London Elektricity – Pull The Plug

It‘s just depressing that there was never a Vinyl-Version with the original tracks of this CD.
I have the 4x Vinyl Version, but its mostly remixed and dubbed versions, which are just not comparable to the original vocal versions.
Bummer 😢

They released commentary tracks talking about the genesis of this album. They are very interesting, they talk about a lot of stuff, including how they ended up with basically two uncredited Landslide productions because they were running out of material, but I think that if not Landslide the scene he was in was influencing this version of London Elektricity a lot, as it is very much a child of the "Future Jazz" scene as it is of the Roni Size brand of jazzy dnb. Three guys, one label, finding their step.

And meanwhile releasing everlasting masterpieces like "Song in the key of knife".

As said otherwise, the later (or US?) version of the album includes different mixes of some tunes like their cover of "Do You Believe", which right now makes me think that they were another Landslide touch.

Slightly different versions of some songs in here - "Rewind" and "Do You Believe" are basically uncredited VIP versions, among others that I have not noticed. I really really love the take on Do You Believe here, with stronger rhythm section and the proto broken beatish strings attacking from the start.

London Elektricity's debut, PULL THE PLUG, starts by putting the jazz into jazzstep with the well-considered horns and wild double bass of "Song in the Key of Knife." The bass also plays a big role in "P.B.E. (Elektrical Storm)," though the vocals do detract from the effect, but the 70s cop show piano chords of "Shakedown" quickly dispel those. "Rewind" kicks off on a slower tip, letting Lianne Carrol's vocals shine through, but once it gets going, it perhaps goes for a touch too long. The jazz stays steady for "Superstructure," while the funk swings into "Do You Believe." The title track brings back the horns for a workout, along with some whirling synth pads, before "Dirty Dozen" closes out the album with some sharp breaks, merging many of the previous elements into a fun, energetic whole. Keep this plugged in!

Listening to this album 19 years after its release confirms its status as a monument to the genre. Other reviewers have used the term 'musical' and that's probably the stand-out feature of this work. For me, Lianne Carrol is one of the main reasons this album rises to its lofty status. Her voice adds an element of humanity to an album that could otherwise get lost amongst all the others, despite the inclusion of live instruments. My top track is Do You Believe. You have to listen to the original Webster Lewis version to understand why. De-constructing such an immense song and recreating it in the dnb style whilst at the same time retaining its soul...that's not just musical, it's genius.

Under rated album. 'Do you believe' is sublime. The rest is HQ produced beats.

This is a different Chris Goss. Not the Chris Goss of Masters Of Reality / Kyuss etc etc etc fame...

To my knowledge, this is an album which stands quite unparallelled in the realm of jazzy/funky drumnbass. Far too much "jazzy dnb" verges towards a few lazily looped lounge chords on a fender rhodes. This album represents the absolute antithesis.

It's scope and ambition in terms of songwriting and live instrumentation is light years beyonds the norm for the genre. The stunning first track, "song in the key of knife", sets out their stall: it seems almost fully orchestral with brass stabs, whirling flute, strings, live bass and more. Most critically, none of these instruments appear as some basic repeated sample: rather, we have a brilliant crafted and scored piece of music, which almost feels short despite a length of 11:26.

Second track PBE follows up in the same brilliant vein. The outrageous basslines and stupendously tight wah guitar leave other funk pretenders weeping. Other highlights include "rewind", a gorgeous and wonderful vocal-led track featuring jazz singer Liane Carrol, which cranks up from an intimate, acoustic half-time vibe.

This is the sort of stuff people who've never heard of drumnbass will find beautiful - but the drumnbass elements are top-flight as well. The breaks are all sorts of tight, heavy, rolling and funky throughout... and we've already established how astonishingly good the basslines are. Other tracks are a little more dancefloor-orientated, stripping the funk down to the raw rhythm section.

Above all, it is that raw, raunchy edge which makes this album so special. Where others ape the polished, overproduced groove of disco, this album doesn't lose sight of the spirit of true funk: dirty, sweaty and unapologetically primal.

This is, generally speaking, an awesome album. Extremely musical. My one gripe is that some tracks develope an instrumental atmosphere which then ruined by an absolutely AWFUL vocal (P.B.E. for example). I would love an instrumental version of this album. Drum and Bass is a tricky musical style to have vocals on, in my opinion they rarely work and this is no exception.