ELECTROLOUNGE ARCHIVE H-K
NuJazz TripHop Ambient Dance

Le Hammond Inferno kicks out the jams, though with inconsistant quality on My First Political Dance Record.

The DJ duo from Berlin sure know a good groove when they find one, but there are only a handful of standouts here.

"An Apple a Day" is good punchy fun, all rolling bass, rhythm guitar, tamborines and processed vocals -- sounds like Air or Arling & Cameron in an up mood.

"Speech Defects" is the album's instant classic. The insistant Japanese or gibberish(?) vocal and pounding rhythm segue into a sexy organ and synth-backed refrain. A great party song.

"Art Police," the album's closer, is a funky delight. An effortless groove supports a wry commentary from a female computer(?) It's arresting.

Otherwise, My First Political Dance Record runs a bit short on inspiration, and a bit too eager to please those who merely want to dance.

"This is your lucky day, see," says the cartoon character voice near the beginning of this solid slab of hip hop cinematica by U.K. unit The Herbaliser. No doubt, you'll feel lucky hearing its grooves.

The opening track, alone, is worth the price of admission. "Something Wicked This Way Comes," which forgos a rap attack for the dramatic singing voice of Seaming To, is one of the best tracks The Herbaliser has recorded in its eight-year history with Ninja Tune. The song -- thanks to a dynamic arrangement -- has atmosphere to spare and a haunting melodic refrain. It's a mini-masterpiece.

From that auspicious beginning, the album branches out into more familiar, but nonetheless well crafted, Herbaliser territory. Humorous dialogue samples segue into twisted hip hop (with guest rappers Iriscience, Blade, Wildflower, Phi Life Cypher and MF Doom). Slippery loops and scratches merge with rock solid beats and bass lines. You get the cartoon comedy of "Verbal Anime," the cop show bravura of "Time 2 Build," and the dubby "Good Girl Gone Bad."

The best tracks for soundtrack fans are undoubtedly the instrumentals. Here's where The Herbaliser mainstays, Jake and Ollie, really mix it up, with Schifrin-esque arrangements built out of samples and live instrumentation. Tracks like "24 Carat Blag" and "Mr. Holmes" are complex enough to attract jazzheads and tough enough for beatheads. Like previous Herbaliser records (Very Mercenary, Blow Your Headphones, Remedies, and the Herbaliser Band's Session One), Something Wicked... has tremendous depth and style, making many hip hop acts sound musically boring in comparison.

Intrigued? Read the Interview with Jake.

What was once an "experience" is now a "combination." Norwegian nu jazz master Espen Horne (aka Bobby Hughes) returns three years after Fusa Riot, the Bobby Hughes Experience's debut on Ultimate Dilemma. That memorable groove fest boasts such Latin-esque numbers as "The Piper Cherokee," "My French Brother," "Sahara '72" and eight others. On Nhu Golden Era, the Bobby Hughes Combination (who the hell is Bobby Hughes, anyway?) Horne delivers more of the same, which is a good thing.

If there's a difference between the albums, this one may be jazzier. The set is split between instrumental and vocal numbers. Oddly, the vocalists are rarely credited. If they're simply sampled, credit must go to Horne for editing them into convincing live performances. For instance, "Karins Kerma" may or may not feature the original singer composer Karin Krog. Since no other singer is identified, one must assume that it's an Espen Horne remix of the original recording, featuring Krog. But this is probably nit-picking. Nhu Golden Era is an immensely enjoyable disc, full of bouyant jazzy grooves, featuring sparkling arrangements and infectious hooks.

The Irish DJ-cum-soundtrack-groover has released three solo albums of note. Before scoring Out of Sight and Ocean's Eleven, Holmes released This Film's Crap... and Let's Get Killed. Between the two soundtracks he released Bow Down to the Exit Sign.

This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats opens dramatically with the cinematic "No Man's Land." From there, the disc sounds like a different artist altogether. The sounds are more electronic, less organic, more programmed and less cinematic. Fans of techno are likely to enjoy this shift more than fans of atmospheric soundtrack-inspired electronica.

Let's Get Killed plays like a soundtrack for a New York City street life documentary. Tracks are peppered with impromptu commentary over police whistles and traffic noises. The music itself is closer to the grooves heard on Holmes' movie scores. In fact, "Gritty Shaker" -- the track heard in Ocean's Eleven and its various trailers -- first appeared here in a slightly different version.

Bow Down to the Exit Sign marks yet another change in Holmes' musical approach. Here he delivers a concept album. Stylistically, Holmes is all over the map. There's funky soul ("Compared to What"), hard hitting punk rock ("Sick City"), cinematica ("Drexler's Apt. -- Aftermath, Afternoon"), post rock ("Bad Thing"), gothic trip hop ("Outrun"), spoken word over a minimalist groove ("Living Room"), and so on. Supposedly there's a story line, but understanding it isn't necessary to enjoying this inventive and varied disc.

Talk about "electronic music," Out of the Loop was recorded, sequenced and mixed using a Gateway notebook computer. Americans Dan Geller and Amy Dykes (with Bren Mead) may go under the ungainly name of I am the World Trade Center, but their music is as light and streamlined as you are likely to find. Sounding a bit like Pizzicato Five, IMWTC delivers pure infectious dance pop.

The disc has stylistic consistancy -- thanks in part to the process by which it was created, but there's something to be said for variety -- which is somewhat lacking over the course of this disc.

The vocals are problematic, too. Amy Dykes doesn't have a bad voice, but it is not strong enough to carry the entire song cycle. More tracks like "Holland Tunnel," which uses vintage spoken word samples, might have made for a more varied listening experience.

Downtempo groove prodigy David Kakon is Jaffa. The Montreal native wrote, produced and engineered all of the tracks and played every instrument (with minor exceptions). That said, Elevator is an unpretentious album of chilled beats, jazzy keyboards and funky basslines.

Most of the album is instrumental, but does feature a female vocal on "Sneakin'," which uses Billie Holiday's lyrics for "God Bless the Child."

The disc also features remixes of the title track by Fila Brazillia and The Herbalizer.

The disc is short on cinematic qualities, but long on mood. It veers into smooth jazz a bit too much, but that's to be expected on a lot of downtempo recordings. On the whole, it's worthwhile, if only for late night make-out sessions.

Norwegian nu jazz fusionists, Jaga Jazzist, joins the Ninja fold with The Stix, a worthy follow-up to its underground Scandenavian hit A Livingroom Hush on Smalltown Supersound. This 10-piece is as unique sounding as anything in jazz or electronica today. By combining trumpets, bass clarinets, trombone, guitar, bass, tuba, Fender Rhodes, vibraphone and D'n'B-style drum programming, the group create a dense, complicated, melodic balance of man and machine. If that sounds futuristic then the future is now.

Jaga Jazzist is the answer for anyone who thinks the mix of electronica and jazz is limited to the downtempo grooves that feature a jazzy breakbeat (like Mr. Scruff's "Get a Move On" or St. Germain's "Rose Rouge"). Jaga is way beyond jazz posing. They actually create music worthy of the label, but in their case, the label hardly does them justice.

Remember that great TV show "The Man with the Suitcase" (1966-1978), that conquered all of the western world? No? Well, it's no wonder, since it never existed. And listening to this groovy faux soundtrack isn't likely to convince you otherwise. I say that, not because it's bad (actually it's quite a bit of fun) -- it's just a little too apparent that it wasn't recorded during the aforementioned period.

Stylistically, some of Chris Joss' music is true to the period, often sounding like prime Lalo Schifrin (Mission: Impossible, Mannix), particularly on early tracks. But the sound production is clearly of the late '90s, not the '60s or '70s. Part of the difference lay in it being digital and not analog. And then there is an ample use of samples, sequencers and hip hop beats. Some tracks show a concerted effort to sound retro (the theme, "The Wait" and "Frisky Frisco"), but others are downright contemporary in sound and instrumentation ("The Fly", "By Night" and "Geo's Party"), showing the influence of techno.

The liner notes make a great effort to sell the idea that The Man in the Suitcase was a legitimate phenomena, but the soundtrack itself doesn't back it up. Still, if you can turn a blind eye to the concept, chances are you'll enjoy the music a whole lot more. Even when Joss abandons the groovy sound introduced on the first few tracks, in favor of the dubby drum and bass of later tracks, the quality remains high.

Chris Joss cut an imaginary soundtrack called The Man with the Suitcase for Pulp Flavor a few years back. This time around he's recording for Irma La Douce, without the soundtrack pretense, but some of the same flavor. In fact, Dr. Rhythm may be a more advanced effort than Joss's faux score. It lacks some of the drama of the Schifrin-esque Suitcase, but makes up for it with increased stylistic flexibility and production savvy. Although both records owe an acid jazz debt to the James Taylor Quartet, but this time Joss finds his own "voice". He shows a great flare for arrangements and particularly rhythm tracks (as the title suggests). Stand out tracks include "The Sequel," "The Break In," and "I'm So Electric." A truly solid outing from a guy from whom we hope to hear more.

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The album opener, "Discotheque Dancing", has a similar vibe, but differentiates itself through the beat, some cookin' organ fills and monosyllabic vocals. As on previous releases, Joss explores the blaxploitation sound. Tracks like "Drink Me Hot", "Shellah V." and particularly "Wrong Alley Street" (parts one and two), are as rump-shakin' funky as anything heard from the original era. The only thing missing is a soulful vocal about the hardships of the ghetto -- something Joss has wisely avoided as it would undoubtedly come off as bogus and cliched.Being a European, Joss is equally at home in the trippy melancholic grooves of "Riviera 69" and "Waves of Love," which ooze the sophisticated ennui found in films by Radley Metzger.On the lighter side, Joss turns the mojo loose on the electro boogie "A Part in That Show", the sunny samba of "Early Morning Wanderings" and evocative easy listener "Waking Up in the Park".Joss' first two releases were certainly strong, but You've Been Spiked is the most satisfying.

Eighteenth Street Lounge has picked this title up for its U.S. release.

The Karminsky Experience is well known among beat lounge aficionados. As compilers, they've put out a handful of tasty collections (In Flight Entertainment 1 & 2 and Espresso Espresso). As remixers, they've turned up on a couple of comps, notably the Easy Tempo Experience. As recording musicians, however, they've kept fans in suspense for years. They've released a couple of singles since hitting the scene in the mid-90s -- and at least two of them ("The Hip Sheik" and "Exploration") are included here -- but fans would have to wait until now to hear their full length debut.

Now that it's here, one can't help but feel a smidge disappointed. It's solid and enjoyable from start to finish, but breaks no new ground.

The initial curiousity about the release is the fact that it isn't on Eighteenth Street Lounge, Schema or another label that handles electro lounge-type artists. Instead it appears to be "self published."

The package is shy on information, but it's the music that counts, so let's get into it. The opener, "Departures," eases into your sonic space on a sophisticated sample from Sven Libek's "Misty Canyon," a track found on Music for Dancefloors: The Cream of the Chappell Music Library Sessions. From there, the duo explores exotic espionage cinematica ("Assignment Istanbul," "The Hip Sheik," "A Curious Observer" and "Behind the Bamboo Curtain"), bongo-driven sampledelica ("The Power of Suggestion"), erotic dance ("Belly Disco" and "Shall We Dance?"), twisted cool jazz ("A Little Happening"), lush psycho beat ("Introducing Louis Pachini"), more exotica (The Wayward Camel"), spaced-out raga beat ("Exploration") and straight up lounge beat ("Something for Madeleine"). Mike Flowers and Beat Girl contribute incidental vocals here and there.

Fans of Thievery Corporation, Nicola Conte, the Anubian Lights, Electrotwist, Zero 7, Air and other electro lounge outfits will think they've died and gone to heaven.

Kid Koala is the quirkiest DJ on the planet. Unlike so many turntablists, the Kid doesn't get caught up in flashy grandstanding. Plus, he doesn't resort to the same old hip hop material. He's a genuine crate digger like DJ Shadow, with a penchant for the odd and humourous.

On his second full length, Some of My Best Friends are DJs, the Chinese-Canadian scratchmaster busts out a scant 34-minute set of woozy jazz, stereophonic demostration samples, koala and DJ jokes and sneezy punctuation marks. The energy level, for a DJ record, is remarkably low, but like his first record, the wryly titled Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, this one holds great charm.

Like CTS, DJs also features a Koala-illustrated comic book. The Kid's drawing style is simplistic, but the mostly wordless stories are amusingly told. Listening to the CD while flipping through the comic is a rare pleasure in the record-review industry (if one can call it that!). The Kid has that rare talent to make it happen.

air-port's arrival at ScoreBaby was auspicious, since it was the same day I installed a new stereo in the lounge. I put it on, knowing only that it came from Shu-Kit Wong aka Kitmatic of Hong Kong. It's not everyday you get new music from Hong Kong, I thought, slipping it into the new CD player.

My first impression was one of surprise. Clearly, Kitmatic finds musical inspiration through the juxtaposition of musical and non-musical sounds. The opening track, "Domingo," almost sounds like two radio stations intersecting one another. The effect is disarming at first -- sounding like Tipsy after one too many -- but soon becomes oddly catchy.

Tracks such as "Air-port #1" and "Lazyland" are reminiscent of Stereolab, though not as polyphonically complex. "Air-port #2" is reminiscent of Tipsy or Elektrotwist. The mood gets darker on "Domingo #2," which is bookended by tracks of ocean surf and silence. "Air-port #1.1" returns to the Stereolab vibe. "Round-trip" offers a backward loop and drum break, but little more. "Bossa Nova" seems to be nothing more than the sound of ocean surf.

Although it isn't consistantly inspired, Kitmatic's air-port is adventurous and wears its influences well.

To order the disc, contact: kitmatic@netscape.net

Hong Kong's Kitmatic is at it again. His second outing opens with surf sounds coupled with solo guitar and minimal Latin percussion on "Amigo." The doleful mood is carried forth on "Minibus," but this time in an exotica vein, complete with synth bird noises. Heavy breathing replaces surf on "Lazyland #2" -- Kitmatic's take on easy bossa nova. Fake needle-in-the-groove noises introduce "On the Beach," which maintains the easy bossa mood, this time with a bit of saxophone. Electronic static ushers in a dance beat on "Zooman" -- easily the most upbeat thing here -- complete with cheap synth solo and synth bass. "The Vanish" offers a cinematic mood, in a somewhat psychadelic Tipsy-ish flavor. In closing, "Amigo Wanna Go To Russia" quotes from the opening track, using a warbly organ sound.

All in all, Kitmatic's second outing escapes the "sophomore" curse by simply following the muse established on the first record. A pleasant listen.

The Krill Papers is a bit enigmatic. No one in this five-piece goes by the name Krill, much less O.H Krill. Led by multi-instrumentalist Max Brennan, O.H Krill weaves an always rhythmic cinematic groove on murky tracks such as "Reaching Up" and "Riding High." On other tracks such as "Fet Stoggies" and "Seven Up Swing" the mood is more upbeat and action oriented. Before long, listeners will feel compelled to think of The Krill Papers as an imaginary soundtrack for some unmade thriller. Fans of the Cinematic Orchestra and other Ninja Tune artists will be attracted to it. It grooves, yet is dense enough to reward repeated listens.

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