On his solo albums for Warp, former Anti-Pop Consortium member Beans has had dubious success, his IDM-driven production often more interesting than his intermittent rhyme blasts. Only, a concept collabo with bassist William Parker and percussionist Hamid Drake, takes experimentation into the stratosphere. Filtering Beans’ original ideas through their free-jazz and improv artistry, Parker and Drake produce spare, thoughtful works, but when they’re clumsily processed by Beans, they go astray. Violin scrapes, skittering rim shots, and synth warbles are punctuated by lines like “I’m diarrhea of the mouth.” True beatniks would approve, but will they bother to listen?”
Various Artists Do You Copy?
The Berlin-based label Mitek champions Scandinavian artists, though they allowed sonic sorcerers from elsewhere in Europe and North America to re-work parts of the label’s catalog for this five-year anniversary comp. The biggest surprises will come to Mitek followers familiar with material like Mikael Stavostrand‘s “Lite,” which gets minimized-and absorbed-by musique concrete/isolationist disciple Son of Clay, who in turn gets the once-over from Canada’s Jeff Milligan. Midaircondo, with “Talkuin2it,” is as recognizable as its gonna get for many listeners, but don’t be daunted by the double disc’s expanse. Let this be your introduction to some serious innovation-Verstehen sie?
Various Artists DJ-Kicks: Four Tet
If Kieran Hebden’s music as Four Tet is a crystal-hard, beautiful, transparent, yet unyielding-his addition to the long-running DJ-Kicks series is a beam of light shot through that crystal and scattered into the colors of the rainbow. Put the micro-electro of Akufen, the lopsided boom of Madvillain, the classic soul of Curtis Mayfield, and the bent harmonies of Animal Collective back together again and you’d have something approaching Four Tet‘s idyllic bangers. Hebden finds time to resurrect Group Home (Google ’em) and the decade-old (yet relevant as ever) Autechre protest “Flutter” amid this noisy, lovely, head-spinning set.
Röyksopp Röyksopp’s Night Out
Röyksopp wants you to join them for a Night Out. Don’t worry, it won’t be a late one-a mere 40 minutes-but it’ll be filled with the kind of joyous, epic disco bounce they’re known for. This time they bring some surprises, like a gorgeously full live sound complete with tremendous bass and spine-tingling builds. Add to that swinging guest vocals from Chelonis R. Jones, a vocal-less/synthesizer-twinkled version of “Poor Leno,” and a strangely fitting Queens of the Stone Age cover, and you’ve got a fantastic live album that promises to have you home by midnight.
Various Artists Julius Papp: Montreal Departure
Montreal-born Julius Papp indulged in a steady diet of Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles before landing in San Francisco and becoming a Mushroom Jazzer. Monsieur Papp is all about delivering deepity-deep jazz-house and makes peace with his history on Montreal Departure. Disc One is a mix featuring tracks by Basil, Reel Soul, Doctor M, Colette, Hot 22, Bah Samba, and Dazzle Drums. Disc Two provides goodies from Papp’s NeoDisco Music label including himself (and Dave Warrin), Deborah Bond, Soulstice, and Mr. Farina, with Miguel Migs chiming in on guitar. Au courant, mon chéri.
Cibelle The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves
Sao Paulo singer Cibelle (pronounced “see-BELL-ee”) Cavalli‘s whimsical second recording puts her alongside Tunng’s Mike Lindsay, Brazilian psych-folk/alt-popster Apollo Nove (her debut album’s producer), and former Air engineer Yann Arnaud. Flute, cello, samba drumming, music box tinklings, and plinks and clinks of coffee rituals provide dreamy results. Cibelle croons with French MC/ beatboxer/Coco Rosie collaborator Spleen on “Mad Man Song” and adroitly covers Tom Waits’ tearjerker “Green Grass.” She honors her current home with Devendra Banhart on a cover of exile-era Caetano Veloso’s “London London” and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Por Toda a Minha Vida” also gets the Cibelle touch. Sublime!
Bauchklang Many People
Broken beat, drum & bass, nu-jazz, and no instruments-what? Bauchklang, a six-member Austrian acappella ensemble, has turned heads and freaked minds throughout Europe with its gifted display of vocal acrobatics. Many People finds the group continuing to meticulously build on the complexity of its well-received debut. Many People could have easily fallen into the novelty section, but Bauchklang commands attention; “Good You Do” is a catchy head-nodder with bassline, beats, melodies, and chorus, but nary an instrument in earshot. For a truly wicked vocal workout, the drum-and-bass fervor of “Navigator” must be heard to be believed. Eat your heart out, Bobby McFerrin.
Various Artists Hot As Hel
The European region of Scandinavia has let loose with some serious musical heat in recent years with the jazz of Five Corners Quintet, Teddy Rok Seven, and Dalindéo. But soul music? Yep, that too, it would seem. Hot As Hel fuses together a dope selection of smoldering tunes from choice talent in and around Helsinki. Featured here are tracks like the scorching late-night burner “Spared Your Kiss” by Katriina, and Dharma One’s classic broken-soul stormer “Belong” (three years old but just as hot), mighty examples of the area‘s mandate to keep its flame brightly lit.
Benjamin Zephaniah Naked
Echoes of Linton Kwesi Johnson, Saul Williams, and Last Poets run through Benjamin Zephaniah’s lyrical flow. Whether claiming a conscious black identity in England on the title track, addressing the serious issue of biochemical tricknology with irony and humor on “Genetics,” or explaining ignorance as simply a case of listening to the “Rong Radio Station,” the UK dub poet’s honesty is both brutal and refreshing throughout. Naked‘s minimal backing tracks favor dubstep more than traditional roots, but Zephaniah’s praises “to the great ganja creator” keep the ites irie.
Angie Reed XYZ Frequency
Angie Reed has shed the nylons and pencil skirts of her debut album’s tour, “The Best of Barbara Brockhaus Live Secretary Show,” but three years later, she still wears the attitude. There’s something risqué yet lovable about an innocent voice purring out lyrics like a sassy sex worker; in “Hustle a Hustler,” Reed croons assuredly, “Ain’t nothing wrong with your ding dong” and in “Dancing Tarantella to a Machine Gun,” she scolds the boys for messing with the wrong gal. Reed’s use of texture gives the songs a unique sensuality, with backbeats rubbing against bells and whistles and beatboxing, and her softly ironic coo throttling its subject matter. Each spin of XYZ Frequency feels like being touched for the very first time: You never know quite what to expect.
