CD Releases: November 2003 updated:10/12/2003
RED DUMB BALL ROCKSTEADY Various CD/2x12"
(Pressure Sounds)
File Under: Rocksteady / Reggae / Pressure Sounds
PSCD40/VPSLP40
"We were just interested in creating beautiful music" Lynn Taitt
Pressure Sounds’ first real foray into the rocksteady era, is Red Bumb Ball a 22 track collection of some of the most beautiful and crafted rocksteady music. Focussing on tracks that have been lost in the past or never seen the light of day since their original release. Overlooked gems pull together for the first time on CD. Red Bumb Ball by Lloyd & Devon and In A Rocking Mood by Austin Faithful are both stunning examples of the art of rocksteady. All the tracks feature the genius of Lynn Taitt and The Jets probably the best backing band during the rocksteady period. The Black Brothers, Derrick Morgan, Roland Alphonso, The Viceroys all contribute fantastic songs with beautiful harmonies truly ensemble musicianship and progressive production techniques. The fact that much of this music has been ignored and overlooked in more recent times is one that Pressure Sounds is hoping to readdress. This is the first album of material such as this and one that we are sure you will find a great addition to your Pressure Sounds collection. With sleevenotes by Harry Hawk and usual Pressure Sounds exemplary artwork and packaging.
DENNIS BOVELL Decibel CD/2x12"
(Pressure Sounds)
File Under: Dennis Bovell / Reggae / Dub / Pressure Sounds
PSCD39/VPSLP39
If any one individual can be credited with being the catalyst for English reggae and dub, then Dennis Bovell is that man. From the mid seventies onwards he has been at the centre of the English reggae scene. Pressure Sounds has gathered sixteen of his must have rare dubs and instrumentals as well as a couple of outstanding vocal tracks on to one album. Decibel brings some of his heaviest productions out for the first time since their original release in the mid-seventies. Rama and More Cuts were Dennis' labels in the seventies and he produced many dub plates and specials that have never been heard outside of the Soundsystem. Several of these Dubs are on Decibel. At the same time he was both producing and playing bass in the band Matumbi. He also produced the national number one Silly Games by Janet Kay. Dennis Bovell went on to become a much sort after producer to work with outside the reggae genre and produced both first albums by The Slits and Pop Group. In more recent times he worked with Edwyn Collins. He's always managed to be in a unique position as both a producer outside of the reggae genre and a driving force within it. He still fronts The Dub Band who back Linton Kwesi Johnson in the studio and live as one of the biggest attractions in reggae music. The music in Decibel is very much attached to Dennis' early output with the emphasis on his 'out there' dub productions. Musicians from Matumbi, Aswad and the Jamaican drummer Style Scott from the Dub Syndicate all appear on the album. Zombie Zones, taken from the rare album Audio Active (where the Japanese band got their name from), is as thundering as anything ever released in the UK. With super rare photos from the period and comprehensive sleeve notes, I think you will find this and original and exciting release that fits in perfectly with the Pressure Sounds catalogue.
AUGUSTUS PABLO In Fine Style CD/2x12"
(Pressure Sounds)
File Under: Augustus Pablo / Reggae / Pressure Sounds
PSCD38/VPSLP38
"We play music by feeling it. We call it the Far East sound. Cause we play in minor chords. When you play those chords its like a story without words" Augustus Pablo.
In Fine Style is the second album of Augustus Pablo’s material to be released on Pressure Sounds. It’s a unique set of material in that much of it has never before been released on CD and much of it was only ever available on rare 7" and 12" vinyl. Not only are the records on this set beautiful music, they are the product of love, humanity and an exceptional devotion to a higher force. Its powerful music in the best sense of the word. Unlike many of his contemporaries Pablo was able to understand and fully explore the possibilities of the 12" mix. It perfectly suited his instrumental jazz-like approach to reggae music. The full melodic range of his work was brought to the fore. Gathered on this compilation are some of the best examples of Pablo’s 12 " explorations. Tracks such as Phillips Showcase and Pablo In Fine Style are not limited by the 7" format. The album is stunningly packaged and the sleeve notes are up to the usual high standard plus many of the pictures have never been used before.
PUDDU VARANO Time To Grow CD
(Playground / Collision)
File Under: Dance / house
COLN007
"Well-produced and full of surprises throughout, it’s one of those albums that can’t help but reel you in. A real surprise gem." 4 out of 5. IDJ
"..an effervescent and electric Danish-Italian combination who make mercurial, whimsical tunes… this is by far Puddu Varano's most intricate and interesting work to date" DJ Mag
Puddu Varano is the Danish/Italian pairing of Alex Puddu (the Italian, who bashes drums) and Morten Varano (the Dane, who tinkles the keys and works the sequencer). They describe their music as a mish-mash of funk, 70's disco, house and last but not least soul, Latin and rock. Pretty exhaustive, but in a production career that has so far spanned five years they have touched on pretty much all these genres and continue to plunder territories new. The title Time To Grow not only indicates that the band has got a history of 5 years but also that the complexity in their music has taken shape on this album. This album has a more laid back jazzy feel to it, but still with references to Latin, funk, house and break beats. The first single Treating Me Mean - a more club orientated house-track, has already got support from as Richard Dorfmeister and Josh Wink. The follow up Blue Sky White Sand features the incredible English singer Lady Z (refer to Soultrain Illegal Cargo COLN006) input from Pernille Rosendahl (Nominated for 5 Danish Grammy awards) and Adrian Wilding. On percussion is legendary Robin Jones that amongst others has played with Sade, Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Lalo Schifrin and Stan Getz. On Time to Grow, is an interesting collection of funk-infused downbeat electronica, the band excels at creating elaborate and ornamented tracks that would go down a treat when blended with a good pina colada It is smart, well-performed and could make a comatose accountant tap along to the beat. This is dance music with a soulSPOON Girls Can Tell CD
(Merge / Spunk)
File Under: Spoon / Rock
URA114
Texas trio Spoon - Britt Daniel (guitar / vox), Jim Eno (drums), Josh Zarbo (bass) - have had quite a little career, spanning the better part of the last decade and producing 15 releases - singles, EPs and full-lengths - on various indie labels, (most notable Merge and Matador) and one big one, Elektra. It's been a quietly busy time for these guys, and their fan base, though never at the elevated radar level of some fellow Texans with MC5 afros, has always been a strong, fervent group of followers. Girls Can Tell, Spoon's latest Merge release, is a collection of the kind of tunes singer songwriter Britt Daniel has become famous for - beautifully fu_ked-up pop music and catchy rock numbers, that exude a stark brightness, like a calm frozen tundra on a sunny winter day. While the overall feeling of this music seems to come from a dark little place in Daniel's center, the sound itself is as lush and radiant as any botanical garden in spring. Simple, but perfect guitar lines ring out short and catchy hooks, and accent from time to time with harsher strokes, interweaving with added keyboard lines and other guitar tracks to create full melodic sound-scapes that are only superseded by Daniel's frank and honest, slightly scratchy lyrical delivery and content. It's a bit of a juxtaposition - the feeling and the sound contained herein - and it is what's at the center of what makes this a memorable album.
ZEN CONNECTION Various 2CD
(One World Music)
File Alongside: Chilled Out Beats / Buddha Bar / Buddha Beats / Bar De Lune
OWM001
This album is the solution to the host of the generic dust-collectors we have been inundated with during the past year. We are not asking for salvation we are not asking for our homes to be transformed into a restaurant in Paris. All we are asking for is good music. And here we have it, stripped to the bone. Online Customer review
The aural pleasure that awaits you on the newly released compilation Zen Connection by Leigh Wood is one of total bliss and originality. In an implicitly divine merger between eastern and western styles of music, Zen Connection features a stunning array of talent, ranging from world renowned artists such as Nitin Sawhney and LTJ Bukem to Badmarsh & Shiri and Gotan Project. Brought to us by the crew at One World Music, this double disc compilation is an absolute breath of fresh air and is utterly unique in its musical offering. The world of the "Chill Out" CD is a dangerous one, paved with a lot of dodgy music that is little more than second-rate elevator music. Once in a while something a little bit different comes along that stands out above the rest - this one because it relies on the music and not the fashion to sell. From the opening chord of Karma Shadba’s No Noise the tone is set, a soothing groove that resonates through to your inner core. Breathing Light by Nitin Sawhney is breathtakingly beautiful and the Middle Eastern sound fully takes hold with the amazing composition Panorama by Amanaska. What sets this compilation apart from the copious influx of ‘relaxation’ CDs on the shelf at the moment is the undeniable musicianship which oozes from every song on this collection. Individually each track is outstanding, collectively they project an even more powerful message drawn from the age-old philosophies of Zen. The second disc is slightly more up tempo than the first and features Journey Inwards by LTJ Bukem, an artist that is usually linked with the drum n bass scene who takes it down a notch or two for this blissed-out number. Stef’s – Afterlife is also a noteworthy item but it is hard to pinpoint the highlights on Zen Connection as every song is incredible and each is open to personal interpretation. Zen Connection is a stunning double CD featuring 27 excellent tracks showcasing the sounds of the Zen Arts in a smooth blend of chilled out beats from around the globe. A unique opportunity to embark on a musical journey combining modern and traditional influences, joining the material world with the spiritual.
FAGAN Dante CDS
(Collision)
File Under:
COLLISION015
Fresh debut single from new act compared to the likes of Massive Attack, Faithless, Lamb and even Beck, Fagan’s diverse taste in both popular culture and high art sees them push an innovative blend of electronic and acoustic sounds. The duo’s forthcoming album along with a live presence is underway.
DERRICK L CARTER Nearest Hits & Greatest Missses CD
(Classic Music Company)
File Under: Derrick Carter / Dance / Classic
CMCCD108
Fans of Chicago's Derrick Carter will be in their element - having listened to his Squaredancing In A Roundhouse album, they are now invited to trawl through his remix archives courtesy of Classic. Nearest Hits And Greatest Misses - great title. This selection is of the lower profile mixes that he’s done - some of them unreleased. So you won’t find his offerings for Royksopp or Audio Bullys here, but amongst these are some of his personal favourites. Rest assured, Carter’s interpretations will pulse and grind their way into your psyche all the way, take his jerking robot funk on The Beloved’s Ease the Pressure, or his squelching bassline in Human League’s Don’t You Want Me or the muggy disco stabs and finely chopped vocals on Modjo’s Chillin’ – which he just reworked for his own private use. This package should plug some of the gaps in your Carter collection and enable you to look clever in front of your pals.
SLOW TRAIN Illegal Cargo CD
(Collision)
File Under: jazz-soul-funk
COLN006
Danish electronica producer Morten Varano, best known from his Puddu Varano fame, has teamed up with Lazy Z - the alter-ego of London-based soul jazz singer/songwriter Z Star - to create Slow Train. It’s a difficult task to adequately describe Slow Train’s sound - it’s electronic-based, with touches of jazz, soul, funky breaks and even world music undertones, highlighted by Lady Z’s unique vocals. The twelve track CD contains quite a diverse range of songs, each one totally different from the last, but not totally removed either. Slow Train are timeless. Illegal Cargo is a record that you totally can recharge and relax to, its an extremely diverse project, it’s a nice chill out album that is totally unlike anything else in the marketplace at the moment. Many of you will be familiar with SlowTrain from their track In The Black Of The Night which appears on the Hotel Costes compilation Volume 6. The Slow Train audio adventure is classy, confident and uncompromising. The ethos is high on the chill factor….take the fast train and miss the details, take the Slow Train and experience it all!
HAKAN LIDBO Sound Molecules CD
(AKA)
File Under:
AKA018
Swedish playboy Hakan Lidbo delivers an Australasian exclusive for Australian label Artists Known As (AKA) and the sequel to the acclaimed From Stockholm With Love. Hakan Lidbo was recently awarded as one of the 100 best producers of electronic music in the world by Urb Magazine/USA. He is frequently referred to as "the busiest man in the business" and his discography holds more than 200 records and stretches from avant-click n cuts to well produced vocal pop-house. This album fuses live sax, dub & fine electro-tech and comes well recommended.
in music releases are available at all good record stores nation-wide