Nick Fort? of Kranky’s Christmas Decorations makes his debut on Schematic with a recycling project of sorts, in which he subjects a number of his early computer music experiments to a radical bit of slice ‘n’ dice. The results are a mixed bag. The EP begins with a fairly straightforward and enjoyable song, a lurching bit of chopped-up funk called “Green Language,” but subsequent tracks seem to lose cohesion, splintering and disintegrating into confusion. Apparently, Fort? took inspiration in spirit and structure from ’80s punk like Wire and the Minutemen, but it’s those groups’ inexorable momentum and tight structure that are in short supply here. There are lots of fascinating sounds and textures to be sure; yet somehow it rarely comes together.
Various Out Patients 3
London-based drum & bass and future jazz stalwart Hospital Records unleashes a stellar take on futuristic rhythm-twisting with a high-gloss finish. Assembled by label manager Chris Goss, Out Patients 3 moves unabashedly from frantic, Latin-touched broken beat (on Ultrasound’s killer “Latin “) to dark, eerie beats-and-bass workouts (Chris Finguz & Siobhan Gallagher’s “Why Do We Do?”) and cerebral head-nodders (Infekto’s “My Groove”) without batting an eyelash. Keep an ear out for a few killer remixes along the way-High Contrast’s dancefloor anthem “Return of Forever” gets a bright, tropical sheen from Swell Sessions, and Stateless’s treatment of London Elektricity’s floor-filler “Wishing Well” turns the track into a fractured, dubbed-out tune with glimpses of vocals and crisp drum patterns working their way to the top. Absolutely essential listening for those searching for the future of drum & bass.
The Blue Series Continuum The Goodandevil Sessions
The delightfully eclectic Thirsty Ear team brings us another round of jazz-inflected electronic grooves, this time via the Blue Series Continuum, an ever-changing group of musicians (aided by a producer and turntablist) capable of locking into a groove and riding it out with verve and flair. On The GoodandEvil SessionsRob Geary, BSC serve up stuttered beats, trickling piano lines (from top ivory tickler Matthew Shipp) and discordant brass, all of which intertwine into head-nodding and toe-tapping goodness. Worth checking out, especially for those with a penchant for freewheeling jazz goodness.
Globalista Import-Export
For ears accustomed to steady beats and English-language tunes, listening to sounds from places like Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia can be at times enlightening and sometimes confusing. Globalista aims to bring global sounds together in accessible, photography-splashed packages, and it succeeds-to an extent. The majority of the tunes on here-party-ready sounds from popular African group Poisson D’Avril, Chilean band P?nico and the surprisingly bling-bling Turkish pop-hop of Erkekler Y?z?nden-are intriguing listens, but the vast array here is a bit too far-flung to cohere. Still, the incredible energy of the songs on this disc is nothing if not inspiring.
DJ Heather Dancefloor Principles
Chicago house fixture DJ Heather is arguably one of the city’s top commodities-and for good reason. Her blend of hard-hitting, bass-heavy house fills dancefloors the world over, and she retains an uncompromising underground feeling that conjures up images of dark, humid loft parties. Dancefloor Principles neatly captures her live sets (without the sweat and stale beer, of course), pouring the liquid funk and dark, dubby soul of producers like J.T. Donaldson, Lawnchair Generals and East Coast Boogiemen through the home- or car stereo speakers without missing a beat.
Dissplay Manipulation EP
In his Dissplay guise, Ludovic Llorca makes no bones about his contempt for the President of the United States. On this tune’s breakdown, Llorca re-edits Bush’s infamous March pre-war speeches in a less-than-US-friendly way. As for the music-it’s superb, one of the best things from Llorca in a long while. It all depends on your political standpoint.
Gregory Shiff Puzzle
Gregory Shiff, New York City’s master of all things tech and house, sheds his Sal Paradise moniker for this three-track workout on the Matter:/Form imprint. Aimee Weaver provides vocals over Shiff’s hypnotic house beats and shimmering chords on both main side mixes, while Matter:/Form’s own Francis Harris steps in for a tougher peak-time mix on the flip. Another solid release from this growing label.
Luke Sardello The Newberry Chronicles EP
Why Sardello didn’t release this on his own Icon Recordings imprint is a mystery. Still, the fellows at Soundproof must have been over the moon when they heard his four tracks of dark, tripped-out, stripped-down house. The pick of the bunch is “Somebody Said,” with its sloping bass, aquatic bleeps and acidic keys. Excellent stuff from the Dallas posse.
Various Fat! Is 5
Paul Arnold’s weekly Chew The Fat event in Brixton’s Bug Bar is one of the UK’s original breakbeat institutions. Anyone who’s anyone in the British breaks scene has passed through its famously cavernous interior at some point. This anniversary selection tastefully sidesteps being an obvious collection of anthems, and instead concentrates on the more eclectic, funky vibe that Fat! is known for. Solid acts like The Apollo Kids, Peacemaker, Hedrock Valley Beats, Jef Dam and Vandalz Inc provide the expected peaks and troughs, creating an honest and generally infectious profile of the club.
Various Prima Norsk 2
There is a general perception that the Norwegians make electronic music that’s reserved and polite. True as that may be at times, this selection of tasty little nuggets from Beatservice shows that there can be an edgier side to the Scandinavian sound. DJ Nils Noa steers us through cuts by Gork (“Sun Sets In Sector 5”), Bermuda Triangle (“Mooger Fooger”), veteran Bjorn Torkse (“Opp I Ura”), Kahuun (“Marinade”) and many others, ensuring that for every innocuous, well-behaved tune, there are plenty of willfully leftfield vibes and fluid, spacey beat noir. “
