Records

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COMPILATIONS ROUND_UP I’W' rtzit"'i‘,_ €:'l€?’t_l(3ll(i Taiw-nr‘ ska. ()lll‘}(1()l(l This is even more of a round the world affair than usual, so have your air miles at the ready as we guide you through the best (and worst) of the ‘V for Various’ section.

It’s not far, first of all, to sunny Huddersfield and Watch the Skies (Relyte O. ), a barmy flavour-of-the- M label collection of “‘ acoustic songwriting, Moody boys Jon Creamer and Stephane K fagrcifigr‘afiol detuned garage ii... em, ... mayhem and industrial hardcore (often within the same song). Admittedly, a couple of tunes are pretty good, but do you really want to wade through pish to find them?

Then a bit further afield, to Canada with Tyler Stadius‘ Fabric 06 (Fabric 0.. ), Italy with Harvey and Muscle‘s Deep House in the Mix 03 (Clubstar GOO ) and the good ol‘ US of A with Jon Creamer and Stephane K (Bedrock COO ). The North American contingent provide proper hard-house jollies with nary a lyric or time change between them, .00 l is a classic of the genre. hackneyed. while Harley & Muscle is a far mellower, style-bar-soundtracking affair. hook-laden and utterly ephemeral. These days. Functional but fun, the lot of ‘em. R88 is the new sliced bread. and London

Given that China is the most densely-populated country in the world, ;l’ '. m: unit“ foursome One82 have dope-addled toff Prince you would have hoped they could produce some better music. Just take c such :: William ior was that the other one? Damn this Asian ll (Inca O. ) a double CD pack of fairly rank easy listening house i; .: -.-' ‘gi:;~":if'r;r~. short-term memory loss . . .i as a fan. so they that’s most notable for sounding like Blade Runner‘s backing music. f" t“-': <‘ {Eel-h must be good. Unfortunately. their debut.

Before we return home, though, a quick stopover in New York City for 5v: 7'." v'; f'i-r- {mind's 'Smooth Little Thug' (Playtime I. l is Big Bad Boogaloo (Harmless .00. ) representing the city’s Latin scene. i: " It) (“'Yiftf; "‘. indentikit pop swmg with all the SOUl of a Fast and infectious, it’s like northern soul with tighter strides and is so .i "w . l inkiigie int; lapsed cleric. good that a trolley-dash round duty free couldn‘t beat it. (David Pollock) ..: Si tax >f '3‘.£iI(tli(‘f§ A far superior collaboration comes from

techno deity Timo Maas. making his bid for

'~ ",:~ ' .i‘l"'.'§i,‘; {i't’l the mainstream With Kelis, who warhles fairing} Ti; 53"“,- " “*5 "i V. i' :w t "- '1 w '-' : ,' ' 1" "ii: _ (I34: 1:3,, -:.-"’.7 lOlChIngly over the brilliant ‘Help Me' (Perfecto ‘f"-’: g.-:;-;i' tier nit : ' :' " i 4* . :-~ ' ' giisxi'. inc 0... l. The single sleeve features a cute kid ‘.'.as gasket: 1’, my: '."-': '. r: " i '- z :-' w 'i . TH: "*..:;::f and a retro joystick. What more ceiild you .{il‘(..’;.;;'.';.i'. f'", " 1' r :;":' 'Tl ‘~r-::;‘i want? a _If)l“)lf;tl‘ 'r‘;:"a:i-’:<i ; .' i- ' v ' :' :~ ' ' z' t l: -' 1"” ,.;i"‘ Well. not inexplicably lauded youngster f;"’,‘£il:f;t.‘£‘:'.-.’:’l 7".-f: : " . ' -~ .. -. r H: '7 -‘ [2". “.m' ,Vni’fl :>f Martin Grech, for starters. ‘Open Heart Zoo' {:"fr'tll. c7 :, «;.'-:: 2' :~ z '7 ~- " i "w " .i" z: poi; lfi' ilnterscope O )is a dull and pompous air," my: 1% :2‘.'_.i\i ’,,l'. v, ‘-' .v: ' ' -' ' :H i r' w t i-‘i'. "m: l"<:-'»:t-'s record that sounds hit like Radiohead and a lot

i. f; -'.-."T.<‘-'taining; lait 'aii‘i-i .'.':;'l\ll‘:{tl‘.lll<(f. '.'.'!lll TM,- tL'iia ’llfllfileilt)l‘:£ll l:f‘l“1'.’t.'“.l1"'ESlxittlkilit} S:";:‘ :1 fair '-:,-f<:.'<3h<;rr ,Si i itadi‘, ’i'i-nsumi .'.'l‘it<,- 'Y en a'tr first; 1:» ha'adc i‘t<-"‘:;<;i‘.-::-s hcfoi'e the l‘lil,-i<,. f’w."c i)<:‘.ft:i off i :11. w: a‘.~r:-'ad<: ska

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In a few short years we could be looking back with rosy nostalgia at the days when pop- trance bestrode the pop charts like a buxom, tacky colossus. Vincent Stormfield‘s cover of the Beloved's ‘Sweet Harmony' (lndependiente

. . . . . l v "x ' ‘.'.’r-<:.i-:~,-v like shite. The success of Feeder is equally : ' il‘ ' ,; " ' :- .- -v ' 1‘; we" ("Jerplexing I mean, I’m SOl’W about their ., ,. . - n . r .v - - w -' ~ ' - \v v .iw, v i drummer and all. but tragedy won't turn

.;:,-» : " .- v- : : . : ' :' i 7‘ in. uninspired crap into sparkling genius. and l‘-f7{ Eli f i : v »- .- '- »- suit:- -' '3; (Lemur! ti'tll “Come Back Around' (Universal .0 ) is " 5:” .- '. " w. ,1 :. 2" '- '1 -- t --’ l\"1;t"."(?(:f tyiincally \‘-/Oi'kinaiilike. ' ' ' ' l iii, il>tti’.t\ Fortunately. when the geing gets tough. the

: v .iv : -- . -." ' ,:;'w,- atrium: Weegie indie-bod community get gOIng.

u: : ', : .' 1 1' \fii'ms. Catcher's ‘Europa Europa' (Blue Nile O... ) . , ,, - ts'PU'N'GE] . 'l-‘i.ii;-, i2: iii-fl is an ai.)i.)ealing paen to one of Jupiter‘s

SO Far . . . '. ' . moons. ‘-"“/llll€‘ Ally Kerr scores With the fey.

.; I , i i i . I ... " -- i. u: will regretful ‘Midst of the Storm EP' (Elefant .'}::.:°m-A-, 5-1,. .;‘,'- ' E-‘- ""..\;;~,i*-::':: O... i.

The Story

w: 'i . ' . : , i .- ii. lfrl mi... ai‘1: ln COIllpEll'lSOll, the first few bars of ‘Little By l t l,‘ , ': . ~ " i , . 5:" '2. Little'iBig Brother. .0000) sound huger i {ll '7 l 2 l I ' - ' ' it was: deflating. hut persevere and it turns out to be a . i ' i z ' r . i i i m. l V sensational lighter-waving rock classic. Want if z ,i‘: . . ’g H _ _ _ SOlllCllllng less epic? Check out the flipside.

i v ' i , l I:‘ I y . where the rather touching 'She is Love‘ nestles ' «o i. z, .1, SYLVIA RAE AVENGER like a small fluffy owl. That'll be Single of the r 1'. , . . Close Enough Deep Red Fortnight for Oasrs. then. (James Smart)

.. .,( (Hip. ... '. C... ,i ' :T' w 23,. ' i ' '_l '."’-.,-. l“ ""Zl'l'175": ll:>iii:t:s trial llt? Iii-(1 can punctuated by l)rlllllll\'0

"_ 'l ' .' ' ' " E-‘iiivtti-v AKA think 'l‘. ‘.'.i;ii:-s<7vi><:-'i. fi\.’lllt stabs that sound

' y / r: , /.\‘.i"‘.ilt:'. T'l-L" ligixtei l‘as l?(‘tll(}tl a straight out of a John Kw: rumor: '1 «- 'r:t' -’-' " ' l'l ," 2' WW" :' :1- i :timii‘ lwiv: twat lifelong ;o\.<‘: of lllt)‘.lf?t§ (Iai'penter flick. Deer)

, f I) i 'l w .; i- ,- ;' , I r ;; ,v ; gm umiw ':§;'(:'i- 'l][(‘, Hm, his illeit Him is an action packed ‘x,",u';i"i‘I/,:,:: : 1. " - ' ,-, 'ugizgnig'ias alliuin. affair. Muchinoie than ‘i' i' i, ,' z" w '- . " :' 1' : i: . V'.‘i' l'v-r'in? .ini" 'l x? Klt‘lxlltl :‘ff '.'.‘llt ll‘t' hieakheat. there's funk.

'.'-’:',6;-’:;i', . v, .' : ' 2' ". ' l-Ii- i'li“"(l|l‘tl .till‘tffufllwllt‘ell-(POE; punk.electioand Eur. -- :3: .~ v. w '- 'iwmi'wiagv ‘(jlltl stunning/{ng technoandenoughdaik " “fl/t"; v', 'y: :1 . :' : "- :w" ' : :' 2" -- l'-l .;t" 'i."-.;i "til swarmitiai‘k ii'ii’l atinospheritts to scare ', 4‘ MM i ‘,«. . l 2' :.;: . ' ' 4 :w : " ~ ~ ti"-'- ,iki-u it L‘tll'lll'itllilitl mil! se'tur the hiéieesiis out of \‘OU. li'.’ " ' i' -' z i' ' .' '.~ : -- l'.l. t/\"‘ liqi'”:i).iyt: i>i,95;.i~.i;(‘:lirt‘f'ii '(Ialltmi'tt?Bi'dlnlm’l

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