r--- - ALBUMREVIEWS

FEATUREDALBUM ALBUMSREVIEWED

Soulfather Rasco has created pulling random tracks and throw- ming, straightforward trance for TARRENTELLA: REDANKA another masterpiece with his sec- ing them on the tables. Ididn't less than the price of a plane tick- Playback Engineering ond full length release. Ras once get a strong sense of purist track et to the UK is what you're looking (Bliss) again serves all phony MCs with programming, and there are a few for, this Bud's...errr Red Bull's for h is battle rhymes and proves that less than perfect mixes, but I also you. (M.von pfeiffer) his lyrical skills aren't affected by understand Traylor'slove for diver- the sophomore jinx. EI Da Sensei, sity and just the overalljoy of DJ KRUSH Planet Asia, and 427 make an hearing good tracks one after Zen a ppearance on the album and the another. (Steve-O) (Sony/Japan) Gunz Still Hot rmx features ED URSULA RUCKER O.G. and Reks. Eerie organs, tight UTAHSAINTS Supa Sista flute loops, and a monotonous Two These two may be the Sasha and (!K7) piano playing chopsticks are an (Nettwerk Records) Digweed of the new millennium. Rucker's seductive tones have example of the variety of beats Chris Bourne and Andy Holt a.k.a. appeared on albums by artists from that will keep your head nodding Tarrentella and Redanka are not King Britt to the Roots and Josh in every direction. Cali Agent "superstar DJs", but the way they Wink. Part of the ever-burgeoning number one comes hard but also engineered PE they can have Philly scene, Rucker's is the voice of displays his loving father figure This guy should write a book for whatever label they choose. These social consciousness and truth that role on Sunshine, a song dedicat- his next artistic endeavor: Zen & Brits stand tall, alone with a hip-hop has gotten too egomania- ed to his daughter. (OJ Echo) the Art of Crafting Beats. A long plethora of scorching releases and cal to express. Her spoken word is time master in his musical kung remixes for giant labels like Hooj, MARK GRANT intimate, startling, and powerful. Along with the KLF's The White fun, OJ Krush provides a harmo- Whoop, and Polygram. It was Stripped of all useless posturing or Sound Design Vol. 2 Room and Candyflip's Madstock, nious flow with this latest effort. inevitable that this super duo needless rhymes, she comes with a (Om Records) the Utah Saints' self-titled first Calm, centered and artful, Zen is a would put out a mixed CD, but I pure flow that is intensely honest. album (1992) until very recently 63 minute hip hop, downtempo had no idea that it would be so The musical backing is a fusion of was part of an elite fraternity in enlightenment. I'm particular into damn good. Listeningto this may jazz, hip-hop and soul. 4Hero's jazz my collection of one hit "please the straight Japanese Candle counter the effects of any ADD n' bass graces What??? as Rucker do another but probably won't" Chant and the stirring prophecy of drugs, i.e. Ritalin. T:R have tossed twists her verbal barbs around the wonders. From what this LP has to Paradise Bird Theory, but I already their names into the hat for the skittering beat. 7 maintains a more offer, it's very likely that the Utah love all 12 tracks. Krush has a 2001 dynamic duo DJs of the down tempo mood as Rucker and Saints will never have to learn the superb sense of mixing and com- world with this first venture. They MC MAD recount a fantastical lesson that it was much easier to posing his sound, the beats mean- give you progressive tracks like no romance. Rucker flips the standard Facing the task of following up be original in the early 90s than it der like a slow stream, soothing other; spacey, tribally, playful, sin- hip-hop lexicon to add urgency to Marques Wyatt's masterful first is today. It's got interludes, its got the listener into a state of of ister, colossal, and beautiful her point and invert your pre-pro- volume in the series, Mark Grant blitzing anthems, stadium-wide peaceful awareness. Soul saturat- vocals. Hell, it may even wean you grammed sense of meaning. This is flinches not and pulls out a stellar power-cording guitars and its got ed, well thought grooves. I must off of Prozac. a masterful album not for the faint selection of jazzy, soulful and narrations about Oprea singers also point out the beautiful art- (Tru Pham) of mind. Supa Sista? No doubt. infectious deep house grooves. and rhinoceroses. What have they work on the insert, also by Krush. (Lucy Beer) The mix bursts with colorful ener- been doing for 10 years besides Ya gotta love the all-around RHYTHM MASTERS --- gy from start to finish; each track living off residual? Who cares, this artists! (Sharee) Disconnect Your Head www.mmiD. or. jD/sus/krush FEATUREDCOMPILATION is a choice cut, shimmering with album is the Jolly Green Giant (Tommy BoySilver) tropical percussion and good time armed with a fifty-foot glock, and vibes. Some immediate highlights he's got your tiny brain in his VARIOUSARTISTS include the sassy funk of Inland crosshairs. About the frequent Outpatients 2 Knights' Feel This Way and the voice.overs and surrealnarrations; (HospitalRecords) tribal drums and vibrant, jazzy my only distraction whilst listening horns of Atmosfear's Dancing In to the CD was a small,frightened Outer Space. Jerome Sydenham part of my brainrepeatingthe and Kerri Chandler's phrase "Please Jesus...Jesus and Deconstructed House is another Baby Jesus don't let that be Here's another collection of example of their sublime, sun- MichaelStipe." Of course it is. crunchy, smashing sort of disco-fil- shine vibe. Grant combines seam- Bleh. He's creepy. (M.vonPfeiffer) tered house/ breaks from the less mixing and impeccable pro- Tommy Boy Silver Label. It's gramming into this faultless col- GATECRASHER loaded with laser stabs and other STEVELAWLER The consistently innovative Hospital . lection, making it essential for any Discotechgeneration such dub excursions, but not Dark Drums Volume 2 Records crew have come up with house fan. (Lucy Beer) (Sony/UltraRecords) their second compilation of the restricted to them. Producers (Bliss Productions) year, this time devoid of the drum & Steve McGuiness and Rob MIKE TRAYLOR Ok, to get us started with this ..... bass that they've become known Chetcuti aren't afraid to show American OJ Series Vol. 3 ~ review lets not waste any time and for. Like their recent d n' b comp, their feminine side when it comes ~~-..: make one thing clear: This mix is (The RightStuff) Plastic Surgery 2, the highlights on to soulfully estrogen-drenched absolutely sick! With only a few Outpatients 2 come from the home tracks like Angels. Nor are they months left in the year, I'll be sur- turf talent, not the all-star guests. afraid to show their b-boy side prised if another one comes out ~-- --- There's the sublime two-step of with Beastie Boys liketrack, One that can change my mind that this Hear My People by Landslide, and in a Million, or their industrial side should be the best OJ mixed Dress me in up in shaggy bell-bot- the laid back house of Talk Box by with 21" Century. The rest of the compilation of 2001. Why, you tom chaps and call me Sunshine. Future Homosapiens AKA label tracks are teeming with vocoded may ask? Well, it's because every When you put the word owners London Elektricity. . and filtered vocals over funked up record that Lawler drops is a Gatecrasher on an anthology Audiomontage submit the sexy bass lines and effect-singed synth bomb and it holds up the entire For those of you who can't decide these.days its bound to sell like deep house track Come WithMe, riffs.Yeah, the song title Don't way through. Just when he has what kind of electronic music you flapjacks at a lumbe~ack conven- while other "outpatients" fail to live F"* With My Filter, pretty much pummeled you with dark drums like, and/or can't stand a CD with tion. Although this anthology up to their compilation hosts with sums up the Rhythm Masters' and spooky voices, he unleashes one genre represented, Mike tends towards the more generic decent but not outstanding tracks approach. Don't f*" with their fil- some funky basslines, switches Traylor spins this one for you. end of the increasingly popular- likeShinobi by Jazztronik and ters cuz if their filters get f"'ed gears and makes you shake. I Jumping off with some nu-skool ized trance genre, you shouldn't Samba Sun by SolidRoots.The with any more, they're gonna think this is the first time in a while breaks, General Midi and BUM be ashamed on spending your closer,Bird of Paradise,isalso the have to bust out the lube. that I've listened to a mix until the and Katie, he ventures through hard-earned dollars (or pesos if best track on the album, an uplifting (Eric Bowler) end and popped it right back in some progressive house, funky you live in SoCal), on this solid but emotional nu-jazz piece with the player to listen again. Danny house, trance, tech-trance, and two-disc set. Leading off the usual vocals by Nicola Bright-Thomas. Tenaglia had better watch out cuz progressive trance. Timo Maas, "here and now" wolfpack of Max The boys at Hospital Records have Steve Lawler is right on his ass Tomba Vira, Angel Alanis, Haitras, Graham, 0: Fuse, Factor 9, and once again proven their exceptional with some serious skills. (Blips) and Junkie XL are all represented Fatboy Slim is an impressive track talents in a myriad of musical styles, here, helping encompass a OJ's from WAY back in 1991 from The despite the few flaws on this compi- OJ in his/her bedroom, just Future Sound of London. If slam- lation. (Jesse Mann)

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