For those familiar only with Poirier’s minimal techno releases on 12k and intr_version, this Montreal native’s latest release will provide more than its share of surprises. While the pristine production and spacious, dubbed-out feel of his earlier releases is once again in full-force, Beats As Politics throws a spotlight on Poirier’s considerable talent for elegantly fractured hip-hop. Featuring the intricate rhymes of such MCs as Diverse and the Francophone rapper Seba, the record is political in its lyrical content, samples and beats. Like a more languid DJ/rupture or Mutamassik, Poirier infuses his tracks with North African melodies and instrumentation for a headnoddingly hypnotic spin.
JEL Greenball II
Oakland abstract hip-hop crew Anticon’s secret weapon is the Chicago-born producer Jel, a master of the SP1200 sampler and widely regarded as a wizard of hip-hop production. The follow up to 2002’s Mush release Greenball is Greenball II: Proud Parent of a US Marine, a self-released limited edition CD. Raw instrumental beats fresh out of the SP are layered with strange Marine Corps training dialogue. The outcome is like a homemade sonic collage, messy and unorganized, but also touching and brilliant at times. Included is Jel’s sublime remix of DJ Krush’s “Zen Approach,” a treat for Jel fans and anyone interested in the future of instrumental hip-hop.
Pete Rock Underground Hip-hop Soul Classics
Don’t let the convoluted title fool you-this double LP is the real deal. As part of BBE’s new Lost and Found Series, Underground Hip-Hop Soul Classics consists of two never-before-released and long-sought-after albums by INI and Deda, two projects produced by seminal beat maestro Pete Rock in the mid-to-late-’90s. INI (Rob-O and Grap Luva) and Deda-both known for verses on various Pete Rock and CL Smooth joints-come with flavorful rhymes over Rock’s classic warm, soulful beats. For classic hip-hop enthusiasts this is a fabulous mini-time warp back to the year 1994.
Various The Blue Series Sampler: The Shape Of Jazz To Come
Musical purists take note: if your idea of what constitutes jazz ends with the work of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, stop reading now. This collection is an unconventional one, to say the least. Violins, samplers and even (gasp!) turntables are all tangentially linked under the hierarchy of jazz, with new-school acts like pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist David S. Ware sharing equal space with Def Jux MC El-P and Anti-pop Consortium. Skronks, scratches and squiggles of noise abound; this is hardly the cool jazz of Blue Note’s peak, but something more closely aligned with the cosmic chaos of Sun Ra’s Saturn Records imprint.
DJ Rap Touching Bass
This double CD features Rap’s signature drum & bass blends, but also switches gears for a foray into nu-skool breaks. While breaks may be new territory for Rap, the track selection consists mainly of worn anthems from yesteryear. To Rap’s credit, she selects solid tracks that would have stood out if the CD had been released a year ago. The drum & bass disc features more of her original productions, where ripping basslines and crunchy Amen tracks intertwine with uplifting rollers. Touching Bass doesn’t break any new ground, but true to its name, the low-end never dwindles.
Koma abd Bones Shutterspeed
After a few half-hearted attempts at living up to their reputation as the UK’s favorite breakbeat remixers, we are treated to the experimental side of Koma and Bones on their second full-length release. Most tracks are danceable experiments within the traditional nu-skool framework, featuring K&B’s trademark melancholic undertones and the punchy bass and snares. Without the pressure of entertaining the dancefloor, the duo are free to create tracks like “Flip Flop” and “Pusherman,” and experiment with old school electro beats that display the versatility of these talented producers.
Various Ep2
This is the second EP culled from Noah Pred’s Pacific Technics comp, which benefits Amnesty International. Mateo Murphy of Turbo opens things up with a track that resounds in deep chord in a minimal spirit, after which Marky Star takes you to the dancefloor with grinding basslines and sharp synth stabs. Pred himself brings a dancefloor monster, which I’ve personally bumped from coast to coast. All and all, pure dancefloor brilliance on both sides for a great cause. Support!!
Coordinates Tuning Fields
Another highly impressive release from Canada’s Coordinates, one of the masterminds behind the Repair project. Expect lush, groovy, Herbert-styled house vibes with a thick, chunky dub element. “Tuning Fields” offers mellow strings and deep, lush chords, with metallic dubby brilliance over the top. A record of pure groove to move you. Essential!
Hidden Variable Polarities
Chicago-based Hidden Variable has manufactured a release of pure class with seductive vocals and a melody that keeps you whistling as you listen. “Rain” has to be one of this year’s best techno releases, and will forever be on my top ten.
Plej Electronic Music From the Swedish Leftcoast
Built on its bedrock of solid basslines, Plej (pronounced “play”) builds jazz-house skyscrapers that hover playfully over the hard techno that has defined Sweden for a decade or so. Part of the Gothenburg (“Gonkyburg”) scene, Arvid and Erik Niklasson perfectly complement the likes of Hollow Recordings, Swell Session and Dot label refugee Jonas Quant. In fact, it is Quant’s quirky influence that makes for especially strong cuts like “Jabo’s Night Out,” where electro archetypes lunge forward. At times Plej flits a bit too close to the vocal-house sun, but otherwise successfully reaches the right heights. “
