For anyone interested, a review...
Electric Ladyland "Electric Soul for Rebels" (Force Inc./Mille Plateaux MP 019)
Alec Empire : Kick Some Soul Pt1 / Zulutronic : Drop A Lot / 4E : 91 Killer
Kerosene : Please Harder / G 104 : Bassphemic Village / Alec Empire : Kick Some
Soul Pt2 / Ian Pooley : Dancehall Killer / Mouse on Mars : Schlecktron (Double
Mix) / Zulutronic : Hong Kong Phui / Gas : Maschine / Hanin : The Outback /
Himadri : Disconnect Dissect / Abe Duque : You
A mixed bag to my ears: several uninteresting tracks, several interesting ones,
not much to really get excited about. All the tracks possess some funk, but to
o many of them sound sterile or repetitive. The problem is not the reliance on
a "machine-made" aesthetic -- Max404 showed that soulful hip-hop could be made
with minimal sampling (check "Quiddity[last visit]") -- but just the plodding a
rrangements and the lack of tasty noises.
Alec Empire, 4E, Gas contribute interesting stuff. The Hanin track is my fave,
I think. The Pharma stuff (G-104, Zulutronic) is disappointing -- I just found
it sort of cheesy and not very interesting at all.
And of course, the obligatory "anyone heard/have opinions about these?"
"The Exciting World of Octagon Man" (J Saul Kane)
Velocette - "Clockworks" EP
thanks, and happy turkey day, for those celebrating it.