More Is ThanIsn’t, the fifth proper full-length from Philly beatsmith RJD2, opens and closes with the echoes of distant bird chips. A consummate crate-digger and sample hunter, RJ lines the path in between nu-disco, dusty soul, rock ‘n’ roll, spiraling organ runs, and brash hip-hop. As the title suggests, its 16 tracks are a cacophony of aesthetics pulled from the producer’s myriad inspirations. However, unlike other mad scientists, RJD2′s creations are beautiful offshoots of their distorted components rather than monster mashes.
Anchored by three tracks (“Suite 1″, “Suite 2″, and “Suite 3″), the album’s beats are granted ample room to roam before being reeled back into that celestial calm. During each movement, the creation and subsequent destruction of melodies builds tension across the broader piece. On the first half of the album, the soulful “Temperamental” and disco-leaning “Behold, Numbers!” establish the chillout tempos that the 8-bit electronics, heady Middle Eastern vibes, and rock riffs of “Her Majesty’s Socialist Request” are intent on eviscerating. The latter half’s Motown-indebted “See You Leave” (feat. STS and Khari Mateen), “Got There, Sugar”, and electro-pop current of “Love and Go” (feat. Aaron Livingston) serve similar roles.
The French collective Chinese Man centres on DJs High Ku and Zé Mateo and beatmaker Sly.They may be based in Marseilles but their hip-hop vision is global – for latest album Racing With The Sun, the trio, plus assorted international guests, adopt a continental Supermarket Sweep approach that is Gorillaz-like in its eclecticism.Over predominantly dubby beats, Chinese Man embroider African, Asian and Latin influences, precise scratching and a mass of obscure samples, from Canadian folk group The Wailin’ Jennys for the title track to a line from the French version of Easy Rider to end Down.The quirky, dub-heavy Miss Chang (sampling Chinese singing and with lyrics from Taiwan MC and California’s Cyph4), the defiant, Arab Spring-influenced Stand (blending Middle Eastern strings and melismatic singing with samples from US Civil Rights speeches), and the energetic JOGJA (with Indonesian rapping from M2MX and Kill The DJ) are highlights in a good-natured set that largely boils its many ingredients down to an appealing syrup of mellow instrumental vibes.
A cohesion of beautiful melodies and rugged beats, “Maps from the Wilderness” is an accomplished album that should earn TM Juke the same accolades as fellow Tru Thoughts album acts Quantic, Jon Kennedy and Bonobo (who now record for Grand Central and Ninja Tune respectively). Having recorded various songs for Tru Thoughts under the guise of Al Stylus, TM Juke took it upon himself to adopt a name suitable for styles and sounds he wished to explore with this album. The styles are varied and they seem to span the full orchestral range; rolling timpani drums underpin hazy beats whilst delicate guitars flitter amongst intricate strings. As a producer, TM Juke draws on funk, soul, hip-hop and jazz influences, but adds a greater depth and maturity with immaculate arrangements that belie his twenty four years and give “Maps of the Wilderness” a strikingly original yet strangely familiar feel. Owing as much to the sampler as the guitar, the TM Juke sound embraces atmospheric melodies and street savvy beats in equal measures: this is made apparent by the album’s guest vocalists. Jim Oxborough and Alice Russell who join together for “Knee Deep”, the first single to be taken from the album, a lush affair with a natural swing and memorable hooks. Bringing back the hip-hop, Canadian MC’s Bread and Water lend their calculated style to “Get It Together“ whilst appearing on behalf of the UK, Rup gets lyrical and gives “Wilderness Kids“ an edge that sets it apart from any uniform hip-hop sound. “Maps from the Wilderness” has all the ingredients that make a great record, setting new agendas in instrumental music whilst retaining a universal appeal.
The Herbaliser emerged in the mid-1990s as an instrumental duo on Coldcut’s Ninja Tune roster. They specialised in a form of sonic bricolage that Coldcut described as ‘funkjazzticaltricknology’, which encouraged you to make connections between disparate forms of music and challenged you to spot unusual samples. Their first album in four years drifts between genres, be it the martial roots reggae of Welcome To Extravagance, the Portishead-ish trip hop of The Lost Boy or the spooky Ethiopian-tinged funk of Deep In The Woods. However, their default setting is making short, bombastic instrumentals that borrow heavily from classic movie soundtracks. These make great backing tracks for rappers and the best tracks here are the ones featuring highbrow Canadian duo Twin Peaks – particularly the deliciously spooky, blaxploitation-themed Crimes And Misdemeanours.
Environments, or atmospheres of sound, are the basis of Liquidus Ambiento. Guitar riffs, arrangements, baritone saxophone and trombone melodies crystalline sitar and flute, bass lines from below, are added to the lightness of an acoustic drum with jazz references. In the essence of instrumental music and electronics, the group enjoy his main influences of Dub, Nu Jazz, Trip Hop, Downtempo, Funk and Afro Beat.
It's ironic that a band with its musical head so firmly in the clouds thinks so
much about what’s happening down here on Terra Firma. Yet, that’s what Thievery
Corporation's Radio Retaliation is all about. The musical approach is
the same; just as they have on releases like 2005's The Cosmic Game,
Rob Garza and Eric Hilton still bring the dub-oriented beats, silky textures,
world musicology and outer spacescapes. And while Thievery Corp have always been
tuned into the strange currents and impulses of the now, words have never been
so central to their work. Femi Kuti lets loose on Africa's long, sad history of
oppression on "Vampires" while Seu Jorge preaches the gospel of peace on "Hare
Krisna." Both those tracks are killers, but the record has a way of topping
itself. In the midst of all the charged slogans and lullaby charm (listen to
LouLou's Gallic flow on "Le Femme Parallel" for an example of the latter), Garza
and Hilton will drop a celestial bomb like the painfully gorgeous "The Shining
Path." So, while there's no missing how politically engaged they are (the liner
notes include relevant words of wisdom from a range of open minds including
Einstein, John Lee Hooker and Mos Def), Thievery Corp can still help us return
to the serenity of nothing.
If anyone is guilty of Guts’ addiction to music, his mother is to be blamed. Instead of turning her son into an overweight and diabetic child, she preferred to give him a new vinyl each week, for his good manners. Guts, as an exemplary child, always finishing his plate at the table, is, by 9, already sitting on a collection of records and becomes the number one DJ in his neighbourhood. Between two soccer games and really becoming addicted to sounds, he is asked by his mother to choose between studies and music. The choice of option 2 will disturb his nights! Le Bienheureux will work on scratches and sampling art. He goes to London to get pictured with Royal Guards or eat a jelly plate, then Guts discovered New York’s old school gastronomy (EPMD, KRS One and the Public Enemy caviar) But by looking too close at the Hip-Hop cauldron , he finally fell in and created the Alliance Ethnik in 1990. The first album will make him grow from a sandwicherie to a four stars restaurant! Guts is good but needed more practice to value his recipes. Bob Power (A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots) becomes his ‘Paul Bocuse’, the coach able to teach him to spice and keep his preparations edible! He gets his American guides recognition and De La Soul, Rahzel, Biz Markie and Common Sense are joining him at the table. Faster Jay is opening the Kif Record label and ‘Le Bienheureux’ becomes one of his’chefs’ and goes behind the ovens for French rappers like Passi, Big Red, Sages Poetes De La Rue, the Svinkels, Les Rieurs. Impossible to please, he travels to Senegal to learn about new recipes in Youssou N’Dour studios and works with some local ‘chefs’ in Jamaica (Anthony B, Michael Rose and Sacha) The actual MC’s generation didn’t know how to prepare toasts when Guts was using an ASR Ensoniq with one hand ! Now ‘four stars chef’, Guts Le Bienheureux is proposing his menu! Mainly inspired by his travels, a meal with the taste of Pete Rock, DJ Shadow, Dan The Automator, RJD2, DJ Premier, Jay-Dee, Danger Mouse, Wax Taylor only prepared on a MPC 4000! Bon appetit
Behind the cutting, spinning, guest artists and precision-oriented rhyming is where the french producer Jean-Christophe Le Saoût and his project Wax Tailor resides. In The Mood For Life combines what breakbeat hip-hop deserves to be remembered as and what Wax Tailor is constantly perfecting. For fans of Nightmares on Wax, Avalanches, Thievery Corporation or even J5, Wax Tailor use time-tested rhyming techniques with instrumentally invigorating backdrops. On In The Mood For Life, supporting artists enable a change in tone and style. The list of artists includes: Charlotte Savary, Speech Defect, Sara Genn, Mattic, Dionne Charles, Voice and Ali Harter, ASM and Charlie Winston. Thanks to the artists, the relaxing and sometimes animated atmosphere that Le Saoût has prepped corrals track to track in a harmonious fashion that averts negative attention from a possibly too-diverse expanse of songs. The album’s length helps it slip in and out of several non-compatible songs, yet it is through this time gap from these songs that allows for the transitions to appear fluid rather than blocky. On the whole, In The Mood For Life mandates patience for anyone who isn’t familiar with any of the other groups mentioned above, but only asks a listen through for an attuned ear to really appreciate. Wax Tailor possess the hand every breakbeat artists desires and have bogarted the loot with such a quality assortment of accompanying musicians. This well executed album might be for you or it might not be, but whatever you do, do not call it rap.
