The cutest little band on earth returns with its darkest effort to date, an album that trades in the dew-dappled splendor of past outings for moonlit mood music. Much has been made of Mùm’s environmental approach to recording, and the field recordings strewn throughout this album (whether of whistling wind or creaking clapboards) deftly evoke the lighthouse in which it was recorded. Still, one can’t help but think that the Icelandic soundscape is herein reduced to caricature, and a maudlin one at that. The estimation is confirmed by these songs, which seem more like assayed lullabies than fully formed pieces of music. Rockist though this criticism may be, there’s an utter lack of tunes here, nothing which allows singer Kristin Anna Valtysdottir to emerge past the embryonic fairy steez which has become her cloying trademark. Just call this one a nautical disaster.
Various Artists Exclusive Collection: Mixed By DJ Rhettmatic
Now that DJ mixtapes are a sanctioned format, they’ve become tricky. Previously, track selection was left up to the DJ. Nowadays, the labor of getting song-use permission comes heavily into play. As a showcase for Rhettmatic’s DJ skills, this mix is great. As a smorgasbord of songs, it’s less successful. There are some tight tracks by the Beatnuts and Tony Touch, but other cuts are middling fare, and almost all of them are widely available. This isn’t a bad mix, but it’s not essential listening.
The Sound Providers An Evening With The Sound Providers
The Sound Providers’ style is “jazz combo with drum programming.” Utilizing dusty horn and piano loops as the backdrop, the Providers set a hip-hop jazz club vibe that’s certainly a winner. Their Achilles heel is that they fall a little too in love with their loops, meaning several instrumental tracks stagnate, and don’t take the formula any further. Nevertheless, some quality vocalists, including Asheru, Ken Boogaloo, Yeshua, Phonte and Pooh of Little Brother, propel their cuts ahead nicely, and there isn’t a wack beat to be had here.
Kmd The Best Of KMD
All you need to know about this disc is this: It’s the best material off Mr. Hood and the controversial (and initially unreleased) Black Bastards albums. “Trial N Error,” “Smokin’ That Shit,” “Peachfuzz,” “What a Niggy Know.”..all the great ones are represented here. Sparkling production? Check. Immaculate MCing? Check. Bugged-out basslines, wit, knowledge and underacknowledged classic material? Check times four. Fans of MF Doom should be hungry for the history lessons, and people who bought and lost these tapes back in the day will definitely appreciate having them again. Essential listening.
Vast Aire Look Mom…No Hands
Are they or aren’t they? No new Cannibal Ox album yet, but here’s Vast Aire’s solo project, with Vast bouncing off RDJ2’s soul cuts, Ayatollah’s electro-rockers and Madlib’s herky-jerky sampler jazz. An energized Vast wades right in, sprinkling references to his infamous Cold Vein rhymes among new punchlines, and ripping the system on “Poverty Lane 16128” (“I think this whole system’s corrupt/They’d rather fly into space than fill an empty cup”). Still, we miss Vordul Megilah like a phantom limb, and when he shows up on the closing track, the duo is butter like Captain and Tennille.
Eyedea & Abilities E & A
Eyedea and Abilities could swap names and it would still work. Eyedea is a rhymer with numerous battle championships under his belt, yet he’s able to spin complex yarns; he puts down a book’s worth of lyrics on E & A, the duo’s second album. Abilities is a turntablist with undeniable wrist skills and DMC titles, but he also drops hard-hitting involved productions. It’s the way these two link up that propels E & A. When Abilities grinds out the shuffle-technical “Star Destroyer,” Eyedea responds with a ferocious battle verse, and neither flags in intensity throughout.
The Fourth Strike The Fourth Strike
Fourth in the series of artist compilation singles, this installment continues with more varied works. Lars Klein intervenes with his sample-stripped loop madness, while Ortin Cam and Mr. Vik add a bit of tribal funk on a slightly more minimal tip. Tasteful, yet experimental-a solid strike.
Project 69 Rocket Fuel
This epic fabrication with brilliant execution could only be the workings of Johannes Heil and Frank Lorber. With buzzy vocoded stabs and a dirty electro-tech bass, this movement begins as a colossal FM lead with a portamento glide fills the speakers. An anthemic electro remix lives on the back, leaving this 12″ to be one of the year’s best.
Pierre Blaszczyk One Night Like This EP
This bit comes from the tombs of Horspiel label head and Utils founder Blaszczyk, offering a bit of unexpected noise for the club. Glitch madness in a not so minimal setting, the audio palate here is reminiscent of Dot Matrix printers on meth. One cut contains a gated melodic bass, however the overall production screams true raw grit.
Droid Inc. Dirty Neon Lights
Gregor Trescher and Boyuk Pilavci join arms for this twiddled-up and boastful arrangement. A light and bubbly synth carries throughout as a dominant fuzzed-out bass fills the mix. Flip to add a bit of reworked percussion, refined bass, deeper effects and additional keys within the Messina and Lindsey remixes.
