|
Holden L'Arrière-monde (Lithium/Virgin France)
Carl Cox Phuture 2000 (Moonshine/Koch) World's greatest DJ? Debatable. But he's got some skills. The multi-faceted super-DJ Carl Cox leaves no stone unturned and goes balls up into the millennium with Phuture 2000. In the mood for some tranced-out techno? It's in there. A little ragga-funk? It's in there. Some uptempo Latin house? Yep, it's in there. Hell, there's even a touch of electro-booty, soul and jungle. He's all over the place. But he's Carl Cox, so I guess it's okay. 7.5/10 (Krista)
Takako Minekawa Ximer (Emperor Norton/FAB)
Various Wax Trax Presents Mastermix (Wax Trax/TVT/Universal)
Scanner Lauwarm Instrumentals (Sulfur/Beggars Banquet) Scanner is British "telephone terrorist" and "sound designer" Robin Rimbaud, best known for incorporating "found conversations" (obtained with the device that is his namesake) into melodramatic beatscapes, and less known for more legitimated art projects (perhaps not a surprise, given his last name) such as music for ballets and for radio productions of Shakespeare. Despite all the armchair theorizing about surveillance and technology, Scanner's music must work in the arena of pop, and I suppose it does as the soundtrack (and it really does feel like a soundtrack) to some conspiracy cult film that sounds like it was made in 1984. 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
|
Paris-based Lithium is a label to watch. Case in point: Holden, a resolutely modern pop quartet from Paris by way of Ireland, who balance sharp irony and rosy romanticism with the dexterity of a circus act. While never actually folk, jazz, rock or lounge, they seem to absorb--tastefully--elements of each. The rough-hewn authenticity of folk, the nuanced complexity of jazz, the dramatic outbursts of rock and the lush, sexy comfort of lounge all find their place here, on tracks like the sneaky, snaky "La Machine" or the bubbling "Troubles." Eez, 'ow you zay... formidable? 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Whereas most of her Japanese contemporaries are toasting the nightlife with elegant club jams, Minekawa's always been one to hole up at home with her cats and toys, banging out adorable Casio kinderpop. She's a good deal more clever and astute than her innocent pixie-persona suggests, as can attest the assorted talents on her second remix disc (taken from her last album, Cloudy Cloud Calculator). Choice moments: master of monkey business Cornelius gives "Milk Rock" his signature shake-up, Kid Loco gives "Black Forest" some bonus bump, and Frisco's Sweet Trip mine "Cat House" for just that--tweaked-out house weirdness. Meow! 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Talk about the amalgamation of sounds. Wax Trax, America's self-proclaimed "premiere source for electronic music since 1980," has put together a little compilation to help document the illustrious past and present, and future of the label. The end result is a "many shades of techno"-style collection of top tunes from artists like Expansion Union, DJ Hurricane, Autechre, Underworld and Front 242. Think minimal with a rock 'n' roll edge. 7.5/10 (Krista)