From Bradiology Sent Thu, Apr 30th 1998, 06:16
From Bradiology Sent Thu, Apr 30th 1998, 06:16
Ninja Cuts _FunKungFusion_ discONE this disc is the more beat oriented, mixtape feeling, motion inducing of the two in this set. with 8 tracks not available elsewhere, 6 culled from various ninja related releases, and 2 previews of forthcomin's, this manages to be an enticing collection. 1 Chocolate Weasel "music for body lockers" a sound palette that would not seem out of place in dave clarke's electro boogie world. an aesthetic that could kick back in nico's bassment. and a canvas that has been treated in a way i've not experienced. folks love this painting or become baffled about why anyone pays for art. 2 Amon Tobin "sordid" wow! this is a funk enterprise with a repetitive beat and catchy moog stabs that i'd never have associated with tobin's world. rewards the patient with late breaking beats and amazing live soundin' drum solo on fills and outro. 3 Amon Tobin "melody infringement" jazz quintet meets supreme court decision on sample clearance. morricone orchestrals breeze through the intersections oblivious to the beat bootleggers lurking in that car following two measures back. 4 Kid Koala & Money Mark "carpel tunnel syndrome" 'got that from typing a beat, son. i told you that might not be such a good idea.' "but it worked doctor, and i'm popular with the other kids now." 'you need to record the typing if you want to continue to play.' "hey, then i can scratch it!" 'don't get carried away, that'll hurt too.' "naw, it's a nice mellow number and mark's keyboards are money." 5 The Herbaliser "it's just for you" folks who had enough (sense, money, guts, peer pressure) to buy that excellent ollie teeba mixtape at the last ninja tour will recognize this funky scratch-masta hip hop number as follows: 'poppin' and rippin' the needle ain't skippin'...' 6 Ryuichi Sakamoto "anger (rare force 2 meg mix)" if you have heard the original of this track, you should be a bit confused about how it became so 'up.' anger lurks in the background as sinister piano and bass synth. the foreground is reserved for a beat loop that is catchy if repetitive. 7 Coldcut "more beats & pieces (live in koln)" this is the most amazing version of this song i've heard. keeps the live vibe well with both digital edits and vinyl scratches. the theme from peter and the wolf makes a longer appearance. i love that bit. so i'm biased. 8 Luke Vibert "slipped disc" sets of easily recognizable beats and difficult to separate sampled melodies combine with vibert m.o. reminds me of a quote from him "if they think it sounds boring, that's great because there are so many things put together..." 9 Silent Poets "get ready" blistering feminism. soft spoken rap. manages to remind me of the contradictory feelings i get listening to martina sing brutal ghetto lyrics on 'bad dream' and tricky's version of 'lyrics of fury.' music calls attica blues and krush's debut to mind. 10 Roots Manuva "clockwork" sorry. too jammin' jamaican for me. just doesn't cut it anymore. 11 DJ Vadim "theme from conquest (prunes remix)" reminiscent of andrea parker and clubbed to death orchestrals with a nicely understated beat and noninvasive scratch procedures. both groovy and relaxing, this one is perfect for armchair bboys. 12 Up, Bustle & Out "emerald alley" oh, mystic east. that sensual twang makes me crave hot lemon towels, lavash, and curry. oh, western drums. admit the subliminal sexual urges which forced communities to ban dancing and beat as tools of the devil. this track introduces the belly dancer to the streetwalker. 13 Dynamic Syncopation "no qualms" the vibe of this downtempo number recalls most recently the dj krush collaboration with toshinori kondo. some guitar and piano found their way in here though... to good effect. 14 Fink "independent introduction" showtime at the intermission. the 'delicatessen' theme meets the center ring. tiny tune. 15 Cabbageboy "humorous counterpoint" i've always dreaded the attempt at describing si begg's work. i get nightmares. really. i'm not going to try. that's the title's job. 16 Funki Porcini "river of smack" somber beginnings with a fingered bass introduce an angelo badalamenti influenced soundtrack. are those spoons in the percussion section? let's eat. still to come Ninja Cuts _FunKungFusion_ discTWO