ALBUMSREVIEWS 9.0
Bonobo The North Borders Ninja Tune
Bonobo syndrome
Space Dimension Controller
Welcome To Mikrosector-50 R&S
9.0 Star Wars — with added funk
SPACE. The final front ear. Dance music and science fiction have gone hand-in-hand since the dawn of affordable synthesizers. From Giorgio Moroder to Zapp, Parliament to Herbie Hancock, Cybotron to Daft Punk, those cosmic synth riffs ‘n’ basslines have transformed musicians into sonic psychonauts and listeners into voyagers on interstellar trips to the outer galaxies (of their minds at least). But for every successful vision and auditory equivalent there’s the cliched, the hackneyed, the cheesy. The paradigm’s been rinsed, who can possibly do something new with the played-out space vibe? Jack Hamill, actually, aka Space Dimension Controller. No relation to his namesake Mark (aka the vanished actor who played Luke Skywalker), the Belfast-based producer proves himself an equally capable galactic warrior on this astonishing, preposterous space opera concept album. Fashioning a tall story about the titular SDC on a mission through time, and err, space, it’s an epic, tremendously fun record with
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enough depth to reward repeated listens. Taking on the voices of all the characters, telling the story across the course of the album with a series of skits and sketches,it’s the incredible funk and imagination of the tunes themselves that is the real revelation. From the crab nebula Balearica of ‘2357 AD’, its almost- trance synths like staring out over a flight deck on a glittering purple sea, to ‘Mr 8040’s Introduction’, with its squiggly Kleeer boogie synths and early ‘80s rap (taken on by a pitched-down Hamill himself with tongue-in-cheek), ‘Confusion On The Armament Moon’, its 4/4 clap and Detroitian funk synths a meeting of Bernie Worrell and ‘Mad’ Mike Banks on Europa, to the prime 313 techno flavour of ‘Rising’, it’s almost impossible to take in. Bear in mind that SDC has played all the keys, guitars and instrumentation himself, and you’d be right to be slack-jawed in amazement. A phenomenal album destined to survive far into the year 3000 — and
beyond.Ben Murphy
9.0
Djrum Seven Lies 2nd Drop Garage maverick makes mark
The debut artist album on 2nd Drop, a label run by DJ Mag dubstep scribe Mark Gurney, comes from hotly-tipped bass wunderkind Djrum, aka Felix Manuel (it’s pronounced “drum”, fact fans). His previous releases ‘Mountains’ and ‘Watermark’ may have picked up props and plays from the bass elite, but his first long- player far surpasses them. Tipping his hat to everyone from Burial to Flying Lotus, two-step to an unashamed affection for that much maligned genre, trip-hop, Djrum’s sonic alchemy is greater than the sum of those influences. ‘Como Los Cerdos’ is a jazzy, slow promenade, its sepia horns coated in nostalgia, but accompanied by huge sub bass tones and air raid sirens: much-needed edge and attitude. ‘Arcana’ is all techy rattling percussion, garage clip and disembodied divas, before flowering into stately cellos and moody Reese bass. Running throughout is a deep knowledge of rave and rap culture. Absolutely brilliant. Ben Murphy
8.0
Paul Blackford Return Of The Bionic Bassline Tudor Beats The Six Million Dollar Man
Paul Blackford doesn’t stray from his signature fusion of Detroit electro and UK bass music on his latest release. Full of metallic funk, 808s, menacing sub bass and raised BPMs, ‘Return Of The Bionic Bassline’ is a 10-track journey that twists and turns with frantic precision amid the murky ether. If you own a 5.1 system then you’re in luck, as the album was specifically mixed for this format. For the rest of us, Blackford’s attention to spatial detail and sound design is thankfully present enough to be enjoyed on most stereo listening formats as well. The sonic complexities, d&b-ish undertones, and overarching robotic darknesses of ‘Return Of The Bionic Bassline’ are reminiscent of a slightly more frenetic Monolake, and stand as testament to this solid album from an incredibly skilled producer. Zara Wladlawsky
Voted our Best Of British Album Of 2010, the breadth of ‘Black Sands’ drew far wider than just the UK. Winning plaudits for its treatment of angular electronics within an elegant orchestral context, Simon Green’s follow-up has picked up where it left off — with bells on. Despite the dreary opener, the album takes on a slightly more upbeat feel. ‘Emkay’ is possibly his most garage-y yet, with echoes of Jazztronik’s emotional masterpiece ‘Samurai’. As well as edging further into two-step territory, ‘The North Borders’ is also poppier, with Erykah Badu swapping places with Andreya Triana for ‘Heaven For The Sinner’. Elsewhere, ‘Jets’ treads trip-hop territory with a dash of Letherette and, probably the strongest of the bunch, ‘Ten Tigers’ revamps ‘Black Sands’ excellent ‘Kong’. Tweaking his formula in the face of exceedingly high expectations, Bonobo’s latest definitely delivers. But as good as the last? Not far off. Adam Saville
James Blake Overgrown Polydor Over-groan?
Depending on your viewpoint, James Blake is either a dour, over-indulgent singer/producer or a melancholic genius deserving of worship. Regardless of your stance, his capacity for conjuring cavernous moodscapes cannot be questioned — it’s unrivalled, in fact. Jamie Woon — whom his sophomore reflects more than his eponymous first due to increased crooning and more explicit r&b overtones — might have the voice, but Blake has the touch. Where his debut lacked diversity, ‘Overgrown’ is more varied in terms of style. On ‘Life Round Here’, even he gets caught in “the trap” storming the States, guest MC RZA emulates LL Cool J on the lo-fi cloud rap of ‘Take A Fall Me’, while he gets gospel with synths on ‘Retrograde’. Unmistakably bleak, but soulful all the while. The first listen might baffle, but those persistent can be blinded by the lights lurking in the depths of Blake’s murky pop-step. Lisa Loveday
8.0
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