Noise And Paradox* – Transmograpfication

Didn't much like the rest of the album. One track to track this down at all costs is by all means 'Last Night on Earth'...play this out loud & you'll generate a frenzy. Strictly Kev droppped this on Solid Steel in '98 & ..well I was hooked by it's pure energy of the Weather Report drum track & dark strings overlaid, which harmonise so well. 'Just Begun' is also a different pallette for these D&B afficionados. Good to see these boys can still kick it in different genres & willing to try new things here & there. Nice one Dev.

Noise (a.k.a. Nucleus) and Paradox are all about digging through old funk/soul records in search for breakbeats. That's what they use to make their music. No synths or other melodic instruments are to be found here. Just intricate drums and samples which set the mood and atmosphere of the tracks. The terms 'drumfunk' and 'virtual drummer', as Paradox likes to call himself, explains the sound well enough.

It's esoteric music, so it's arguably an acquired taste. This is music for people with a deep love for rhythm. Drum and bass fans will not be disappointed. People who expect nice melodies to go with these beats should look elsewhere: Paradox is about to release a new album under the moniker Alaska, another project by him which has its roots in the good ol' Good Looking style.

The tracks offered here are very good. They fit in with the records they've released on Reinforced the last decade or so. Look for 'The Esoteric Funk' for an update of the sound you hear on this album.

On fierce drum 'n' bass on this collaboration from Noise and Paradox. The rhythms come strong and dark, as apparent from the opening track, "Descending Azzizzium." But while the drumwork is flawless, at times it seems that that’s all they have going for them. On top of the rhythm are some ambient sounds -- some snatches of sound, some EQ sweeps, some scratching, but not much more. And that seems to weaken the songs overall. “Soundtrack for the 10th Planet” has some thick atmosphere on it, but the song development is a little lacking; same goes for “Last Night on Earth”: creepy mood, then repeat. “Dimension No. 9” kicks up the rhythmic interest, while the title track hums like a beehive. And the final track, “Just Begun,” shifts things into more of a hip-hop mode, though the dark ambient sounds reappear nonetheless. Rhythmically inventive, definitely, but I’d like some melodic invention to go along with it as well.