Nothing Special is the ideal party record when everyone is either passed out or anxiously waiting for a ride home. Famed plunderphonist Vicki Bennett (People Like Us) collaborates with Kenny G (not the yuppie-jazz legend) in this live performance for Jersey City, NJ’s WFMU. Here, snippets of thrift store kitsch records and easy-listening oldies are scraped into the kitchen sink for cheap laughs. B-boys could mistake this for Kid Koala hitting the decks with a belly full of NyQuil. Bennett and G mainly let the samples speak for themselves, as when a gentleman confesses his homesickness for the vagina.
AGF Westernization Completed
Antye Greie-Fuchs halts midway through this CD to ask you, “Does this fit into theory? Does it mean anything?” Good question. Either Westernization Completed is this electronic poet’s dramatization of her transition from a regimented East German childhood into the fragmented Western world or it’s just AGF whispering postmodern gobbledygook while dicking around on a laptop. Conceptual confusion aside, Westernization… is a glitch-dub masterpiece, where beats and DSP loops deftly imitate brain synapses firing-forgetting and then recalling sudden thoughts. AGF’s husband Vladislav Delay influenced the clean, ear-pricking sound, which is a relief, given the garbage disposal nightmare that was her last album. Now, if only she would spell-check her “glitchy” liner notes.
Gabriel Horrorshow V.I.P.
Southern Cali’s Gabriel debuts with a pair of hair-raising creepers for Loxy & Ink’s X-Factor imprint. “Encounter” on the flipside shakes it up steadily for the early-morning head-nodders, while “Horrorshow V.I.P.” brings on the proper primetime pain. Taking a mental approach to the twisted soundscapes that swirl in the background, Gabriel knocks out tough, hard-hitting beats before the worms come alive, and the bottom-end starts punching and kicking like a beast aching for release. Impressive.
Sniper Mode & MBP Travellers Beyond
Unfolding like a series of visions wrested from the sleeping minds of the mad, the German-based Sniper Mode and his Swiss counterpart MBP deliver an intense and versatile album full of psychedelic electro with hints of techno, downbeat and experimental hovering at the edges. This is dark music, cinematic and digitally clean but with just enough grit to make you fear the uncontrolled energy that lurches about like a beast untethered, especially on “Science & Vision,” “Trip Drop” and “Dead Cities.” As the album begins to wind down, the music becomes dreamy and drugged, drifting into a contradictory downtempo state where beats are slow but the details and atmosphere are overwhelmingly alive. It’s a space definitely worth experiencing.
Aquasky Vs. Masterblaster Stayfresh
Recording under their clever Aquasky vs. Masterblaster moniker, the boys from Bournemouth continue their nu-skool breaks takeover, linking up with Moving Shadow’s newly minted imprint for their second full-length foray into the genre. Firmly set on destroying the dancefloor, the crew keeps things jumping with nasty gems like “Dominatrix,” “Fairlite” and the four-on-the-floor shakedown, “Seville,” which is sure to have the kids going buckwild. While Daddy Freddy and Ragga Twins provide lyrical assistance on the reggae-tinged “War” and “Dem No No We,” the norm is hi-octane, sample-driven funk centered on fat breakbeats and even fatter basslines. It’s best to warn the neighbors before you slot this one in the stereo.
Nautilus Blueberry
Proving it’s still the label to watch, Soundtrax lets you know that the cinematic vibes are in full effect by delivering a pair of 3-D visions sure to catch the attention of all the midnight dreamers. “Blueberry” showcases Nautilus’s exquisite production-it’s a celestial hi-energy number where the love is in the hypnotic details. On the flipside, Klute drops in for a heavy yet playful remix of “Passport,” rolling out the bass bubbles and communicating at an intricately percussive level easily understood by those on the dancefloor.
Tech Itch Soldiers (Feat. Mc Jakes)
Losing your marbles on the dancefloor is what it’s all about, and “The Green” (on this record’s flipside) takes the headstrong approach, punishing the speaker-freakers with sucker-punch gut-shots before the anthemic “Soldiers” zeroes in for the kill. The robotic vocals of MC Jakes provide the perfect complement to Tech Itch’s wall-crushing, head-nodding, chunky-funky beat. It’s an addictive rhythm, and Jakes’s lyrics will have this one stuck in your head for weeks to come. Another ace from the don of dancefloor deconstruction.
Various Artists Basswerk Sessions: Vol. 2
Germany’s Basswerk crew returns with a massive double-pack of world-class beats. Fiercely independent and determined to maintain the original outlaw spirit of drum & bass, the imprint is known for encouraging their artists to experiment with different flavors. That said, don’t expect the results to be too far out-the influences here are subtle, and the impressive tracks stay within the range from liquid funk to dark and hard bangers. Highlights come from artists like the Green Man, Misanthrop, Konrad & Coda, Diz:Play, Cytech and the always surprising Giana Brotherz. A collection definitely worth checking out, especially for those interested in the future of drum & bass.
Various Artists Peppered With Spastic Magic: A Selection Of Remixes By Two Lone Swordsmen
Even if UK pop bands like Texas and Starsailor are aware that their songs have been remixed by Two Lone Swordmen, it’s doubtful they would recognize any semblance of their own work after it’s gone back and forth through their two-man mangle. The same applies to the majority of tracks here-Weatherall and Tenniswood simply sound like no one else. So, essentially, Peppered With Spastic Magic is a compilation of Two Lone Swordsmen (and Rude Solo) material old, new and previously hard to find. It’s certain to please their many fans, and it gets better-this is the first of three volumes.
Dani Siciliano Likes…
Dani Siciliano is unique for a number of reasons-the most contradictory of which is that she was a world-renowned artist long before the release of debut single, “Walk The Line,” earlier this year. She’s Herbert’s muse/musical ally, and has provided vocals on a number of his most popular tracks. Her instantly recognizable voice graces Nottingham house producer Brooks’s records, going against the grain of a flood of personality-free electronic house. Thus, her debut album, Likes…, has been eagerly anticipated, and rightfully so. Be it a Nirvana cover (“Come As You Are”), the aptly titled “Extra Ordinary,” or “Red”-whose oddball hip-hop groove is enough to embarrass Outkast-Dani’s record does not disappoint. “Walk The Line”‘s firm, Jill Scott-style put-downs suggested Siciliano wasn’t a lady to ignore, and Likes… confirms it.
