female lead vocal dancing dramatically around synth chords. Another bright spot is the bubbly “Kite Life” by Kid 606. And children of the '80s will love Grizzly Bear's slow, druggy acoustic cover of the Yes song “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” — Markkus Rovito
XIU XIU
The Air Force (Kill Rock Stars)
Beautiful art-rock chaos, indeed
The eerie vocals of Jamie Stewart take center stage on Xiu's lo-fi latest, a collection of discordant songs featuring such enigmatic sounds as the zither and a set of oddly tuned bicycle bells (yes, really). Produced by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier, it's not an easy listen, but a rewarding one once you calibrate your ears to find the melodies hidden in this audio assault. The more personal songs are the standouts, like “Buzz Saw,” with its spooky piano, and the noisy “Boy Soprano,” with its unexpected cheery flute trills counterpointing Stewart's cautionary confessions. — Kristi Kates
IKE YARD
1980-82 Collected (Acute)
This yard's a mess
NYC's short-lived Ike Yard crafted sinister, minimal noise pieces in the early '80s and cut an LP for the U.S. leg of Factory Records (Joy Division, New Order). On 1980-82 Collected, 18 intricately grating tracks include Night After Night, the Factory Ike Yard LP and some live and unreleased work. Enginelike thuds propel album track “Loss” with violently stuttering vocal bits and noisy Korg knobs. Subsequent numbers are stark measures of drone dealt in guitar screeches as in “Nocturne” or in the needling live and programmed beats of “Cherish 8.” What an ugly, undeniably riveting mess. — Dominic Umile
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