ALBUM REVIEWS
Thievery Corporation
Radio Retaliation
ESL Music
Radio UN
In these times of
the US war on
terror it’s hard to
imagine the
sound of
Washington DC’s
fi nest involving
anything but the hardline white bread rock
and sanitised urban beats of mainstream
radio. But then again, Thievery’s downtempo
dub jazz grooves were always out of step with
both their mainstream hometown soundtrack
and their national airwaves.
Here they present a sexual melt of Afro-beat,
jazz, salsa, batucada, dub and rai. Oh, and a
few go-go beats courtesy of DC originator
Chuck Brown thrown in for good measure. It
should soundtrack Obama’s campaign for a
true taste of 21st century USA. Martin James
Mint track: ‘Vampires’
****
Grace Jones
Hurricane
Wall Of Sound
Seems like
she never
went away
The fact that
‘Hurricane’
sounds as though
it could have been
made the week
Chase the blues
after ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ and kept on ice for
20 years is less a comment on how it’s dated
MONE
Y
and more an indication of how far ahead of
away...
SHO
T!
the game Grace Jones was back in the ‘80s.
With former collaborators Sly & Robbie on
hand again to provide their slow motion
digi-dub as a backbone for her unique vocal
Chase & Status
The long-awaited debut from
stylings, from the nostril-troubling bass of
d&b’s leading lights
‘Corporate Cannibal’ to the Massive-esque
More Than A
orchestral cinematics of the LP’s closer ‘Devil
Lot
While Pendulum have cleaned up lately by
Roll Deep In My Life’, there are absolutely no nods to
fusing their drum & bass sound with rock,
Return Of The Big Money Sound modern trends like dubstep, d&b or electro,
Ram arguably alienating much of their original Roll Deep Recs
but also no need for such cheap tricks.
fanbase, the scene’s other new
Fusing the dub and reggae of her native
Toob
contenders Chase & Status have taken an
Grime grows up
without going
Jamaica with African rhythms, the easiness of
Push Me Pull
altogether different approach.
soft
trip-hop and the simplicity of ‘80s synth-pop,
Their debut album has been a long time
on ‘Hurricane’ Grace sounds as amazing as
You
coming, especially considering they’ve
With ‘Wearing My ever. Ben Willmott
already churned out more anthems than
Rolex’ still Mint track: ‘I’m Crying (Mother’s Tears)’
Process Recordings
most acts manage in their entire career.
chiming in pop
But the transition from dancefl oor-
culture’s
*****
slaying singles act to enduring album
consciousness, it Josh Gabriel
producers is not as easy as it seems.
shouldn’t surprise that Wiley’s Roll Deep crew Eight
With this no doubt in mind, they’ve
are dressing their knuckle-dusted spit with
Different Pieces
balanced generous helpings of their own
cute, hooky synths, phat analogue electro
Solo strike
distinctively styled d&b with an equally
sounds and — in closer ‘We Can See This’ —
signifi cant contingent of more
even refl ective acoustic refrains. But by Josh Gabriel’s
experimental tracks. Tunes like ‘Pieces’, which begins with the gentle guitar
blending the bouncy pop-crunk cuteness of debut solo album
strummings of guest collaborator Plan B before it descends into crunchy,
vocal number ‘Do Me Wrong’ and the packs an
pugilistic dubstep. Or the straight up hip-hop of ‘Against All Odds’ — no, not a
Madness-styled ska skit of ‘Moving In Circles’ unexpected
cover of the Phil Collins ‘classic’, you’ll be glad to hear — where Kano does battle
with a DiY authenticity, they’re doing it on punch,
with cowbell-heavy Apache breakbeats and simple but deadly soul samples.
their own terms (and label). showcasing his
There’s still plenty to keep fans of previous triumphs like ‘Duppy Man’ and ‘Love’s
It’s a matured and honest approach that adds love with the
Theme’ happy, but crucially, enough moments of surprise and innovation to
weight to Roll Deep’s rough-and-ready underground, which perhaps wasn’t so
hook in a whole new generation of fans. Ben Willmot
aesthetic rather than softening it. evident while he was part of mega-successful
*****
Allan McGrath prog trancers Gabriel & Dresden.
Mint track: ‘Do Me Wrong’ ‘Eight’ was produced using eight different
MINT TRACK:
‘Against All Odds’ (feat Kano)
*****
synths with Gabriel spanning a wide range of
LONG RANGE
212
www.djmag.com
Madness and Me
Long Range Recordings
DJ467.albums. indd.indd 212 2/10/08 14:21:15
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