I:Cube - Adore

It's amazing what you'll find in the used bins for $1.00

Turns out this wasn't even used. It was brand new. Records like this require patience and the ability to listen to the tones and music. I could see too many people ignoring it because it wasn't immediate enough or fast-forwarding their way through and that would be a shame.

What a marvelous and deeply beautiful record. It drips with class and dub and well crafted songs that are very much on the downtempo tip. Knee deep in the bizness if ya know what I mean. 'La La La' is a real stand-out track as is 'Tropiq' but there are no real fillers here. Very nice form from Mr. Cube.

ADORE picks up where I:Cube's previous album, PICNIC ATTACK, left off, but goes deeper. Gone are the disco trappings; instead, they've been replaced with warmer synths and more attention to texture. The title track is an almost beatless ambient journey with a tropical feel to it. "La La La" is funk at its catchiest, while "Le Dub" slows things down to a shuffle. "Tropiq" is like a minimalistic samba. All the house on this album is mostly of the deep kind: "Cash Conv.," "Deep Republic," and "Dans La Piece Vide" throb and pulse with the best of their kind, retaining some feeling. "Basic Bastard" aims more at the dancefloor, but in its own unique fashion. "Pooh Pah" is the standout track, however; it's immediately grabing, with the synths making a fascinating rhythmic counterpoint to the beat. The cut-up vocals help bolster the track's catchiness. A maturation in sound, and an album that lives up to the promise of the first.