This two-disc compilation-the second joint effort from Taylor Deupree’s influential 12K and L-ne imprints-provides a glimpse of where both labels are going in the near future. 12K’s past emphasis on minimal experimental techno now gives way to a stronger sense of abstract, deconstructed melody (Sawako’s “Air.aif” and Komet’s “Looping 4=D”) and rhythmic invention (Doron Sadja + Motion’s “3Small”). On the L-ne side, co-operated with Richard Chartier, Deupree showcases a who’s who of academic sound experimentalists and installationists, including Steve Roden, Asmus Tietchens + David Lee Myers, and COH. Challenging and fundamentally austere, Two Point Two foretells complex future releases.
Lab Rat XI Mice Or Cyborg
In the wake of James Stinson’s death last year, Drexciya’s other half, Gerald Donald, unleashes these six untitled tracks-the last of Drexciya’s “seven storms” of blistering techno-effectively closing the book on one of Detroit’s most respected outfits. Where the prior storm, Transillusion’s 2002 LP L.I.F.E., was infused with rich flavors of Indian and Asian melodic origin, Mice or Cyborg is straight-up Detroit steak-and-potatoes techno, rarely indulging in superficial garnishes. It’s all thunderous bass and Space Invaders attack music on “Lab Rat 2;” “Lab Rat 3” toys with a house undercurrent; and there’s a nod toward AFX’s atmospheric acid on “Lab Rat 6.” All of this converges to make Mice or Cyborg a fitting coda to the Drexciya catalog.
Air Talkie Walkie
Air’s comeback is an understated and elegant travelogue that shows both where they’ve been and where they plan on taking us. Talkie Walkie recalls the freshness of Premiers Symptomes (with it’s Emmanuelle-in-space production and soft-core innocence) and incorporates the charming choruses that the band unearthed on Moon Safari. Gone is all that Pink Floyd grandeur (Dark Side via Virgin Suicides), but not forgotten is the technical gloom Air has acquired from Radiohead. They don’t glitch out, though, choosing instead to romance the listener through whistles, lush string arrangements (from Serge Gainsbourg’s man Michel Colobier), and Western guitars. With Talkie Walkie, Air achieves the perfect balance between song and soundtrack, perhaps creating the next French pop classic.
DJ Spooky Vs. Twilight Circus Riddim Clash
Riddim Clash is a classic soundclash for a post-postmodern world-only the combatants are post-dub, post-hip-hop and post-punk. The face-off between DJ Spooky and Twilight Circus Dub Soundsystem brings on ital sounds of Lee Scratch Perry proportions-check “Phase Anansi” with its funky Hammond-and also slow, funky, siren-laden street grit. And just to convince you that this match-up has versions galore, listen to how they twist the Cure’s “Love Cats” into their own “Dust Storm.”
Various Artists Abstract Afro Journey: Mixed By Ron Trent
Continuing his interest in percussive African rhythms, Chicago-born, Brooklyn-based house and techno prodigy Ron Trent delivers a deep house mix touched with deeply contemplative vibes. Abstract Afro Journey pulls from ambient atmospheres and deep house, building something vibrant and unmistakably lovely. Even a brief listen reveals the same spine-tingling, melodic beauty that touched all of the releases on Trent’s Prescription label. Dreamy cuts like New African Orchestra’s “Village Dance” are anthems for soul-searching, while Ananda Project’s stunning masterpiece “Cascades of Colour” clearly references something greater than house beats. An important collection from a house music master.
Various Artists Gilles Peterson: The Eclectic Sessions Vol. 2
It’s cool that Gilles Peterson still has somewhere to go creatively, despite having overhauled the global landscape of dance music many times over. Stepping away from the acid jazz/hip-hop fusions he’s known for, The Eclectic Sessions collects elegant downtempo pieces that easily shape one of the strongest lounge collections of the year. As to be expected from Peterson, this collection moves seamlessly between different genres, from startlingly intelligent hip-hop (“Only Child’s Memories”) to spine-chilling soul (Alison Crockett’s “Like Rain”) to sharply witty house (Nick Holder’s hilarious “No More Dating DJs”). Check Max Sedgley’s “Happy” for exceptionally tight minimal funk. Essential.
Califone Heron King Blues
After realizing that a recurring dream involving an avian Sasquatch paralleled an event of a British-Roman war, Califone’s Tim Rutili decided to pay tribute to his nighttime visions with Heron King Blues. The album borrows equally from blues, folk, acoustic, country and rock, quietly mashing these lush elements together into rich sonic morsels. Rutili’s mesmerizing pieces are reminiscent of the music of ’60s cult figure Nick Drake: breathy vocals guide hazy atmospheres on “Sawsooth Sung,” while “Lion & Bee”‘s spare guitar riffs and resonant chords will haunt you beyond the waking hours.
Jackmate The Prodigal Son
It’s always gratifying to hear non-US producers devoting themselves to keeping Chicago house alive. The debut album from Germany’s Michel “Jackmate” Baumann applies the jackin’ sensibilities of deep house to tech- and micro-musical hybrids, fashioning tracks that stay true to the unmistakably emotional flow that so electrified Chi-town’s seminal sound. On “Manray,” Bauman cuts his 4/4 beats with sweeping trance melodies reminiscent of leading mid-’90s Euro labels like FNAC, while “Chicago Toronto” leans easily into classic house grooves, touched with the purr of male vocals. A stirring rework of clubland’s finest dancefloor hours.
Lowfish 1000 Corrections Per Second
Only a person with an active self-editing mechanism could have produced this album title. And indeed, Canadian Gregory De Rocher seems to have eliminated most of pop’s errors on this deceptively simple paean to electro/synth pop á la Human League. Tracks hover around four minutes and sport basic melodies that quickly worm into the mind, making it easy to overlook the subtle details of production that make this album much more than nostalgic pap. Lowfish scores high, providing understated enjoyment while reveling in machine warmth.
Various Artists Djinji Brown Presents Uncle Junior’s Fish Fry
If you’re looking for a microscopic inspection of one narrow genre, head elsewhere. If you’re seeking to expand your mind along the lines of hip-hop, soul, Afro-beat and broken, step inside the Fish Fry. Producer Djinji Brown brings his experience working with the likes of Tribe Called Quest and his upbringing with ethno-jazz sax player Marion Brown as a father to bear on a house party-style jam that drops Afronaught’s massive “Transcend Me” alongside DJ Spinna, Peven Everett, and the super-funk of Brass Construction’s “Movin.”
