Originally released on Move D’s own Source Records in 1995, Kunststoff is back for a re-release on CCO. Any of you faux-hawkin’ glitchmeisters out there who want to fertilize your techno roots should put the Powerbook to sleep and go grab a copy of this album. The entirety of Kunststoff, from the 808-driven acid funk of “In/Out” and “Soap Bubbles” to the old-school loft-pumpin’ of “Eastman” and the exotic ambience of “Beyond the Machine,” is a testament to a time before plug-ins replaced wall warts and techno production was a true labor of love.
Kasabian Empire
There’s something about second-generation Britpop that seems very, very desperate-like guys trying to squeeze the last ounce of boyish exuberance from their fading youth. Kasabian’s second full-length, Empire, starts off promisingly, with the thumping bass and catchy string arrangements of the title track, but quickly spirals downward into Sgt. Pepper’s-meets-Primal Scream territory, only not half as good as that should sound. While the album has a few high points, such as “Me Plus One”‘s handclaps and tambourines, what could have been a fun, light romp in early-’90s nostalgia just ends up being slightly obnoxious.
Reanimator Special Powers
Community Library is known for releasing eclectic music that’s quirky and raw. Yet Reanimator’s Special Powers is simply composed of repetitive drums, random noise, and bleeps that hardly progress nor fuse well together. Neither experimental, ambient, or “electronica,” each track lacks cohesiveness, emotion, and rhythm. The insert touts that it’s “recorded live to two-track quarter-inch tape without the aid of a computer.” What does this translate to? Underdeveloped keyboard clatter, minus the raw charm of homemade recordings. Surely intended to be odd, Special Powers is indeed special-but not in a good way.
Desmond Dekker In Memoriam: 1941-2006
Desmond Dekker’s most memorable music was about everyday things. And as In Memoriam illustrates, the recently deceased Dekker never slowed with age, dancing vibrantly over ska rhythms with his charming vocals. Whether he sang about his longing for an imagined home (“Pretty Africa”), pure heartache (“Pickney Gal”), or social unrest (“The More You Live”), his ultra-staccato style was lively and full of presence. Recorded in London, the music here is well crafted and comes packed with a booklet profiling Dekker’s colorful life and music. These 20 tracks are wonderful reminders of his enduring artistry and charisma.
Count Bass D Act Your Waist Size
On tracks that rarely surpass the two-minute mark, the Nashville-based Count (born Dwight Farrell) raps like GZA and croons like Chet Baker over self-produced beats and live instrumentation. It’s like free jazz custom-made for hip-hop heads with short attention spans. Occasionally, D veers toward more traditional songwriting, like on the 19th-century banger “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” but mostly we get concise collages that owe as much to the aesthetics of lo-fi indie rock as to Prince Paul. More serious than his last, Dwight Spitz, Count’s latest provides a 30-something perspective on his life and hip-hop times.
Samim Do You See the Light
Another great EP from the Circus, with Samim on board. Keeping his soulful touch, Samim’s tracks are filled with sparkling sounds and some dancefloor appeal. Wild snares, bumpin’ basslines, and fluid textures are there to make us shake our rump. Even when he goes down dark avenues, there is a flickering light that keeps the funk in you alive and kickin’!
Mike Shannon Tactile Blue
Mike Shannon has always kept his promise to deliver the goods. His music is unique, homogenous, and refined. Dirtiness is at its best here, with low-res processing, deep, shimmering melodies, and breaks that remind you that the sun is coming up again. Shannon really knows how to use that swing knob and provides colored flashes of classic techno rhythms.
Takuya Morita Embody
Frankie Records strikes again with this sweet four-tracker from Japanese producer Takuya Morita, who has a few releases on Morris Audio. The Embody EP takes us into choppy land, where quirky samples and bleepy syncopation rules. The grooves are amusingly catchy and full of swing. Lovers of the glitch, this one’s for you.
Various Artists Chem087cd+dvd
When Glasgow band The Delgados started Chemikal Underground 11 years ago to release their single “Monica Webster” b/w “Brand New Car,” they likely didn’t think that it would go on to influence the next generation of Brit-pop kings and queens. Folks like Bis, Radar Bros, Mogwai, and Arab Strap would all rise to relative fame with the push that the label provided. And though a number of the bands have since broken up, their wistfully morose tunes (see Arab Strap’s drumbox-driven “I Work in a Saloon”) continue to define the darker, non-Belle and Sebastian side of Glasgow’s once ridiculously prolific scene. Hell, even American flourishes like Interpol’s gothy “5” are thrown in. But the real treat here is, without a doubt, the accompanying DVD, featuring videos that most of us without Top of the Pops access would never see, including seven from Arab Strap alone. Brilliant.
SKC Killing Me Softly
While Killing Me Softly is more or less a simple collection of DJ tracks, the quality of SKC’s production and songwriting makes it stand apart from the D&B crowd. With styles ranging from the uplifting atmospherics of “Worthwhile” and “Dream Come True” to the harder, teched-out sounds of “Alpha Centuri” and “Offshore (Rmx),” Softly manages to never resemble typical drum & bass filler. Killing Me Softly is remarkably focused and effective, and is a must-buy for fans of the genre.
