Amazon.com

In this reimagined version of his 2000 import release, Jet Sounds (released in America as Bossa Per Due), Italian producer-jazzman Nicola Conte has found some impressive help in remixing his lounge-flavored electronica. Taking time out from sipping their cocktails are Thievery Corporation, Koop, and the Finnish collective Nuspirit Helsinki, who perform a deeply sensual, eight-minute version of the title track. Also making notable appearances are Japan's Kyoto Jazz Massive, who kick the beat up more than a notch on their ambient-tinged version of "The In Samba." Elsewhere, Conte himself contributes three new tracks, including the Latin-flavored tinkle jazz of "Love Me 'till Sunday," as well as the sly, soundtracklike "Tema in Hi-Fi." Using its fine cast of musicians and producers to full effect, Revisited explores the more acoustic, less beat-driven underbelly of Conte's songs, finding an elegant, carefree sound for a new generation of hepcats.--Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Play it again Nic.
For those who enjoy jazz with a modern touch, lounge like ambiance and edgy feel, this album is a great add to your collection or a great start for newcomers. If you like the works of Frenchman St Germain, this is a pretty close comparison. Some tunes (like the tremendously swinging "Fuoco Fatuo") will reassure you that jazz is not a brainy world but essence of music: wonderful rhythm, impro tunes, sexy voices, and crazy bass lines, all for the pleasure of feeling alive. It certainly has an European touch in its sophistication but an exciting Latino feel is also present ("In Samba", "Mambo de los Dandies"). It's, let's say, a upbeat latino/lounge version of accessible jazz. Not hard on you ear -au contraire- it has a pleasant variety of sounds and instrumentation on each track: "Arabesque" is accompanied by a loungy almost fatigued and trendy style of voice, "Forma 2000" has a piano/drum loop which serves as a baseline, "Mission in Bombay" does have that Indian influence in its playful flute tones, "New Standards" has a powerful trumpet chorus with swinging rhythms. It's a great balance of classic and modern trends. It's tonic but not too fashionable to sound old too soon. And it applies the basic rules of swing but doesn't smell like refried music. Play it again Nic...

revisting bossa per due was a grrrrreeaat idea!
i know its a corny way to put it but it's true. the first track arabesque is a vocal version this tie performed by micatone. It's got a different beat, a piano, some cool breaks and you recognize it from the vibraphone section. it's got a really good jazz guitar by lisa bassenge and cool drums by kroker. the next song, forma 2001 by les gammas is really good as well. it has jazzy drumming at first but then it sortof gets into a trip hop beat witha good horn section. It does have some flue and i think flutes sound great. then tema in hi fi is by nicola conte and g. petrella. It's got a sortof mystic flute and the bass is awesome. Everything about this one is great. The next song is by nuspirit helsinki who's album i recently picked up. This song has a beat timed in 3/8 so it might sound a bit off at first but it's really good. Bosa per due is by thievery corporation who i highly reccomend (mirror conspiracy and richest man in babylon are 2 to check). It's really cool brush drumming and a thievery corp feel to it. then is fuoco fatuo by koop. I also highly reccomend them. This version has vocals and is more energetic with a piano and horn. the vocals are provided by the great earl zinger. New standards is by Nicola conte and G. Petrella again. I like this one alot. it's got good hand drums and piano. About a minute in it incoroprates a dance beat thats real good. Next is the in samba by kyoto jazz massive. this is my least favorite on the track only because i don't like the synthesizer in the background. Love me 'till sunday by nicola conte is a very good one. It starts off with a catchy piano and vibraphone and the great percussion the. missione a bombay by eddy and dus vs jazzalektro mix is one of my favorites. Like the original, it doesn't follow the same chill out jazzy rhythm but it's a got a really good beat and the drums and bongos match up well. The flute instead of sitar and trumpet sounds really cool. Next is dossier omega by espen horne. It's a really good track. It sounds latin and is overall just a good song with the percussion of sorts and horns. last but not least is mambo de los dandies performed by geraldo Frisina. The sax is cool and the bass sounds really good. all the drumming and percussion is great as well. I highly reccomend this cd to everyone. This is just as good as bossa per due and it defintely deserves a 5 star rating.

Bella Groovey!
I discovered this CD during the summer in Tokyo, where it soon became a major groovey magnet! Everytime I was near an HMV or Tower, I found myself hungry to listen. I think the re-mixes are interesting interpretations on the original material. And though Nicola Conte himself provides the best bits, in my opinion, I highly recomend this compilation. If you're a Conte fan, or a lover of soundtrack/electric boogaloo, you'll enjoy Jet Sounds Revisted. And look for Tour dates coming, I believe, in the Spring.

recomendado
si lo que te gusta es el nuevo jazz,este es tu disco.muy en la onda de jazzanova aunque mas comercial y audible para los nuevos en este estilo.a veces es puro jazz,a veces es oscuro, a veces es muy latino...vamos,para todos los publicos

Solid Re-Mixes, great artists.
It's hit the US. Jet Sounds Revisited. And wow, has Conte been busy! Remixes, remix album and another new album...

Some people probably have heard Nicola Conte through the bad car ads and cheesy boxer shorts commercials. But here, for those "purists", is a bit of a relief as most (not all) of the tracks from Jet Sounds (aka Bossa Per Due)have been given total face lifts - almost un-recognizable to the originals. The format of this remix album is simple - other well-known dj's interpretations of Nicola Conte's tracks on his feature album. The artists involved are quite impressive, and no stranger to the genre: Kyoto Jazz Massive, Koop, Gerardo Frisina, Les Gammas, Nuspirit Helsinki and Thievery Corporation (who released this in the US under their ESL label) as well as two new Conte tracks.

The Verdict? Solid. Each artists brings sort of their trade-mark style and influence into Nicola Conte's works, much like Conte does to others. The only problem I see with this is that some of the charm is lost, and admittedly, some of the bossa which made Jet Sounds so addictive. Forma 2000 was to me an electrifying bossa - downplayed by Les Gammas. Jet Sounds is pure nu-jazz sound, and with the flavor of Nuspirit Helsinki. Fouco Fatuo has the nostalgic fusion jazz like sense that Koop's made popular, and on down the line, you have a remix of The In Samba with the synth and percussion emphasis/sound that we've come to know from Kyoto Jazz Massive (see Calmaria, and remix of Sob O Mar).

I enjoy this CD. It's a good look by very talented artists and DJ's on his work. But what I'd really like is to see a collection of remixes as done by Nicola Conte, sort of like an opposite of this (Like what Jazzanova did with the 1997-200 remix album).

If you were hoping this would be all brand new stuff, you will be disappointed. If you were hoping for the same light, soundtrack bossa, this isn't really what the cd is about. Only two tracks by Conte are new. ANd this doesn't have Break & Bossa's "Moroccon Variations". But you will be happy to know he did release a fantastic release with Rosalia De Souza (Les Hommes/Break & Bossa). Hope this helps + enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hot Shots II continues the Beta Band's play withepileptic beats and creepy melodies as they again rearrange a recordcollection stocked with Pink Floyd, Talk Talk, the Beatles, and thefull Astralwerks catalog. A clipped toy piano inspires a shiver on "AlSharp" while the swirling synth of "Eclipse" recalls Brian Eno'scontribution to the Trainspotting soundtrack (which the BetaBand would have dominated were the movie made two years later). Thealbum's deep-bass sounds and obvious craft are arresting, but attemptsat the band's cleverness or playfulness expose seams that would bestremain hidden. The lyrics of "Eclipse" falter through a satiricalallegory of politics, concluding with "the people with the answers,""the people with the questions," and "the people with the books"sitting down to "smoke a pizza pie." While almost every song containslayers of crackling vinyl, laser, or toy-piano effects, it's only inthe closing hip-hop version of Harry Nilsson's"One" that the sounds neatly meld. Newcomers to the Beta Band shouldstart with The Three E.P.'s, butold fans will find Hot Shots II a better second full-length than1999's self-titled release. --Sarah Sternau ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Beta Band's finest work
A couple of years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the Beta Band's 3 EP's, which was, and still is, quite beyond anything i'd ever heard. Their self-titled full length debut was..well, i don't think disappointing is the word for it; I simply don't know what that album is all about.
But I was always hopeful that the Beta Band could produce a brilliant album, and indeed they have. Hot Shots II is truly an excellent exploration of sounds and original song structures. As soon as I heard 'squares', I just laid back on my coach and thought: Yeps, this is the real deal.
And Hot Shots II just keeps getting better. Whether it's chilling mixture of synthesized and garage-ish drum beats (Human Being, Dragon), or some nice, unexpected emotions (Gone, Life), The Beta Band can't seem to go wrong.
Hot Shots II is the ultimate chill-out album, yet it is too brilliant to be dismissed as background music.
Good job fellaz..

Best Album Of 2001 Without A Doubt
Reading through some of the other reviews, I found myself disagreeing with many who stated that Hot Shots II was a disappointment for them. Granted, it takes time, but once you have broken through the topmost layers to the rainbows of colourful psychadelic sound underneath, it's well worth it.

There seems to be a widely held view that the best tracks are the first and last, namely 'Squares' and 'Eclipse'. These were the two tracks I liked the least! 'Squares' is plodding and sounds too much like I Monster, and 'Eclipse' has its moments but is generally a bad attempt at an epic with a message. It's overlong by far and the lyrics (mostly bad ones) don't fit the melody.

However, all the remaining tracks are superb. The highlights for me were the chorus and guitar burst finale of 'Human Being', the intro and lightning-quick piano interlude of 'Dragon' and the lovely ending to 'Alleged' when a distant acoustic guitar is strummed and the band croon 'Oh, I love you, how does it feel without me?'

Hot Shots II is different to the previous Beta Band material, such as The 3 EPs where they would lay down a catchy melody on acoustic and build it up to a dense, funky beat with bass, piano and percussion. This album is different as there is more structure to the songs and they tend to last for far less time. For example, you wouldn't have heard such a simple song as 'Gone' on anything that went before, as if they're not afraid to be simple. That said, you can tell it's the Beta Band, and not just because of Steve Mason's distinctive chanting vocals. The great choruses are retained, in part at least. It is my opinion that The 3 EPs is better, but this album is almost as good and far outstrips the two or three good songs of their eponymous album. It does take time, but that's part of its charm. Probably the moments most remeniscent of old Beta Band are 'Al Sharp', the twinkly single 'Broke' and 'Quiet', as they all have big shout-along choruses, as do 'Human Being' and 'Dragon'.

Hot Shots II is the most dashingly inventive album of 2001, and the most enjoyable (even outdoing the Avalanches!) for me at least. It was my album of 2001, no mean feat considering new offerings from Radiohead, R.E.M., Super Furry Animals (admittedly all under-par), The Avalanches and The Strokes. If you loved the 3 EPs, I urge you to give this album a go, and another one. It really is fantastic. Go Beta!

The chill-out Beta Band album?
I picked up Hot Shots II shortly after I got ahold of the Beta Band's new album Heroes to Zeros, even though I was already familiar with several of the tracks. As the follow-up up to their much-maligned (even by the band itself) first album, Hot Shots II was generally regarded as a more polished and deliberate effort than its predecessor. While the record is certainly better than most of the trash out there today, I would say that it suffers from two weaknesses in the end. The first is its uneven quality; Squares is perhaps my favorite Beta Band song, but Eclipse is either a satire I don't get or simply a silly song with bad lyrics. The final track, a cover of One is the Loneliest Number, also sounds pretty out of place and probably should have been left off the album entirely. Another potential weakness is the fact that the album seems to find its sonic range early on and sticks with it to the end. Upon first listen, many of the songs sound fairly similar to each other. After a couple more listens you begin to appreciate the depth and subtlety of the music, but the fact remains that most of the tracks are assembled from the same combination of relaxed vocals, looped melodies, and spacy electronic effects. Those looking for more spontaneity and variety may want to check out the Three EPs or Heroes to Zeros first. If you're in the mood for some laid-back music with a touch of electronic psychedelia, though, Hot Shots II is a sure bet.

Superb
I stumbled across the video for "Squares," and after I heard the song, I took a chance and bought the cd. Overall, the cd is nonetheless, great. It's the type of cd you want to relax to, very slow and melodic with a twist of electronic. What can I say, I love it. I also saw Beta band live in Detroit when they were promoting the cd and they put on a fantastic show which made the cd that much more better.

Oh.
Oh. Wow. OK. That's . . . Yeah. Oh, man. Give me a . . . Hang on. It's. Well, you . . . Wow. Yeah. Wow. ... Read more

Album Description

Third album from German band Lesiem who combine Gregorian chants with modern electronic sounds. 'Born out of a male voice choir, whose experience is based on a 50 year tradition, Lesiem soars across the heavens with their own brand of mystic-pop. Combining Gregorian chants with worldbeat loops, guitars & dreamlike voices, Lesiem bring their own unique style of ancient tradition to the modern world.' - Lesiem website. EMI. 2004. ... Read more

Album Description

On this release he teams up with Black Thought & ?uestlove, from The Roots. Additional artists include Zap Mama andN'Dea Davenport. 13 tracks including, 'Danger Of Love','Duck Chase', 'Vision Of Art', 'With Grace' and the bonustrack 'Final Home' (Remix By Mista Sinista). 2001 Red Inkrelease. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Nipon Icon
In a genre otherwise known as "Abstract" hip-hop, the music of "Zen" has more to do with
Fusion-Jazz and psychedelia, than with formulaic Rap. This allows veteran Japanese DJ Krush to explore new territories without creative restraints, proving that Hip-hop is still an ongoing
experiment, a global phenomenon with a 3 decade history. Where the needle scratches and the
beat stomps through the woofers, the vocals of Zap Mama, N'Dea Davenport (Brand New Heavies) and Sunja Lee soar, while rappers Boss the MC and Black Thought (the Roots) apply
rhythm, reason and rhyme. For all is trademark "Krush" sound, Zen manages to surprise and
elevate a whole genre to new grounds.

Pre-millenium Tension!!!
This is one Krush's best albums. Though it's pretty difficult to say that when everyone of his albums has been a pretty solid release. He strikes a nice balance between the collaborations and the solos. Not all collabs are vocal. The inclusion of Japanese drummer Tunde Anyanyemi on "Sonic Traveller" is a nice touch. Song1 is great classic Krush. Returning collaborator Black Thought(Meiso) does a great job as always and this time drummer Questlove gets a turn on his own track respectively. N'Dea Davenport guests. A great collabration with Marie Daulne of Zap Mama has her flexing her Pygmy power with vocal acrobatics on "Danger of Love". The eerie closer preludes 9/11 which eventually informed his following release. Though the album appears to be darkly textured, hope ultimately lies at the core. Conscious music for the turn of the century. Global Hip-Hop for One World!!!

Atmospheric Beats & Hypnotic Minimalism included¿.....
Having immensely enjoyed 1999's largely instrumental "Kakusei" album, Dj Krush must have been listening when I was wondering what his music would sound like with vocal collaborations, as this album (bar 1 or 2 tracks), features vocalists throughout. Krush shows why he's the master of the minimalist ambient Breakbeat, because whether it's 'Jazz' ("With Grace" / with N'Dea Davenport), Ambient Psychedelia ("Duck Chase" / With DJ Disk), Leftfield Hip-Hop ("Vision of Art" / With Company Flow"), or Downbeat Soul/R&B (Danger of Love / With Zap Mama)....it's all so expertly sequenced, arranged & produced, that its feels as if he's always traded in these genres of music, with Krush laying down dense atmospheric breaks that encompass...Moody, brooding, Nocturnal, Chilled grooves, and come together so sublimely, that he's effectively the 'Dj Shadow' of the Ambient Breaks scene.

A dream from Japan
Nippon trip-hop but not only. A real synphonia of music : sweet (Song 1, Sonic Traveler, With Grace) psychedelic (Endless Railway, Paradise Bird Theory) and the rest between the rap, funk, jazz. There is also a bonus track (the total songs are 13 and not 12) probably the less nice.
D.J. Krush made a big risk with a miscellaneus of sounds (infact people could be disoriented by the changes from a track to another) but the final result is perfect.
It's not a Cd to play single track, one you put on you have to finish it, it's like a classic synphonia!
Only with all songs togheter you can undrstand the total CD.
You can love it, dosen't mind with kind of music you are coming from...for sure you will love it..it's so sweet, so dark, so trip, so smart,..........so ZEN

OUTSTANDING
When his previous LP came out, his first under the label of Sony, I was worried about Krush's potential loss of his musical integrity. On the contrary, he made an album so minimal, even his long lasting funs were surprised. I didnt particularly got hooked to this LP but I respected Krush for doing what he really wanted despite the pressure by his new financiers. That was then. NOW?

I think that ZEN is the outcome of him breaking the mold in the previous one. Krush is more mature now and he has made an exceptional album that will satisfy everyone. Hardcore hip hop funs, trip hop nodders, average mom and pap, in-love girls, trendy company CEOs, old time hippies, etc. It is the epitomy of a commercial album but without any of the negative conotations this definition might bring to mind. It incorporates soul, ambient, techno and industrial elements, mixed with the usual Japanese ultra minimalism, all together but also on their own. In Zen you can find maybe the most sentimental instrumental track in many years, a marriage between scattered guitar strings and saxophone, while the 3rd track is soulful trip hop at its best. Listen to the track no 7 and realise that Japanese raping can be as smooth as velvet, on a heavenly piano melody. Relax and enjoy, albums like this one dont come out too often. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Milight is an album vaguely about the future, peppered with commentary on the subject from Krush's collaborators, of which there are many. Producers DJ Cam and Shawn J. Period; rappers Mos Def, Rino, Tragedy, Ken "Duro" Ifill, and Fista Bundy; and vocalists Deborah Anderson and Eri Ohno add their voices and noises to Krush's metronomic beats and free-jazz scratching. The combination works particularly well on his collaborations with Mos Def ("Shinjiro") and Eri Ohno ("Mind Games," a John Lennon cover), but the album is interesting and consistent throughout. On his third album, DJ Krush has finally found a middle ground between his dark and minimal beat structures and the pop sensibilities of commercial hip-hop, losing the virtues of neither. --Matthew Corwine ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great international Hip Hop
DJ Krush's Milight is a wonderful hip hop recording. While there is fantastic MC work done in both English and Japanese, the focus of this album is still those amazing beats. DJ Krush seems to possess a talent in Hip Hop that I don't think I hear out of many DJ's. Not only does he have one great beat, but an arsenal of many. He likes to mix a little jazz in there too. If you like him check out DJ CAM and DJ FOOD, two of my other favorite hip hop DJ's.

DJ Krush kiks
DJ Krush is a personal favorite DJ for me. Too bad you can't realplay one of the best songs on the album Shin-Sekai.(Broken link for me) Very mellow cd with the right beats for every tune.

as good as meiso!
a couple of years now I listen to ambient but when I heard milight for the first time I was sold! It`s such a good album I`d only knew meiso and the debut cd dj krush! if you like dj krush, shadow, vadim spinna I strongly reccomend you to listen to Aim - cold water music you! Greetz.. see you at the krush concert ;o) !

good
this is a good cd!!i was thinkin that it would have more instrumentals then songs with differents artist singing on it, it has 28 tracks on it, and i say that 20 out of the 28 are good, becuz there are alot of things that should not have been in there, but overall it is a very good cd!!!

brilliant
ive got all krushes stuff apart from strictly turnatablised (which of course is always mentioned as his best and cost forty bucks), but of the us releases this is the best, and really the best dj album i know. its very minimal, very spacey (birds tweeting in the background somewhere on some tracks). this is going to sound really pseudy, but i think krush reminds me of those old japanese things like spare brush painting and tea ceremonies and stuff, just placing a few elements perfectly to draw attention to the space around them. not all his stuff is like that (i mean a few beats with very little high or low end with a few bits of scratching back somewhere in the mix), but this and meiso are and they are both great. id give this one the edge: its instrumentals are just that bit more minimal, and also the raps have better hooks. this is the best lp of its sort full stop. just buy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Earlier in the '90s, if the beats were funky, the scratching ferocious, and the rapping mediocre (or nonexistent) you could bet pound notes to crumpets you were listening to U.K. hip-hop. While U.S. hip-hop had gotten s-l-o-w and low (the better to accommodate its increasingly acrobatic wordplay), in Britain rock-the-house values still persisted. So now that fresh beats and turntablism have made a comeback stateside, old-skool Brit revivalists like the Wiseguys (a.k.a. Touche, a.k.a. Theo Keating) suddenly sound of the moment. On The Antidote,his sophomore effort, this wiseguy comes correct with an album that splits the difference between Fatboy Slim and Black Eyed Peas. The first single and second track, "Ooh La La," which accompanied a popular Budweiser commercial in Britain, boasts a chunky beat and a simple, mindless hook, setting the pattern that the rest of the album follows. It's a surefire formula, and Touche does it better than most--though a bit more of the fervid scratching that animates the leadoff track, "Re-introduction," might have made this Antidote even more soothing. --Jeff Salamon ... Read more

Reviews (43)

more like 4 stars but....
I had to give it an extra one to counter some overly poor reviews this disc has gotten. Not sure what the problem is but this is a really good cd. You get the 'hits' 'Ooh La La' and 'Start the Commotion'. You also get 'The Bounce'(which is really funky and deserves to be a minor hit too) and after the first minute and a half, 'Cowboy 78' is another smooth, funky song that incorporates some 'grunts' from those Sergio Leone westerns(now how cool is that?). 'Re-introduction' is also great though a bit on the short side plus you get a handful of good but not great songs with rapping on it(these are decent, but not very distinctive though one incorporates a line from a Depeche Mode song). Only 2 overly long, uneventful, instrumental tracks disappoint. If you like your Big Beat sound with a heavy dose of hip hop flavor(like The Freestylers), then get this. The price is comparable everywhere else so it's safe to buy it here. If you prefer your Big Beat on the more electronic/techno side, preview it first or just get something from Chem.Bros. or Crystal Method instead. I have it though, and am still listening to it(along with Fatboy Slim, Propellerheads, David Holmes, etc). Now, if only some commercial would use a song from Freddy Fresh('Badder Badder Schwing') or Indian Ropeman('Stand Clear'), maybe we can get official U.S. releases for their great U.K. debuts as well.

A good pick up for Big Beat fans
If you like Fatboy Slim, that's big beat. And the Wiseguys follow suit, and that they do it well helps. I was particularly impressed with the tracks 'Ooh, La La' 'Cowboy '78' 'Start the Commotion' and 'Grabbin Hands' which has serious hip hop roots. They manage to combine good production value along with creative sample selection for a good sound. Granted there were a few songs to skip over, but the overall mood of fun the fumes from this effort is overpowering. The track 'We Be The Crew' just taunts you into thinking that you should write your own lyrics and flow right along with the beat. This is a good pick up for any fan of Big Beat, or Hip-Hop for that matter.

Half of one song does not a good album make
It's quite fascinating the power a few well-placed commercials can have on the recognition of a specific musical artists. Techno guru Moby inserted many of the songs off his blockbuster album, "Play", into numerous commercials and, as a result, generated huge buzz, followed by rapid sales. See that model work for Moby, other artists have attempted to do the same. The one conduit that seems to be a forum for these artists is the Mitsubishi car company. At the current time, there may be as many as four or five songs on the airwaves that found their initial introduction to audiences facilitated by Mitsubishi. Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By" is probably the best of the bunch, but the first group to make its splash in these commercials was an eclectic rock/big band group called The Wiseguys. There biggest hit, "Start the Commotion" got its start in a Mitsubishi ad (they also foisted "Ooh La La" upon audiences in a few Sony commercials). "Start the Commotion" is a very catchy tune. It reminds one of the song "Canteloop" done by Us3 about a decade earlier. It mixes rap lyrics with a mixture of jazz, big band, and rock. As catchy as it is, though, it is also way way waaaaaay too long. The sections of the song move by rapidly and, after about two and a half minutes, you're ready for the song to end only to find that it goes one for another three minutes and that remaining three minutes is nothing but rehashes of the bridge and chorus. It's unfortunate that this song creates that emotion, because for the entire album "The Antidote", it's really the only notable song there. "Ooh La La" is ok, but it is still essentially nondescript. Most of the other tracks barely even register when you listen. The quality of the first two and half minutes of "Start the Commotion" is enough to bestow a 2-star rating on this album, but no where near enough to recommend it. As one of the pricier single albums on the market, the listener will be sorely disappointed by buying this album just for that one song and hoping for other tracks to be as good.

I like this one
Great discman music, keeps you movin'! Only the track ooh la la is a little bit too long...

Touché! one of the best grooveébig beat lps of ALL TIME!
WOW! The Wiseguys comeback with yet another a-m-a-z-i-n-g album!! I am speechless on how good it is...sure there was the Budweiser and Mitsubishi commercial tracks, if you even remotely
liked that, the album just gets better and better. FatBoySlim, Propellerheads, Crystal Method, ETC have NOTHING on these guys
...Touché! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Andy Dragazis, a.k.a. Blue States, has finally hit U.S. shores with the domestic release of his debut LP. As one of the rare records that actually overshadows its own hype, Nothing Changes Under the Sun proves itself to be deeper, more diverse, and mind-alteringly greater than even the notoriously hyperbolic English music press claim it is. Plenty of tracks ("The Trainer Shuffle", "Stereo 99", "Spit and Soar") carry the summer bliss vibe to which the album's title alludes, but Dragazis has delivered something far greater than a beach holiday soundtrack. Muscular, jazzy, live-instrument workouts such as "Looking Glass" and "Theme from Within" saunter deep within the estimable realm of a David Holmes or Thievery Corporation. "Diamente" and "Heroes' Elegy" give a slight gild to a page or two of Portishead's book of rainy-day beats. It is "Elios Therepia," however, riding a Roy Rogers-style tune out into the great wide open, that is perhaps the most apt metaphor for the entire record. While most downbeat recordings seem to be about navel-gazing stasis, Nothing Changes Under the Sun is all about travel beyond ordinary borders. Book your ticket for the inner sphere now. --Bob Michaels ... Read more

Reviews (21)

An Amazing CD
This disc is very hard to classify. Judging by some of the other reviews, you wonder if it should be an instrumental, jazz, chill-out or just downtempo/lounge cd. I think if you put all of that together, mix in a healthy filling of electronica and you have Nothing Changes Under the Sun.

I love this CD. It's light and airy, artistic and just a total change of pace from what I was expecting - maybe because I didn't know what to expect. It's heavy instrumentation, and each song sounds like it could have been in a movie soundtrack from - but which time frame? I still haven't figured it out.

If you've listened to Kinobe's Skyscraper, some of the tracks by Blue States' remind me of that style, but are more polished than Kinobe's sound in general IMO. Of course teh most popular song on this CD is "Your Girl", which is fantastic. But Diamente, The Trainer Shuffle, The Golden Touch and Elios Therapia are stunning tracks to me as well.

Definitely Pick this up! IF you're a fan of schema styles, you'd probably like this change of pace. IF you've heard ESL's Modular Systems, you can sample one of Blue State's tracks as well. Enjloy.

favoring mood and vistas over that singles sound
There's some serious buzz hauled on the back of Blue States (Andy Dragazis) and his debut release, which finally sees domestic distribution from ESL Music, label of Thievery Corporation - who know a thing or two about sublime bar grooves.

Chill seekers received a hint of possibility from Dragazis when his oddly disturbing 60's jewel "Your Girl" surfaced on OM Lounge 2, appearing here in a more organic mix. That in fact mirrors the approach of the album, with textured string samples ("The Trainer Shuffle") live percussion ("Diamente") and solid doses of guitar ("Arion") fluidly melding into full orchestrations.

More so than the instrumentation, Blue States takes his melancholy very seriously, standing out from the wave of current chill-kitsch peddlers (Bent, Lemon Jelly, etc) by leaving the cheeky samples on the dilapidated vinyl they came from, instead evoking the memories of cloudy coastal drives. Factor in the spy shuffler "Golden Touch" and twamgy western "Elios Therepia" for a dash of punch along the way.

Now whether your tastes will accommodate mood and grand vistas over singles and variety (essentially an album vs soundtrack debate) ultimately determines the reaction to Nothing Changes Over the Sun. In a world of MP3's, DJ mixes, and mega-comps, quite possibly this broader approach to music plays alien to the ears. Listeners who find imagery frequently drifting through minds, however, have the score they've been looking for.

NOTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE UNDER THE SUN!!!
Blues State's Nothing Changes Under the Sun is perhaps one of the best CDs to be released on the ESL label. Easy to say that because his music is inventive and lacks the one dimensional feel of conventional lounge music. Indeed, Blues State's Nothing Changes Under the Sun is "complex" lounge music with passion and emotion. And although it takes a few listens to appreciate it, you will, my friend! This is lounge music for those who are tired of recycled basslines under over-sampled sirens. Blue State's music is beautiful and organic and could easily be the soundtrack for some Western or Oliver Stone flick. "Nothing Changes Under the Sun" is a true classic!

well, it changes a lot
i listen a lot to music and im loving it! when you like Air and ZERO7 youll love this one!!!! and also for people who are looking for good instrumental electric chilled down music. Youll have to listen to this fine piece of music! its certainly one of THE BEST albums ive ever heard > this album is worth a 6! ive spoken.

Catchy, Loungy, Different
This album is unlike many other so-called "lounge" LPs...the tracks have clear definition and great progression. The first 5 tracks are enough to merit a purchase of this CD. All the more fascinating is that Blue States is basically one guy writing from his head. My question is: what is that stone structure on the cover? I think it's the Four Corners Monument. Anyway, the tracks don't make me think of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado...they're dreamy, but not lazy; interesting, but not pretentious. No vocals either. A great album. ... Read more

Album Description

First ever double-CD of leftfield tunes. Featuring Artistslike Depeche Mode, Jimi Tenor, Human League, Stereonova,Terranova and Meat Katie. Deluxe paper sleeve and slipcase. Global Underground. 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Lots of cd's bought and even fewer worth playing...
...cd 1 ok. cd 2 awsome. I'll include cd 2 in my play list.

peace...
~Tony
;o{}~

This is the world where we live
Some where between too old to rave, and too young to buy a house in the burbs exists the world of Afterhours. Right after the club closes the real night begins. All the ametures go home and the proper party starts. This is the sound-track for that moment. This is not a comedown, chill out exercise. I thought it might be, so I stayed away for almost a year. Its a true mix for the middle of the night, maybe early morning. Sounds dark murky with this almost eery energy. One of GU's best efforts to date, overshadowing the 24:7, Taronto and lights out releases.

Ps. to an earlier reviewer, Some of GU's artist have mixed their own effort including Sander, James Leville and Sasha. However they are all "mastered" by cheeky paul whom I think mixed this one. Most all mixes have been "enhanched" using protools. I do remember reading how Danny Howells spent hours getting his nubreed mix right in the GU studio at the computer after he sent them the initial tapes. Altough I think this takes away a bit of the human componant, it makes for better listening at home and in the car. In the end though, if you want to praise an artits live mixing skills, go see them live. Mix CD's just show off programming skills, the far more difficult but less sexy side of DJ'ing.

Setting the record straight
I sick of reading Global Underground reviews exclaiming how "flawless" the mixes are. Of course they are. I hate to burst your bubble, but all of the global underground CD's are mixed by the same guy, in a studio, on a computer. The artist picks the tracklisting, and is the face on the cover of the cd...Thats it. These albums are NOT mixed live, and G.U. has never claimed them to be. But, besides that fact, they are great albums.

Like Layo & Bushwhacka's NightWorks?
Just bought this today, and I agree with the first review posted - this is a great set. Not much like it out there.... I am in love with Layo & Bushwhacka's NightWorks CD, and have been searching for similar sets for quite some time. Unsuccessful until today.

Highly recommended.

A rare collection of music
Although it contains a couple of tracks by The Human League and Depeche Mode most of the artists on this two CD set are obscure, at least to this U.S. listener. They may be familiar to some U.K. or German listeners or to the real hardcore Trance/electronic aficionados.

The collection of tunes are slow, dark and mysterious. They don't pound you the way some Hard House does but contain lots of power nonetheless, especially in the lower ranges. I've done searches on many of the artists and come up with very little, unfortunately. After listening to single tracks by Froyd, Momu or Vogon I'd buy anything I could find by these artists.

Although I didn't see it listed, it comes with a video enhanced CD. I had to download quicktime player to view it. I haven't tried it in my home DVD player yet. The tune by Pendulos started playing and some very weird but cool video started. The same genre as Eraserhead maybe? Extremely cool video.

The only thing that might resemble this CD that could be considered mainstream might be Jimmy Van M or perhaps Taylor's Synesthesia CD, Although this may be a little less intense and a little more flowing, it is every bit as interesting. Some of the finest electronic/esoteric material that will blow away any party. An important addition to my collection. If I have 300 electronic/trance CD's this is in the top 5, easily. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

evolution is sweet
'come from heaven', alpha's debut, remains one of my favorite albums; wandering through Tower the other day, i exclaimed rather embarrassingly when i happened upon its follow up, 'the impossible thrill.' not to gush, but the title is all too apt--how does one improve upon such loveliness? they've done it, though. more explicitly a late-seventies throwback, with groovier bass and percussion lines, less sampling, and a much less laid-back vibe, 'the impossible thrill' is overripe with intensity. the vocal work by Helen White and Wendy Stubbs and especially Martin Barnard (a great deal of my thrill stemmed from having an opportunity to hear more of his voice) is as good as always, but this time more emotionally raw and informed. the greatest improvement upon 'come from heaven' is in the instrumental arrangements; Colin and Andy have outdone themselves, taking the sound of the film soundtracks they sampled so aptly in their first album and translating them into grandiose original orchestrations with full strings, choirs, and a lovely funk sound. fans won't be disappointed; those new to alpha should experience both albums, but avoid 'pepper'--it is inferior.

a loosely connected lattice of disparate sound
I've been waffling. I've waffled. I wasn't sure what to make of this album when I first heard it. I mean, I liked it, sure, but how much? And why? Well, to the first question, I answer, 'a lot.' I think it might be my favorite this year. Maybe. As to the 'why?', well, it's different. I hadn't really heard anything but one other song by Alpha, so I don't know how similar their older stuff is to 'The Impossible Thrill', but this album is definitely different than anything else I've ever heard. And in a good way. It's quite a beautiful album. Some criticisms of the album that I've read have cited the seeming lack of song structure as one of the primary weaknesses of the album, but I think it's a major strength. Because the songs don't follow standard song structures, the album unfolds like a dream. It's still hard for me to keep up w/where some of the songs go. Quite an impressive effort.

Alpha is a Mellow band
I have listened to this album and the band's, Come from Heaven. This album has some deeper electronic effects than Come from Heaven. The songs are accessable. If you are familiar with trip hop bands like Mescalito, you may find some interesting simularities to One Path in a Million. The lead female singers voice is inviting. The whole album is mellow along the lines of Kreuder & Dorfmeister. It is a fine spin for a mellow, not too out there, lounges background music. I believe this band is capable of better, but I like this better than Come from Heaven. Give it a spin and you decide!

If you don't have it...
then you're not a true music fan. You will not be disappointed with your purchase. A Beautiful, Sprawling, Masterpiece!!!!

It's Ok.......
there are a few good songs on it, but I'm glad I have it in my collection anyway.......... ... Read more

Album Description

Ragbull Records presents the second release in the already acclaimed ‘Doin’ It After Dark’ compilation series. Ragbull was formed in 2002 by ex Nuphonic man Jools Butterfield and Groove Armada’s Andy Cato and Tom Findlay.

Ragbull has exclusively signed Groove Armada to compile and mix and they deliver one of their finest mixes to date.The album has feature tracks from DIY, Morgan Geist, Chicken Lips, Full Intention & Bugz in the Attic as well as live vocals and percussion from Groove Armada’s Patrick Dawes and MC Madd. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If ever there was a genre that seemed immune from successful revival, jazz-fusion seemed a prime candidate. But this adventurous debut collaboration from veteran jazz-funksters Charlie Hunter (8-string guitar), Stanton Moore (drums), Mike Dillon (vibes, Percussion,) and Skerik (sax) does more than breath new life into fusion; it imparts it a nervous, electric economy and much-needed tongue-in-cheek sense of mischief. It's no mean feat for players to stretch out as all parties do here, yet maintain a cohesive interplay that's at once focused and musically dynamic. Hunter's compositions "Plena for My Grundle" and "Gat Swamba" evoke vintage jazz Cubano in one corner, while his playing on the squealing, squawking group workouts "A-Frame" and "Delta Skelta" leans on a wholly different sense of aggro-experimentalism. Elsewhere, Stanton's insistent rhythms powers "Interpretive Ape Dance" and the free-for-all "Launch," saxophonist Skerik offers up a savory time out with the bluesy languor of "We See," and Dillon's percussion showcase "House of Hand Wash" conjures a shotgun marriage of Asian motifs and Western minimalism. It's the sort of hip jazz-funk contemporary DJ/mixers like David Holmes struggle to coax from their turntables and samples, but made endlessly more compelling here by four real, live musicians--and one unified, playful spirit. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The thing I like about this disc . . .
. . . is that the lads'll try anything. The thing I don't like about it is that it's so dang hard to get it to play properly in my Windows Media Player. See, it's one of those enhanced discs, and it never seems to load without crashing my system. OK, I've probably got a dinosaur computer and a media player that's three generations old. But it's still annoying.

But it's all worth the effort. Garage a Trois is the future of jazz. Hip without being smug; multilingual sans carpetbagging; able to leap tall styles in a single bound. Proof: "Sprung Monkey." You're in Cumbia-land gone berserk, but it all makes sense. And the vibe continues unabated with "Plena for my Grundle" (great faux-Latinesque meaningless title with huge evocativeness). "A-Frame," the next cut, is pschedelic funk on uppers. Very groovy, and very scary. Charlie Hunter's wah-wah guitar scintillates. Indeed, Hunter stands tall throughout. He seems to have found the ideal context for his eight-string, bass/guitar hybrid. And Stanton Moore rules. The free-flowing vibe seems to enable him to unleash his most creative and percussive drumming. He's never sounded so good (check out his playing on "Get Swamba").

It's a mistake to think of this as a funk record, in my view. There're just too many other styles in play: garage, groove, psychedelic, free jazz, R&B, Latin, East Indian, lounge, Delta blues, gamelon, surf, to name just a few. What amazes is their ability to speak in all these cultural tongues with such glibness and spunk without sounding in the least stilted or inappropriately virtuostic: They're basically just having fun (albeit at a stratospheric level). And so will the listener.

Good offering, but does not represent.
This CD doesn't really represent what these guys do live, but it has some interesting moments. My complaint is at 42 minutes (plus CD-rom capabilities with video) it's much to short. These guys play 3hour shows with endless upbeat jams, and the tunes here are in the 3-4 minute range and more subdued.

Not funky
Emphasizer isn't about funk. It seems to be an experiment of sorts. If I had to assign it a genre based solely on the music, I'd probably put it in the "world beat" section. These are talented musicians showing their diversity, but if you're looking for something along the lines of these guys' other work, look elsewhere.

If you are lucky enough to have heard Garage a Trois's previous release, the vinyl-only Mysteryfunk EP, you know that it featured extremely raw funky grooves and some of the sickest beats known to man. I was expecting the same in Emphasizer, but unfortunately it's not here.

Rocks! A lot of fun!
I picked this up after hearing one song on XM radio. I'm happy I did! Very hip, fun to drive, party and lounge to. A little slow and a little repetitive in parts so no 5 stars, but hey, the rest is really great.

The videos to play on your CD-ROM are pretty worthless but the links are cool.

It's music you can't feel bad while listening to... and that's a good thing.

5 stars? Sure, why not...
A few years back, drummer Stanton Moore teamed up with guitarist Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Sherik to record his first solo album, and the sessions resulted in both a solo album (All Kooked Out!) and a new band, Garage a Trois. Previously, their only release was a vinyl EP which no one I know has heard. So lucky for us who don't have functioning turntables, they recorded again and released it as a full length CD this time around, although they're no longer a threesome, as Mike Dillon, Sherik's multi-percusionist pal from Critters Buggin, has joined up with them.

I would've found this album worth my time if only to hear these particular musicians play, as they are a blessed bunch talentwise, but to my good fortune, I found this CD had more to offer musically than just an opportunity for four guys to demo their chops. Although earthy, loose funk-jazz is Garage a Trois' starting point (which they do very well), they don't limit themselves to just that. The latin grooves of "GAT Swamba" and "Plena for My Grundle," the asiatic marimba piece "House of Hand Wash," and the tribal percussion cadences and weird Middle Eastern melody of "Interpretive Ape Dance" demonstrate that this band has no intention of being an one trick pony. And although some tracks, in my opinion, could have been better -- the slick funk of "A-Frame" could be a bit dirtier, the electro-rock-blues of "Delta Skelta" a bit less conventional, and their rendition of Monk's lyrical "We See" less reverent -- nothing on this disc could be considered filler. Everything they do, they seem to strive to do well and in good taste. Probably as the result of these musicians' varied backgrounds and experience, the music throughout this CD maintains an impressive degree of creativity, adventure and energetic drive without losing cohesion or slipping into banality. Each musician gets his fair shot at the spotlight -- and each time, they step up quite willingly to make the most of it -- so the music has a good balance of each of their contributions.

More diverse than Moore's solo work, grittier than the Charlie Hunter Quartet, jazzier than Critters Buggin, and a lot meatier and juicier than most of the jazz releases I've heard this year so far, this ensemble shows a lot of potential to make music that's not quite like any of its members' previous work, even if it's just a side project for all of them. I, for one, certainly hope they will continue working together in the near future, because this CD isn't as predictable as one might suspect, and what's more, it's a lot of fun. Take a peek, and the music will wink back at you. Give it a minute more, and it'll flash a big, toothy grin. These guys have their fair share or more of talent, but thankfully, they don't let that get in their way of a good time. ... Read more

Album Description

The fourth album for the German dance act is a pleasantcocktail combining dub, disco, soul, jazz, electronica,loungey Zulu-Grooves, a touch of Dancehall & every possible Latin-rhythm. The followup to 2001's critically acclaimed,'Death By Chocolate'. Digipak. 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One of these things is JUST like the other!
One of these things is JUST like the other!
If you like the retro-vocal melancholy, jazzy, cafeteria-style, insular-yet-panoramic, lush, smoky-lounge, orchestral, strange, ecstatic, DJ-scratchy, sublime, sampled and genre-bending compostions of Art of Noise, The Matthew Herbert Big Band, Enzso, Funki Porcini, Yello, Caleb's Cosmosis, Hugh Marsh, Future Sound of London, United Future Organization or Bowery Electric, then you will love this.

It gets 4/5 because their previous CD, "Death By Chocolate" is slightly better. Start there!

'NUFF SAID.

Best De Phazz cd !
Simply a great cd!every song is intresting,a great mix of jazz,dub,and electronics.The production is superb.I just loved the others De Phazz cd but this is really better-quality.

De Phazz turns Pop!!
Reviewer: Esther Garcia from London
I would hardly classify De Phazz latest CD as electric jazz. It is very far away from the innovative and sublime Godsdog. In Daily Lama De Phazz seems to be looking more at Pop music and Brazilian rythms than at those electronic rythms and mixes that made them famous. Songs look more conventional that anything else.
As a De Phazz fan I have to say that I like the Album. It is
good, but it is not what I expected (something like Godsdog). So just be aware of it: a good CD but nothing new.

Major Disappointment
I'm really not one to write reviews, but I paid 24 usd for this item and it was very weak. The earlier stuff they did was pretty good, some electronic,some lounge, still others dub. This album is run of the mill hotel lounge music(but not a cool hotel, just an generic expensive one). I am a lounge/downtempo/house dj that has worked with this genre for close to ten years. This just didn't do anything for me. The song "Atomic Cocktail" is the only thing that remotely had any interest for me. One out of twenty tracks is not a good cd.

*Beware* -- A copy-protected coaster
I listen to CDs--not copy them--on my computer. On my Windows PC, the record company forces me to listen to this album using some ... player *they* provide at a 32khz playback rate. Geeze, Windows Media Player let's me listen at full CD quality. This CD will play on the high-end CD player I have for my regular stereo system--but not without a few glitches.

Wow! This is the most [costly] drink coaster I ever bought! If I knew this disc was copy protected, I never would have purchased it. 1 star here.

By the way, from what I was allowed to listen to, it seems like a *very* good album. 5 stars here.

Final rating: 3 stars average. Whatever... ... Read more

Amazon.com

While the international press seems to have covered every other electronica act but them, Fila Brazillia's Steve Cobby and Dave Pork have created some of the most lasting music in their hotly hyped genre. It's their playful indulgences, not to mention their smashing good taste, that make Fila so fine. The British duo maintain their majestic muse on their first-ever mix CD, Another Late Night, dropping aromatic funk, jazz, hip-hop, dub, and weird audio snippets in one of the best left-field releases of the year.

The record opens with John Barry's luscious "Persuader's Theme" before rolling through the Infesticons' rollicking old-school rap ("post my testicles on virtual e-mail"), Prince Alla's spacey dub crooning, Mr.Scruff's spooky '30s swing, the Beta Band's yawning stoner anthems, as well as tracks from a mangled cast that includes Marvin Gaye, Brian Eno, David Holmes, Nightmares on Wax, and Fila themselves on "Nature Boy." This is late-night, lost-attitude, can't-move music, a soundtrack for summertime bliss, going bonkers, or heading off to bed. --Ken Micallef ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Full Spectrum
I bought this one quite sometime ago. I have a lot of respect for Fila Brazillia as their name speaks for itself. Well, at first it was a bit hard to fully get. There is so much on this disc that it is a bit overwhelming. After three years I catch myself still going ga ga over it. What a great choice of selections. I love the Brian Eno track. Not to mention the crucial reggae track they drop, wound up getting the whole record of that, I believe it was Prince Alla. Mr. Scruff is great. And I am not a real big rap fan or anything ( track 3) but I even like that track, it is entertaining and it isnt all in your face tough guy stuff which is all cliche these days. I like the whole record in its entirety. It is great for travelling, going for a long drive or walk or a trip in your own living room. Highly recommended.

Pretty Good
For the most part, I thought this was a good CD. I agree with whatisname in the review above that the track 3 rap is hideous, and there are occasionally goofy parts. The only necesary-skip-button-exertion track is that 3rd one, though. The Brian Eno track with Lebanese vocals is very cool, as well as the Persuaders theme and Mr. Scruff. It is a pretty interesting variety of tracks, really.

fila brasilliyaaaawn
I usually love their (Fila's) work, but as mixers on this compilation, they sort of put me to sleep. Since, I tend to listen and focus into the music, this proved a little frustrating as I passed it off as background ambience. Maybe this what they were going for???

Vibrations Transmitted Through
Brillant array of sounds. While some listeners find the mood swings a bit jarring for the late night "designation"...I find the shifting pieces to be like a bedtime tonic...a comforting replay of the sounds one might experience during the day.
Cobby & McSherry offer quiet lush meditations, spikey throttled guitar segments, metallic percussion, R+B chorus styles, jungle variations , improved elevator music, take on hard rap, and much much more.
To quote the American Heritage Dictionary: "...Vibrations transmitted through an elastic material or a solid, liquid, or gas, with frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing. .."

Not the best
I love Fila. In my opinion this one is a little weird. The track selections are ok but not great. I expected more of an ambient mood to this one being a late night but some of the tracks are a little too upbeat. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Amon Tobin is awesome!
I had first heard of my now favorite artist from a movie that i saw. It was Menikmati, a skateboarding movie from eS, and i had to know about the music tracks. I looked them up, and two of them were "Sultan Drops" (from Permutation) and "Slowly" (from Supermodified). I immediately ran out to the store and bought whatever of his i could find, and was not disappointed! he is absolutely the most talented artist I've ever heard of, mostly because every track is different. On Bricolage, "Stoney Street" and "The New York Editor" are jazz, "Easy Muffin" and "Yasawas" are smooth mellow techno, "Chomp Samba" is drum 'n' bass, and there are many more styles i can't think of.

This Is What Breaking The Rules Sounds Like
First off, while my introduction to Ninja Tune was courtest of "Cold Krush Cuts," this is the first Ninja Tune disc that I picked up. And yes, this is what started my love affair with that label. The first time I heard "Stoney Street," (this CD's first track) I had to own a copy. As on his other albums, Tobin creates a surreal, teeth-grinding headtrip of dicey syncopation, unconventional rhythmic strategies, and creepy-crawly melodies, constructing unpredictable songs from both an eclectic batch of samples (both musical and vocal) and clever programming. Defying the easy pigeon-holing of genre, this CD is at times like jazz ("The New York Editor"), at times like drum-n-bass ("One Small Step"), at times IDM'ish ("Bitter & Twisted"), at times a happy whateveryouwanttocallit ("One Day In My Garden"), and at times refreshingly, comfortingly unfamiliar ("Wires & Snakes") -- and meanwhile, it's none of these things. (And to think, I bought it for "Stoney Street"...) Unpretensiously sophisticated and morbidly comic, this album is a real gem -- a truly lasting find and while you may not listen to it everyday, it'll become difficult to go long without it. In terms of mood, you can certainly dance to it, but you'll feel equally comfortable popping it into your stereo and letting run its own ambient course while you have a drink with friends and discuss the quote by Levi Strauss included in the linder notes.

So, if you're looking for a CD that pulls off a fusion of jazz and/or samba rhythms with EDM *or* already enjoy the sphere of (say...) intelligent DNB (such as Photek), this may very well be the perfect CD for you.

How has this not been reviewed yet?
Buy it. Now. If you don't have this, you're wasting time as we speak.

I'M LATE AS USUAL!!!
But "Bricolage" bares a review from me! I heard Amon Tobin's Bridges on the AstoBar CD from Water Music Records and was like, "HMMM"...but it didn't impress me enough to go out and by any of his stuff. It was not until my utter boredom with today's so-called electronica and my sudden revelation that my compilation CDs really aren't all that great, that forced me to sample other "alternatives" of music. Amon Tobin was the first person to come to mind. After sampling only :30 of his stuff online and at my favorite record store (really not enough time to get a true feel for a CD--Amazon, you guys should extend samples to at least a minute--but, I digress!), I was like "Oh, No! Cheerleader music!" Taking a dare, I went ahead and got "Bricolage" and I haven't stopped listening to it since its purchase. I was shocked to realize that Amon Tobin wasn't a bunch of recycled, mainstream crap that you hear on teen movie soundtracks and video games, but instead a cacophony of utter brilliance from every music genre out there! The man utilizes so many styles of music together that it makes your head spin! Why didn't I get hip to this guy sooner?!?!! I'll go down the list of what I think of each song, bare with me:

1. Stoney Street- an amazing jazz selection!
2. Easy Muffin- takes you on a journey into trip-hop!
3. Yasawas- an ambient groove that Tobin masters very well!
4. Creatures- OK, this song is creepy, but in a good way!
5. Chomp Samba- this song is creepy, too, and full of octane!
6. The New York Editor- cute lil' stroll along number! Love it!
7. Defocus- inspired weirdness!
8. The Nasty- is just that..."nasty!"
9. Bitter & Twisted- OMIGOD!!! THE BEST SONG ON HERE!!!! Dig the bass line!
10. Wires & Snakes- OMIGOD!!! THE 2ND BEST SONG ON HERE!!
11. One Day In My Garden- Is that Bossa Nova I hear, mixed with D&B?
12. Dream Sequence- They're baaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!

13. One Small Step- experimental genius!
14. Mission- High Voltage finale!!!

I don't think there's a song on "Bricolage" that I skip, because I usually can "feel" them all! Amon Tobin is a genius, right up there with the likes of Matthew Herbert, Boards of Canada and Mr. Scruff as far as mastering styles of music as if he was the originator. I also bought "Supermodified", and heard "Permutation" and his most recent release is pretty good--both of which I shall get, no doubt! I'm glad I got hip to Tobin--the guy is really the SHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Godly
that's all I have to say, this is my favourite CD ever, after Endtroducing. Best mix of Jazz and D 'n' B. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Deep Down & Dirty is the fourth album from the Stereo MC's, though it could easily be their 10th, given the number of tracks that have hit thecutting-room floor in the intervening years. And yet just one listen to it makes it seem as if the U.K.'s premier crossover hip-hop act have never been away. The album's title track and lead single find rapper Rob Birch back in inspired form, freestyling those positive vibes over filthy, irresistible funk. "We Belong in This World Together" is a huge sing-along anthem; "Breeze" is dubbed-up urban soul with swirling atmospherics and Vocoder mumblings; "Traffic" is a colossal, up-front groove that culminates with Birch declaring, "It ain't easy, it ain't easy." Clearly not, but you'd never know from listening to this record. --Mike Pattenden ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Getting 'Deep, Down and Dirty...'
Stereo Mc's
Deep Down and Dirty
Island/Universal

Over the years, Stereo MC's Connected would never left my cd player for months on end. One of the most entertaining live acts to come out of the early 90's, they opened and blew fellow alty-brats Jesus Jones out of the water when they appeared in Montreal to support the seminal release back in 1992. UK's premier crossover hip hop act release Deep Down and Dirty some nine years later only to show their absence has made them deeper, downer and dirtier and tighter with the funk. Rob Birch's unique commanding, half-rap, half-sung mantra is back along with an irresistible, filthy fusion of rap, funk, with stabs of dance rock blockin' beats. Lead off single/title track "Deep Down and Dirty" remind us of what made Connected such a refreshing, melting pot of booty shaking rhythm and rhyme. "We Belong In This World Together" a sing along anthem, reminds us about the positive/intelligent lyrical quotient the band is known for. "Breeze" and "Traffic" are the standout dubbed up urban tracks that highlight stellar levels of production along with the culmination of all the variables into a near flawless mix.

Dig down deep into your pockets and buy this!
Well worth the 9 year wait. Some bands get worse with age but not so with Stereo MC's. They stay true to their original dub-funk, hip-hop beat that blends perfectly with Rob B's raw yet melodious vocals. This CD is just as good as Connected and Supernatural. Dig down deep into your pockets and buy this!

YES YES YES
As music transcends words, as the rhythm defies definition, so will any review fail analyze this album. Not that there is some thing mysterious about it, nor dose it speak in tongues. I feel it is right to say that in this album the whole is much larger then the sum of the words written about it. It is complete in the sense that every track is good as a stand alone jewel, it is complete in the sense that combined together they are even better. This album IS about music, and there is little to add in term of labels, for any cataloging will fail dead in its tracks.
This album is not for the faint hart, for the seekers of serenity, it is not for those who listen to dwell in soft ambient light. It is hard and fast. It is the rock and the hard place.
It gave me many hours of pleasure. A pleasure that came from deep down inside.

Buy this CD, and Stereo MC's other two, too...
I bought Deep, Down & Dirty, loved it and played it non-stop
until I needed more. Then I bought Connected; same story. Then
I bought Supernatural American Mix.

Best rap I've ever heard. And deliciously, lusciously funky.
If only I could convince the ditzy DJ's I know to play this
stuff...

Highly recommended songs:
"The Right Effect" (Deep, Down & Dirty)
"Don't Let Up" (Connected)
"Declaration" (Supernatural)

Early 90s Fans Rejoice!
Its as if Stereo Mcs didnt take a break. As accessible as Connected, if not more, Deep plummets into crunchy, funky beats without being too much or not enough. "We Belong In This World Together" is a must hear for any fan who still believed a comeback would happen. The title track beeps and blips itself into your heart, while "Sophisticated" just simply makes you smile. While these songs wont win over everybody and break much ground in the world of laptops, drum machines, 20 or so soul singers, and vocoders, it will definitely win over those kids who dug "Connected" all 1,000 times they played it on MTV, K-Mart, and your favorite tv commercial. Thats deep, man. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The third in Ultra Records' pioneering, yet dependably commercial downtempo series, Ultra Chilled 3 features more of the silky, jazz-flecked techno that's seen an explosion of popularity in recent years. The first of the two-disc set is packed with safe and sane choices from Beth Orton, Bebel Gilberto, and Koop, along with a Norah Jones-sung cover of Roxy Music's "More Than This." There are a few gems, starting with Alpha's melancholy remix of Coldplay's "Yellow," and ending with Sondre Lerche's quirky and carefree "Dead Passengers." In keeping with the general trend of the series, the second disc explores riskier ground, with Nightmares On Wax's stony trip-hop leading into Flunk's acoustic-tinged cover of New Order's "Blue Monday." Later, Chin Chillaz drop some rumbling dub behind "Trinity," while Freddy & Herman threaten to wake everybody up with an actual dance beat on "Aquarius." Depending on how tired you are of the downtempo scene, Chilled 3 is either a handy collection of post-yoga relaxation mood music, or an opportunity to burn a few great tracks before selling it back. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Big improvement from the second volume
I recently was perusing the chill out bins at one of my favorite record stores when I stumbled upon the third volume in the Ultra Chilled series. I was surprised to see a third volume, and a second compilation released in the same year. I loved the first volume (as predictable as it was), loathed the second because it was even more predictable than the first volume (good songs though but too predictable and the artists and bands were on other chill out compilations that I owned), and now the third volume. I must say that I will give Ultra Records props for not torturing me again with another compilation filled with artists I already see on my other compilations. Either someone saw my review for volume 2 or someone at Ultra Records finally grew a brain and realized that not everyone enjoys listening to the same damn song found on other compilations or the same artist and band in general. Now while the third volume is actual improvement from the second, it isn't completely flawless. The first disc I found to be utterly in disarray. The songs did NOT flow well together. David Waxman who mixed and edited the cd needs to take some major mixing lessons from David Visan from the Buddha Bar series, and fast. The first disc is just a complete mess. The only bright moments that I did like was tracks #1, #2, #4, #6, and #11. I loved Charlie Hunter and Norah Jones' version of Roxy Music's "More Than This". Great cover. I found the Alpha Remix for Coldplay's smash hit "Yellow" quite compelling and different from the version I am so used to hearing. The second disc of "Ultra Chilled 3" is ten times better than disc 1 and "Ultra Chilled 2". Frankly I think "Ultra Chilled 3" would have been better off as a single disc compilation with disc 2, but oh no. Ultra Records had to put that horribly mixed disc 1. Being a big New Order fan, I was pleasantly surprised by Flunk's cover of the '80s classic "Blue Monday". The vocalist kinda reminds me of Beth Orton, EVTG's Tracey Thorn, and Portishead's Beth Gibbons. Stunning cover. The track list in general flows well together. Despite my disdain for disc 1, disc 2 was good enough for "Ultra Chilled 3" to get a 4 star rating. Flawed but still good, and a whole lot better than "Ultra Chilled 2".

Without a few artists, this would be a total waste!
Other than the songs from Bebel Gilberto, Koop, Jazzanova and Norah Jones, this CD is total garbage! That's the last time I buy another Ultra CD. I really hated the 2nd Ultra Chilled and I almost hate this one even more because the songs I liked, I already heard before. Someone ought to preview this music before it's released because there are a LOT of stinkers on this 2-CD set. If you haven't heard anything from the artists I mentioned above, save your time and BUY their individual CD's(Especially KOOP's masterpiece!!!) because all of them are excellent and skip even listening to this abomonation. The rest of these songs sound like lifeless, soulless and uncreative [crud]! However because of the inclusion of the artists mentioned above, I'll have to give it a 3.

all good things must come to an end
What the hell happened to this cd? After #1 and #2 came out i was itching to get my hands on this one... and when i was done (yes i gave this piece of *poo poo* some 2 hours of my life)listening to this one... i returned it. Trust there are about 3 or 4 good songs, the rest arent even average...they SUCK.

Sometimes the first is just a primer..
The first disc of Ultra Chilled 3 seems to the trained chillout DJ ear as elevator music when compared to some of the mixes done by other DJs like Morlack and the others from the PsyShop crew. But on further listen, I decided to plow straight through to the second disc. 03:2 is excellent, and in my opinion could stand alone if Ultra had decided to go with a one disc compliation instead of two. I really like the track choice of the entire set, but I think the star reduction (in terms of rating) can be accounted to the mixing of the first and the beginning of hte second CD in the case. All in all, I think that it is a good record.

Flunk and Cinematic Orchestra are Real Jems
The two best songs on the collection. The rest of it is so-so, good for pretty, relaxing background music. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Buy for "I Against I ", Forget 100th Window
This single is worth getting just for I Against I alone. Truly inspiring and totally crushes anything on 100th Window. Period. Being a true Massive Attack fan from way back, I tried and tried to get into 100th Window but found it to be trying too hard and lost in its attempt at being "different". I Against I (featuring another incredible peformance by Mos Def) has all the qualities that make a Massive Attack track: production, drive, vision, and hunger. Special Cases is simply alright. Massive Attack has set the bar that unfortunately can work against them. I love that they challenge my listening but unfortunately 100th Window, despite its attention to detail, is so insular in its views that it needs to open up and share its vision with the world.
Buy this single for I Against I and the video, forget 100th Window, and wait (in hope) for their next album.

Great Single
As the first single from Massive Attack's fourth album, "Special Cases" provides an appropriate bridge between MA's previous sound and the more ambient feel of 100th Window. Sinead O'Connor brings the sultry female vocal, which plays nicely over heavy bass and twisted strings. The Akufen remix turns the song on its head by transforming it into a drum-n-bass style rave up. Best of all for diehard fans is the inclusion of "I Against I" MA's contribution to 2002's "Blade II" soundtrack, which features a riveting performance by Mos Def and the band's sizzling production. These treats, plus an alternate version for the "Special Cases" video make this a more than worthy purchase for MA fans. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

not impressed
Tricky's last album blowback definately wasnt his greatest, but it was definately one of his most eclectic. He used so many influences, from the Red hot Chili Peppers, to the singer from Live, and mixed it all together for unfortunately half baked results. But this album is almost like a return to his roots, using only one vocalist throughout the whole album- but the album sounds very repetitive. EVeryones asking for another maxinquaye and he still's not givin it to us. But im sure its hard to repeat that. The beats on this album sound very repetitive and doesnt even really sound too much like an album where the beats are supposed to be everything. Its just like background beats- nothing special. His beats are supposed to make up for his voice which he can't do much with. If youre an avid fan, buy it, because you all are probably the only ones that are actually buying the album. I dont htink this album even charted. (besides the electronica chart) but it is a definate disappointemnt.

I'm Not Afraid to Love This
After sampling this first 3 tracks at Virgin, I decided that if I were going to leave that record store with a CD that night, "Vulnerable" would be it.

I don't know how to define what Tricky was or what he's becoming, but I do know that if you have some idea of what those things are you're taking his work too seriously. Music doesn't have to be inaccessible to be great; Bethoven's 9th is fairly accessible to the casual listener and completely genius to the trained ear. Either way it's enjoyable, and regardless of what many may think, neither method of appreciation is more profound than the other.

In a way Vulnerable appeases both fronts as well. Most of the tracks feature strong, accessible, even "repetitive" beats, and in compliment to that the music and vocals sound beatiful and pragmatic. This album seriously reminds me a lot of PMT in the sense that the music is fairly simple even if the overall sound (rhythm, vocals, and harmony) is a little abstract or disjoined.

Tricky's emphasis on one major vocalist (Costanza) was a smart move because it makes the album that much more relative to itself. Tricky also placed a strong emphasis on placing strong beats uniformly throughout the album, and generally speaking this is a more upbeat album than his earlier works like Maxinquaye. While individual tracks may lose some of their identity, the album itself has it's own overall voice and method. There is just enough variation to signify movement between tracks throughout the album. While there are several plateus of heavy drum abuse ("Moody and "Where I'm From"), there are in counter slow-flo ravines with more laid back grooves ("Hollow and "The Love Cats"), and this gives the listener variation while allowing the music to flow from strong central focal points. This really was Blowback's biggest problem; despite certain points of interest within the work, it was, from a larger perspective, a mess. That's not a problem here; the songs generally feature a strong rhythm with Tricky's raspy vocals polarized by Costanza's sweet voice. It is these familiar features that crop up throughout the album and give the listener a reference point and a bearing within the album, even if it does so at the sake of making things a little more predictable.

This album overall is very accessible, and that alone marks a difference between Tricky's earlier work. The fact this album is a little more upbeat may turn off some Tricky fans, but I don't think it circumvents the fact that Vulnerable is still a great album. Unlike Blowback, this album does in fact have an identity and a core sound, while at the same time moves through different emotions and flavors. Vulnerable is probably Tricky's best work since PMT, and I really hope long time listeners can cast away pretense and truly give Vulnerable a chance.

All I can say is AMAZING
Though I usually favor Massive Attack to Tricky, I have to say that "Vulnerable" puts "100th Window" to shame. Tricky's latest CD -- I am tempted to say it is better than his CD "Blowback", which I love -- has some of his darkest work to date. The music is leaden but balanced by the female singer's beautiful voice, which is nicely matched by Tricky's guttural vocals. Tracks 1, 2, 3, and 6 (especially 6) are my favorites on this album.

Some have said that Tricky is becoming dated; I think that he is just becoming more accessible.

Straight Up: Dated, Generic, Formulaic and Uninteresting
"Vunerable" would contain nothing new for any college freshman in 1991. It is formulaic and, sadly, uninspiring. I can't believe this was released in June of '03. One could argue that everything that was old is new again... that is, when it's a creative tribute or fusion of new elements. But, this does not come close.

Queues, breaks, intros, whatever one wishes to call them, are predictable (One can accurately predict when an instrument will come into the song). There is nothing to surprise the listener or keep him or her interested in the album. The beats are simply O.K., if not generic. There is little to engage the mind or the feet when listening to "Vunerable." Tricky fails to deliver anything new.....for example, the track "Anti-Matter."

One cannot even zone out to it or have it as ambient sound while hanging out with friends. "Vunerable", as a project, is neither relaxing, nor stimulating, nor morose, nor edgy. It was just annoying.

I was really hoping for more when I bought this album, especially after reading the reviews by die-hard Tricky fans.

The remake of The Cure's "The Lovecats" fails to live up to the praise of Amazon's critic. There's no new angle, vibrance or inspiration. It tries too hard to be erotic and ends up being a track that makes one laugh out loud. If you still don't have an accurate picture of this song.... do you remember the two brothers who bopped their heads to one side to Haddaway's "What is Love?" on Saturday Night Live? "The Love Cats" would be their torch-song. It's not good or quirky-good, it's just there.

Do not spend your money on something that will just end up as a $1 buy-back at CD Warehouse. If you really, really, really want this album, I suggest buying it used.

You may want to check out Goldfrapp or Depeche Mode instead (you won't ever want to give away to coworkers as an emptihearted peace offering).

Not His Best, But Very Good
While still unable to touch Tricky's transcendental work on MAXINQUAYE or NEARLY GOD, VULNERABLE still sounds like a considerable improvement over BLOWBACK, maybe because BLOWBACK absorbed all the disappointment for being Tricky's first less-than-stellar album (not including Tricky's lackluster EP MISSION ACCOMPLISHED).

Actually, VULNERABLE is a rather different direction for Tricky, less ambitious and perhaps a bit more playful. It can be played front to back without anything too jarring to interrupt the flow. Some songs are pretty intense, but they're all very groove-friendly. It's too modern sounding to be 80's music, although it has 80's touches including plenty of straight-up, unadulterated keyboards.

Tricky's new chanteuse-of-the-month, Costanza, initially sounds like an almost conventional sex kitten, but her breath-y delivery and strangely annunciated words lend her voice character and, yes, she sounds sexy. In fact, the album is very sexy overall like most of Tricky's best music.

"Hollow" and "Car Crash" in particular are extremely sensual. The 80's songs covered here (XTC's "Dear God" and The Cure's "Love Cats") are very good as Tricky does his own thing with them. Both are subdued versions of the original that blend right into the groove of the album.

The last track for me stands above the rest - it's as good as classic Tricky. It's dominated by a rhythmic electric guitar riff and more intense guitars appear towards the end.

As I already pointed out, Tricky has made better records, but VULNERABLE is very agreeable and there's not a bad track in the bunch. For that, it deserves 5 stars.

An aside: For those who long for more "old school" Tricky at his best, I would strongly recommend the Baby Namboos' ANCOATS 2 ZAMBIA (much more than VULNERABLE in fact). For me, it's essential "trip-hop." This album has its own sound including groovy stand-up bass, smooth raps and a chanteuse with a gorgeous, slightly raspy voice. Tricky himself makes some killer contributions to it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When a record that starts with a freakish rendering of the '40s novelty tune "Mr. Sandman" collides into a loping rap that boasts of chicken, fish, and cold love in Scotland and then maneuvers into a rave-up worthy of Elvis, it normally would spell trouble. But the Beta Band actually manage to make this wacked-out pastiche work. The Scottish combo skillfully massage their tracks into thrilling sound collages that draw on electronica, country, prog rock, and psychedelia without ever going beyond the point of kitsch.The stoned beauty of "It's Not Too Beautiful" recalls the mesmerizing layered vocals of Pink Floyd, but tosses in a demented breakdown to throw any nostalgia seeker off the scent. The steel drums and reggae bass line of "No. 15" combine shamble with shuffle to give this slacker's recitation of "15 reasons not to spend my life with you" a lazy charm.The Beta Band extend a simple invitation with their woozy music: Get baked. --Lois Maffeo ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Totally unique
The only way to describe this album is good, that's about all I can say. It's hard enough trying to find, ne, create, a musical category this would fit into without having to delve into my thesaurus for synonyms. Beta Band use samples more wisely (and originally) than Beck or the Beastie Boys, but they sound nothing like either of those artists. If I was going to describe this album, I'd say it's like damp midnight in the country with a completely twisted 21st century pop band playing in the dark 10 miles away. There is no wasted space on this album; every noise, instrument, and sample is there for a reason. Some bands pretend how to play. Beta Band know what they are doing.

Sloppy masterpiece
Apparently the Beta Band doesn't like this album. One gets the feeling they don't really remember recording most of it. For the record, I think its great. By the time you get to brokenupadingdong you'll think you've heard everything these guys can think up, but they keep throwing curveballs till the end. If Grandaddy had heard "Simple Boy" they might've gotten a few more good ideas on how to make machines sound broken. "Round the Bend" starts off relatively normally, but Mason leads it off the tracks with his stream of consciousness delivery. Many of these songs sound like the Betas tried to sabotage them, and ended up creating something far more interesting. Twisting Bonnie Tyler's melodramatic "Total Eclipse of the Heart" into lengthy beauty "The Hard One" works far better than you'd think it would. I did deduct a star because I always skip over the grating "Beta Band Rap" opener, which pains me, cause I really wanna give this a five. If this is the type of album the Beta Band makes and doesn't like, I can't wait for one that they love.

If only all "bad" albums were this good
Maybe it's not their masterpiece. It easily beats by far most of the junk out there some people have the nerve to call music. If you've got disposable income, this is an album worth having. There are a few parts now and then that I can imagine would annoy some people. If you can't appreciate a little offbeat experimentation, too bad.

don't you get it?
Some of these reviews are the dumbest things I've ever seen. One actually said to avoid this until it is considered a classic in 20 years! Can you imagine someone who is such a sheep that they will not pay attention to this until it is considered good by other people?
Simply put, this album is insane. It's elements of insanity often don't fit together precisely, but that's kind of the point; any craziness that works in a linear and smooth fashion is just posing as genuine insanity if you ask me. This is the sound of a band just having fun, and pushing whatever madness they can think of to the absolute limit of listenability. There are times when this album doesn't "work"--many times in fact. But that's what makes it so special in my mind; the fact that they knew they weren't making something consistently wonderful but they made it anyway in the hopes that some of it would be worthwhile, that the recording process itself would reveal something about them as musicians and as people. I think the band themselves say not to buy it because ultimately its not even for our consumption; its a working out of their own demons.
Then why release it in the first place, you ask? Because there will be people like me (and there are a lot of us) who will like it for what it is. We have no expectations for it, we don't put our unreasonable ideas of what the Beta Band is "supposed" to sound like on it just because we have heard "The Three E.P.'s". We listen to this album on its own terms, and even if part of those terms is that the band themselves don't like it, I'm willing to accept that. I like this album. I respect the fact that many people don't, but some of the reasons out there are really dumb, in my mind. If you're thinking of buying it, just listen to the sound samples, and think about how much of that you can take. That's my suggestion. Hopefully you'll come to the right choice, and decide to buy it and love it or not buy it when you would've hated it anyway. I've been talking for too long. Bye.

Not as good as the others
This is the weakest of the Beta Band's CD's. In fact, it's pretty lousy, I regret to say. When the BB come out with a Greatest Hits, it'll inlcude maybe two songs from this otherwise dismal effort. ... Read more