Hi - haven't posted to the list for a long time but thought it was about time for some reviews. There's a bit of a West London/breakbeat/jazz slant to these, but I know a lot of you are into this sound so here goes...
Domu - Message To Omar (Archive) Deep and futuristic breakbeat from Reinforced's Sonar Circle man. Following his breathtaking 12" on 2000 Black last year, and preceding a 12" for Total Science's Skindeep imprint, this is a three-tracker of dark electronic jazz with superior arrangement and awesome programming. The title track is the strongest, with a smokey hip-hop vibe. Nubian Mindz - New World Chaos (Archive) The debut album from Colin Lindo, who (along with what seems like most of Archive's artists) also records drum & bass for Reinforced as Alpha Omega. Anyone who's heard any of the previous Nubian output will know what to expect - a Detroit-flavoured fusion of electro, techno, drum & bass and funk with crisp programmed breaks, atmospheric strings and plenty of dark jungle fx. The tracks on offer range from UR-style string-led electro-techno to percussive hardcore. Check. Pariss Clemons - Black Mary (2000 Black) Something of a departure from most of the previous 2000 Black output, this is simply a beatiful downbeat song with a stripped-down acoustic arrangement. Timeless feel-good late-night soul music. Nice. Pavek Kostiuk & Guests - Brand New Day (2000 Black) Back on the future jazz tip, this is Dego and friends with another strong vocal tune. Vanessa Freeman, on singing duties, drives the track with tons of feeling, and Dego's hybrid electronic/acoustic breaks & rhodes backing complements it perfectly. Murky Waters - Check Yourself (Main Squeeze) IG Culture and co with an unusual and very musical track. The usual IG combination of awesome percussion and sweet live playing works its usual magic. Can't decide which mix I prefer, but the original vocal is getting the most rotation right now. Jessica Lauren - The Name of Fela Will Always Stand For Freedom (People) Lovely 10" that's been around for a few weeks. Driven by a deceptively simple acoustic piano hook which for some some reason reminds me of Brubeck's 'Take Five', this is something of an Afrobeat tribute from this talented keyboard player. Also look out for her work with Mustang on various projects. Tony Allen vs Son of Scientist - The Drum (Comet) IG Culture again transforms this African percussion workout into a fresher than fresh dancefloor killer, weaving percussion influences from all over the world and locking everything down into a serious head-nodder. Absolutely superb playing and arrangement - heavy fresh funk. Nahawa Doumbia - Fatien [IG Culture remix] (Frikyiwa) Yet again IG delivers the goods with the sort of music that makes me want to give up. Delicate keys are offset with fantastic African percussion and restrained 'ethnic' vocals. A late-night smoker's record that would also rock in the right setting. Plutonia - Forever (Visions) Alex 'Mustang' Attias and 4 Hero's Dego collaborate with awesome results. Hectic breaks, Detroit-style synths, smooth strings and heavenly vocals, underpinned by a powerful bassline. Sweet. Heath Brunner - Senses (KMS) Classy Detroit techno with that warm analogue feel. 'Senses' is a subtly building, pacy track with Mad Mike-style chords and tight 808s powering it along. Tough but soulful, like all the best stuff. Detroit Escalator Company - PF096 / PF099 (Peacefrog) Two doublepacks which I managed to score on test pressing a few weeks ago due to a serendipitous bit of timing in Atlas. First up is a double 10" of brand new material, second is a double LP which is essentially a repress of the long-deleted 'Soundtrack 313' album on Ferox. If you've heard Olliviera's work before you'll know what to expect - impossibly beautiful, melodic electronica. Quality. Cheers, Tom
