(Beatservice BSCD038)
From: Jyoti Mishra
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 17:04:14 +0100
I won’t do a potted biog as you can find that done excellently here and this is the official site.
This is the first XP record I’ve heard and I’d most compare it to some of the Pork Records stuff but perhaps just a touch jazzier. My fave overall is ‘Treat Me Mean, I Need The Reputation’ which is sort of tango (mambo?) drum’n’bass. Honestly. It works like you think it won’t. I predict this track being very popular with whoever picks BBC2’s link music.
I do like the fact that the album isn’t just the one groove, there’s a range of moods which reminds me of the breadth of Fila Brazillia’s ‘Power Clown.’ There’s some classic be-bop type grooves on here but laid over completely unjazz synthiness. Probably the best example of this is ‘Tintinnamputation’ which does sometimes sound like two different bands rehearsing next to each other. But in a good way.
The strange thing is that I hate both jazz and drum’n’bass but I like this CD and it uses elements of both. How does that work, eh? I guess part of this album’s charm is that it’s pushing itself beyond a lot of other contemporary instrumental electronic stuff. There’s a lot more going on here, in terms of melody and and structure.
So, prime jazzy instrumental electronic noodling. Buy it if you need music to comb your goatee to. Don’t buy it if you’re looking for happy clappy pop.