Archives for septembre, 2009
JIMI TENOR & TONY ALLEN « Inspiration Evolution Vol.04″ (STRUT)
Strut’s Inspiration Information series moves on from the critically acclaimed Mulatu Astatke / The Heliocentrics collaboration with the fourth album in the series, a mouth-watering head to head between Finnish maverick Jimi Tenor and Afrobeat drumming legend, Tony Allen.
Jimi Tenor remains a fascinating enigma in modern day music. Consistently one of the best and most unpredictable live artists around, his work since his breakthrough album ‘Intervision’ (Warp, 1997) has involved open-minded projects ranging from live film soundtracks and orchestral pieces to a series of Afro-based albums with his band Kabu Kabu. Tony Allen continues to attract new fans as one of the greatest drummers alive today. Celebrated as the creator of the Afrobeat rhythm and a lynchpin of Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 band, his recent work has included The Good, The Bad & The Queen collaboration with Damon Albarn and his first album for World Circuit Records released earlier this year, ‘Secret Agent’.
Recorded at Lovelite Studios in Berlin during November 2008 with further sessions this year in Finland and Paris, the Tenor / Allen collaboration whips up a raw, heavy analogue sound mixing the full range of Allen’s Afrobeat repertoire with Tenor’s off-kilter brew of dark humour, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and tight, firing musicianship. The sessions involved key members of Tenor’s Kabu Kabu band and Berlin-based guest MC Allonymous with tracks evolving from jamming ideas together over five intense days of recording, fuelled by plenty of African food and whisky. Tenor’s trademark range of home-made instruments rub shoulders with vintage keyboards and traditional African percussion.
The resulting set is one of the best recordings that both artists have produced in recent years. Tracks range from Jimi’s S&M tableau, ‘Darker Side of Night’ to apocalyptic commentary on our times, ‘Path To Wisdom’ and the hilarious lampooning of the UK immigration system, ‘Mama England’, composed on the Tenor tour bus. The album also features fusions based around traditional Afrobeat structures (‘Sinuhe’, ‘Got My Egusi’) and ends with the extended freestyle builder, ‘Three Continents’, a life affirming, mesmeric groove built around another belting Allenko rhythm base.
Topical, biting, funny and always funky, experimental but never straying from ‘the one’, this is another high quality addition to the Inspiration Information series, a ‘no rules’ set that brings the best out of both artists.
Westpark Unit – More Forever
(Farside records)
A
More Forever
Jam Hot Street
AA
Familiar Sequence
45
Digital Only: Forever Revisited
Westpark Unit (aka Herb LF & Ingo Sänger) are back with their annual release on
Farside Records after some work for Labels like Dessous, Tjumy, Future Classic or
Fear Of Flying. This time, they provide 4 brandnew trax for the Vinyl edition, plus a very
special digital-only classic tune.
“More Forever” might be familiar to a few people that followed the music of Westpark
Unit over the years. The tune is a special rework of their first ever limited 12inch release
“Forever” back in 2002 on Draft Recordings. “More Forever” took some of the original
deep harmonies, keeps parts of the piano loop and the beautiful sampled hook and
should be a soulful bomb on the 2009 floors.
By the way, the remastered and little modified original version is additionally available as
digital-only track (“Forever Revisited”).
Even deeper “45” grows and grows with a very intensely chord, takes you on a trip with
its driving bassline and is the other dubby deep house tune here. The first demo version
received some nice feedback/chartings/plays from DJs like Dplay, Matt Flores or Shur-IKan.
While speaking of house (not house), “Jam Hot” and “Familiar Sequence” are
musically caught somewhere in between the styles. “Jam Hot” might be more funk than
house with sexy 104 bpm, is bouncing like hell and keeps the crowd shaking and
moving. “Familiar Sequence” appeals to the disco fanatics out there, has a little of a
balearic vibe and is also keeping things slow.
Both tunes are the perfect startup into the night. We think this is the right tempo for party
anyway.
With the new album, Filewile have made the transition from dubby laptop duo to a dub driven band. Along the way, Filewile integrated the raw power of their live performances into their production methods. They now thoroughly cherish the imperfections of analogue instrumentation, tape machine and the iconic Space Echo. At the same time the human voice has moved centerstage in the Filewile sound – being used and abused as a musical instrument all over the album.
Filewile have fully integrated their former guest singer Joy Frempong and session bassist Mago Flueck, to explore the possibilities of the « human element » as a positive influence to the total control previously exerted by Dustbowl (Andreas Ryser) and Dejot (Daniel Jakob) through their machines. Joy Frempong’s love of experimental lyrics and song heightens the sparkling vibe Filewile exude with every chord. In her lyrics, Joy Frempong cunningly moves between childish nonsense and the abyss of human existence. Two tracks on the album see the return of Brooklyn born rhyme artist RQM to the Filewile fold. RQM further enhances the album’s genre bending quality and the impossibility to pin the sound to any particular country.
In parts Blueskywell flirts with mainstream radio appeal by weaving catchy harmonies and moving beats into something resembling Pop music – only to break into Dance music, Rock fragments or experimental Jazz antics in time to stop the listener from drifting off into a cloud of comfort.
« Blueskywell » is an album worthy of the term: rather than being a compilation of one band’s tracks, it is a congruent whole, – an exciting excursion into a world of Music. A world full of bass and multi facetted vocalizing, switching from Jiggy Breaks to Ambient Electronics to Rootsy Reggae and Funky Jazz while dabbling with the freakish, psychadelic and experimental‚ without succumbing to the outright weird. Filewile remain a dance act, but they disguise it well.
« Blueskywell » is Filewile’s second album after « Nassau Massage » (MWR/OUR Distribution 2007)
-> Release date: 30.10.2009 <-
Tracklist:
1 Sombrero Or Die 3:48
2 Number One Kid 3:39
3 Kick The Spacedrum 3:26
4 Radiotower 3:32
5 Bug 3:56 6 Blueskywell 4:20
7 Robibot 3:14
8 One Space Town 6:51
9 The Cave 3:02
10 King Of The World 3:49
11 Iron Lady 5:03 (feat. RQM)
12 Balaton Soupdrink 4:53
13 Swahee Swahoo 4:29
14 Codeine 5:47 (feat. RQM)
Before dropping their new long player, Filewile bless us with a gem of an EP: The Number One Kid mixes take you on a ride through soul caressing Bass music, twisted Hip Hop and straight out partying. The new Filewile sound is clearly inspirational – rarely have four producers made so muchout of the one and same tune! Vinyl 12” contains Download Code.
A1 Original
Picture one of them pimped up 70’s cars bouncing down the hot inner city street, seemingly pushed along on nothing but the bass pounding from it’s speakers. The tune blastin’ is Number One Kid and the kids one the streets are all out shaking, breakin’ and poppin’ to the dubbed out Hip Hop Soul Sound that is Filewile. One tune this! It won’t leave once its in your head and you probably won’t mind.
A2 Robot Koch Remix
People! – Take your time to listen to this handclapping Electro Space Breaker and let it lift you up on a bass and carry you off into the early hours. This is awfully deep and soulful music – put it on rewind and never sleep again. Beautiful.
A3 Algorythm & Blues Remix
One heavy twisted Hip Hop Electronica Version of Number One Kid by Mexican Producer Alvaro Ruiz who recently smashed it accross Europe and the States with his « Cute Ass Algorithm » release on Mouthwatering Records. Shake a leg and bounce to this!
B1 Ramax Remix
Deep funky Garage House with an Acid twist – bound to move any floor. The city of Bern is waking up to a new wave of homegrown class A house producers – Ramax is one of them. The superb production quality and the incredible drive in this tune makes you wanna freak out on the dancefloor right here, right now. Tune!
B2 Mercury Remix
One for the late hours. Darkish Techno House with a wicked tension build on a rather classic break with a killer return half way. Rave material – certain DJ’s couldn’t wait to give this a spin!
The 2nd release by Switzerland based Talen. The NEW YORK BOOK continues where the 1st Release (KINGSTON BOOK) broke off. Four more compelling tales feat. ODDATEEE and SENSATIONAL with remixes by BIT-TUNER and AL HACA. The Vinyl 12″ contains a Download Code.
A1 THE MORNING RUSH – AN ODDATEEE TALE (ORIGINAL VERSION)
A dream beat for any MC. In THE MORNING RUSH, ODDATEEE (protégé of Dälek) gives vent to his feelings about the adversities of life. His very personal interpretation of a fat underground track. TALEN meets New York City at it’s best!
A2 THE MORNING RUSH – AN ODDATEEE TALE ( BIT–TUNER REMIX)
There are good reasons why BIT-TUNER is no longer a well-kept secret in the business. The versatile « beat-tinkerer » from Switzerland keeps bringing forth loads of fine material, and here he delivers a display of his signature sound and a visionary remix of THE MORNING RUSH: dark and funny at the same time, or rather « sweet and sour »?
B1 TRACK THIS – A SENSATIONAL TALE (ORIGINAL VERSION)
Few manage to use their voice with an aura of reluctant cool as does this MC from New York. Many records with Spectre or Wordsound have proven again and again that SENSATIONAL still feels at home in the musical underground. But in that realm, he is the king. Dirty rhymes and dirty disco. So track this!
B2 TRACK THIS – A SENSATIONAL TALE ( AL HACA VERSION)
The remix of TRACK THIS was authored by AL HACA. Their version is so carefully and affectionately reduced to the bare minimum, as if to remind us that sometimes less is indeed more. Or at least not less than more. Warm bass and an incredibly smooth sound!
http://www.mouthwateringrecords.com
Kingston Book is Talen’s debut release, feat. SIZZLA und CUTTY RANKS, with remixes by STEREOTYP and MARKUS KIENZL. Talen is 2 DJ’s and 2 Producers based in Winterthur Switzerland.
A1 THE VIBES – A SIZZLA TALE (ORIGINAL VERSION)
A mighty, yet playful, beat. SIZZLA loved what he heard – and Talen loved what he did on the microphone. The song could not be better named than „the vibes ». Rock’n'Roll in a Dancehall costume, or rather vice-versa? Doesn’t matter – as long as the vibe is right.
A2 THE VIBES – A SIZZLA TALE (STEREOTYP VERSION)
Stefan Moerth a.k.a. STEREOTYP, from Vienna, with a great display of his classical production style: using minimal sounds and a dominant beat, he builds „barefoot », the signature sound of his Crunchtime label. So lose the shoes and rush the dancefloor – it’s crunch time, folks!
B1 SNIPER SNIPER – A CUTTY RANKS TALE (ORIGINAL VERSION)
On a superficial level, SNIPER SNIPER is a straight-forward Dubstep track – but on a second plane, it shoots from the hip with a yet unknown type of ammunition. On top of that, there is CUTTY RANKS, with his low voice in perfect harmony with the beat. Like an electro attack from the future, or at least the « weapon of choice » for any soundsystem.
B2 SNIPER SNIPER – A CUTTY RANKS TALE (MARKUS KIENZL REMIX)
MARKUS KIENZL (Sofa Surfers) translates SNIPER SNIPER into his own language of sound and texture, and – as he alway does – easily manages to bridge dub and club. A terrific remix!
Bonus Versions (Digital only):
5. SNIPER SNIPER – A CUTTY RANKS TALE (ALIEN ENTERTAINMENT REMIX)
ALIEN ENTERTAINMENT, the crew from Vienna, is well established in the business, thanks to their Luv Lite Massive venture – and they always wow us with that special dancehall track. Their drum & bass version of SNIPER SNIPER adds a timeless piece of music to the list of TALEN remixes!
6. SNIPER SNIPER – A CUTTY RANKS TALE (DILLON DUG REMIX)
An unbelievably playful variant, done by an yet-undiscovered sound tinkerer and friend of the TALEN boys. What can we say: Real underground stuff!
7. SNIPER SNIPER – A CUTTY RANKS TALE (MARKUS KIENZL BONUS REMIX)
A bonus remix by MARKUS KIENZL (Sofa Surfers). This time around, he equipped SNIPER SNIPER with a Lamborghini motor. Can he handle the speed? … A real stomper!
8. THE VIBES – A SIZZLA TALE (ALTERNATE VERSION)
A bonus TALEN version of THE VIBES: the blend of Rock’n'Roll and Dancehall refined, and then rolled through the mud one more time. Analogue or digital?… Both of them, so fasten your seatbelts!
http://www.mouthwateringrecords.com
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