4Play

May 25, 2008

Jamie Lidell - Jim - Warp
Amy Winehouse who? Motown-influenced UK singer Jamie Lidell has been doing that retro-soul thing for far longer, and far better, than the tabloid train-wreck girl could ever hope for, as he blends those old-school sounds with electronica and studio experiments in a much more appealing fashion. And he continues that impressive trend on his latest album. Lidell does lean towards the synth side of things; he’s like a stylish, electro-fied Stevie Wonder for the modern age. His spot-on vocals on tracks like “Little Bit of Feel Good” and “Green Light” recollect everyone from Sam Cooke to Otis Redding to Stevie himself, all cradled on a dense cushion of danceable, funky instrumentals, complete with horns, backing harmonies, and melodies that are nostalgic without being stale.


The Apples in Stereo - Electronic Projects for Musicians - Yep Roc
The Apples’ latest isn’t really something to introduce the band to new listeners, but it certainly is a set that will make their current fans happy. The band’s perky demeanor is in full force throughout most of these tracks, with a few mid-tempo and more pensive numbers thrown in for good measure. Ten years’ worth of Apples are here for the listening, including several Asia-and UK-only bonus tracks and B-sides (“So Far Away” being a standout), the wacky “Apples Theme Song,” the prettily catchy “Dreams,” zany little blips like the singing exercise “Thank You Very Much,” - and the hilarious 2006 ode to Stephen Colbert (“Stephen Stephen”) that was recorded as a side-sprout of Colbert’s “feud” with fellow indie band The Decemberists.


Armin Van Buuren - Imagine - Ultra
A variety of singers, from Chris Jones to Jacqueline Govaert, show up to collaborate with DJ Magazine’s just-named #1 DJ - yep, that’s Van Buuren himself, who combines a wide range of electronica genres in this collection. Van Buuren’s producer skills are well in evidence too, as he moves the set through its paces, kicking off with the synthesized-arena-pop-meets-guitar of “Hold on to Me” and wrapping with the trance-y house track “Intricacy” with its excellent piano breakdown. In between, he keeps things moving, with the factory-bass of “Unforgiveable,” the Duran Duran-reminiscent “In and Out of Love,” and the complex beats of “What If.” Van Buuren’s sequencing is on point, and the mix of his vocal and instrumental creations keeps things interesting.


Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - R&S Records
Brian Eno, 808 State, RoboCop - Aphex Twin’s influences and sound byte sources are varied and often amusing, and the tracks themselves, intriguing, in that some of them were recorded as far back as almost twenty years ago. But even though these are worthy fun facts, an even better detail is that AT has made great strides for the growth of ambient music, as evidenced here. The mellow, synth-, gurgling “Ageispolis” resides smartly next to the door-creaky “Actium,” the muddled-conversation-filled “Tha,” and “Green Calx” with its, yes, RoboCop dinosaur and robotic references. Aphex knows soundscapes, the scenes they set are widely eclectic; and, hey, they even managed to put together a decent, non-scary album cover this time.