At the risk of sounding like a hater, I have to admit to an insidious feeling of dread when I pick up new independent hip-hop albums. Maybe it’s the fact that all the really jiggy club shit is just killing it these days (thanks Pharrell!). Or, maybe I’m just getting soft. For real, I’ve been listening to so much Snoop and Freeway, I totally slept on The Saturday Night Agenda. Producer Soul Supreme comes correct with some staight-up rap shit. Revolutionary this isn’t, but it’s fucking great to hear cats like AG, Pete Rock, OC and Big Daddy Kane sharing the mic with up-and-comers over some of that ol’ Brooklyn, head-nod style production.
Various Artists Sunset Nights
Jazz has managed to surreptitiously infiltrate the dancefloor with stunning results. Thanks to the likes of Kruder & Dorfmeister, Trüby Trio, Attica Blues, et al, it has permeated genres as disparate as deep house, broken beat and drum & bass. Sunset Nights attempts to introduce the listener to a cerebral selection of sublime jazz with a club-friendly mantel. With nary a hint of snobbery, this gorgeously crafted selection includes contributions from the likes of LTJ Bukem, Jazzanova, Bazoo Bajou and Tony Allen.
Mateo & Matos Enter Our World
This enigmatic duo has done some notable work in their time, including the now classic “New York Style,” which still mashes up deep house and tech-house dance floors some five years later. Instead of proffering pastiches of Afrobeat rhythms, they take the sound that so heavily influences them and injects a New York-centric vibe, which makes for some heady dance-floor fodder. Enter Our World is no exception. Sure, it has a little bit of fat that could be trimmed here and there, but overall, it’s a seismic, rump-shaking collection of top-notch funkiness.
Vikter Duplaix Morena (RMX)
This is the best song from the International Affairs album that Mr. Duplaix, international man of leisure, has so elegantly crafted. “Morena” pays homage to the sunkissed, carmel angles that bless the earth. The combinations of rhythms, textures and Vik’s vocal stylings makes this the WMC song. This’ll warm up those winter nights, brighten up those gloomy days, and make your ass shake. Great one, Vik.
Common Star69
Hot sex on a platter is the appropriate term for this sensual excursion. Common and Prince take you deep inside the psyche of seduction. Beats for your ass and a Rosario Dawson intro…wow…
ObaFunke Bush Workout (The Locksmith, The Bullfighter and the Stenographer Mix)
Comrade ObaFunke releases the critically acclaimed song from the debut LP. “Bush Workout” in its original form is an 18-minute Afrotech workout of future voodoo. This mix, however, takes us on a journey into sonic wonderland. Remixed by Jacksonville’s Kilroy and Rilners, this epic has turned into a movie soundtrack. Breaking the song into 3 parts of musical mahem for headphone fanatics……fans of Bjork and Stereolab will love it !!!
808 State Outpost Transmission
Where does techno go after it’s been framed and hung in a gallery? As with their last release (1996’s Don Solaris), Manchester’s modern masters lay it on thick, this time with a fresh palette. There are a few familiar notes and devices, such as employing multiple guest vocalists like Simian, Elbow and Alabama 3, all of whom produce great results. But it’s drastic shape-shifts and an increased intensity that mark 808’s return. The tone of “Soulflex,” for example, glides effortlessly between martyr and menace. Can a Vatican commission be far behind?
Various Artists Blueprint 3
Gathering tracks from some of the most ultra-reliable labels on the globe at the moment (Ubiquity, 20:20, Guidance, Mantis) Slip n Slide Blue’s latest outline of deep house and broken beats is as delightful as ever. Mixed by Aloha Pussycat Steve Jones, there’s precious little here that won’t enchant you. While the likes of Silicone Soul’s remix of Random Factor and Q-Burn’s “This Time” are serene floaty stuff, the later stages throw up a few quirkier gems like Annie’s “Greatest Dub” and Wordless People’s squeaking exclusive “Sunrise.” True house with a special twist!
Goldfrapp Black Cherry
While once we loved Alison Goldfrapp for her hypnotic ethereal lullabies, now we admire for her ascendance into a fiery queen of squelchy disco. Owing less to the upsurge of electroclash than to Goldfrapp’s exorcism of the demons she kept within for her more mellower debut, Black Cherry is a more brutal album. While her soothing tones still crop up from time to time, the production here is far more direct and aggressive. An album made to make you sit up rather than start your slouching, this is the sound of Goldfrapp warning you to be on your toes-who knows what lies next?
Mikrob My Love
This Sao Paulo production duo have already dropped some bombs for Samboloco and Phuturo, and they continue their run for the Media label. The title’s bright synth melodies and conga-soaked beat warms things up for the summer, while the slightly mellower b-side cuts touch up the same kind of intensity with some subtly jazzy/organic touches, including piano chords and soulful vocals. Tight.
