THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE

There’s not enough good hip-hop these days which is strange as there’s been some strong releases by Killer Mike, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. For me, the leaders of this recent pack have been Shabazz Palaces. Similar to those creatively successful acts, Shabazz operate within a modernist hip-hop template using sparse electronics to exhilarating effect.  But what sets them apart is their maturity and wisdom, stretching back to the conscious rap era (Shabazz’s main man Ishmael Butler was in the legendary Digable Planets) and an appreciation of space age Afrocentrisms (think of the conceptual works of Sun-Ra,  Afrika Bambaataa and Funkadelic).

THEESatisfaction, a soulful hip-hop inspired female duo who featured on Shabazz’s excellent debut Black Up, appear to be kindred spirits as they too have been influenced by those aforementioned movements. On the other hand they are much younger, but what they lack in wisdom they certainly make up with an abundance of ideas on their debut awE naturalE.

This album is modern sounding but, as opposed to Black Up, it is also quite slight with many organic touches such as acoustic drums, piano parts and acapella style vocals. When I say slight I don't mean this in a bad way at all. There's nothing innocuous or pedestrian about THEESatisfaction; there's attitude here it's just not in your face. This is a clever trick to pull off.

The spirit of this record reminds me of De La Soul Is Dead - it's dark and hazy, at times venomous, but also lively. Also present is a politically conscious and literate air rarely heard and delivered this well since Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides or Talib Kweli/ Hi-Tek Reflection Eternal. As on all those hip-hop classics, there’s plenty of great wordplay and lyrical imagery that's amusing as well as thought-provoking.   

The hip-hop influence aside, awE naturalE goes a step further by not actually having that much rapping and keeping a foot in the neo-soul genre. There’s definitely an affinity towards the late night studio-led stylings of Erykah Badu and Meshell Ndegeocello and lots of cool well-sung vocal harmonies.  

Inevitably they collaborate with Shabazz Palaces on a couple of tracks and one of them is possibly the greatest joint on the album. However, THEESatisfaction are more than capable of holding their own.  On awE naturalE they might sound like they are just getting started but it should be an interesting journey from here.

Jessie Ware - Devotion

The arrival of Jessie Ware’s debut album last year was a much needed breath of fresh air in a world of commodified pop that's dictated by a bunch of has-been talent show judges.   

At first it was easy to be skeptical about it as her album was an instant hit with the broadsheets, received a Mercury Music Prize nomination and there was news of her being related to a well-known broadcaster. All a bit middle-class and coffee-table… But prior to her debut, Jessie had worked with urban underground acts Joker and SBTRKT and recorded some solid tunes. As a vocalist she didn’t come across as amazingly proficient but her sassy and understated delivery brought something special.   

I’ve been listening to her album off and on in recent months. I was somewhat underwhelmed on my first few listens. This is because it seemed to lack the intrigue of her dubstep/ grime infused work and opted for more obvious soul reference points such as Sade and Whitney House (RIP). However, following repeated listens, I discovered that the songwriting and the studio-led arrangements (which keep revealing themselves the more you listen) is actually impressive.

At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, there was a time when pop music successfully repackaged current dance influences to produce melodies that were cool and accessible (80s Pet Shop Boys and New Order being fine examples). Devotion does exactly that with Ware’s acute awareness of more interesting electronic producers, something which her contemporaries such as Emeli Sande and Adele lack. It is also pulled off with enough suave and elegance to keep it on the right side of adult contemporary.  

The broadsheet music journos seem to have got it right after all. Where she goes from here, deeper into sophisti-pop or edgy electronic, will be interesting to see. Here's an early pre-Devotion tune of her's worth sharing.

Mantronix - Take Your Time (Beat Me Down Mix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29r66FaJz5E

Mantronix was a pioneer of 1980s dance music. His earlier output is synonymous with the Brooklyn based electro-funk movement. By the early 90s the Mantronix sound was recharged by the vibrancy of acid house and techno from that time.

In Take Your Time (Beat Me Down Mix) he created something accessible with the wonderfully soulful vocals of Wondress, electric piano/ rave synths and a catchy chorus. But it also had cutting edge rhythms, cold treble beats and clever multi-track vocal trickery. This all sat well thanks to the man's production talent. It's breezy air gives it a lightness and at the same time an energetic dance feel.

Many dance pop acts from the early 90s such as Soul II Soul and The Shamen probably took note, as did obscure techno experimentalists such as Autechre. Even Radiohead! When I hear the opening bars of Idioteque I'm reminded of this song and Mantronix.

The impressive production aside, what's truely unforgettable about the tune is its classic euphoric vibe and ecstatic rush. This was an anthem for a new 90s decade, an exciting time for dance music and being young (the recession aside!).

If I had to pick a New Year's Eve anthem then this is definitely it. Sure that on the cusp of 2013 it sounds dated, but to these ears there's been no other party like it.

Dirty Three - Toward The Low Sun

During my commutes to work in December, I like listening to Dirty Three. Their loose and meandering instrumental music, which is part serene part frenetic, reflects the cold weather and festive and reflective end of year mood rather well.

The focal point in all this is Warren Ellis' dazzling and effects laden violin playing. At times Ellis' playing is astounding and makes me think that he is the violin-playing equivalent of musical legends, totally in control of their instruments, such as Jimi Hendrix, Charles Mingus and Miles Davies. Like those artists, Ellis is very technically proficient and a master in improv. 
    
Despite the violin being a classical musical instrument and Ellis’ being inspired by traditional forms of ethnic folk, there's also guitar and drums in the line up (sometimes other traditional/ rock instruments too). Thankfully the other musicians are also exceptionally talented and the union works beautifully. Their guitarist Mick Turner is even an amazing painter! (See Mick's art here)

After long seven years, earlier this year Dirty Three finally released their 8th album Toward The Low Sun. Of course, as it's December I'm currently listening to it.

It's good to see that the band still manages to find new ways of expressing their unique and timeless sound by essentially sticking to the same musical vocabulary. The differences in their album are subtle and slight. Earlier albums such as Horse Stories, Ocean Songs and Whatever You Love You Are were carefully woven musical tapestries that were quite singular. Those records were largely based around  epic crescendos with wide-screen vision. The last three albums, including TTLS, are more varied in ideas, economical and contain conciser songs.

TTLS itself is less melodic and focuses more on the actual musicianship of the band and the intricacies of their unrivalled musical chemistry. It has a certain freshness, as if these musically experienced guys are re-acquainting themselves in a practice room after some time. It also builds on the diversity and intimacy of their previous two albums without straying far at all. The songs aren't terribly catchy but still memorable due to the skillful playing and their varied backdrops (e.g. psychedelic fuzz, gentle piano atmospherics and brittle acoustic folk). Like other Dirty Three records, I'm sure that TTLS will reveal itself more overtime. In the meantime, here's proof that Dirty Three still deserve attention and have more to say, than most bands, without using any words. 

Slowdive - Pygmalion

A few years before Radiohead threw a curveball with Kid A, an album considered to be a radical stylistic departure from the band’s established sonic template, another Thames Valley band called Slowdive did a "Kid A".

Unlike Radiohead, Slowdive were not popular with the critics and the masses. On the other hand, like Radiohead they headed in a certain direction over two albums which relied on emotive songwriting, soaring guitars and epic but anti-rock anthems. Then following career-defining albums, they turned the notion of "the band" upside down and released equally impressive (if not better) follow-up albums. These albums (Kid A and Pygmalion) were more studio-based and electronic leaning. Nevertheless, Radiohead and Slowdive made sonic advancements that were more logical than most think. The difference was that the progression was less linear and more forward-thinking than before.

Pygmalion was Slowdive's swan song and criminally overlooked as it was Slowdive and it refused to capture the Britpop zeitgeist of its time. Instead the band took inspiration from the thriving ambient techno movement led by innovators such as Aphex Twin, Seefeel and Global Communication. Similar to how Radiohead deconstructed the elements of OK Computer into a sparser template with Kid A, Slowdive boiled down the sound of their previous classic Souvlaki and buried it deep into the ground with ghostly samples, loops, minimal guitar, ambient orchestral instrumentation and muted cymbals and beats. What they created wasn’t a melodic collection of songs but a series of minimalist and spaced out soundscapes which sounded dramatic and, at times, folk.   

I often think of Pygmalion as a soundtrack to a seance! But there are also moments of lulling warmth which are similar to those on  two other classics - Laughing Stock by Talk Talk and Hex by Bark Psychosis. This isn't surprising as both records were major influences on Slowdive's brave new age world. Pygmalion also went a step further by pushing the well-crafted ambient rock aesthetic into a more minimal electronic sphere.    

Considering that at the time Slowdive were not getting on with each other, faced record label pressures, and no one from their ilk (except The Cranes) took a similar stylistic path, Pygmalion was a brave move. Ultimately it did lead to the band being dropped by Creation Records and disbanding. But not all was lost. Slowdive metamorphosed into the country and folk inspired Mojave 3. With Pygmalion they also left behind a memorably unique and influential masterpiece. Now, that was a far more impressive legacy than Britpop!

Unwound – Leaves Turn Inside You

An exciting week for Unwound fans as a website appeared promising a new live Unwound album and a load of recorded gigs for downloading. Lead singer/ guitarist Justin Trosper eloquently described it as an Unwound museum – "free admission but please visit the gift shop".

Those who followed Unwound, before they split up around the time of 9/11, will know that their new website is in keeping with their DIY punk rock tradition. Going back to their salad days in the very early 90s, Unwound were a product of the American post-hardcore scene. Around that time two other bands from that scene (Fugazi and Jawbox) released debut albums.Unlike Unwound, those bands were already veterans who formed out of the ashes of seminal 80s American hardcore punk bands. These were bands which undoubtedly influenced the kids that were Unwound.

During the 90s then, there was this trinity of sorts in the American post-hardcore scene - Fugazi, Jawbox and Unwound. These bands were prolific, relentlessly toured, put on exciting live shows and were highly influential. Then it all fizzled out near the turn of the millenium.

Jawbox were first to go; the spirit continuted without the energy and impact in various spin-off incarnations. Unwound and Fugazi carried on until 2001 and 2002 respectively and, incidentally, both released their last albums in the second half of 2001. These albums were stylistically similar in a sense. Although both bands consciously expanded their sound with each album and diverged away from each other sonically, they arrived at a similar end point. This was dominated by an apocalyptical and bleak aesthetic which, at the same time, contained a satisfyingly progressive punk rock edge. However, while both strong releases, I’d say that Leaves Turn Inside You was more interesting than The Argument (Fugazi’s last album).

LTIY was a double-album, three years in the making, which rocketed Unwound light years away from their original post-hardcore template. Like their previous releases it was dark and had early Gang of Four/ post-punk inspired dynamics. But this time around Unwound's sound was coloured by a kaleidoscopic array featuring haunting post-rock, Godspeed-esque cellos, shoegaze, 60s-inspired psychedelia, garage rock, Eno-esque ambience, krautrock, harpsichords and a whole lot more without sounding all over the place. Another bonus was that the vocals were better. These elements played very well to Unwound’s established strengths which included amazing drumming, skillful guitar/ bass interplay and mesmerizing instrumental breaks.

This is a record which I adore to bits and a very poetic end to the Unwound story. Back in the day who would have thought that after a few more albums Unwound would make a record surpassing their own heroes. With LTIY Unwound exceeded many expectations, most probably even their own. It's Unwound’s beautiful corpse and it's far better than it had any right to be.  

The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

Believe it or not Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde just turned 20 years old!

In commemoration of not only one of the greatest West Coast hip-hop albums of the 90s, but also hip-hop history, a few interesting articles have emerged (check this). One of them mentions that three out of four members of the Bizarre Ride line-up appeared as  dancers in Michael Jackson’s Do You Remember The Time video! In addition, you are reliably informed that Bizarre Ride was a unique breath of fresh air which appeared at a time when the Native Tongues movement was beginning to stagnate and the Gangsta genre was gathering pace.

Listening to Bizarre Ride now, the youthful exuberance and prankster attitude still sound endearing. Recent artists such as Odd Future seem to have overstretched this to the point of parody. Bizarre Ride also came at a time when some of us were still in awe of the conscious rap of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest; this is reciprocated here with moments of social awareness, introspection and sensitivity towards matters of the heart. Ironically these qualities have also been exhausted in recent hip-hop. However, this is what makes Bizarre Ride more special - the way it cleverly balances these conflicting elements is uniquely impressive. 3 Feet High and Rising may have laid the foundations for this dual hip-hop personality but The Pharcyde successfully pulled it off.

Their more mature but still worthy follow-up Labcabincalifornia (produced by the immensely talented and much missed J Dilla) didn't attempt to recapture the spirit. This was probably a wise move considering the inner band tensions and personal struggles getting in the way.

However, the chemistry of the original
Bizarre Ride line-up, fuelled by J Swift’s inventive scrapbook production, was a hip-hop force that couldn't be rivalled. Although it was destined for a short life span, it was undoubtedly a winning formula.