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Various - SOS Sounds Of The South - 20-Apr-07 06:55 PM
Being a Funckarma junkie, I hunted this one down. Was it worth it? Well, yes, but I didnt pay too much...

Funckarma on this release is credited only to Don Funcken, and Android only to Roel Funcken, so it’s very interesting to hear their separate roots on two of the earliest tracks they released. Trump’n’Bass actually has a bit of the Automotive flavor in it, with some jazz trumpet throughout, but the beats remind me of acid jazz breaks – even Fila Brazillia-esque. Android goes into other territory, driving steadily through a progressive house realm. What’s amazing is how totally different both tracks sound when compared to the sound Funckarma is now famous for. In this case, the whole is exponentially greater than the sum of its parts.

Other standout tracks include Cosmic Indian’s ‘Voicebox,’ which really reminds me of Beaumont Hannant’s dancefloor tracks, and The Deep’s ‘Random’ which could easily be at home on one of AFX’s Analord 12”s.

Caretaker, The - Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia - 20-Apr-07 06:54 PM
When the first Caretaker release, Selected Memories, came out, I was blown away by its unique and haunting sound. As the 2nd and 3rd albums became available, I found myself enjoying the Caretakers music even more. So you would think that when V/Vm released a beautifully designed 6-CD box set of Caretaker memories such as this, for such a reasonable price and in the midst of the exhaustive VVM365 project, I would have nothing to complain about.

Unfortunately, this set has much of the heart but not the soul of previous Caretaker releases. While the tracks on this set have all of the inventiveness of the earlier efforts, it lacks the warm analog quality that made them so haunting. Instead, almost all of the 72 tracks have a digital, metallic distortion or filter that plagued a lot of the V/Vm output around this last turn of the century.

The good news is that if Im not listening closely and put the music more in the background, I can ignore the digital distortion and still get into the general mood of the music. The 6th disc is in my opinion the best, in which the music takes surprising new turns through the decrepit backrooms of long-dead dancehalls.

And although only 3 CDs were technically necessary to hold all of the music (the discs average about 39 minutes each), perhaps there is some other explanation or meaning in the layout as presented. In general, Im certainly appreciative for the music, but this just isnt my favorite Caretaker release.

Scone - Maze - 20-Apr-07 06:54 PM
After tracking down most of the Funckarma output, I realized that their recent material (Caipruss, Bion Glent, and many contemporary remixes) sounded too similar, as if the ideas were growing stale. But then Funckarma started collaborating; frequently, heavily, and with vastly different results. Scone is by far the most satisfying of these collaborations to date, and is easily one of the best albums on which Funckarma have ever made their mark. Kettel brings a lot to the table for this release, with excellent melodies and a fresh addition to the chopped-up and frenetic beats for which Funckarma are famous. Funckarma, likewise, add funkiness and flavor to the normally more reserved Kettel electronica. Although all of the tracks on this album are superb, it’s easy to see why the album singles out “Maze” for the title track. It’s a perfect blend of Kettel’s and Funckarma’s styles, and a damn catchy tune as well. Long live Scone!

2350 Broadway - 2350 Broadway 4 - 09-Feb-07 01:42 PM
I recently bought some of Tetsu Inoue’s mid-career albums like “Fragment Dots” and “Waterloo Terminal,” and for those of you who are as unexcited as I am about that abstract and experimental type of music, you’ll be happy to know that “2350 Broadway 4” is a beautifully strong return to ambient form for Mr. Inoue.

That’s not to discount Pete Namlook’s work on this release. As you would expect from long-time collaborators, they blend like a sunset sky, with constantly shifting colors that each complement the other. Listening to the album is like laying on soft sand with warm water lapping at the sides of your body. The melodies are prevalent, interesting, and enveloping. For all its soothing ambience, however, something about the album still calls up a city atmosphere without blatant sample use. I get a similar feeling when listening to Vangelis’ opening track from “The City” or his track ‘Blade Runner Blues.’

I was hesitant to purchase this album because the first two 2350 Broadway albums were a bit more spacey, full of drones and random musical notes plucked from the ether. This one is more similar to 2350 Broadway 3, but with soundscapes that are even more dense. Another wonderful journey with Messrs. Namlook and Inoue.

Bastards Of Love - Rituals - 13-Dec-06 02:02 AM
This 12" has a little something for everybody. The different tracks cover styles from rave to house to electro-punk, but the real gem in my opinion is the LJ Kruzer mix. For those of you who like beautifully melodic electronic music (i.e. fans of BOC, Freescha, Ochre, etc.), his mix is a must-have. Its completely infectious with a great beat - I must have played it 3 times a day for a month when I first got it, and still play it all the time. In fact, its time to pull it out again right now!

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