Download PDF - Xlr8r

Jason frank rothenberg
reviewS
102
ALBUMS
concocts a seemingly preordained experiment: slide guitar and broken beats, blurping basslines and
Morgan’s shamanistic tambourine all surround the ghostly incantations of a truly unique voice. Not
always successful, but at its finest moments–such as “Power”–truly transcendent. Justin Hopper
SizzLA
SoUL Deep
Greensleeves/UK/CD
Increasingly quirky and unpredictable, half the fun of listening to a new Sizzla album is hearing what
he’s gonna do next. By now, we’re all familiar with his Bobo dread steez, so it’s expected that he’s
gonna drop some conscious lyrics, positive messages and otherwise honor-rebel sentiments. But
while some ragga deejays never vary their flow, Sizzla switches his tone, cadence and pitch constantly,
making what could have been a claustrophobic listening experience–Donovan Bennett’s riddims tend
toward the minimal–into something else entirely. Sizzla’s yelps, squeals and falsetto trills keep things
interesting, and “Good Morning” and “Mount Zion” can safely be added to the Kalonji catalogue of
classics. Eric K. Arnold
the Society
eLectronic Bionic
Freestyle/UK/CD
Too many future jazz albums depend on electronic gimmickry to pull off their sound. But what makes
Electronic Bionic so much better is the sense that the people behind the tracks are accomplished
musicians with an ear for getting past labels and limits. “Human Nature,” for example, has both
vocals chock full of soul as well as swelling synths, “High Jive” features jazz sax against crackling
sounds, and “Keep Your Head Up” sounds as if Kosheen had been bred on Philly soul. Plenty of acts
never put out an album this good, much less a debut. Luciana Lopez
BLAcK Dice
BroKen eAr recorD
Astralwerks/US/CD
If going major usually signals curtains on an artist’s creative
era, hats off to Black Dice, who’ve gone pop, as it were, with
aplomb. Broken Ear Record is, to these ears, their most realized
and (gasp!) beautiful album. Album-opener “Snarly You” and its
lazy drum machine concoction notwithstanding, there is hypnotic
ecstasy to be found here in the fuzz-and-lock groove of “Smiling
Off” and especially the gorgeous loping guitar rays of “Heavy
Manners.” It’s in the contrast of light and dark, of hypnosis and
chaos, where one finds Black Dice’s meta-gold. It’s the oblivion
and lift off that makes this a near-perfect record, broken ear or
not. Alexis Georgopoulos
black Dice
SoLU MUSic
AffirMAtion
Solu Music/US/CD
Giving deep house a healthy dose of fresh, soul-driven innovation, NYC’s Dano Nathanson and
Howie Caspe slide their debut album over to us like a beautifully garnished cocktail. Kai Martin’s
silken vocals caress the album’s perfectly balanced instrumental flow, weaving effortlessly
between the funk-fueled bumpery of “Can’t Help Myself” and “Just Don’t Know” to the beautiful,
melancholy depths of “It Ain’t Love” and “Blvd.” The superb keys, thoughtful lyrics and percussive
zest found on Affirmation get upgraded even further with Dano’s wide-ranging guitar presence,
adding tremendously to the album’s live energy. Seductive and smooth, Affirmation goes right to
your head. Doug Morton
peter toSh
tALKinG revoLUtion
Pressure Sounds/UK/CD
Does the world really need another live Peter Tosh album? Yes, rasta. Talking Revolution distills the
original Wailer’s fiery essence into one crucial package and two discs (one electric, one acoustic),
spotlighting not only Tosh’s talent but also his penchant for outspoken controversy. The speech he
gives in the middle of a rousing 12-minute romp “Burial” is as jaw-dropping a listen today as it was
in 1978, and from the opening “Igziabier” to the closing medley of “Legalise It/Get Up Stand Up”
(both of which appear unplugged and separately on disc two), there’s literally never a dull moment.
The band’s on fire and so is Tosh, who uses the occasion (the One Love World Peace concert) as his
own personal pulpit to demand equal rights and justice for all. Eric K. Arnold
eriK trUffAz
SALoUA
Blue Note/US/CD
You can’t help but make the Bitches Brew comparison–the ethereal-rock temperament of “Salou”
and “Ghost Drummer” invoke Miles in a not-so-silent way. Yet French trumpeter Erik Truffaz gets
very quiet, quizzically so. Saloua is filled with interlocking influences, from dub rock tributes to
serene soliloquies to Tunisian devotional chants by the mighty Mounir Troudi, whose Arabic plays
gracefully off Swiss rapper Nya’s insightful punctuation. After a few spins you realize you don’t
know where Saloua begins or ends. The goal is the journey, and for globetrotting Truffaz it is further
testament to a catalog destined to be as classic as his sonic ancestry. Derek Beres
tUrBULence
i BeLieve
M/NETH/CD
This notorious natty MC/singer with a lyrical lisp not only delivers fire but also cools the tension as
well, with a dose of cultural love songs added to this 12-tracker. Production-wise, only two joints use
revived vintage Studio One rocksteady riddims–Skylarking on the song “Mama Don’t Cry” and Queen
of the Minstrel on the tune “Sweet And Pretty”; the rest of the production (by former Xterminator
crewmen and Roots Radics bandmates Steven Stanley and Paul Danny) is luxurious. What Turbulence
lacks is any difference from his other rasta brethren’s subject matter, but he still penetrates his points
with relentless repetition. Turbulence is a rising talent. Believe that. Cokni O’Dire
SUSUMU yoKotA
SyMBoL
Lo/UK/CD
It’s admirable for Susumu Yokota to want to incorporate classical works into modern electronic
music contexts. Symbol represents the veteran techno/ambient producer’s gung-ho attempt to lend
some rhythmic heft to time-tested gorgeous melodies by Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Ravel, Cage, Debussy,
Beethoven and many more deceased biggies. While some pieces seem ill-fitting and saccharine,
the bulk of Symbol achieves a sublime fusion of incongruous elements, especially when fluid, Steve
Reichian marimbas and samples of Meredith Monk’s haunting chants intertwine with grandiose
violins or urgent pianos. Symbol reveals Yokota’s stunning arranging skills–and slyly educates
neophytes about classical music’s splendors. Dave Segal
Kevin yoSt
fUtUre fLAShBAcK
i! Records/US/CD
Veteran house producer Kevin Yost has all but abandoned his prior dance music history. Future
Flashback finds Yost freely exploring his lifelong obsession with jazz melodies: the result sounds like
an airier, electronic version of Kyoto Jazz Massive, bubbling with tinkling piano notes and light jazz
riffs with house beats floating only like friendly specters amidst Yost’s dreamy atmospheres. With
its unmistakable lounge vibes, Future Flashback sounds like something that belongs on Germany’s
Compost imprint (particularly “Free,” “Take Me Back” and “Welcome Home”) requiring both a
relaxed ‘tude and chilled cocktail in hand for proper appreciation. Janet Tzou