Has all that preceded been but a prelude in the world of Squarepusher? One would certainly think so after listening to Ultravisitor, Tom Jenkinson’s eighth album. On 2001’s Go Plastic, Jenkinson finally achieved a balance between his at-times spastic funk bass melodies and breakneck beat programming. Ultravisitor reaches further out while simulataneously harkening back to the nebulous experiments with slower jazz tempos on Selection Sixteen and Budakhan Mindphone. The title track busts out of the breakbeat gate like anything on Hard Normal Daddy, but its darkened brow and the quixotic chiming leitmotif floating among the clouds is decidedly fresh. Punctuating the madness are sullen jazz guitar ditties like “I Fulcrum” and “Andrei,” which contribute to a sense that Ultravisitor is Jenkinson’s first stab at a wondrous Squarepusher opera.
Various Artists British Hustle
Before the hustle became Love Boat fodder there was an actual vibrancy to Van McCoy’s dance. As evidenced by this new compilation from Soul Jazz, the UK was feeling the Philly soul sound too. Their jazz-funk bands added a Caribbean twist to the Stateside formula with clean picking, bubbling basslines and percussive pockets-this was disco with a Red Stripe. British Hustle not only includes music from FBI and Hi Tension, but also Heatwave (before Rod Temperton wrote half of Off The Wall and Thriller) and Freeze (prior to crafting electro classic “I.O.U.”). Equally fitted for a social club or the Paradise Garage, the blueprints of late-’70s and early-’80s dance scene are contained within, even those of proto-house (Imagination’s “Burning Up”).
Various Artists Certified Dope Vol. 4: Babylon’s Burning
Proving that there is more to new dub than the “illbient” tag, the Crooklyn Dub Consortium is back with another edition of Certified Dope, and this kouchie is so skank you’ll pass-out before passing on de left. They offer a variety of styles, finding the perfect balance between classic and modern sounding plates. From Bill Laswell, who recedes deep into the genre’s past (with Augustus Pablo-esque melodica and Sly Dunbar on the kit), to Spectre’s frighteningly apocalyptic “Al Quaida,” this dub sack is grade A.
Various Artists Layo & Bushwacka!: All Night Long
Neither making their UK super-club The End a huge success for the clubgoing masses nor flaunting their production talents have diminished Matthew “Bushwacka!” Benjamin and Layo Paskin’s cool factor one bit. Despite being certifiable “old-timers” in the UK club scene, the duo’s new double-CD mix shows the kind of daring that so often fades in established DJs. Newcleus’ “Jam On It” nestles comfortably against hidden gems, including Higashida Tomohiro’s “Special Place,” and much-loved tracks like The Detroit Experiment’s “Think Twice.” Fans should forgive the boys the boring title and check their blends, which are startlingly good as ever.
Louie Vega Elements Of Life
Never judge an album by its first song. Put off by the faux-orgasmic moaning of “Jungle Fever,” I almost didn’t listen to the rest of Louie Vega’s first solo album. Thankfully, his long history of productions, both on his own and as half of Masters At Work, carried me past that initial misstep and into a disc full of rich, classy music. As early as the second track, a sumptuous collaboration with Blaze, Vega regains his poise, crafting uplifting, vibrant songs that sparkle with detail. Though best known for his deft mastery of 4/4 beats, Vega reveals a passion for all styles as he turns his hand to African, Brazilian and Latin rhythms. Program the player to skip Track 1, and relish an album full of flawless performances and memorable melodies.
Shade Of Soul Give In to Me
Hold on to your hats-this one’s huge! With their premier single getting banged by everyone from Spinna to Alex Attias, Shade of Soul returns with an irresistible broken-soul beauty. The original and r&b mixes are great, but 4Hero takes it to another level with restrained Rhodes balanced by exquisite syncopation. As the stellar Marilyn David sings, Make it sexy…”
Z Man Dope Or Dogfood
Rappers sound best when it’s clear they feel a strong personal connection to their lyrics. When Paris and Mr. Lif spit agitprop, for instance, you can tell they really mean it. Other artists aren’t tough on politics, and have to stick with subject matter that hits closer to home-like white girls with ass. Z Man sounds most impassioned when he’s yapping about said white girls (“Bigots and Bitches,” “White Girls With Ass”) or getting faded (the rest of the album). Dope or Dogfood is just like its title-you’ll either think it’s really dope or dogfood.
Raekwon The Lex Diamond Story
The fact that Raekwon’s The Lex Diamond Story has more thrust than most hip-hop albums I’ve heard in recent months may actually be a bad portent for the genre, given that The Lex Diamond Story sounds exactly like an album Raekwon could have dropped the album in 1994. After unleashing the classic Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, Wu-Tang Clan has never been able to top itself, and Raekwon’s rap style, though well-honed, sounds pass» -as though he’s still stuck at the edge of the bling era. Nonetheless, this album has some solid, rattle-your-trunk singles, like “Missing Watch” (with Ghostface) and “The Hood” (featuring Tiffany Villarreal).
Deadbeat vs. Stephen Beaupre It’s a Crackhaus Thing
Scott Monteith may be best known for the rainforest tech-dub atmospherics he issued on his Deadbeat long-player Wildlife Documentaries. And Stephen Beaupre may be best known for his Canadian shuffle-tech as Multipass. But together, the two concoct a distinctly elastic form of minimal techno that shares its penchant for crackpot plunderphonia with fellow Montrealer Akufen and sample auteur Matthew Herbert. The eight tracks that make up Crackhaus are made for the giddy discotheque of yr mind, shunning seriousness at all costs to achieve the very serious goal of making you wiggle your smart ass. A noble endeavor, you must admit.
Zero 7 When It Falls
When Zero 7 released Simple Things in November 2001, they filled an immense void left by Massive Attack’s breakup. Fans of atmospheric bands (think Air and Slowdive), devotees of downtempo labels Mo’ Wax and Ninja Tune, and even easy listeners could all get with the record’s silky instrumentals, thoughtful vocals, and languid electronic pulses. Their follow-up, When It Falls, is just as smooth, and conceptually quite similar to Simple Things. Vocalists Sia Furler, Sophie Barker, and Mozez all make repeat appearances, and the first single, “Home”-with its careful guitar plucks, melodic swells, and breathy vocals by Tina Dico-is destined to be as much of a makeout song as “In the Waiting Line” was. But while its billowing orchestral maneuvers and elaborately conceived arrangements may please many, When It Falls is not for those who cringe at trilling chimes, rippling Rhodes keyboards or chick flicks.
