Like a tempting amuse bouche, this seven-track split EP precedes a CvJ double-CD of unreleased goodies and a taste of both acts’ future directions. For CvJ, it’s increased Boards of Canada-esque melodic moodiness; “Durusey” being particularly dark and poignant. Alternately, Freescha sidesteps the disco-funk drama of their acclaimed What’s Come Inside of You for bubbly, textural snippets.
Louis Digital Insurgency Soul
This third entry on Warp’s dancefloor-only offshoot Arcola features Louis Digital, best known for his house/hip-hop hybrids on Footwork. The a-side, “Ecology of Fear,” rides closer to his prior work, infusing punchy tech beats with house sauciness. The two b-side cuts veer into harder, electro-tinged territory, with “Dance Floor Microphysics” pumping out a damned crisp bass bump within a tight microhouse vibe. “Insurgency Soul” doesn’t wow like the first Arcola by Dub Kult, but it’ll do.
Neulander Smoke + Fire
Although they’re based in New York, Neulander (Korinna Knoll and Adam Peters) sounds about as German as they come. Their stark, linear electro-pop is seemingly devoid of emotion, yet chock-full of computer-crafted social despair. Digging deeper, Smoke + Fire eventually proves itself to be vibrantly human. Knoll’s unsure, clipped vocals are remarkably charming in an early Annie Lennox kind of way, and the group’s shirt-sleeve admiration of Human League and Pet Shop Boys (“Sex, God + Money” is a doppelganger of “Opportunities [Let’s Make Lots of Money]”) pushes them beyond the toss-away faddishness of Berliniamsburg and related electro revival opportunists. Smoke + Fire is sing-along good.
Various Artists The Beat Generation
The hip-hop tracks that open this compilation are all solid, but it’s the second half’s soul and funk that make The Beat Generation shine. Selections by luminaries DJ Jazzy Jeff, Will.I.Am and Pete Rock are worth a listen, but don’t find these classic artists at their best. In contrast, tracks like “Hummin,” by Marley Marl and featuring Roy Ayers, and the ultra-funked “Superstar” by King Britt stay with you long after the disc has stopped spinning. The closing track, a selection from Allen Ginsberg, caps off this reminder of what the beat can mean in different hands.
Various Artists Favela Chic Postonove Vol. 3
Unlike the Brazilian-derived lounge that’s been popular for a minute, this album is the straight dope, encompassing a broad range of music from Brazil. From “Bananeira,” a song that’s been recorded by a list of artists (here performed by Emilio Santiago) to a version of “Spinning Wheel” in Portuguese (by Raulzinho of Impacto 8) to hip-hop tracks like “Hip Hop Nao Para” by Ginger Ale vs. Z’Africa Brasil, the third installment of Favela Chic cuts a well-chosen, head-nodding swath through Brazil’s current music scene.
Various Artists Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The 15 tracks on this album derive out of an intro, a way-too-long snippet announcing a fictitious contest to compose music for a new game show. The resulting tracks-contributed by Panacea, Jayrope and Echokrank, among others-sound like the unfortunate result of the popularization of home studios. They’re largely unimaginative and most of them sample the phrase “who wants to be a millionaire,” creating a crop of pretentious pseudo-statements on money and entertainment. You probably know a 12-year-old who can do better.
Various Artists Ennio Morricone Remixes Vol. 2
Ennio Morricone has to be one of the most recognizable film composers of all time. To celebrate his 75th birthday, the snazzy folks at Compost have done more than just rehash The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. The second of their Morricone tribute compilations doesn’t just contain tracks with the obligatory sampling of his original scores. Each effort-whether its Domu’s nu-jazz reconstruction, Tom Middleton’s spacey fare, or Swell Session’s lush downtempo-constructs new cinematic manifestos, keeping the quality of the source material while providing new inspiration for the dancefloor, your bed, or your head.
Tino Corp Tino’s Dub Selects
When not freaking the beat with Meat Beat Manifesto, Jack Dangers is continuing his collaborations with Ben Stokes and creating some of the best technical dub out there. With Dub Selects, Tino Corp lends some tracks from Tino’s Breaks Volume 5, Tino’s Breaks Volume 6 and Halloween Dub to Belgium’s Quatermass Records. If you like the sampling frenzy of MBM’s records and the quirky-to-spooky dub of the Scientist (particularly Scientist Rids The Evil Curse), you’ll dig this. And combining influences-from the Charlie’s Angels xylophone hook to dialogue from the film Rockers-Tino proves to be a true selector.
Serge Gainsbourg Aux Armes Et Caetera
Serge Gainsbourg may be perfect for seducing your girl, or even that weekend getaway in Le Car, but few people know that back in 1979 he single handedly introduced reggae to the French mainstream. Recorded with Sly and Robbie’s emerging group, The Revolutionaries, Aux Armes Et Caetera is not only authentic dub on a croissant, but a masterpiece that still holds up today. Not content to just re-present the work, mastering engineer Bruno Blum also provides a second disc with dubwise versions, produced with authentic studio techniques from ’70s Kingston. Since the French didn’t even think about making dub versions back then, all we can say is to this re-release is oui oui.
Beanfield Seek
On a quest to produce an album entirely without samples, German duo Beanfield returned to the roots of soul by recording their third album the hard way-live. The medium fits these Beans well: their downtempo style is an elegant mish-mosh cut evenly with Latin, funk, soul, African rhythms and jazz (think horns a-plenty). Fans might recognize the throaty voice of Bajka (from their gorgeous track “Season”) on Seek, as well as new-age references to age-old clich»s about life and spirituality. Despite ditching founding member Tobi Meggle, percussive tracks like “Cargo” remain quintessentially Beanfield: lovely, soothing melodies that keep pace with a steady, human pulse.
