photek "t. raenon" (op-art) op 1
busy guy photek serves it up smooth and lush on...let me see if i have this
right: de giorgio's new imprint?...trainspotting aside, the a side is well
padded jungle, with little chime noises similar to those found in the
chameleon remix of amazon amenity by link...the b sides are four on the
floor and still maintain that lazy lush vibe. a good chill record with
unimposing beats. nice.
photek "ufo/rings of saturn" (photek) ptk06
reviewed many times over, i just have to testify to the strength of the
introduction on ufo. avoiding the blatant action sample the "right on this
position...straight ahead- wait there it is again..." lets you in on the
creepiness. this record slams with spookiness, and that classic photek
three minute intro sets the mood. supposedly photek will see the us market
soon...
outside "to forgive but not forget/moodswing (aquasky remix)" (dorado) dor049
a rich moody violin provides us with the melody for what dorks in the store
call "ethnic jungle" however imagine a slavic fiddler-on-the-roofesque base
with slick breaks and percussion galore makes for something more powerful
than silly eurocentric description. a good drinking record. dorado seems
to miss my distributor, can someone suggest who distributes this label in
the states? i have one 12" from about three years ago (dor007) and would
like to see what happened in the in between.
peter nice trio "harp of gold/son of david" (hospital)
jazzy jungle from a label i haven't seen around, but i have noticed they
already have some similar sub-label. maybe specimen...(nice die cut sleeves
with medical stickers) this record seems to imply improvisational activity,
but the preprogramming shines through, and while that's not all bad (good
songwriting does account for something) don't expect that newly-touted "true
jazz junglist" playing improv and vibin. it's calculated, but it is good.
blue bommer/black liquid and tomba "blue bommer dub" (nation) nrpromo1
this record is so poorly labeled, credits are indecipherable, so who knows
if the info is accurate. the a is a 138 bpm breakbeatish track with a mad
dub bassline hidden underneath. this is a great record for mid-tempo funky
flanged beats, and with clean production it retains that brithop sound.
entertaining. the b side contains two 122 bpm track that bored the hell out
of me, but then again nation records have always been hit or miss, eh?
alex reece "feel the sunshine (remixes)" (4th and broadway) 12 brw 332
i hated the original of this song. the vocal bugged the hell out of me, and
yet it seems to sell like..., well like goldie. however, kruder and
dorfmeister, dj pulse, and dj krust got a hold of it and made definite
improvements. the k+d has a nice uptempo latinish sergio mendes swing to
it, and with an orchestra of instumentation, leaves this a jazzy headnodder.
little vocal snippits, but i can handle it. dj pulse leaves more of the
vocal intact, so i tend to skip his mix, but i do dig his gated(?) snare
sound. the deep bass of dj krust saves this side, with hectic little sax
blasts and nice electric pianos.
david holmes with sarah cracknell "gone" remixes (go! discs) godx140 godxr142
again, reviewed like a year ago, this promo has been floating around the
offices of those in the know forever. this song has been discussed enough
elsewhere, but i might say this: buy the album "this film's crap let's slash
the seats" and...well let me just say that "gone" sounds like a half-baked
love song from a movie soundtrack. it's got a strong moody hook, but it
needs more. the album certainly shows much finer moments of creativity,
esp. "no man's land" and "slash the seats". anyhoo, lets look into the new
mixes. "first night without charge": (remixed by the two lone swordsman) no
vocals in sight, more creative sounds and knob twiddling. low beat.
weatherall shoots and scores again. way better than the original. "alter
ego decoding gone part 2": (remixed by alter ego) slow, dubby, floaty and
echoic. nice trapset brushwork. everything was going so well until they
decided to drape the vocal awkwardly over their fine instrumental. "the
kruder and dorfmeister session": (remixed by um, kruder and dorfmeister)
more slow stuff with a big beat. welcome the tablas (a nice effect) and
scary guitarish sounds that come at you about halfway though. the vocals
make an apperance, but they are toned down in the mix, making them more
palatable. all in all, the remixes on this 12" improve on the original...
let's check the other 12".
"suburban base remix": (remixed by d'cruze) junglish beats that i can't seem
to get with (all drum and not much bass), and high shimmery synth sounds.
treated vocals, mo betta, but a sax sound that sound that reminds me of the
intro to l.a. law. bluh. "second night without charge": (again by the two
lone swordsmen) uptempo four on the floor that sound nothing like the
original, technotic and echoic, classic weatherall sounds. tops. "pfm
remix": (guess) a rousing drum and bass rendition that works. bass like
crazy and vocal buried in the mix. thick synth lines. a non-irritaing mix.
once again, buy the album and be impressed, but unless you just love two
lone swordsman (as i do) or maybe pfm of k+d, you really don't need this.
self-serving announcement: i will be djing in chicago this weekend, at a
party called chrysalis (info line 312.509.5037) and on northwestern
universities radio wnur 89.3 friday night. email me for more info as i
would like to meet some of the chicago idm crew. thanks.
cameron
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cameron bowden cameron@imagina.com blacksmith on the anvil in your ear
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