From Philip Sherburne Sent Fri, Sep 24th 1999, 01:47
From Philip Sherburne Sent Fri, Sep 24th 1999, 01:47
It isn't IDM by a long stretch, but i just have to give some serious props to Cinematic Orchestra's new full-length on Ninja Tune. It's one of the best records I've heard in months. It's very much "jazz" -- whatever that means these days (incidentally, i'm noticing something like a "return to jazz" across the boards -- especially in house & downtempo). Apparently J. Swinscoe -- Cinematic Orchestra head -- creates samples & loops, which he then hands over to studio musicians, who learn & record those parts "live" (reminds me a bit of Raymond Scott's working method). Swinscoe then resamples & re-cuts up those bits, assembling final tracks. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong here -- that's the impression I get from the press release.) Anyway, the music. I can't write about jazz to save my life, but -- Beautiful, deep, underwater jazz... imagine some of Amon Tobin's sound sources, perhaps, pre-drum'n'bassification... Bits and pieces of Sketches of Spain, even Kind of Blue... The only thing that might keep it from being "real" jazz, perhaps, is that I think the chops aren't necessarily up to the Miles/Trane standard, but that's not really why you're buying the album, so don't complain. I mean, it's not jazz -- it's downtempo, played live (kinda), with heavy heavy jazz influence. It's records like this that make you throw up your hands at classification. Don't get hung up on the genre, just buy and enjoy. Production is stellar throughout -- an all-encompassing sound, total immersion, perfect blunted lying-around-the-house music. phil