Author: Matt Oliver

Album Review: Vincent I. Watson / ‘Serene’ (Pyramids of Mars)

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Vincent I. Watson Serene

★★★★☆

Expert technologist Vincent I. Watson releases an exhibit of meditative textures tuned to maximize sensations of tingling invigoration and carefree, amorphous weightlessness. If that sounds arty for what’s essentially a high-spec chillout record, it’s because Serene can be defined as more than just a musical expo. Even if at times it sounds like a CD only available on infomercials.

With a gradual enveloping of surround sound going with a touch of the operatic (taken from the Scotsman’s classical training), “Celtic Beauty” borrows trance’s ability of empowerment as layered loops find their own way. Yet a tiny speckle of pessimism is in Watson’s psyche – maybe thinking that you have to have some negativity in order to sieve it from your system. “Sagitaria” suggests caution be taken and “Re-Contact” turns your inner happy place into something in need of de-fogging, giving way to digital vibrations that move the scenario to futuristic reaches, and sit on the album’s all-seeing, all-knowing hum and shimmer. “Out of Reach” sounds like a crystal castle fronted by armed guards, and with the slow-motion dive of “Abyss”, walls of sound are key to Watson’s entrancement, without, despite the latter’s iller omens, ever losing its feeling of looking down on the world.

Beatless so as to capitalize on the cloud-scaling experience, final track “Open Your Eyes” adds defined rhythm to allow warmer patterns to infiltrate your brainwaves. Like being invited into an igloo, yet finding a roaring fire in its midst.

File under: Steve Reich, Phillip Glass, Hans Zimmer

Album Review: Chris Carrier & Hector Moralez / ‘Lotus Seven’ (Apollonia)

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Chris Carrier Hector Moralez Lotus Seven

★★★★☆

Master blasters dealing in funk phenomena, straight talking partiers Chris Carrier and Hector Moralez go for the dance floor with on-the-money maker bumps packing bassy stubble and deep filtered disco loops that are hard to defend against. With barely a glory-seeking or shape-holding riff in earshot, the pair’s Lotus position is purely about house beats running deep ruts into the ground while the shuffle and sharpness of hi-hats provides the incision, picking up a hitchhiker of cool, occasionally zingy funk that’s slipped in to keep tastebuds moist.

Taking a little time to get into its stride – the premise is supposedly a road trip through ’90s San Francisco, so the two are obviously gassing up at the get-go – it becomes a party that you can join at any time without needing to play catch up, such is the no gimmicks, just good times and honest endeavor the duo advertise. A long in the tooth taste for an almost throwback US house sound ain’t coming off soft or bland, making it deep house not found fading, with “Disco Remodel” and “Island Breeze” kicking sand in faces with skippy disco redux.

The funk of “Phillies Titan” and “Mystery Streets” keep up the good spirits as well as slickening the attitude of B-boys playing hard-ball, and aren’t cause for any self-indulging interruption. When “Rise of the People” takes center stage, it firms Carrier and Moralez’s status as true old-school junkies showing newbies how it’s done.

File under: Ming & FS,; The Sharp Boys, Armand van Helden

Compilation Review: ‘Bunny Tiger Selection Vol.01’ (Bunny Tiger)

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Bunny Tiger Selection Vol 01

★★☆☆☆

A peculiar mix, and a maker of decisions that in this day and age of the remix and the bootleg, comes off sub-par at best. Sharam Jey is trying to impress with alternative club versions of recognizable themes when a) the tracks they’re sourcing from aren’t in the least bit upfront and b) are not radical re-ups, just more or less a copy and paste of vocals. You understand that getting the party started is at the front of his mind, but the demeanor is of a budding first gig spinner who mixes pretty well or a house party hired hand rather than someone of experience and stature.

The rap sheet starts inauspiciously with SJ’s “Give It To Me” taking on Busta Rhymes’ “I Know What You Want” (utilizing Bus-a-Bus on the hook, rather than the more natural choice of Mariah Carey). A decent framing of the accompanying chords heads fair but rarely dynamic, ’80s-touched electro and disco flavors. The ensuing plod of artless pop-to-dance alterations become excruciatingly derivative, taking from Pharrell crooning on Snoop’s “Beautiful”, Timex Social Club, The Fugees (“Here I Come” is alarmingly uninventive), bygone guilty pleasures such as Cutting Crew’s “Died In Your Arms” and Tears for Fears’ “Shout” and samples best known to belong to King Bee and Truth Hurts. Jey loses the game of trying to appeal through the familiar, and this Bunny needs boiling.

File under: Tapesh, Phonique, Teenage Mutants

Compilation Review: ‘Dubstep Allstars Volume 10, mixed by Plastician’ (Tempa)

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Dubstep Allstars Volume 10, mixed by Plastician

★★★★☆

Plastician causes more head-bangs than a Mortal Kombat death move. Only brainless in so much as it digs a claw into your skull and scoops up grey cells as its trophy, Chris Reed strategizes with deliberated attack – dive bombs, dead-eyed snipers, sub-bass gorging on steroids (with mangling side-effects to match), thickening the air with gunsmoke and targeting clubs by unsheathing wild tectonic activity.

Kumarachi’s “Voyager” has percussion smashing more plates than a Greek get-down. Nomine’s “Waves” runs on old jungle bass to show there’s no frequency too old to void your bowels for you. Vicious Circle’s “Not Afraid” is the seek & destroy, future outlaw incarnate. Jaydrop’s “That’s How It Is” knocks over the 4×4 template, and Dream’s “Desolate” is the classic flipside of understating the firepower to maximise the tension. Emcees gamely crossing the grime divide are Newham Generals’ Footsie and the particularly rampant Merky Ace, and you can well say the mix is going back to dubstep’s roots and sticking to meat & potatoes marauding.

There is a deeper side: Mutated Mindz’ “Valentine Dreams” puts a megawatt charge through Cupid’s bow and arrow, and Plastician’s own “Alone Time” eases the collective migraine, but it’s no grey-shaded rumination, just the big guns told to a break from playing pat-a-cake with the panic button. The Allstars shall not be moved.

File under: MRK1, Slaughter Mob, Magnetic Man