House, R&B, Soul & Rap > Planet Mu House, R&B, Soul & Rap

A beautiful album from Venetian Snares

Advantages: Beautiful . Innovative . Intelligent
Disadvantages: None whatsoever!

...past experience in reviewing) MY DOWNFALL Every single music critic has branded My Downfall as a companion piece to Venetian Snares' 2005 release Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett. Technically, this is correct but it doesn't really do much to aptly describe the album either. Ever since his 2001 album Songs About My Cats, Aaron has been using the kind of operatic and avant-garde tones found in this particular release. The artist obviously has a deep-rooted ...
...subtleties, so much that when My Downfall came out, it was immediatly percieved as "soft" or "too classical". You really have to know a bit about avant-garde music to truly appreciate what Aaron has put together here. My Downfall is made of 14 tracks and has a running time of 45 minutes approx. Our opener Colorless is a stunner. It sways gently while operatic voices open and close in the background. It sounds as if the track was breathing; the ...

gantzgraf 26.03.2008 · Read full review
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Review of My Downfall - Venetian Snares

A unique album by a unique artist

Advantages: A work of undisputable influence, fresh and sharp
Disadvantages: None

...companion piece 2370894, and finally Winter in the Belly of a Snake. Many people have critized W.I.T.B.O.A.S for being too approachable. This is nonsense. W.I.T.B.O.A.S is so far removed from the appelation "approachable" that it almost becomes shocking to hear someone categorize it as such. W.I.T.B.O.A.S is a mature piece of work that stretches over 16 tracks. The whole album has a running time of 59 minutes approx. The disturbing front cover signals ...
...designed the cover and inlay of Doll Doll Doll (Planet Mu, 2001). Dad is the first track. I have heard and read that Aaron composed it in memory of his deceased father. I do not know if this is true or not but it certainly makes sense when you hear it. This is the first and only track where Aaron Funk would sing. In my opinion, the lyrics are very well written; very far removed from tasteless pop music. This track also features Aaron's madcap piano ...

gantzgraf 13.08.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Winter In The Belly Of A Snake - Venetian Snares

Joseph Fraioli does it again

Advantages: Datach'i second best album - Moments of pure genius
Disadvantages: None

...really hard to say if Mmale and Ffemale is any darker in tone. It is also hard to say if this is any harsher than what was on display back in 1999, when 10110101 came out. In fact, Joseph Fraioli's abrasive side is revealed as more composite, opting for hyper-pitched sounds. However, this just goes to say that Joseph Fraioli is not one of those pathetic electronica posers who never expand their sound. This was very much the case back in 1999. If ...
...has managed to maintain total control over it, while at the same time bringing some new material into the mix. Here, he seems to favour meticulous operatic choir backdrops and whirling breakbeat movements that give an epic feeling to the album. In fact, this album is probably the best experimental release of 2004, alongside Venetian Snares's Huge Chrome Cylinder Box Unfolding. The first track demonstrates Joseph's use of outlandish choir voices ...

gantzgraf 10.08.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Mmale And Ffemale - Datach'i

Naaah! Funk Beef!

Advantages: A couple of big tunes
Disadvantages: Inconsistent

Bringing what was their seventh album under this name, Funkadelic released their seventh album in 1975. The George Clinton-led Funk band (who also went under Parliament for their more Soul-based work) came with “Let’s Take It To The Stage” with a line-up that included Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell , Fuzzy Haskins and most of the other regulars. 1. “Good To Your Earhole” They get the album underway with something expectedly strong as you find that ...
...and knew exactly what they were capable of as an act and so they lead the way nicely with some lively Funk material that makes the most of all aspects of the band and their unity that makes for such impressive work (that was seen to lead the way for all others working in this genre at the time). **Five Stars** 2. “Better By The Pound” With this one you see that you get Boogie Mosson laying down a hard groove on the bass to take them in and take them ...

XICripZ 06.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Let's Take It To The Stage - Funkadelic

Jill, You Know Jill

Advantages: Bangers throughout
Disadvantages: Nothing specific

...makes it appeal to those who won’t really get themselves into anything with such a twist to it. **Five Stars** 15. “Watching Me” Sampling a little something from the Acid-Jazz pioneer Roy Ayers, you see that you get a straight killer tune here as with this one you see that she is backed up by some raw Hip Hop beats with some light synth grooves giving it melody before she gets back to the spoken word (which later develops into raps) to mix things ...
...can’t contain her music and will go off in whatever direction it takes her. **Five Stars** 16. “Brotha” Sampling some classic Jazz in a simple piano loop (borrowed from Allen Toussaint) and I felt that it was a perfect way to set things up as she shows just how well her material seems to fit in with more traditional music (even though Neo-Soul is so progressive in its ways). It is another that shows her working at an optimal level, up to a standard ...

XICripZ 05.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Who Is Jill Scott (Words And Sounds Vol.1) - Jill Scott