Sixtoo leaps into the unheard with a deliciously informed piece of work ranging from tortured torch songs to instrumental hip-hop. Stylistically, there’s no starting point except for a deeply abiding appreciation of sound in all its recorded forms that shines through on every track. The aforementioned instrumentals are alternatively stunningly agile (“Baroque”) or gorgeously complex, while on the other end of the spectrum, the post-folk “A to Zero” centers on a deceptively simple guitar sample that shimmers with chill-out optimism. Like Saul Williams, Sixtoo is able to conjure up not only images, but also atmosphere-by at least the second listen you’re firmly entrenched in this visionary’s vision, with no need for an exit sign. Enjoy.
VU (Variable Unit) Handbook for the Apocalypse: A Hitch-hiker’s Guide Through the Conflict
Like a bling-bling-and-bullets album dedicated to God, many artists are currently as ideologically slippery as a Humvee climbing the banks of the Euphrates. VU are not those artists. These are times to feel passionately about politics, and VU is here to give voice to everything you’ve been feeling, but have been told by nightly polls that it’s impolite to say. Full of samples of demonstrators, visions of a humorously stark future, right-wing talking-heads and news broadcasts underscored by the mysterious Chief of Espionage on Rhodes organ, this is more than simple posturing. “I Was On A Journey To My Soul But The Police Just Pulled Me Over,” a spoken word piece by Paul S. Flores, sums up the feeling of simmering anger spilling out of our cities right now. Handbook is a powerful throwback to an era when rap and spoken word mattered-when voices refused to be silenced or censored.
Various Artists Fixinthemixes Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
Mysterious white labels featuring tracks that will create havoc on the dancefloor. Volume 1 comprises the long lost vocal version of the sadly missed Armando’s acid monster, “Land of Confusion,” a version of Saunderson’s mix of Wee Papa Girls, and an Aphex mix of Gerald. Volume 2 brings tunes by Front 242, Ron Hardy favorites Liaison Dangereuse, LA electro legend Unknown DJ (remixed by Basic Channel) and Vanity 6. Bootleg bizness, but essential in any DJ’s crate. Find, and soon.
Codec & Flexor Tubed
On their first long player, Cologne duo Codec & Flexor lay out their MO: to mash bombastic rockisms and a snarling punk attitude with house and techno rhythms and textures. For all the criticism that the current penchant for all things electro welcomes, its detractors fail to see that many electronic and dance music fans are simply tired of the glut of current music infused with faux Afro-Latin and ’70s jazz influences. This is Tubed synopsized: nasty, on tracks like “The Candy Cancer,” “Beat Me,” and “Don’t Judge Me” they perfectly fuse the cocky cock rock of Judas Priest-whose logo they have shamelessly ripped off-with the heavy techno feel that swept through Europe in the early-’90s. Love it or hate it, dancey rock is here and it’ll spawn a thousand variants. Codec & Flexor’s is just one, but it’s a damned fun one.
Pressure Drop Food of Love
Reissues from Pressure Drop’s early days find them comfortably nestled in a British downtempo party vibe that combines all things dub, house, trip-hop and friendly vocals, inna vintage Massive Attack/Groove Armade realm. “You’re Mine” thumps four to the floor along anthemic female vocals, while tribal drum & bass skits across big, cheesy samples of “Big Noise” on the tune of the same name. The eccentric, rootsy vibe of “Legacy” gets morphed into downbeat dub by Manasseh and future funk by Paul Daley, and “Unify’s” lush hyperactivity is transformed into warped broken funk by Maddslinky, all featured on the second remix CD. The originals groove blissfully with a lite uplift, while the remixes gently torque the flow-everything swelters pleasantly.
DJ Soulslinger Ecosystem: The Brazilian Joint
Soulslinger’s most recent project-saving the Amazon forests via drum & bass-results both in a valiant cause and a compelling fusion of Brazilian melodies and drum-heavy jungle rhythms. His ever-aggressive style avoids most of the current trends of lite drum ‘n’ bossa, yet still gives tribute to Brazilian flavor through a seamless mix of vocal tracks, with the exception of another effective reworking of his “Ethiopia” anthem. Though a tribute to the rainforest, this mix belongs on the beach-bright, sunny and body-moving.
Krazy Knockout
Krazy scores a victory over Knockout with a melodic whistle and tricky break, leaving Knockout cold and chaotic. Knockout indeed scorches the sonics with a shrill electric burst backed by busy handclaps and hi-toms, thereby getting the most balanced treatment by Mr. Vegas’s squeaky-clean crooning on It’s “Raining” and TOK
Natcha Atlas Something Dangerous
Atlas has been floating around the world beat and electronic music scenes for a hot minute or two. Over the years, she’s had a lot to do with the spread of the diasporan dub sound as the featured singer in Transglobal Underground, on her own solo work, and in collaborations with everyone from Jah Wobble to Jean-Michel Jarre. She’s a superstar in the Arab world, France and in parts of Europe, but how would Atlas-she of the lotus-like voice-handle a cover version of James Brown’s “Man’s World”? By putting her own spin on it, thank you very much. Mixing Jamaican and American inflections with Moroccan melodies, or layering Middle-Eastern cadences over classical orchestra movements, Something Dangerous, Atlas’s fifth solo album, is all over the map (which should be expected by now). It is also, for the most part, very good, even if it has more vocals in English than any previous Atlas album. But then, Natacha’s pipes would sound impressive in any language.
Angela Johnson They Don’t Know
At some point, people are gonna realize the neo-soul thing is not just all hype. There’s something real happening. Quite possibly, that moment might come soon after hearing They Don’t Know, which neatly fills the space between hip-hop, R&B, jazz and downtempo. The multi-talented Johnson raises obvious comparisons to Peven Everett. Like Everett, she produces, arranges and plays keys, in addition to singing. Johnson’s sound is fairly contemporary-DJ Spinna produces a track. Still, at times, an ol’ school juke-joint feel creeps into the mix, especially on the N’Awlins-y blues romp “Cryin’ Over U.” Johnson’s voice is strident without being overpowering, while her affinity for deeply soulful grooves and subtle musical nuances makes listening to this album the second or 20th time just as good as the first.
Pete Miser Radio Free Brooklyn
How’s this for a recommendation? Once, yours truly kicked it at Pete Miser’s crib back when he lived in Portland, Oregon. Not only is he a seriously dope graphic artist and certified Krylon fiend, but he fronted legendary Port-town outfit Five Fingers of Funk, lacing their lysergic grooves with his own old-school-influenced MC rhymes. Mr. Miser now dwells in Brooklyn, and from the sounds of things, he’s been up to some new tricks. Radio Free Brooklyn is exactly what we should be hearing more of from NYC hip-hop-Miser has a genuine love of the artform, and it shows in the beats, which revel in MC EZ/Special Ed-esque stupid freshness. As he explains, “not a has-been yet but I ain’t no rookie neither/got an offbeat style to make you dance or have a seizure.” Miser can get serious too: the title track details life in the shadow of 9/11’s Ground Zero, “Ho-Made” addresses bigotry, and “Got That” stresses the value of friendship over materialism. At times, Miser’s breakbeat funk is reminiscent of Tommy Guererro and Gadget, but that’s OK-Miser skates, too.
