Re-view:
Friend / HotRod / Dot Records / DOTLP03 / Releasedate: 09.26
Tracks:
A1. Eightball (previously released on "Chromosome For Sale")
A2. Eklekto (previously released on "The Sauna Sessions")
B1. Fetma
B2. Rennaisonance
B3. Kites (Are Nice) (presviously released on "The Sauna Sessions")
C1. Crank
C2. The Sauna Affair (previously released on "The Knights Who Say Dot")
D1. Permacheese
D2. Mr. Tenderbender (previoulsy released on "Chromosome For Sale")
10. Thanks For The Cookies, (prev. rel. on "Chromosome...") [CD-only]
"With a left-wing Fidel Castro attitude
concerning rhythms/production Friend
walks his own path in the narrow jungle
/drumnbass labyrint... A fucking
cannonball" (Dot)
When Friend released his "Chromosome For Sale" 12" on Dot I was overly
impressed with the way that he integrated the "Clearish" electro elements
with a drum n bass beat that really wasn't that different from the
mainstream drum n bass wave going on. However, the result - and this is
what counts, is it not? - was pure brilliance. Tracks like >>Eightball<<
still gets me going, and "Chromosome For Sale" is still one of Dot's best
12" so far (then again there hasn't been any bad ones...:).
On "The Sauna Sessions" (all releases mentioned can be read about @
http://gargamel.com/dot ) he went a bit further and focused more on the
beats, pneumatic n bass wasn't too far off hand. >>Eklekto<< is with it's
wobbly Last Ninja melody without doubt one of his absolutely best tracks
ever. Actually, if I was to compile an album of the best Friend tracks up
to date it probably would look much like "HotRod", >>Mr. Tenderbender<<,
quoted 1 line Eightball<<, >>Eklekto<<, >>Kites Are Nice<< are all top com
>>Eightball<<, >>Eklekto<<, >>Kites Are Nice<< are all top compositions and
worth the price alone (The Friend + Dr. Kosmos tracks doesn't count, do
they?:). However, this is supposed to be a "NEW" Friend album, but more
than half of the tracks are already released. There are 4 new ones and 5
old. It has never happened before but I'm actually a bit disappointed at
Dot, I mean, I wouldn't want to pay albumprice for 4 tracks. And everyone
who are somewhat into this kind of music already owns the earlier 2
releases + the compilation as they are some of the most cutting edge
break/drumnbass stuff around. Anyway, I think Dot could've pressed Friend
for some more new material, or released a new EP with 4 tracks instead.
Ok, to the music...
The a-side starts off with 2 of his best tracks so far (if not THE 2 best
ones), >>Eightball<< and >>Eklekto<<, if you haven't got the earlier
twelves you'll buy the album at this point. With tracks like this Magnus
Åström (Friend) is to be put up with the big boys Photek, Plug,
Squarepusher etc. Break music made for the mind and not for the dancefloor.
Far too few artists realize that to make somewhat interesting drum n bass
this is how the ideas must evolve. I'm dead tired with Goldie, I've had
enough of LTJ Bukem. Jenkinson, Vibert, Parkes and now Åström have proven
to understand this.
The new tracks on this double piece of fat vinyl is clearly more jazzy than
the earlier ones, and some of the tracks bear resemblance to Squarepusher,
but there's still an obvious style build-up. Innovation indeed. >>Crank<<
is a stand-out. The rhythms have transformed into some original mutated
spacemoster and are almost (I said ALMOST:) as mindblowing as the first
time I heard "Feed Me Weird Things".
Of course there's always exceptions... watch out, there are tracks like
quoted 1 line Permacheese<< where I don't know what's gone into our dear Friend,
>>Permacheese<< where I don't know what's gone into our dear Friend,
serious LTJ Bukem warning! Most of the time though it totally blows me away.
I got the album two days ago, and although it doesn't really grip me like
Hab's "maPOd" did, it's still a hell of an album.
Eightball...Eklekto...Crank...Fetma...
It's wonderful.
It IS a fucking cannonball.
Fe.
- sale/wants:
http://gargamel.com/frankie ''' = ) - =-= = '''''''''' -
- plodilism!:
http://gargamel.com/plod -->--> -/ - - - ] '''''''' -
- dot records:
http://gargamel.com/dot '''''' = -.. =-= = '''''''''' -