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1 12 THE LIST "'
ELECTRONICAHIP HOP/SOUL COMPILATION CONSTERNA‘I’ION
Dance music is supposed to be forward thinking. Indeed. it‘s the only musical genre that can still get away with using ‘progressive‘ as a classification without people laughing (much). Which means means tibercorp Ministry Of Sound's new compilation. Old Skool (Ministry Of Sound COCO ) should be castigated for it's commercial-minded exploitation of the nostalgia felt by twitching acrd casualties for dance music circa 1989. Shame their compilation is so fucking good. Kicking off with the stabbing synths and hyperspeeded crooning of N-Trance's ‘Set You Free‘ before raising its hands to the monumental bassline of Candi Statton's ‘You Sure Do'. you realise that the tracks on display are all this cool and wonder where all the good drugs have gone. Also holding a torch for the old skool is fat and bearded producer
Arthur Baker Break/n "
Arthur Baker. whose Breakin' (Perfecto COO. ) does what it says on the tin. Baker's own mixes take centre stage. whether twisting Fleetwood Mac's ‘Big Love‘ into a certified Balearic classic Or wrestling with Timo Maas on the terrifying breakbeat-techno hybrid of ‘Der Schnieber (AB Rock The Bass Mix)‘. Sadly. he also gives label boss Oakenfold the chance to supply his pissy Swordfish Mix of Africa Bambataa's ‘Planet Rock'. which IS depressing until yOu realise the originals on the other CD. Bo!
24/7 (Decca Dance 0000 ) follows the hip hop theme with a three disc set that eschews remixes for the original 12" versions of the Sugarhill Gang. Grandmaster Flash. KRS-ONE. Dre. Warren G. A Tribe Called Quest and Roots Manuva. IneVIIably. with such a range of tracks the whole thing can seem a little bitty. but with less-celebrated gems like Aim's funked-up ‘Underground Crownholders' also on offer. this one's a (wait for it!) rapper's delight.
The artists featured on Totally Wired Series Two Volume Two (Acid Jazz 000 should be listened to in a dimly lit and totally bohemian jazz den while smoking smelly cigarettes. but like most funky gobbledegook. Total/y Wired is also ideal for doing the washing up to.
London Club Fabric start their series of releases with Craig Richards’ fabric 01 (Fabrici p 000
Artur: e’s alright
) probably think their records
). a tasty mix
of deep house and breakbeat that features Bushwacka and Jamie Anderson among others. and couples fluid grooves with nice parpy noises. No such larks from rising breakbeat man J Majik whose firm jaw and shaved bonce on the cover of 7 Live #5 (Seven 00.. ) says that he takes drum & bass SERIOUSLY. God knows somebody's got to these days. and Majik's collection is solid as fuck. vibey enough to dance to. but clever enough to wing in sOulful samples and Bukem-esque Synth breaks. Bootiful. (James Smart)
ROCK 'N' ROLL THE HIVES
Your New Favourite Band (Poptones) 0000
Hey everyone! I've found the new White Stripes. who are the new Strokes! Me. me. me! Okay. music press hype needs the piss ripped Out of it. but The Hives are a fine band nonethe ess. Hailing from bonkers Sweden. this savage five-piece look like The Kinks and sound like the MOS. with a skipload of punked-up. garagey attitude. shouty shouting and seriously fucked up guitars. All of which is. frankly. a masswe hoot. Tracks like ‘Untutored Youth' and 'Automatic Schniuck' (ya gotta luv it) are awesome riff madness. and while twelve tracks over just 28-minutes might not sound like value. it damn well is in this case. (DOug Johnstonel
ROCK
IAN BROWN Music Of The Spheres (Polydori 0...
There is a certain breed of jerson out there for whom Ian Brown — bereft of the fret-wanking skills of John Squire -— is an antiquated. dope-addled irrelevance. it's unlikely. though. that the Garage Flower himself gives a toss about therr opinion of this. his third solo album
and the first that honestly deserves to stand alongSide his best work with The Stone Roses. Laid back enough to fall Over. but oozing the usual benevolent cockiness. songs like recent single ‘FEAR' and the heart- warming electro-lullaby ‘Northern Lights' (imagine Neil Young buying skins at an all-night garage in Warrington) prove that real talent doesn‘t die. it just gets someone else to play the instruments. (David Pollock)
ROCKPOP STARSAILOR
Love Is Here (Chrysalis) 000
New York City slackers may excite us. but its polished and professional anthems that keep a world of Travis fans turning. While partners in hype and retro tendencies The Strokes get sexy. Starsailor craft heartfelt ballads — acoustic guitars aloft and falsetto at the ready. Love Is Here simply strains with emotional overload. from addiction sing-along. ‘Alcoholic'. and through the guitar haze of 'Lullaby‘. Only the majestic stomp of 'Good SOuls' brings fire and ambition to what is ultimately a drab and downbeat release. Quiet may have been the new loud. but when it comes
to spine-tingling new sounds. comfort just can't topple cool. (Camilla Pia)
HIP HOP
ASHERU AND BLUE BLACK Soon Come
(Seven Heads) 00..
While jazz and hip hop have clearly a lot in common — the origins. the improvising and the collaborating — it doesn't always follow that jazz
and hip-hop sound good together. Stuff by Guru's Jazzmatazz or Blue Notes U83 always sounded too clean. too style-bar cool. Unspoken Heard posse members Asheru and Blue Black have appropriated jazz in a manner which doesn't dilute the urban potency of hip hop. Whether it's the minimalist piano stabs on ‘Live At Home' or the Grant Green-style licks of ‘Elevator Music'. jazz is merely a place to pillage hooks and a model of how to collaborate. What puts Soon Come beyond the Similarly-textured work of
Dilated Peoples or Souls Of Mischief is the brilliant stOry-telling of tracks like ‘Theme Music' and the wicked humour throughout.
(Tim Abrahams)
ELECTRONICA DAFT PUNK Alive! (Virgin) COO.
‘Mewww- mewmewmewmewww- mewmewmewmewww- mewmewmewmewxwv'. From the first time those acidic. cat-like souelches Of 'Da Funk' (it is. try it) were pumped Out of Club speakers it felt like that if it wasn't for the fact that we COuIdn't spell their names. Daft Punk could have happily taken over the world. They didn't quite manage that but have managed to carve a most peCuliar niche for themselves as robot disco loons.
Back in 1997. when the robot thing was a mere silicone fantasy. Daft Punk played live club sets of the chunkiest. funkiest. jacking-est house beats yOu'd find this side of Marshall Jefferson's kitchenette. Captured on this 45-minute disc is the weight. groove and comedy of Daft Punk live. but sadly none of the adrenaline. sweat and tears. An incomplete but gorgeOus thing.
(Mark Robertson)