As Shakespeare noted, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. So it doesn‘t matter if this Rose calls himself Michael “Grammy” Rose (he won the 1985 award for reggae with Black Uhuru), Mykal Rose, or Mikal Roze; this veteran remains in fine form, confidently displayed on African Dub. Singing takes a backseat here, although bits of Rose‘s prophetic lyrics create stylistic ballast for many instrumental highlights. The performer line-up here would floor any serious reggae student: Dean Fraser, sax; Earl “Chinna” Smith, guitar; Style Scott and Sly Dunbar, drums; and Norman “Twinkle” Grant, percussion, to name a few. These are Jamaica‘s architects of dub-they know precisely what and how to play to create the spatial dynamics, echo gaps, and low frequency that make reggae the original “head” music. Add to this Rose‘s undiminished vocal talent, and the board work of Canadian-inna-Netherlands engineer Ryan Moore, and you get a truly dread affair.
Sugar Minott The Roots Lover: 1978-1983
Lincoln “Sugar” Minott began his career in 1970 with the African Brothers in Western Kingston, Jamaica, before going solo in ‘76. He immediately found success with both his plaintive “sufferers” roots reggae as well as chocolate-coated lover‘s rock numbers. Hence The Roots Lover: 1978-1983 is an apt title for this double-disc reissue set, which provides a discerning look at both of Minott‘s styles with each of the out-of-print single and album tracks presented “showcase” stylee (a vocal followed by a dub version). Tracks like “No Vacancy” will please ���80s rub-a-dub fans, as will “Dance Hall Style,” which rides the Heavenless riddim. And with remastering and restoration by Moritz von Oswald (Basic Channel), the mournful “In A Dis Ya Time” and “Thirty Pieces of Silver” are as clear as the original takes.
Biosphere Dropsonde
It was inevitable that Norwegian ambient minimalist Geir Jenssen (Biosphere) would explore the microfibers of jazz. After a dozen years of pioneering quiet, cold-filtered electronic music that invoked his Arctic surroundings, Jenssen now applies his techniques to ECM-style sounds (think Keith Jarrett, Ketil Bjørnstad, etc.). Unlike his jazz-noodling countrymen, Jenssen sacrifices none of his contemplative ambient climates on Dropsonde, his fifth release for England‘s austere Touch label. Whereas Jenssen‘s attempt to “bliss out” classical music samples and loops on ‘02‘s Shenzhou proved lackluster, the jazz snippets used on “In Triple Time” and “Fall In Fall Out” add tension to a recording that will leave you mesmerized for repeated listens.
Dan Curtin We Are The Ones We‘ve Been Waiting For
Despite his recent relocation to Berlin, veteran American producer Dan Curtin hasn‘t let the chilliness of German techno influence his warm, buoyant sound. The backbone of his new full-length is still cerebral Detroit rhythms, but in typical fashion, soundwaves have been stretched, edges have been smoothed over, and patterns have been re-imagined by this ace beatsmith. Curtin isn‘t ushering in anything radically different on this release, though it‘s more mellow and restrained than past efforts. Rather, subtle twists-like the bubbly synths of “No Time for Gravity Waves” or the combination of cut-up vocals and delicate electro fragments on slow burner “Peach”-showcase the work of a steady, experienced hand.
Tortured Soul Introducing Tortured Soul
Somewhere far from the tourist-trapping Vegas strip, there exists a truly elegant casino, a spot beyond the imagination of the jocular Swingers duo. Tortured Soul would be this den of sin‘s house band, doling out their “we‘ll be here all weekend” shtick while laying down soulful grooves. Crooner John-Christian Ulrich attains a vibe akin to Jamiroquai or Prince, but mellower. Bassist JKriv, keyboardist Ethan White, and Ulrich, who doubles up on drums, create blissed-out tracks that curl around your head like cigarette smoke. Introducing Tortured Soul occasionally slides into hipster background music territory, but it always stays cool and classy.
Keith Fullerton Whitman Lisbon
Undoubtedly, each successive Keith Fullerton Whitman release could be considered as intellectual as it is textural. There‘s a place for academia when discussing Whitman‘s regurgitative electro-acoustic processing, but it becomes secondary to the immersive music‘s emotive modulation. This 41-minute DSP/analog abstraction-captured live to hard disk in Lisbon in early October 2005-states and reinstates itself as the most intentionally direct, least studio-distilled and obsessed-over release of the tonal poet‘s catalogue. A dewy diffusion of sublime sine harmonic floes and granular gauze, Lisbon is an unhurried unfurling of muted melodies, proving an un-retouched glimpse into Whitman‘s arterial modus.
Vitalic OK Cowboy
Publicly evasive Frenchman Pascal Arbez, who debuted as Vitalic in 2001, furthers the ramping legacy of expansive electronic composers from Moroder and Vangelis to Daft Punk. His four-years-in-the-making full-length debut couples jacking squelches with more genially jaunty, almost plaintive synths, thus transcending the singular profile of his monolithic, unrelentingly insistent singles (“Poney Part 1,” “La Rock,” “My Friend Dario”) already etched across dancefloors worldwide. While the entire album isn‘t as flushed out as these effusive anchors, Cowboy‘s more meditative, mottled productions never play second cousin. These 13 resonant analog emulsions will maintain Arbez‘s rightful presence in the public/mind‘s eye.
Everlovely Lightningheart Cusp
With just one 40-minute-plus track, Cusp plays like a brutal winter night in its entirety. Driven by sporadic piano outbursts and an apocalyptically chiming arsenal of instruments, this experimental duo defines exhibitionist songwriting with their freely constructed, uninhibited style. The howling basement drone that comprises the first 10 minutes of Cusp could sedate any metalhead with a satanic palate or ambient aficionados with a lust for serenity. If I could rename this record, I‘d call it Contemplating Life and Death in a Haunted Brothel With a Shaman Druglord. Welcome to exquisite chaos, boys and girls.
Bird Show Lightning Ghost
Bird Show might remind listeners of early records by Joan of Arc, but with the ceremonial dissonance of a funeral and wedding taking place simultaneously. Propelled by Ben Vida‘s passion for throbbing percussion and effortless chanting, Lightning Ghost is a quest for a sonic connection with nature, God, and the mysticism of sound. While each track pulses through a number of stages-be it lush humming or schizophrenic noise-the songs rarely exceed five minutes, leaving you refreshed after each emotional trainwreck. Without sounding exceedingly ambitious, it appears Bird Show is well on its way to sublimely realizing its barrage of lo-fi screeches and swells.
Hassle Hound Limelight Cordial
Ramshackle Glaswegian sound collectors Hassle Hound finally bring the post-folktronic, cut ‘n‘ paste, strummy-hummy jams on this impossibly blessed full-length. With neighing horses, boinnnng-ing springs, and flamenco and psychedelic guitars, Hassle Hound is the musical equivalent of a Valhalla-esque flea market crossed with a super-group of every charismatic, story-hoarding uncle the world has known. Moreover, the depth and breadth of samples layered in among the exquisitely crafted songs almost makes this a train-hopping, long-haired hippie cousin of The Books.
