I got a lot of interesting replies to my Kompakt queries, coinciding with
the Jonas Bering CD arriving in the post this morning. I'm really enjoying
it. Really swampy mix, but with strong housey rhythms. I do enjoy the
absolutely insane quality of production of most of the Chain Reaction
camp, but there's something more "earthy" and downright crusty about
Kompakt releases that I really enjoy.
I also got the Dubstar 12", which I'd been meaning to pick up for a while.
I love the really long track (I think it's the A side), as well as the
second on the flip, which is pretty good going!
Here are some comments on other stuff I've got recently, most of which was
released in 99.
Novisad (Tom)
Don't know why I held off on this one for so long. Lo-fi tonal muttering
comparable to a dirtier Neina or maybe Aphex's 'SAW II'. Really nice, if
not quite what I feel like listening to at the mo. I hate that. :-)
'Mr Shakir's Beat Store' - Anthony Shakir (Klang Electronic)
Holy wickedness, Batman! Very individual stuff that could (mainly) be
described as electro. The thin and pitched up drum sounds (not to mention
sampled jazz bits) remind me of Morgan Geist but there aren't those big
housey chords and electro leads. Instead there's some nice funk samples and
the usual stuff Shake pulls out in downbeat moments. I'm loving it, anyway.
'The Users and the Gadgets' (Gadgets)
Fairly patchy, in that some of it's pretty unexceptional and basic, but
some cool techno. I most liked the least dance floor moments, such as the
intro and outro and the Corrado Izzo track 'Edita (Dark Blue Mix)'. If
anyone has any recommends of other Corrado Izzo material, I'd love to check
out some more. The tracks with Bernd Maus were as good as I'd hoped they
would, be as well, both the Izzo + Maus collabs (as Gadgets) and the track
as Innervision. Dubby 808-based techno.
Nick Rapaccioli / Agent Cooper split 12" (Vertical Form)
I was really unnerved by this when I first heard it. The first track on
each side is a perfect rip of a Maurizio tune and a Various Artists tune,
respectively. I'm a little disappointed in the Rapaccioli side, as the 2nd
tune doesn't grab me either, unlike the non-dancefloor tracks on the first
Vertical Form 12 did. Still, I actually really like the Agent Cooper stuff,
while still being unsure as to whether he just out and out sampled one of
the Various Artists 12s on Chain Reaction or not. There're a couple of lock
grooves, and then one more track, which is actually my fave. It's got a
similar feel to Various Artists again, but I think it stands up much better
on its own. Nice unsteady echoes and swept synth parts.
'Christmas Special' (Tom)
The more recent 'For Friends' comp, I found this really uneven, and there
was nothing in particular that grabbed me about any of it. It's OK, but
I've been listening to enough new stuff recently that I've left this alone.
'I Don't Either' - Beige (Leaf)
As cool as I'd hoped, but not what I was expecting stylistically. When
people talked about this being "housey" I wasn't ready for the "you'll
never follow this one!" syncopation of some of the rhythms. Rhythmically
some of it reminds me of Nonplace Urban Field circa 'Golden Star', and the
drum sounds are often quite like that. It also reminds me of Dot stuff, in
that mutant funk vein, so I was unsurprised to see thank yous to both Bernt
Friedman and Doctor Kosmos on the sleeve. The house bits come in in the
form of chords, in the swing, and in the funk and jazz samples popping up
against obviously synthetic drum sounds. 'The Great Krautrock Swindle' is
up there on my list of cool song titles, too, and the samples sound
appropriate. Actual connection between title and track.. whatever next?? ;-)
Hope some of that is of interest,
Michael
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Involve Records
http://involve.co.nz
Jet Jaguar MP3s
http://mp3.com/jetjag/
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