CD REVIEWS
Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM
AIR
Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks)
Les Francais vont au Japon
Air's distinct sound manages to change just the right amount with each album. There is no way you wouldn't be able to identify their latest, Pocket Symphony, as Air's work, particularly with French-accented, vocoder-distorted wordings and spooky organ intonations. But Air has embraced Japan. The inclusion of Japanese traditional instruments — koto and shamisen — give a mystical flavor to the songs in which they are used: “Mer du Japon” and “Hell of a Party.” The latter features Pulp's Jarvis Cocker with his special brand of deadpan observations and delivery, a particularly good combination with Air's esoteric pop. Also joining the duo is the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon on “Somewhere Between Walking and Sleeping,” whose sad warblings conversely bring hope.
Air's focus on Pocket Symphony, however, is on instrumental numbers. These boast miles of space for deep hatha yoga breaths and extended stretches. Their orchestral movements are calming without being repetitive or overdone. In this sense, Air is moving in the direction of modern classical musicians. And when they do say some words, they are teasing and playful. The French have developed a sense of humor.
— Lily Moayeri
BRACKEN
We Know About the Need (Anticon)
Ex-Hood brings the goods
Hood's Outside Closer LP opened 2005 on a dreary note; its electronic/organic textures flourished amid the somewhat grim scenery of skittering vocal snippets and minor key melodies. Hood has disbanded, but co-founder Chris Adams has found in Bracken a place for chopped vocal bits and sporadic misery, and he's sparingly circulated these elements through most tracks on We Know About the Need. “Music for Adverts” offers fleeting monastery-styled moans but follows the richly layered pop of “Safe Safe Safe,” which springs from a choral tapestry and generous tape loops. Needs are met.
— Dominic Umile
CHIMP BEAMS
Menina (Concent)
New trio drops deluxe dub
What's admirable about Menina is that it sees these Japanese-bred Brooklynites play traditional dub well without limiting themselves to just the music's basics. Tracks like “Brooklyn DUB” have the word “traditional” written all over them, being fueled by the echoed sounds of the melodica, bass and guitar. But then on the futuristic folk cut “Menina,” this trio's instrumentals resemble the work of Nobody and Boom Bip more than, say, dub master Lee “Scratch” Perry. Chimp Beams even provide a few hip-hop offerings, such as the thumping “Synthesized,” which only help to further extend its sound.
— Max Herman
COUGAR
Law (Layered Music)
Roaring, purring experimental rock
Astute and committed to refining an already complex sound dubbed “emergency rock,” Cougar's five crafty musicians explore the confines of instrumental music. Melodies shift on a whim, crescendo at the right moments and fall into a vast expanse of improvised jazz, hip-hop, prog-rock and indie-pop. Law is an admirable attempt at merging organic with synthetic sounds. “Atlatl” starts in a somewhat fragile valley before exploding into an unstable peak of controlled chaos. And the repetitive, sample-driven “Pulse Conditioner” thumps through a dense landscape, complete with timbales.
— Jason Jurgens
DAVE CLARKE
Remixes & Rarities (Music Man)
Electroshock therapy
Over the past 15 years, Dave Clarke has been one of the most prolific artists in the techno and electro genres. His DJ sets, live performances and productions push the envelope for intense dance music. As for his remixes, any fan of techno and electro music needs to pick up a copy of Clarke's new career-spanning remix compilation. This CD is laced with Clarke's most coveted dancefloor monsters, including his insane remixes of Jark Prongo's “Movin' Thru Your System,” DJ Rush's “Freaks on Hubbard” and Robert Armani's “Road Tour.” It's like getting a private lesson from a techno master.
— Justin Kleinfeld
DJ MOONER
Elaste Vol. 1: Slow Motion Disco: Originals from the Cosmic Era (Compost)
Revisiting the slow disco dance
Those of you who get enough of subgenres will be happy to know we've uncovered yet another: a disco hybrid known as “Italian cosmic disco.” Dating back to 1976 in Italy and the golden age of disco, the style combines disco, funk and soul, but at a slow tempo of 80-105 bpm. This compilation pulls together the more popular tracks of the time, including Love International's “Dance on the Groove (And Do the Funk).” The slow, spaced-out tempo makes you wonder what people were really doing in clubs back in the '70s.
— Justin Kleinfeld
DOMINGO
The Most Underrated (Latchkey)
The Most Underrated underdelivers,br>His resume overflows with hip-hop heavies — Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Eminem, Fat Joe, KRS-One — so this disc of pedestrian beatsmithing renders disappointment. The drums and horns sound canned and lack any sonic attack, and the 1- and 2-note hooks have gone moldy from a life neglected on a hard drive. Guests include Canibus, The Beatnuts and Non Phixion, but lyrically it's typical studio gangster fare. Only cameos by Big Daddy Kane and Guru, and the standout track “Next Dose” with Rugged Intellect and Ras Kass, elevate this anywhere above the standards of a basic demo.
— Dan Frio
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