Title: Singing in Tongues

Artist: Eccodek

Label: Black Swan Sounds

Formats: CD, MP3

Release date: May 6, 2014

It’s easy to get lost in Singing in Tongues. Combining the ambient sounds of dub reggae with Indo-African rhythms and instruments, seasoned veterans Eccodek create on their sixth and latest album a proggy, relaxed sound without treading over the line of background music. In fact, Singing in Tongues takes the group to the forefront, reimagining new and old ideas for a fresh take on Indo-African folk music. Thus, the album should appeal to various groups of listeners: folkies who appreciate the reference to traditional instrumentation, and more contemporary oriented listeners who will notice the nods to electronic music and dub. Additionally, American hip-hop artist MC Yogi, who makes a guest appearance, has the distinction of performing vocals in English—a first for the group:

Keeping the past alive and the present strong, Singing in Tongues earns a solid recommendation.

Reviewed by Ian Hallagan

Title:  False Idols

Artist:  Tricky

Label: False Idols / !K7 Records

Formats: CD, Deluxe ed., LP, MP3

Release date: May 28, 2013

Tricky, born Adrian Thaws in Bristol, England to a Jamaican father and Ghanaian-English mother, first gained attention through his affiliation with the trip hop group Massive Attack. But it was his 1994 solo debut album, Maxinquaye, that brought worldwide critical acclaim for his trademark down-tempo style of half-whispered raps over hypnotic beats paired with assorted soulful vocalists and instrumentals. Now, after nine major label releases including Nearly God (1996), Angels With Dirty Faces (1998), Knowle West Boy (2008) and Mixed Race (2010), he’s shaken off outside influences and founded his own label, False Idols, which is also the title of his new album.

On False Idols, Tricky returns to a softer, more mesmerizing form of trip hop that’s fused with soul and occasional bursts of rock guitar (“Parenthesis”), sensuous strings (“Passion of the Christ”), acoustic pop (“Chinese Interludes”), world beats (“Tribal Drums” and “I’m Ready”), jazz (“Valentine,” built over repetitions of “My Funny Valentine”), and menacing electronica as exemplified by “Does It”:

Joining his spiritual journey are vocalists Nneka, Peter Silberman of The Antlers, Francesca Belmonte, and Fifi Rong (regrettably there are no specific credits for the electronic review copy).  Overall, False Idols is a fascinating mood piece with fifteen transcendent tracks that, despite occasional booming bass lines, will likely motivate you to sit lotus-style in the corner and ponder your place in the universe.

Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Title: Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984

Artists: Various

Label: Chocolate Industries

Formats:  CD, LP

Release date:  April 24, 2012

Chocolate Industries’ new compilation of rare and obscure early Black American electronic music is a fascinating and infinitely listenable introduction to some early pioneers (or, perhaps less generously, explorers) of experimental music, those who moved beyond the tools of traditional rock ’n’ roll.

When phrases like “compilation of rare and obscure experimental ___” are bandied about, it sometimes feels less like you are about to listen to a great album and more like you are about to listen to an “interesting” album or an album whose aesthetic and historical relevance you can “appreciate.” Personal Space, however, manages to be a great album that is, indeed, very “interesting.” Its liner notes succinctly detail each selection in such a way that you feel both informed and inspired to immediately hit up Google for more information.

The album features great tracks that flow into one another seamlessly, even though the artists often approached the new technologies in startlingly different manners. Since every song on this 16-track compilation is unique and curious in its own right, I’m going to run through a couple of highlights. These songs immediately jumped out to me and engaged me, sometimes with their funky grooves and sometimes with their unexpected experimentations.

The most amazing revelation in this compilation is, in my opinion, Key & Cleary’s “A Man.”  Sylvester Cleary and Jessie Key, two Buffalo, NY natives, joined forces to create this amazing soul track with an African inspired hand-drum loop overlaid with an electronic cymbal beat. The polyrhythmic beat is infectious and entirely unexpected. On top of that, the almost spoken, soulfully recited lyrics are so minimalist and well-crafted it would not be surprising to find this song on Pitchfork Media’s New Music Radar. The beginning lyrics, “My muscles are of steel/ My mind of complex computers/Daily I struggle for understanding/And daily I breathe to be understood,” could easily be found on an album from Death Grips or any number of contemporary experimental musicians.

On the funkier side of things, there are tracks like “I Finally Found the Love I Need” by Jerry (J.G.) Green (a.k.a. The Voice Master), a member of the second iteration of famed Motown group The Contours. The song’s dark (almost humorously so), stripped down, futuristic electronic sound, layered with Motownesque vocals could have changed the face of techno if anyone would have heard it. A more spiritual experiment comes from Otis G. Johnson’s “Time to Go Home.” Johnson’s ethereal gospel track, which was recorded at home with only his voice and his urge to spread his faith through song, an organ and its factory installed metronomic pre-sets, creates a soothing, slightly off-kilter musical landscape, that occasionally features a child’s singing.

There is an earnest, outsider appeal to most of the music on the Personal Space compilation, which should be on the radar of anyone interested in music that challenges creative standards.

Reviewed by Dorothy Berry

Title: Underneath the Pine

Artist: Toro y Moi

Label: Car Park Records

Formats:  CD, MP3

Release date:  February 22, 2011

If there is one thing the music from the newest generation of lo-fi, DIY, bedroom recording artists has been missing, it’s true danceability.  While the Ariel Pink’s of the world have been producing perfect, fuzzy pop songs great for head bobbing and subtle shimmying, there hasn’t been much that you can really get down to. But Toro y Moi (the stagename of Chazwick Bundick) has definitely brought the groove to chillwave with his sophomore album Underneath the Pine.

When I say “brought the groove,” don’t mistake this album for a funk explosion. The music is enveloping in its prog lushness, with tight harmonies and an encompassing sonic warmth that brings to mind Eno, French Pop, ELO and all sorts of big picture pop composers. Tracks like “How I Know” do everything a finely crafted hit should do: create a self-contained aural world that, in under five minutes, paints a mural in your brain from a rich palette of interweaving tight harmonies, melodic bass and a well-executed beat. A beat that you can dance to! A beat that lies under poignant, simple lyrics and complex layers of synthesized sound.

Following is the official music video for the single “New Beat”:

Underneath the Pine takes you on a tour of Bundick’s creative mind, where funky bass lines and smooth keyboards illustrate the insular thoughts of a young man. It’s a tour I’m thankful to have taken, and one that I hope will be expanded upon in his future recordings.

Reviewed by Dorothy Berry

Title: Virgo Blaktro & the Movie Disco
Artist: Felix da Housecat
Label: Nettwerk Records
Year: 2007

Chicago house music producer Felix da Housecat‘s latest release, Virgo Blaktro & the Movie Disco, is his third full-length album and his first studio album since Devin Dazzle & The Neon Fever (2004). Tracks cover the genres of electronic, soul, funk and pop, creating Felix’s production trademark “electroclash.” In contrast to his previous albums, Felix composed songs for Virgo Blaktro, rather than tracks, and also sings his own lyrics in an attempt to produce what he refers to as “a sexy, black, electronic disco record.”

Felix released his first single, “Phantasy Girl,” in 1987 at the age of 15, under the guidance of acid house pioneer DJ Pierre. After several years away from the dance music scene (in a break enforced by his parents), he returned to Chicago and to the music that he loves. Felix has been a fixture in the underground dance music scene for over a decade, and in the ’90s was recognized as one of the second wave of Chicago house producers. He found himself propelled into the mainstream spotlight with his 2001 album, Kittenz and Thee Glitz, and since its release he’s been busy remixing for everyone from Sean Combs to Madonna to Kylie Minogue. Though Felix is known for entering the scene via Chicago house, he is also widely recognized for electroclash, which forms a large part of this new album.

While all material on Virgo Blaktro was written by Felix da Housecat, the concept centers on the revival of black music from the ’70s and ’80s. When asked about his inspiration for this album, Felix responded: “This is the first record I’ve done with black folks, but to me it’s not a color thing, it’s more like a roots thing. This record has a black, soulful groove—it’s more like Sly and the Family Stone. With this album I wanted to go Parliament, I wanted to go Prince, and at the same time I wanted to go like George Michael and Pet Shop Boys, only them being black. This stuff is all black-influenced.” However, many of the musical references used by Felix on this CD are white new-wave and electro-pop references, including Devo (track 5, “Sweetfrosti”), Stuart Price (track16, “The Future Calls the Dawn”), Giorgio Moroder (track 15, “Night Tripperz”), Daft Punk (track 2, “Movie Disco”) and Men Without Hats (track 13, “Pretty Girls Don’t Dance,” which was also released as a 12” promo).

Overall, Virgo Blaktro & the Movie Disco leans more towards the production of pop songs, rather than dance floor tracks. On several of the tracks, including “Lookin’ My Best,” “I seem 2 Be the 1,” “Sweetfrosti” and “Monkey Cage,” Felix satisfies his obsession with ’80s synth-pop. While the album features electroclash pop songs, the production attempts to simulate a dance mix. The beat remains nearly constant throughout the album, and in switching from track to track, only the briefest of pauses occurs before the beat re-enters. The overall feel of the album is influenced greatly by electro. The average track length is between two and three minutes with only two tracks lasting more than five minutes. There are several tracks on the album lasting only thirty seconds, and while each serves as its own musical thought, there is not enough space between them to allow the listener to interpret each one individually. Thus, much of the album is made up of 30 to 120 second sound fragments.

There are several standout tracks on Virgo Blaktro & the Movie Disco, including “Tweak,” which was originally released in 2005 and became a popular dance floor anthem. Presented here in an abbreviated version, it seems oddly out of place in the midst of pop songs. While it has its fun moments, Virgo Blaktro, like his previous album Devin Dazzle & The Neon Fever, is somewhat disappointing. Neither really lives up to the potential of Kittenz and Thee Glitz.

Posted by Meghan Reef

Title: Bold and Beautiful
Artist: Vikter Duplaix
Label: BBE Records
Catalog No.: CD 730003107023.
Date: 2006

Few would debate the role of electronic technology in the birth and growth of hip hop music. From hip hop’s South Bronx beginnings, the music was inextricably connected to the innovation of existing sound technology. Hip hop DJ pioneers—including Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grand Master Flash—made an art of redefining record playing techniques such as mixing and scratching to accentuate their DJ performances. Arguably there was also an influence from the disco era in terms of elevating the role of the DJ to that of an artist.

Vikter Dupliax’s Bold and Beautiful represents the maturation of the hip hop DJ as an artist and visionary, not just in terms of traditional hip hop live DJ performances, but as studio producers as well. A Philadelphia native, Dupliax draws on various musical influences, including the “Philly Sound” developed by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, hip hop, and electronica dance music.

Bold and Beautiful is the mellowest of his three electronica albums. Known for his airy vocal delivery, Duplaix is consistent throughout the project. Though he has a narrow vocal range, diversity is provided through his production abilities and the avid musicianship of Raphael Saadiq of Tony Toni Toné on bass, famed house music producer Ron Trent on bass, gospel singer Tye Tribbet, Canadian trip-hop queen Esthero, and Grammy-award winning producer James Poyser on keyboards. This supporting cast of musicians from various musical genres adequately supports Duplaix’s vision for the album.

Bold and Beautiful is Duplaix’s second full album release. His 2001 debut, International Affairs, was more heavily influenced by the broken beat sounds of Europe. This is not surprising considering the amount of work Duplaix has done with electronica production collectives such as Jazzanova from Germany. With Duplaix’s current release he creates a more downtempo atmosphere using ambient synthesizers and subdued drum and bass lines. Songs such as “Make a Baby” and “Another Great Love Gone By” exemplify this type of production. Consequently, this album is more consistent with European electronica in that the vocals are distantly tantamount to the instrumental elements of the song. A notable exception to this rule is “I See the Sun,” featuring gospel singer Tye Tribbet and his choir G.A., which is the most vocally ambitious track on Bold and Beautiful. The presence of vocals also keeps the music accessible to the casual listener.

Duplaix chose to use no emcees and provides almost all of his own vocals. His album represents electronica in its various incarnations including contemplative hip hop, frenetic dance music, and downtempo lounge music. There is tremendous breadth of African-American interpretation within the genre. But what Bold and Beautiful most accurately displays is how a generation of African-American DJs, who have always been electronically inclined, use machines to make their sound even more expansive and expressive rather than more minimalist. Consequently, this type of technological innovation in music places them squarely in the continuum that began with newly-enslaved Africans who used hambones and spoons to articulate a sound they heard within.

Posted by fredara mareva

Title: High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music
Director: Gary Bredow
Label: Plexifilm
Catalog No.: 029
Date: 2006

Finally, Detroit has its own techno documentary–High Tech Soul. As this title highlights, and the documentary makes quite clear, Detroit techno is a unique form of music in the world of electronic dance music because of it’s creation in the Motor City. “High tech soul,” a phrase expressed by producer/DJ Derrick May in the film, is an extraordinarily suitable label for Detroit techno.

The musical and cultural roots of Detroit techno are predominantly African American. In the early 1980s, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, three African American college kids from Bellville, Michigan (a small town outside of Detroit), began to create what is now called Detroit techno. These three men are highlighted in the film, along with Eddie Fowlkes, whose status as a founder of Detroit techno is explicitly and humorously addressed in the film. Major musical influences that these, and many other prominent Detroit DJs, claim are James Brown, Sly Stone, Afrika Bambaataa, George Clinton, and Kraftwerk, as well as influences from musical genres like disco, electro-funk, house, and experimental electronic music. Considering these influences, thinking of Detroit techno as soul music created with high tech sensibilities becomes an appropriate way of understanding the music in the context of its history.

In addition to Atkins, May, Saunderson, and Fowlkes, a large number of DJs and producers contributed to this documentary. Some of these artists, in order of appearance, are Carl Craig, the “Electrifying Mojo,” Richie Hawtin, Nico Marks of Underground Resistance, Kenny Larkin, Jeff Mills, Stacy Pullen, Scan 7, John Aquaviva, Blake Baxter, Thomas Barnett, and Delano Smith. These artists commented on Detroit techno’s long and diverse history, highlighting important DJs, musical equipment, and endearing feelings about Detroit as a city.

This 64-minute documentary includes 17 minutes of extra footage. In these extras are Continue reading →

Title: Put the Needle on the Record
Director: Jason Rem
Publisher: REM Entertainment
Catalog No.:060601
Date: 2006

In the 1970’s disco music became a pop culture phenomenon. But then just as quickly as it ascended, it was driven back underground by a vicious backlash from the rock music peace community. Disco, renamed dance or club music, re-emerged in the DJ set of Frankie Knuckles at a Chicago club simply called “The Warehouse.” The music that was spun there became known as “house music.” Almost thirty years later, house music, a mixture of many subgenres including downtempo, trance, techno, drum ‘n bass, and soulful house, continues be celebrated every year at the Winter Music Conference in Miami.

The film Put the Needle on the Record examines the history, classification, purpose, and future of house music and electronica through the eyes of the dance music DJ. Produced and written by Jason Rem, the film uses the Winter Music Conference in Miami as a backdrop for interviewing many of the top dance music DJs from around the world including Mark Farina, Jesse Saunders, and Donald Glaude. The DJs comment on many facets of dance music as an art and as a business. The DJs intimate that dance music is a very large family of music that includes many diverse styles united by the standard “four on the floor” beat, funk, and soul. The film also goes into further detail about many of the subgenres and their particulars.

The DJs passion for the type of music they play and their self-described roles as tour guides through a musical experience is evident. Although the documentary focuses on the DJ as the central force in house music, the other dominant force, the partygoers, are seen as the force that inspires the DJ. Since the purpose of dance music is to motivate people to dance, Put the Needle on the Record weaves in plenty of actual club footage to illustrate the critical rapport between the DJ in the booth and the frenetic crowd on the dance floor.

Put the Needle on the Record also includes bonus features such as footage of DJs in various clubs around the country. The film is a good introduction to dance music and a good retrospective for electronica/dance music fans alike.

Posted by Fredara Mareva

Artist: DJ Minx/Women on Wax
Label: WOW

As the founder of the Women on Wax (WOW) label, DJ Minx has been at the forefront of the Detroit techno turntablist movement. DJ Minx’s latest project, The Essential EP, pairs her up with fellow WOW labelmate, Diviniti. Together they are known as A Taste of the Honeys. Minx’s intricate and trippy grooves are true to its techno origins yet accessible to mainstream electronica fans. As a part of the WOW collective, Minx has executively produced the workd of other DJs including DJ Genesis’ latest project, The Key to Life EP. Genesis’ offering is a downtempo and chill approach to techno that features ambient keyboards and synthesizers over a techno bass and beat. Lastly, Minx also helped guide labelmate’s Napi Hedz latest EP, The Blessed Bliss. This eclectic production is heavily influenced by Indian-inspired vocals and rhythms that give the music a global feel. These three EPs prove that DJ Minx and Women on Wax family are true to their techno roots while keeping their ears to the world!

Posted by Fredara Mareva

Editor’s Note: DJ Minx will be participating in the upcoming Roots of Techno conference.