In a move that would delight followers of the Theory of Advancement, The Relatives–Chicago‘s Most Versatile Player and Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker‘s second outing as a leader–sounds like a modern version of a pre-Give Me the Night George Benson album. With it‘s surprisingly accessible sound, John McEntire substituting for Creed Taylor, and an almost Sun Ra-esque version of Marvin Gaye‘s “When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You,” Parker has created what jazz has needed for a long time: a populist record with enough substance for the haughtiest jazz snob and enough style to keep it interesting.
Various Artists Nicky Siano‘s Legendary the Gallery
To understand the music of The Gallery is to understand the club with which it is inextricably linked. Although thought of as a discothèque, The Gallery didn‘t play “disco” music. Instead, DJ/owner Nicky Siano bridged the gap sonically and historically between the two other monoliths of the time: David Mancuso‘s The Loft and Larry Levan‘s Paradise Garage. The spaced-out epics of The Loft gave way to The Gallery‘s harder, four-on-the-floor feel, which developed out of Detroit sounds-mainly by Norman Whitfield (The Undisputed Truth and The Temptations)-and the danceable elegance of Philly soul (The Tramps). An early place of employment to then club kids Levan and Frankie Knuckles, the historic significance of The Gallery is as undeniable as the stomping beat of the music.
Midnight Mike Bring Me to My Senses
Back from a brief hiatus, Flesh Audio has resurfaced in what looks like a partnership with German punk/funk/crunk label Gomma, bringing you a record as dark and nasty as their predecessors. Phew! On the original, David Byrne-esque vocals ride over warped keys, fuzzy distorted bass, crispy hats and a straight, jackin‘ 4/4, but if you like yours a little looser and chopped up, it‘s the Zongamin remix that will get you movin‘. Not exactly music for your granny, but wicked none the less.
Groove Skool Precious Love
Debuting on a premiere label like Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown‘s 2tuf 4u imprint may seem daunting at first. But, given the quality of their first effort, it seems Groove Skool may have found a permanent home. Bumpy 4×4 grooves with delicious vocal slices bring to mind other 2tuf stablemates Sugar Beetz. “Precious Love” is a cut above.
True Tigers Allstars
With Duncan Powell, Da Phuture, Misty Dubs and Scandalous Unlimited on remix/production duty, this four-track EP is chock full of good, good 4×4 flavor. The R&B-laced cuts will definitely funk ‘em up raw and appeal to the crossover crowd. If “Me, Myself, and I” and “Naughty Girl” don‘t get the ladies dancing, you must be playing at a convent. Not for nuns…sorry, Sisters.
The Octopus Project One Ten Hundred Thousand Million
A world designed in encrypted codes and cyber architecture is just too much for some of us to handle. The Octopus Project isn‘t willing to trade their drum kid and guitar pedals for computer concertos just et and, for the most part, it‘s to their advantage The sound of One Ten Hundred Thousand Million amplifies with each track, layering trebled out keys and reverb-heavy guitars over the tick of high-hat stutters, blurring the line between the organic and synthetic with their penchant for lo-fi recording. What‘s missing is the hi-fi mixing that‘d make their style more decisive.
Kreidler Eve Future Recall
On Eve Future Recall, Kreidler doesn‘t create songs so much as he creates characters from a film noir. The sinister tone of “Cervantes” is warmed with the melodies of deep keys (the con man with a weakness for honest women), and through the spry xylophone of “Whom The Bells Tolls” seeps an undercurrent of hesitation and unspoken hope (the cynical woman with a penchant for bad boys). The crescendo of buzzing strings on “The Park” pulls the plot together (the thugs on their trail finally catch up). Meanwhile, the lullabies in between tell their love story and predict their epitaphs.
Miss TK And The Revenge XOXO
Miss TK doesn‘t just evoke the rebellious Valley girl über-teen of the ‘80s, she recreates it–leather jacket, unicorn fetish and all. CasioTone pogo beats lay the base for her vivacious vocal melodies and coy lyrics. Looped, jangly guitar lines are the chatter of girlfriends or the sound of the get-ready-go-out frenzy, but it‘s Miss TK‘s total lack of pretension that lets her unadulterated devotion to bedroom dancing to disco shine through. Like a love letter from the coolest girl in junior high, signed XOXO.
Dennis Young/Liquid Liquid Signal Up Ahead/Flextone
Liquid Liquid‘s “Flextone” is a rarity to say the least, one of the seminal New York no-wave band‘s later efforts which was sorely excluded from the Mo‘ Wax retrospective released in the late ‘90s. Glasgow‘s DJ Twitch opts for a straightforward edit of the original, while Brennan Green rocks one of his finest remix efforts to date. Don‘t front, just get it.
Logistics Together VIP
Logistics has made a pretty decent name for himself over the last year, forging a distinctive style, and this track has been absolutely caned back and forth. I reminisce about standing in a field when I hear this-this one is bound to make a few hairs stand up on the back of peoples‘ heads. Sometimes it‘s good to give people what they want, and Logistics does just that.
