Thirsty Ear’s Blue Series has put out so much good music-from pianist Matthew Shipp’s avant compositions to the work of the now-defunct (and dearly missed) Antipop Consortium-that it would be hard to screw up a double album that slices and dices from their catalog. The first Celestial Mechanix CD is a series of Spooky’s remixes of previous Blue Series work; CD two is a 35-track mix that culls from the label’s 29 Blue Series albums. The two discs share an atmospheric, jazzy vibe mixed in with hip-hop rhymes and spoken word appearances. Celestial Mechanix presents a serious education about the influence jazz has upon so much good music.
Joseph Malik Aquarius Songs
From the horns that open “Aquarius Song” to the live recording of “Race Relations” at the album’s end, Malik’s sophomore solo effort delivers the kind of sweet soul that recalls some of the greats of the genre. Singer/songwriter Malik, a former promoter and DJ in Scotland, has recorded with others under various monikers, but it wasn’t until 2002 that he released a solo debut, Diverse, in 2002. The intervening two years have been well spent-the current album is a mix of jazz, soul and various ethnic music genres, such as tango, whose intricate hand-clapping he incorporates on “Diablo.”
Starving Artists Crew Up Pops The Sac
They may be lacking sustenance, but the SAC’s got style to spare. These guys are from Detroit, but there’s something in their true-school delivery that evokes the Five Boroughs and its West Coast adaptation via J-5. With Thes One (People Under The Stairs) doing guest production on “Five Day Trippin,” they’ve got more transition skits than a De La Soul record, and enough obscure jazz samples to keep the crate-diggers satiated. Long released in Japan, the singles “Ill Na Na” and “Kick Clap” alone prove that SAC can deliver a fine debut; let’s just hope they stay hungry.
Twilight Circus Dub From The Secret Vaults
Ryan Moore reads aloud from his musical journal about a decade-long adventure across the sounds of the universe. Big Youth’s legendary voice sent him off and, some tape delay later, he stopped by On-U’s African Head Charge, where he mixed vintage sound system and Burru drumming, but not before he dined with the Arawak Indians, who taught him the sitar. He had one last night before the spacey “Lift Off,” so the Bar Kays brought him “East Of Memphis,” where they recalled reggae’s early reliance on soul with a heavy Hammond. All these people and places appear, and yet Moore was all alone, producing this ethnomusicologocial epic from the confines of his “secret dub lab.”
Various Artists Partykeller Vol. 1
Based on Florian Keller’s Munich club night, this comp is not unlike an Another Late Night or Back To Mine selection, with its mined grooves over drunken pulls. The selections are much more impressive than the sequencing, but that’s irrelevant as you may never get past the first track; Althea & Donna’s “Uptown Top Rankin” is so catchy you’ll constantly reel-up the digital rewind. Listen on to find gems like “Tears” (Moroder’s source for DJ Shadow’s “Organ Donor”) and New-Wave Band’s “Three People”; maybe the hottest Detroit new wave/electro cut of all time.
Kenny Larkin The Narcissist
It’s been six years since veteran techno producer Kenny Larkin released a full-length album (he’s been busy pursuing a stand-up comedy career). While it’s reassuring that Larkin’s minimal, atmospheric take on moody Detroit melodies withstands the test of time, Narcissist can hardly be called some of his most innovative work (repeatedly intoning “merci beaucoup” feels more weary than funny). Still, nice jazz bits creep into “A Part of Me,” comprising a lovely interlude, and some of Larkin’s familiar rhythmic agility surfaces on “Breathe,” a study in strings and beat. Here’s hoping the next six years yield a more fully realized collection from this respected Detroit master.
Various Artists Derrick Carter & Mark Farina: Live At Om
Recorded live at Om’s San Francisco monthly, longtime friends Carter and Farina flex their skills and styles, pairing flawless crossfader action with tracky Chicago house. Disc 1 finds Farina deploying his trademark blend of jacked funk and vocal oddities, with squelchy craziness from Cajmere and Land Shark’s Trax-esque “Tie Me Up” as highlights. On the second disc, Carter keeps the mixing tight but introduces a disco feel with two cuts from Stacy Kidd and Backroom Production’s “Classic Vibe.” Pumping stuff from two DJs whose techniques perfectly match their taste.
Moodymann Black Mahogani
Equally reclusive and prolific, Moodymann (a.k.a. Kenny Dixon Jr.) writes loping, laidback music that burrows into the mind, unfurling deft keyboard flourishes from subtly raw production that has as much to do with jazz and blues traditions as modern house music. Make no mistake-a song like “I’m Doing Fine” devastates dancefloor with its sonar ping, four-note Rhodes hook and soulful vocals from Amp Fiddler. But even though Moodymann writes songs that turn into underground anthems, his most important musical contribution is a constant exploration and refinement of soul music. With humorous but pointed use of blaxploitation samples on “Back at Bakers” and “Mahogani 9000” and a sequencing style that keeps songs to their bare, elegant essentials, Black Mahogani is a paragon of inventive, emotive sound where pleasure lies not in gimmickry but in the groove.
Frankie Knuckles A New Reality
There are plenty of “Legends of House,” but only one Frankie Knuckles. After a lengthy break from recording, the don is back with an album full of his patented big room, New York-style garage. He stumbles with a foray into R&B, but when Knuckles sticks to the genre he has helped define, it’s tough to beat his silky blend of delicate keys, perfectly arranged strings, and relentless drum programming. With DefMix stalwarts like Satoshi Tomiie and Eric Kupper helping on keys, plus Jamie Principle, CeCe Rogers and the brilliant Nicki Richards on vocals, this is classy, timeless house music.
Various Artists Futurism Ain’t Shit to Me
Named after the Gonzales-penned jam “Futuristic Ain’t Shit to Me,” Kitty Yo’s most recent compilation doesn’t so much refute the Italian Avant-Garde movement it references as coin a phrase that just sounds fly. And why get lofty, when you can bounce to this? You get blunted glitch-hop in the form of Dabrye, tech-madness with Gold Chains & Sue Cie, and all manner of insanity with Shadow Huntaz, Aesop Rock, AGF, White Hole and a heap more. Funny thing is, it all sounds pretty, um, futuristic.
