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TESTSPINZ 002 - ALBUM REVIEWS |
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  REVIEWS 
Testspinz 002 : ALBUMS + SINGLES.
Contact our Music Department to get your music reviewed. Don't miss this week's AVANTRAX by: Ceiba and Quirk
A jumpy, hard-hitting bassline storms in...who wants a RELOAD!?! Well you asked for it! All the kiddies will be bouncin' to this one. The punch of "No More" follows a metallic, acid breakdown and then there's no stopping it. If you want to lift up a dancefloor and bring the adrenaline to a peak, this is an essential weapon for your vinyl arsenal. The flip "116.7" has less character but is still hard as nails for the heads who can handle it! Props to the DB and the F-111 camp for releasing such sick tunes for Stateside enthusiasts! Miss E
Bad Company's contribution to Prototype's return is dripping with perspiration. Its deceiving intro of emotional string and easy-rollin' drums is immediately recognized on the dance floor by trainspotters. As the intro twists and distorts, the bass turns this track into an instant dancefloor smasher. Any drum and bass DJ not spinning this track may miss out on an opportunity to fill the dancefloor with wildly frantic enthusiasts. This track moves forward with shuffling snares as high hat hit dance above. The distorted bass feels as if it is carrying a cargo of metallic insects moving in and out, or should I say above and below, the surface of some future post apocalyptic city. The flip "China Cup" is a warrior's journey through that city, armed with the force of Bad Company's indestructible bass line. Their ability to twist and crunch a bass tone can leave a bass bin annihilated, and twitching bodies everywhere. Prototype is right to put stock in these Bad Company boys. They're runnin' it. GABE REAL
Throughout the evolution of Japanese Electronic Music, ideology and cultural signifier conceptually compliment the music -- function follows form. YMO animatronically projected themselves as actual components of computer-generated gaming. Audio Active see themselves as dope colonizers of mutant dub worlds. Merzbow is the biological interface between flesh and steel. The Boom Boom Satellites are one of Japan's latest manifestations of cultural appropriation and digital identification. The Boom Boom's, Masayuki Nakano and Michiyuki Kawashima, are high-speed road racers employing grand-prix-like aesthetics to soundscapes. The CD jacket's design showcases the unknown member of the Boom Boom's -- an Alpine Renault 110. Much like Britain's Tekton Motor Factory, they derive their inspiration from sheer performance and high speed. Throughout the disc, rapid accelerations in tempo give way to hard curves and hairpin time signatures. Rubber burning becomes turntable scratching and flat out open throttle turns into sweeping trance ballads. "Out Loud" is a high performance workout of beats and redline tempos. Screeching guitars squeal alongside stop-and-go rhythms. Call it "brake drum and bass." Influences on team Boom Boom range from the Beatles (Missing Note) to Cold Cut (3/5) to full metal Kraftwerk. Robert Moog recently said that "Electronic Music is the new hot rodding." Well, it's obvious that The Boom Boom Satellites are taking that analogy to the extreme by combining high performance with hi-fidelity. For them, the equation of creation is RPM + BPM = EM. The Boom Boom Satellites are currently on tour with Moby. R.Phoenix
This is the ultra DJ-friendly vinyl series released this spring by Breakbeat Era -- the unstoppable DJ Die and Roni Size featuring singer/songwriter Leonie Laws. She unleashes haunting, ecstatic cries that hit hard, lyrics that ring true to the urban dance warrior! What a treat to have a collection of complete songs to add into a frenetic breakbeat dancefloor set. Songs like "Rancid Rinse" (#1), "Ultra-Obscene" (#2) and "Bullitproof" (#3) are slammin' tracks that have full acapellas included too. "Control Freak" (#2), "Life is My Friend" (#2) and "Our Disease Tera" (#3) are searing compositions of bass and breaks that speak to the chaos of our innerspace...Check it. Miss E
Flab Attack is definitely a track that shows the side of DJ Abstract who is an absolute joker. He told us once that he imagined the trak "Flab" as a really fat guy on a bicycle or something ridiculous like that! To me, it sounds like frogs. On Acid. No shit! Frogs on Acid making the craziest, evil techno sounds. The flipside is a signature Cold Fusion (DJ Abstract with PhunckateckNoel) combination of hard breaks, funky bass and the diva promising "You won't get away tonight." It's a full range track with a touch of atmospherics, as the drums skitter across your mind and build your adrenaline. Good job, rude boyz! Miss E
The game never changes only the Playaz the Playaz the Playaz...representing once again we've got True Playa DJ Swift tuning in the frequency, droppin the drum breaks and hard b-lines. I picked up this piece of wax because of the track "Space." The blips and bleeps from the cousin of C3PO were beamed down and I was contemplating the message for days in my waking dream. Then all of a sudden in the record shop I throw down the plate and hear it.... here is the message encoded onto the sacred black circle! Now to pass along the transmission to you...The army of metallic soldiers is already here, waiting....Miss E
"Drum & Funk" is how a guy once described the music he heard us play on the radio -- a term quite appropriate for this release by these German drum & bass ambassadors. Christian Prommer and Roland Appel from Munich are constantly giving it up for their roots and influences of jazz and 80s-fusion. This album is full of the straight-up beats, and funky, melodic twists and turns that are fit for home listening or to be pitched up for the dancefloor. "In the Dangerous Kitchen," "Serpico" and "Kiss" are simple rollers in the style of Roni Size, and for the sexy, smooth lower-tempo grooves there's "T.H.E.O." and "Blue Lotus" -- so if you're down for the flava pick it up. Miss E
The funky distortion guys, Fakesch and De Luca, work out Additional Productions for a variety of artists on this release for K7. Nevertheless, it is entirely their own flavor, including lots of tonal contortions and buzzing static pulses. Underneath the many-layered arrangements of effects, the drum patterns can alter from tight to loose, leaving erratic electrocardiographs of a heart patient who's seeing angels. Track 3 makes a case in point. Bell chords contrast with rubbery thuds and bright clicks. It is astonishing that this tune can leave the listener soothed. They also take Bjšrk further in her explorations of experimental sounds on the track 4 "All is Full of Love" remix, and score electro-breaks to Finitribe's bassline in track 5. A couple of haunting keyboard spots are left alone to moderate the piece. On track 6, DJ Craze meets Funkstšrung turns scratching to a sci-fi level, and the rhythmic James Brown-style grunts punctuating it can almost dance on a platform of muffled kicks. Saving the best for last comes track 9, the reprogrammed S'Apex, fast and furious and strange. Mercury popcorn in you microwave. Sophia
Although he may be hidden away somewhere in the Dutch underground -- his music is really out there -- unleashing a fury of drum funk madness -- chaos, even. handieMan is one of those modest bedroom producers, a "carpenter of sound" who started out as a bass/guitar player. You'll dig this album's funky psychedelic rhythms and dark electronic atmospheres. San Francisco producer Gavin Hardkiss, who runs the Sunburn label discovered the Trippatrazz release from the handieMan's trip hop project Trip to Agewood. One thing leads to another, one sound melds into another, and what results is this menagerie of songs to groove to. Miss E
Launching from old-school Afrika Bambaata beats, through hip-hop tunes which burst into drum & bass breaks, Ming and Fs show off scratching/mixing skills, and gradually build into a mad, fast-paced drum & bass frenzy. Imagine the crowd going off that night at the Chicago leg of the Deeper Concentration Tour, where the album was recorded live. At this point, a d&b version of the Destiny Child remix by Wyclef brings it back around to an easier pace. So the cycle starts again with old school beatbox stylings of Dougie Fresh & Co. A few more hip-hop plates from emissaries such as KRS, and they jump right back into bouncy two-step. By then it seems the dancefloor has warmed up enough for an extended set of hardcore junglations inflected with vocal samples. Oh my gosh! Some winding down spots are necessary after awhile. The team provides us with their very own "Hijack the Disco," slip once more into d&b. What a treat to get rhymes and nice vocals as tour guides to the rugged terrain of dark d&b sounds. Six million ways to mix. Side B wraps up with scratched-up hip-hop and electro. Whatwhatwhat? Sophia
Hold the presses!!! These beats are dope, thick, hard and electro with an edge. Suntonal has also released a piece on Blue Room from the compilation More Signs of Life. With this 12" these guys are on the map of beat sorcerers and movers of the night. This one will push you to the depths of euphoria. Agent 303
As the lady don of San Francisco futurism, Sage brings on her debut release on her homegrown Green imprint. I heard she sampled a Fugazi riff, remaining true to her days of punk rock. Downcast is a minimal tune that works to build up the tempo with a growling, grinding bassline and a touch of atmospheric technique. SHAZAM! "Aura1" is a tight, techy smasher getting rocked by DJs like Rap and Kenny Ken. Already an anthem on the West Coast and also featured on an upcoming mix compiled by Urb's Raymond Roker on Om Records. This track hurdles you into fast-forward -- it's a 23rd Century battle warrior in flight, nothing but the tech tech tech...then the synchronized melodic synth comes in like the wind to balance out the ride. Miss E
The debut release of the Phuturistic Bluez imprint out of Boston heralds a bright future for producer Scott Dasso. Not bad with the Dom + Roland on assignment for the remix on the flip, however it's the original spin that holds true to the "Phuture Bluez" moniker. The funky bass kicks in tune with the drumline and FX to create a spacy yet somehow aquatic feel. I dig it. Blends in well to smooth out a harder wave of breaks or to build a groove while holding strong with a deep, dark sound. Miss E
Flying Rhino with their best release to date; a funky techno on one side will rock any techno/trance floor in to the ground, while the B side is more of a Sasha and Paul Oakenfold type of affair. Agent 303
The Guardians present 10 tracks of "Jazz Funk and Breakbeat Fusion" straight from London underground mega-label Moving Shadow (Ashadow19). Taking live instrumentation in drum and bass to a new level. The full length takes downtempo and big band into the d&b arena only to leave it behind. Soulful funky breaks open this compilation up with Aquasky's ass-shakin "Showtime," followed by Fellowship, State of the Art, and Carlito downtempo tracks. Ez Rollers offer the first d&b track on the comp (released as the first single backed with Fellowships "Visions," which is not on the CD). The overall vibe I get is of the old Acid Jazz days of instrumentation and creative combinations of sound brought to you through the skillful engineering of some of the finest producers in England to date. This is a cross-genre revolution in sound. GABE REAL
MC Conrad announces "We keep twistin' the vibe," as Seba proves The Good Looking organization stands behind artists that compose drum and bass rather than simply programming tracks. Soul 2000 to be released as a 12" single can be heard now as the third track of the fourth installment of GLR's influential Progression Sessions, mixed this time by the maestro himself, LTJ Bukem. This limited double CD (one an instrumental version of the other) provides listeners with the infinite world of textures and layers the GLR camp uses to sonically paint the canvas of drum and bass. Ethereal strings of violins and the warm keys of the piano pose as a grand announcement that these are "the signs of the time." GABE REAL
Following the success of recent DJ Kicks compilations from Andrea Parker and Kemistry & Storm, Rockers Hi-Fi and Kruder & Dorfmeister, K7 brings in another winner with this American duo from Washington DC. Eric Hilton and Rob Garza have cultivated this album which reflects the vibe of their own label and club Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL). Featured tracks from the likes of Jazznova, Bobby Matos, Les Baxter, DJ Cam and Dual Tone make this a loungy mix of Latin jazz, dub, hip hop and downtempo grooves. Definitely a choice pick for dressing up before you hit the club...or on the flip for a groovy comedown. Mmmmmm...Miss E
"Lunar Dust" is Aural Imbalance (Simon Huxtable AKA TQ-1 of the English Good Looking off-shoot, Ascendant Grooves) and Subversive's contribution to LA-based Phatt Phunk's dedication to the continued exploration of atmospheric drum and bass. Inner-vation is Simon Huxtable and Dave Parkinson (DP) -- two very talented English producers lending their dream-like abilities to state-side atmospheric enthusiasm. These two can be found struttin their stuff along with guest production by DJ Subversive and Forensics on this fully mixed aural journey of their most recent works release: the double-pack vinyl Movements on Phatt Phunk Records. From atmospheric DJs to early morning chill-out connoisseurs, this domestic mix CD is way ahead of any game I know. GABE REAL
The Lord's Garden "La Bella" is Fi Sci Records' way of thanking you. This final track on the London label's first comp (album of the month in Wax Magazine) is listening proof that Fi Sci takes a brave and much respected chance at providing the global audience of music with a compilation worthy of cross-genre support. This twelve track compilation is a truly magnificent leap off an imaginary cliff into a world where images of folklore collide with modernism. This album comes at a time when many chances are not taken, when young recording artists are not given the unbridled chance to release their expression. However, with creative quality and freshness like this, don't be surprised if tracks like this end up in the soundtrack off movies. Excellent job of artistic programming on this one. To Wayne and the rest of the crew at Fi Sci: I look forward to hearing what's next. GABE REAL
Back from the edge of reality, Edgecore returns with a magnificent slab of pushin-it tunes that luxuriates in the idea that anything can happen and probably will. Coming from Australia's capital of encounter culture, we are treated to the likes of Ju Ju Space Jazz with a jazzy trip hop gem. Making a return appearance is The Big Green Pleasure Machine with a track that is so groovy it will erupt dancefloors everywhere -- made by the Trans-Pacific foursome of Nick Taylor, Adam Ohana, A.B. and Amanda. Expect this to do the business whenever dropped. A.B. also returns with Ewoks A Go-Go, a hyper-dimensional shift in breakfunktrancism. Whatever your preference is, be it hyperdisco or space giblin stylee, have no fear it's here in da full millennial flavor. Agent 303
Soundbyte: from "Headless Horseman Rides Again" by Raw Deal Call it new school of breaks, space beats, blah blah blah. I don't care for these new genre descriptions! Let's just call it ummm ummm finger licking good. The beats fly so fast on this compilation that it will make you wiggle in every last part of your body. With artists like B.L.I.M., T. Power, Rennie Pilgrim etc.. etc... need I say more? This one takes it all one step higher with stretched out bass with warped sounds this is the future. Get this by any means necessary, and prepare yourself for some 2x4 step action on with some serious hi-fidelity that makes you go UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Agent 303
Soundbyte: from the mix Phatt Phunk and the Moontribe guides to bring you this delectable compilation of trance beats & breaks to make you shake your groove thang! Original tracks by Enspiral, Lotus Sutra, 61 Cannibinoids and Pure Nova have a minimal flair, laying down the path for a trip through the cosmos. In the mix you can hear the original songs "soul's kingdom," "mind's eye" and "trip to know" with the remixes back to back. It's definitely a journey inspired by the city that never seems to slow down and by the nocturnal tribe that keeps it thumpin throughout the night! Miss E
Soundbyte: from "Juicehead" by Armchair Traveler Ever heard of drum & bass from Sweden? Well here it is. A beautiful collection of breaks from artists such as Amen, Mighty Kohn, Secret Operations, Eclectic Bob, Pro-Seed, Grand Nip, Dredger and Society, as well as Yoga, Friend, Baxter, Juicehead and Spinform. Both the debut release and the follow-up feature 10 spacy, easy, jazzy grooves that the set the pace for drum & bass in this part of the globe. Some standout tracks include Seba's Secret Operations mix of Naid's Modir. Miss E
Soundbyte: from "Intermines" This latest release from We may contain less variety of pace than their last album, but the music does shift back and forth from fast to slow. The fast ones, such as "El Mosquito" and "Caya's Kids," have comparatively consistent beats. Some funny voices seem to address something unknown, unexplained. The low, dark, buzzing feel infused into slower parts are strange. Here and there a haunting keyboard melody or dub impression come through, as well as the hollow distant effect of a large room. Perhaps they were thinking how it would sound to walk through Jell-O, or to impart some fog-thick evening air into your living room, but of course, they pop right back out with lively kicks. Outstanding here is the layering that never gets too complex, and remains thought-provoking in a sonic way. There are many different levels covered, but it's interesting to hear them drop out and reveal the one vibe that can be returned to, in different sounds. Sophia |
Artist: ACEN
Artist: BAD COMPANY
Artist: 
Artist: BREAKBEAT ERA
Artist: DJ ABSTRACT/COLD FUSION
Artist: DJ SWIFT
Artist: FAUNA FLASH
Artist: 
Artist: 
Artist: MING & FS
Artist: SUBTONAL
Artist: SAGE/DJ ABSTRACT
Artist: SD
Artist: SUMMER APE-TYSER
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: Various Artists
Artist: WE
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