Breakbeat‘s renaissance offers up Julian Napolitano and Darren Pearce as the duo all the heavy hitters lurve. Sixteen tracks here follow on from JDS‘ FFRR stint (“Nine Ways”) and solo flier “Purple Funky Monkey.” “Dirty Funk” continues the trend of heroin-grade hooks, stripped-down beats, and plush bass, along with iz-old skiz-ool funkster “This is Kalifornia.” “Freaky,” “Rockstar,” “Good Old Days,” “We Got Conga,” “Disco Rockers”-catch the J.D.S. drift? With this sweat-inducing soundtrack, these monkeys prove themselves major breakbeat players and a mutual remix society is bound to proliferate.
Baby Jaymes Ghetto Retro
This is the kind of album you almost want to keep to yourself and not tell anybody about, like it‘s your little secret. Except, it‘s so good-original, funky, nasty, and surprisingly poignant in spots-you‘ll want to share it with someone special, and then they‘ll know too. In any event, Baby Jaymes is a hip-hop generation throwback to the days when you just weren‘t hip if you didn‘t have a stack of soul 45s under your arm at all times. The diminutive phenomenon is an honest-to-god soul singer from the ‘hood who seemingly longs for the chitlin circuit, but is comfortable doing duets with turf stars like Keak Da Sneak and Balance. Provocative album cuts like “Black Girl/White Girl,” “Nasty R&B,” and “Miss Ghetto” have earned Jaymes comparisons to Prince, and, for once, you can believe the hype.
Various Artists Africa Remix
Here we have the sound of New Afrika, a land in perpetual transition, yet one that seems to recognize the value of history at all times. The selections offered here are all fairly recent (the oldest track is from 1998), and highly fusionist-you‘ll find Xhosa dancehall, Senegalese-Cuban jazz, Kenyan rap, Afro-Arabian folk, Malian downtempo, and Congolese electro-garage. Yet for all the benefits of modern technology, the most compelling aspects of these rhythmic safaris are the most ancient and traditional. The breadth and the scope of this compilation is impressive; well-known artists like Mory Kante, Youssou N‘Dour, Thomas Mapfumo, Orchestre Baobab, and Oumou Sangare are placed next to relative unknowns like Awilo Longomba, Ghorwane, Thandiswa Mazwai, and Kandia Kouyate. Though it‘s not possible to encompass an entire continent in 16 songs, Africa Remix comes close.
Various Artists Superpitcher: Today
Aksel Schaufler‘s own strain of Köln techno has (half-jokingly) been dubbed “micro goth” and a slightly doleful sense of gothic melodrama prevails on his recent mix album Today. Schaufler compiles with a moodiness that suggests he‘s plotting raves in his hometown‘s magnificent cathedral rather than the substantially smaller Studio 672 (where Kompakt actually hosts their weekly club night). Lawrence and Wighnomy Bros feature as track creators and re-constructors while Michael Mayer‘s “Lovefood (Matias Aguayo Mix)” and The Psychonauts‘ “World Keeps Turning (Highfish & Zander Remix)” accentuate the ambience of tragi-romanticism. As a finale, Sebastien Tellier‘s exquisite “La Ritournelle” is lovingly reclaimed from its creator‘s quite ridiculous Politics album.
Darediablo Twenty Paces
Somewhere, on a dimly lit street in Gravesend, Brooklyn, a wannabe mobster cousin of a genuine made man is getting an overdue beating for staring a little too long at the wrong girl. For this and countless other made-to-order ass kickings, Darediablo has unknowingly provided a soundtrack. The trio‘s thick, voiceless setup of Rhodes, bass, and drums not only rips like the ghost of Booker T channeled through the hands of Tony Iommi, but the band‘s keen mixture of both groove and grit will appeal to hard rockers, metal heads, soul lovers, and perhaps even a hardened thug or two.
The Upbeats Werewolf
A sampler from )EIB( Presents Bad Taste, The Upbeats‘ “Werewolf” is transformational horror movie music. The track builds from a foggy atmosphere into a lumbering long-nailed monster, exploding with shrieking cymbals and thundering kicks. Body & Soul‘s “My Dues” offers sci-fi soul drenched in layered synths, cyclical bass notes, and rolling drum patterns. Side A may beat you down, but B&S‘ B-side gem will lift you back up.
Gremlinz + Stranger + Visionary The Curse
The Curse‘s bongo-laden riddims, dub bass stabs, and dark synth motifs mirror life in a claustrophobic urban jungle-a sound originated by artists like Dillinja, Lemon D, and Shy FX. No complaints here-this a classic, funky, future-hewn d&b tune that never bores.
Afu-Ra State Of The Arts
Coming into the game as a protégé of Jeru, Afu-Ra dropped a very impressive debut LP (Body of the Life Force) and a so-so sophomore piece (Life Force Radio). On his third go-around, the BK mic warrior sounds refreshed and rejuvenated, flirting with a variety of production styles (including dancehall and retro metal) while still spouting the conscious-but-streetwise wordplay we‘ve come to expect. Sporting solid beats from Premier and PF Cuttin, plus rowdy collabos with Masta Killa and Royce Da 5‘ 9″, State Of The Arts bangs throughout, a triumphant comeback record ideal for summer block-rocking.
Big Pooh Sleepers
The least-hyped member of NC trio Little Brother, Big Pooh languished in the shadows as critics heaped praise on 9th Wonder and Phonte. With his solo debut, Pooh proves he‘s no second-stringer, dropping a bevy of strong verses over warm, sample-drenched tracks, mostly from 9th and Justus League homie Khrysis. Mellow, mid-tempo joints dominate, with laid back but articulate verses that address females (“Just Friends,” “Between The Lines”) and the sometimes grim realities of daily life (“Heart of the City,” “The Jungle”). For anybody still dozing on the kid, Sleepers is your wake-up call.
Mathematics The Problem
Producing and DJing with Wu-Tang for many years now, Mathematics may not have the props, classic catalog, or name recognition of RZA or 4th Disciple, but dude definitely knows how to make beats, as evidenced by his stellar work on Supreme Clientele alone. In 2003 he dropped his first proper album, Love, Hell or Right, which, despite a fam-heavy guest list, wasn‘t really that great. On The Problem, Math‘s production is noticeably stronger and the emcees (the entire Wu plus several younger Queens cats) all sound genuinely hungry. Minor-key organ vamps and sweeping vibraphones propel “Winta Sno,” while the ill bassline and choppy drums of “Real Nillaz” could be a lost track from Cuban Linx. Not every song works, but the ones that do are outstanding. Though haters may question the Clan‘s relevance in 2005, Mathematics brings out the best in the Shaolin supercrew, resurrecting the franchise with his impressive instrumentals.
