Music Reviews
Bilal - Airtight's Revenge
Plug ResearchThere aren’t many artists that can have a nine year gap between albums and still remain relevant but Bilal has done just that. In fact, with each guest appearance and live performance, the anticipation for this release grew at a rapid rate. Finally with “Airtight’s Revenge”, Bilal delivers an eclectic project that merely scratches the surface of his unique talents yet still provides definite satisfaction. Right from the start we’re treated to the twisted funky grooves of “Cake and eat it too” where he unleashes many layers of his infectious voice. “Move On” is another funky experimental highlight that laments on the heart break of a lost love. “Robots” is laden with slick grooves and wicked electric guitar licks. It also provides some social commentary on the political machine that exists how it affects the common man while the rich get richer. The disc wraps up with the acoustic flavored “Think It Over”, a warm and heartfelt ballad. Bilal isn’t content with going with the flow but instead seeks to push the boundaries of his musical landscape. This is a welcome return and hopefully there’ll be much more to follow.
PermalinkReg Dancy, 12/10
Binario - Binario
Far Out RecordingsFrom Ipanema Beach, with a sound that rocks and funks its way through core Brazilian rhythms, with a touch of psychedelic thrown in too but really there’s so much going on here it’s hard to define (in a good way). They are a seven piece band that distance themselves well away from all stereotypical notions of Brazilian music and have made a CD that’s distinctly their own sound, I’ll just leave you to ponder what that sound actually is because there’s such a mixture from track to track that you often wonder if it’s a different CD. Well worth checking out.
Graham Radley, 02/09
Bismillah Khan - The Shennai's Humble Master
SaregamaDouble CD of some of shenai master Bismillah Khan's most important recordings between 1959 and 1989. The first CD is "with Party" whilst the second has two tracks from the 1959 film "Goonj Uthi Shehnai" plus some collaborative work with V.G.Jog and with Vilayat Khan. Superb, Indian classical music at its finest.
Graham Radley, 12/07
Black Britanyaa - The Windrush Vol. 2
Abduction EntertainmentEast London’s Black Britanyaa serves up thought provoking hip hop with reggae flavored drum n bass rhythms. The group draws upon the black heroes of the rich British heritage as well as speaking to the youth of today. The disc starts out with “The Excursion”, a song that pays homage to the black pioneers in UK soul like Sade, Soul to Soul and Loose Ends. “Wha Gwan” is an upbeat joyful track that talks about celebrating life and has a Middle Eastern feel to it thanks to the flute playing that complements the thumping bass. “Illegal Aliens” is a cover of Sting’s hit “Englishman In New York” except they flip the script and speak on life as a black man in Britain. Another favorite is “Libation” which features the soulful voice of UK soul man Omar. The “Windrush Vol. 2” is a solid combination of banging beats and conscious lyrics. Black Britanyaa does its part to ensure that UK hip hop is in good hands.
Reg Dancy, 12/08
Black Grass - Three
Catskills RecordsThis is Black Grass’s third album on Brighton’s Catskills record label and, as usual, his productions skills are crisp, clean and tight, like a tiger. The man’s versatility knows no bounds and he takes his core Hip-Hop approach and applies it, on ‘Three’, to Reggae, Funk, Boogie, Latin vibes and all things in between. Whatever the variation though, the Black Grass sound essentially always has the feel-good factor at its heart and, although this is no bad thing, I have to confess to finding the boppy, twanging, Jurassic 5-esque Hip-Hop style (that is so eagerly embraced in the UK) a little tired. The real standouts on ‘Three’ all seem to appear whenever Dionne Charles turns up on vocal duties. ‘Without Your Love’ cuts a fine figure of a freestyle boogie number that would slot seamlessly into a classic Unabombers DJ set, whilst ‘How Much Can You Take’ and ‘Hold Fire’ are two prime cuts of soulful Funk that respect the authentic ingredients and shy away from any semblance of ‘fusion’.
Tom Breslin, 10/08
Black Jazz Consortium - RE:Actions Of Light
Soul People MusicUnder the guise of Black Jazz Consortium Fred Peterkin comes with an outstanding debut set. Although there are subtle jazz influences 'RE:Actions Of Light' is a journey into deep house. Heavy beats are built upon with layers of percussion, swirling synths, and occasional vocal snippets to create a heady and atmospheric listening experience. 'Blessings' and 'More Love Please pt.1' really hit the spot but pay particular attention to the broken rhythms of 'Seeing The Way Through' which should reach anthem status at the likes of Liquid Fusion and Co Op.
Andy Allen, 08/07
Blick Bassy - Leman
World ConnectionFirst solo CD from cameroon’s rising star who is part of the Bassa ethnic group (originally nomads from Egypt). He grew up surrounded by music, not only Bassa musical traditions but his familys collection of music from Western soul greats like Marvin Gaye. He then moved to Paris in 2005 where he worked with many top African musicians like Manu Dibango. Those influences now unite on ‘Leman’ with the soulfulness of Gaye enriching his African traditional heritage. Great debut.
Graham Radley, 05/09
Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
Warp RecordsThese boys from Scotland are the real deal in electronica. Everything they do is highly anticipated in the world of the laptop hugging and beard stroking fraternity. They rarely give interviews or do photo shoots, preferring to communicate through their music. Respect. This is their third full album, following on from 1999’s excellent ‘Geogaddi’. On first listen I like it a lot, on second listen I realise why. The Campfire Headphase is sublime electronica for all seasons. I would say this sounds more like their Skam stuff and ‘Music Has The Right To Children’ than the later stuff. There are dreamier guitar scapes and fewer oddities on the beat front. But it’s very in sounding with the usual Boards Of Canada work. For those who like their beats (less) then this won’t disappoint. It’s another gem from Boards Of Canada released once again on the greatest electronic label to ever grace record shops.
Jax, 10/05
Bobby Matos - The Best Of
Ubiquity RecordsThis retrospective of Bobby Matos' recordings for the Ubiquity/Luv N Haight subsidiary Cubop is a must for any fan of Latin jazz. Much of the material here is aimed directly at the dance floor and whilst you can't help being drawn in by the intoxicating rhythms it's the gentler moments which appeal to me the most. His versions of John Coltrane's 'Naima' and Pharoah Sanders' 'The Creator Has A Master Plan' are both outstanding as is his take on Miles' 'So What'. If you've overlooked Bobby Matos in the past and feel the urge to acquaint yourself with his music, then this album is a great place to start.
Andy Allen, 10/07
Bonga - Bairro
LusafricaSuperb release from Bonga with a nice balance of moods and rhythms which range from where his native Angolan semba shows influences of morna from the Cape Verde to changing gear so that soukous guides us to the dance floor. Now in his 60’s but this is a real return to earlier form. Recommended.
Graham Radley, 02/09