Daft Punk - Alive 2007 (Original TC Review)

Virgin: 2007

(2018 Update:
Might this have been the Most Important tour in electronic music history? It certainly kicked off an arms race of spectacle concerts within the scene, where having the biggest, boldest, flashiest, gargantuan light show was a necessary evil in one's career arsenal. Good tunes and loyal fanbase just wasn't enough, you had to get them buzzing online, sharing phone videos on YouTube and Facebook of The Experience of seeing your act live. Heck, with so much visual stimuli, having 'good tunes' wasn't even a requirement any longer, any ol' 'thumpity thump-thump' rubbish being enough so long as 20 billion watts of LEDs and laser power is going down. And when that is no longer enough, throw in a dinosaur or two.

I'll contend this remains the 'definitive Daft' collection of music though. Yes, it's missing their Random Access Memories material, but really, what are we missing from that? Get Lucky, and maybe one other song you like from that album. No big loss when you have so much other dope material here. Besides, the live nature of those songs really wouldn't jive with all the boom-boom stuff here. Would work as a nice pre-show opener though.)


IN BRIEF: Definitive Daft.

Maybe Kanye West had something to do with it. It’s certainly possible the hip-hop star whispered just the right words to Thomas and Guy-Manuel about such things as ‘legacy’, as Mr. West is quite obsessed with his own. If so, the electronic community may owe him some thanks, lest Daft Punk might have still been in the collective “fallen off” category of many as we enter 2008. Because let’s face it: after the mediocre Human After All and an all-too perfunctory greatest hits package, the general assumption was Daft Punk were past their prime. That they would have the most successful dance-act tour a couple years later was the furthest from everyone’s mind.

Yet that’s exactly what they did. By combining both the simplest yet most visceral of what the genre offers, Alive 2007 earned plaudits and accolades and kudos and whatever else you may have from across the board. And most importantly, it reminded us just why we enjoyed these daffy punkers to begin with.

Naturally, an album release of the show was inevitable. As with any live recording though, the same ol’ question marks regarding the outcome still cropped up. How would the sound quality be? Will crowd noise enhance or hinder the atmosphere? How effectively does it make you feel like you are actually there? And most importantly, does it make you wish you were there at that moment? Screw-ups in any of these factors can make for a lackluster live album (see Vitalic’s recently released one for a perfect example) but when nailed, the home listening experience can be almost as exciting as being there in concert.

Since Alive 2007 is a couple months old now and several of you have already undoubtedly listened to this, I’ll save you the suspense: they nailed it. Everything.

Most prominent of all the awesome on this CD is the bass. Whether they placed their recording source in a perfect sweet-spot or relied on post-production trickery to get the maximum results, every track literally pounds and resonates with amazing arena realism. If you ever wanted to show off to your non-‘techno’ friends what beats sound like a rave, this is as good a demo as any. From thunder-like rumbles (Touch It) to cannonball gut-punches (Da Funk), the bass is a marvel to hear (and feel, should you be fortunate and rich enough to own a sound system of such quality).

But that’s more of a technical gush than anything, and could be found on any home-theater showcase. No, the reason you’re after this disc is for la musique, and Alive 2007 delivers in such a way I’m sure few could have expected.

Despite their singles being bona-fide classics in EDM canon, the general consensus here at TranceCritic is much of Daft Punk’s discography is littered with tracks of questionable quality. The duo’s hype has often helped elevate annoying go-nowhere tosh like Rock ‘n’ Roll to levels of acceptance among their fanbase. And while such tracks sometimes make sense when used as quick sound-bites, they do not for the lengths Daft Punk presented them on their albums.

Perhaps Thomas and Guy-Man eventually realized this too, as all these problems with their ‘filler’ tunes are abolished here. The best parts are cannibalized to complement the bigger hits, and it works fantastically! Take the Prime Time/Alive mash-up for instance: Prime Time Of Your Life is rather listless on its own, but with the vocal complementing the cascading synths of Alive, the joint venture soars with excitement.

Their set is filled with such wonderful moments. The ripping fusing of Rollin’ And Scratchin’s sledgehammer beats supporting The Brainwasher’s techy rhythms. Crescendolls giving Television Rules The Nation extra vitality at its peak (lord knows Television could have used it). And, perhaps the most cheeky and exhilarating example of them all, the killer combination of the number two hits off their first two albums: Around The World and Harder Better Faster Stronger. I have to wonder if even the most dedicated Daft Punk fan would have been able to cobble together a set of Daft tunes and made it work as excellently as Thomas and Guy-Man have here.

And then there’s just how immersive this release is. Live recordings can be hit or miss in making you feel like you’re actually there at the event, but this one is definitely a hit. Just watch a couple bootleg videos of the event or flip through the fifty-page-plus booklet that comes included in this two-discer to get a feel for how it looks, then close your eyes as it plays through. Okay, so those sorry sacks out there without an imagination probably won’t vibe on that, but indulge me on this. Ooh... pretty, that pyramid...

I honestly can’t recommend this album enough, for Daft Punk fans and for casual fans of EDM period. Every single one of their best tunes are here, all of the questionable tunes are given new life, it is all presented in an atmosphere that draws upon dance music’s strengths, and it comes in a package that makes it worth shelling out that extra couple bucks for. Throw in a great encore featuring some of Bangalter’s side projects on the second disc, and you have about as definitive a Daft Punk release as you’ve ever seen. Whether they’ll be able to ride their new-found popularity to larger heights in the coming years remains to be seen but unlike the fall-out from their last album, you can be rest assured their next project will be waited upon with bated breath by fan and foe alike.

Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2008. © All rights reserved

Slam - Alien Radio

Soma Quality Recordings: 2001

This is an album you'd think I'd have gotten when it was new. Thanks to endless Muzik Magazine plugging, lead singles like Lifetimes and Alien Radio were hyped to such a degree that I just had to have them! ...as found on AudioGalaxy and free CD giveaways at least. Still, I liked those tunes, and I'm sure they'd be enough of a lure should I have found them within the Vancouver music shops. I don't recall spotting the album though, or if I did, something of greater interest nabbed my attention when burning limited funds in those early '00s recovery years (ooh, what's this Stylophonic about?). Time passes, and I think less and less of catching up on what Slam's been up to, Alien Radio fading from my thoughts as so many records do. Nice of that 20 Years Soma compilation to remind me (and a certain reader) of this album.

My memory's a little hazy now, but I believe Alien Radio was seen as Slam's big attempt at a big crossover event. Misters Meikle and McMillan were already respected techno producers, and being the brains behind Soma Quality Recordings certainly gave them a major feather in their cap. Despite being in the game for a decade though, they'd only released one album, 1996's Headstates. I honestly don't know much about it – never seen it name-dropped in “best of” lists or anything – but I'm sure it sounds fine. Given their pedigree, however, folks expected them capable of a classic LP effort, something that could be said along with the likes of Leftism, Dubnobasswithmyhead, Snivilisation, and whatever other classic UK techno efforts you consider Very Important.

To do that, however, you need a smashing radio single, and Lifetimes has all the hallmarks of that: killer hook, great vocal, strong musical build. Maybe just a little too on the nose for Slam's usual audience though. The titular cut is probably more up their alley, getting in on that nu-skool breaks action. No? Then what about Eyes Of Your Soul, a stab at vintage Lil' Louis Vegas deep, dubby house, including sporadic, echoing lyrics from Tyrone 'Visionary' Palmer? Still no? Then Dot Allison coming in with some wide-screen, chill-out vibes in Visions, that's gotta' serve your Slam needs! Or that Narco Tourists jam, that's gotta' satisfy even the most ardent old-schooler around, as lovely a chill-breaks-techno outing as you'll ever hear. Not old-school enough? Well, fine, here's Positive Education again, the original 1993 tune that made Slam's name in techno, given the reissue treatment since it never appeared on an album before. If that's not covering all the potential bases, I don't what is.

I rib, but for as solid and class as all these genre exercises are, I honestly get the most kicks out of the two straight-forward techno cuts closing out Alien Radio. Bass Addiction is a no-nonsense, thumping audio rumbler of a tune, while Virtuoso serves up some proper retro-future Detroit action. Keepin' it underground, keepin' it safe.

Various - Alien Dust 1

Psysolation: 2001

I've implied it in the past, a period when I'd completely written off psy-trance. It was only a few years, yet it's not like I came back into the fold willingly. Fortuneately, when I did return, I heard enough new ideas to keep me checking in ever since; if nothing else, Israeli full-on has that feather in its cap. And for all I know, the stuff that got me scoping psy out again had always been there, just unavailable to those way out in the Western provinces of Canadaland. I wasn't in any rush to dig through online stores though, the stuff I was finding so consistently dull and dry, it gave me the false impression that was what all psy-trance had become. Gone was the goa, missing was the tweaky acid, and dead on arrival were the rhythms – just, a lot of pseudo-deep minimal stuff, with sampling that was no where near as clever as it thought it was.

The final nail in the temporary isolation chamber I put myself into was this double-disc compilation. Oh, how seductive it was on the store shelves, a grey alien with eyes like new black polished chrome, luring me in for a listen. I had to obey its hypnotic gaze, hear what it had to offer, intake its intriguing space dust.

Alien Dust 1 gets off to a decent start, Fünf D's Das Signal a deep acid chugger with ominous pads and German words (always good for a sinister mood setter), followed by a solid, minimalist rhythm builder in Spirallianz' Blast Food - get a good primal, tribal vibe out of this one. Some solid tear-out psy is thrown down by Gill's First Elevation, and Human Blue is always good for classy material, of which Non Transparent Shadows does the trick (those dubby clattering drums!).

But then the compilation falls straight off a cliff after that, the remaining 1.5 CDs a dreary trudge of monotonous, 'deep' psy that kills whatever momentum Alien Dust had going for it. The lone bright spot, Electric Universe's Love Is Not A Crime, appears on Disc 2, and offers some much needed spaced-out, high flyin' goa vibes, but it's not enough to rescue the rest of the compilation. I guess Der Dritte Raum's Der Schrittmacher ain't too bad either, but he's done better, and doesn't really fit with the other artists involved in this release. And *whoof*, are the two cuts with guitars near the end ever weak-sauce. At least Akanoid's Base Breaker tries to ease us out with some pleasant space acid, but it's not worth sitting through all this mediocrity just to hear it.

Some of these might have sounded fine in compilations with more variety, where the flat songwriting worked in contrast with tunes with more flair. As presented here though, Alien Dust is a dull, monochrome, slog to get through. Can you blame me for giving up on the genre if this was your current impression of it?

Igorrr - Moisissure

Acroplane Recordings: 2008/2009

(a Patreon Request)

Pretty sure I've seen the name Igorrr in the past – one cannot even dabble in Venetian Snares without Igorrr's name getting dropped in association – but as for hearing his stuff, this is virgin territory, my friends. Still, how radically different can he be? You hear one breakcore artist, you've heard them all, amirite? Spastic Amen breaks, hyper editing, an aesthetic cribbed from another genre (ragga, chiptune, death metal, hentai), and a wacky sense of humour letting you know that everything involved is just one huge pisstake. Wait, that all sounds super awesome, and full of variety! Where was I going with this again? Oh yeah, with breakcore artists, you generally know what you're gonna' hear with these guys (re: that list above), but in a scene with dozens of extremely, ah, 'unique' individuals, you can count on something radically different from each one.

Of course, I don't know what specific things I might hear, and I couldn't help but take a peak at Igorrr's Discogs entry before diving in – don't want to be caught too unawares with these dudes. Straight off I'm hit with the word 'Baroque', which has me thinking, “ah, cool, there's gonna' be a lot of orchestral strings in this thing, as heard in some classic Aphex Twin music”. Occasionally, yes, but this Gautier Serre ain't limiting himself to that, nosiree. He's got himself some death metal in that creative cranium of his, which makes sense, baroque and metal sharing many musical traits. Just imagine Toccata And Fugue In D Minor with super-heavy guitar distortion! Oh, it's been done, you say. Like, a lot. Figures.

Anyhow, Moisissure is Igorrr's second album, though initially only as a self-released demo. When he later landed a proper label deal, this and his first demo, Poisson Soluble, were compiled into a double-disc item, but as I was requested to only review this, the first one will have to wait for another day. If I'm so inclined. Can't say I am though, Moisissure the sort of breakcore I'm equally delighted in, yet can't help but facepalm over too.

The baroque segments are nifty, I won't deny. Whether with creepy organs and strings (Valse en Décomposition), piano pieces (Œsophage De Tourterelle, Phasme Obèse), choirs (Liquid Requiem), flamenco guitars (Putrefiunt), or harpsichord (Huille Molle, Moelleux), no classical instrument is under-utilized or spared Igorrr's maniacal hyper-edits, often accompanied by glitched-out, thrashy rhythms. He even dabbles into swing-jazz for Brutal Swing, an old-timey ragtime ditty coupled with digital hardcore blast-beats and headbangin' metal riffs. I approve of this form of amusement making.

Other stuff, however, just leave my eyes rolled in their sockets. Death metal growling, babies crying, phlegm-filled breathing... is this all supposed to be funny, or kinda' serious? I assume the former, but I don't find it so, just annoying. Which, I'm sure, is also the point, creating discomfort in the listener. Aw, why do that, when you can showcase such operatic beauty as in Croute too? Gimme only good feels!

Various - Alien Ambient Galaxy

Hypnotic: 1996

When did I first discover Bill Laswell? This CD right here, which is funny, because it's not indicative of his larger, massive, ginormous body of work. I mean, only one track of the featured eight even has much of his distinct bass playing – it's a super long track, but still, just one. I probably heard him prior, but had no clue he existed, if that makes sense. You can hear some musicians – especially sessions musicians – in a multitude of songs without ever knowing who they are. Sure, one could study liner notes of every booklet and Discogs entry to know every performer ever, but man, who'd want to?

Had little choice with Alien Ambient Galaxy though, the only credits offering nothing but liner notes. Hell, the back cover just lists all the players involved, with no attribution to the list of tracks. For all you'd know, everyone performed together as one big conglomerate. Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Jeff Bova, Alex Hass, Pete Namlook, Liu Sola, Buckethead (yes, that Buckethead), Robert Musso, Mick Harris, and Nicky Skopelitis are... Alien Ambient Galaxy!

But no, that's not the case. In fact, only three projects actually make up this compilation, all of which Laswell had some hand in, care of his short-lived Subharmonic print. Most prominently featured is Divination, a world music, ambient drone project that could be considered a proper conglomerate of musicians. There's four tracks of the group here, but they're mostly subtle, droning pieces, serving more as transitional tracks between the other ones. I'll talk about them more at a later date, but again, I must give a flustered name-drop in seeing Buckethead's there.

A few other tracks are from Cypher 7, a duo consisting of Hass and Bova, with Laswell performing “navigation & ground control”. These are more interesting, giving Alien Ambient Galaxy some needed diversity and flair. Conspiracy Of Silence opens the CD with mysterious, ominous tones, feeding into alien paranoia that was so popular in the '90s, while The Suspicious Shamen does an upbeat ambient dub thing with piano flourishes. Nothing Lasts, meanwhile, features a bouncy beat while French actress Jeanne Moreau drunkenly laments about lost passion. Not sure how it ties into an alien ambient concept, but it's a cool sounding tune nonetheless.

And finally, clocking in at over thirty-eight minutes, is one of Bill and Pete's Psychonavigation outings – the lengthy track with the lengthy title of Psychic And UFO Revelations In The Last Days. It features Laswell's bass, Namlook's space pads, a simple dubby rhythm, a lot of dithering passages of music interspersed with sci-fi effects, and strangely hypnotic throughout its runtime. Plus, it contains dialog from the DS9 episode Emissary, so instant awesome right there.

Strange presentation aside, Alien Ambient Galaxy is a nifty little collection of tunes if you like your ambient on the mysterious side of things. Even with the amount of Laswellian music I've since heard, this still remains a remarkably unique offering of what he's made within his vast discography.

Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains

Columbia: 1995

Of the Big Four Of Grunge, I know the least about Alice In Chains. I'm sure I heard them in music video rotation and soundtracks, as you couldn't escape the grunge movement growing up a teenager of the Gen-X variety. Compared to the ubiquitous presence of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, however, Alice In Chains somehow slipped me by. I always saw Nevermind, Ten and Superunknown on store shelves and within peers' CD collections, but I can't recall spotting Dirt among them. Maybe I didn't know what to look for, what tunes I should have noticed on their mixtapes, but fact remains for much of grunge's peak, I only knew Alice In Chains in name only, as yet another band that the rock world seemed to really like. Them and Blind Melon.

Hell, even when this particular album dropped, with cover art you couldn't turn away from if you tried, it still took me a while to clue in it was an Alice In Chains record. Like, weren't they pioneers of the Grunge Tree or something? Then again, Live kinda' made the Grunge Tree a joke, so I can understand why they'd not want anything to do with it. Instead, let's get a photo of a poor three-legged canine, and on the flip, feature a three-legged human! Nice way of showing how having too little and too much of something (in this case, legs) can be an impediment to one's existence.

Right, time to get into music discussion, and I'm afraid this is about where I'll lose all those AiC fans. As said, my knowledge of the band is extremely slight, even with their biggest hits. This self-titled third album did hit the top spot on on the Billboard 200, but I don't recall hearing much of anything from it when it was new, much less compared to their earlier work. I can only offer my thoughts on how it sounds to these virgin ears in the here and now.

And boy, is this ever one sludgy, grungy sounding album. I know the genre had moved on from its original form by '95, but AiC do a good job keeping the bleak tone intact, despite an ever increasingly optimistic decade (drug problems help). There really isn't much in the way of hooks or melodies, everything a dank, dour, atonal thrum of guitar distortion and Layne Staley's depressive vocals. Anything that does leap out is usually on the bass end, like the heavy rhythm stomp of Sludge Factory and God Am. Some kick the tempo up (So Close, Head Creeps) but for the most part, we're trawling through the Seattle murk.

I actually find the atonal nature of this album addictive, like a comforting glumness I want to explore further. Sit back with headphones, the layers of distortion overwhelming, and peel them back, finding the golden goo underneath. Alice In Chains may not catch my attention so readily as other rock, but it does keep luring me back for another spin.

Nova - Albedo

Ultimae Records: 2005

If I'm gonna' break my oath and buy old-school Ultimae releases in a digital format, I might as well do it for all of them, right? I can still hold out hope for hard-copy re-issues of items like Distances, Earthshine, and Memory Shell, but really, I'm only denying myself by not going the digital route with the rest. Besides, it's not like there's many Ultimae CDs I haven't gathered. My collection of their releases is remarkably thorough, especially considering it was 2009 that I started buying in earnest (what humble-brag?).

Albedo came out quite early in Ultimae's lifespan, around that transitional point after the label had properly established itself with a few core acts and a solid, continuous compilation series. Time to take that next step, then, and expand the roster, release extra content on other formats (not vinyl tho', no one buys that stuff), and launch additional compilations, broadening your exposure beyond the lucky few within the psy-chill community who'd already stumbled upon your work. Albedo was the first volley into this wider world of scene dominance, with nothing less than a bold step into the domain of conceptual compilations.

Okay, I'm over-selling a little, but for as much choice music the Fahrenheit Project provided, they generally remained regular ol' compilations showcasing Ultimae's manifesto. As one of the label's primary DJs, Massimo Terranova undoubtedly had his own ideas on how to curate the various gathered muses, and he was given the opportunity with Albedo, technically Ultimae's first DJ mix CD, though still in the 'partially mixed' form their other discs do.

Still, 'Nova' got to indulge in more of a focused musical narrative, and have himself a clutch of all new, exclusive music from most of Ultimae's main players: Dana, Hol, CBL, and, of course, Mr. Fields, dropping yet another utterly sublime piece of music in Fiat Lux, making me cry to the heavens that this guy can do a 'toss-off' track with such ease. Some scene vets like Ishq and Vir Unis also contribute, while a couple cats get their start here as well (Between Interval, Antonio Testa).

So the music is all panoramic and lush, as you know it would be from a mid-'00s Ultimae release. As a set though, Nova does a good job in showing off tonal contrasts, with the early sections featuring something of an urban, technological bent (so much radio static in Between Interval's Wishful Thinking), gradually going full-on nature by set's end. While there are clear sections within Albedo (hoo, does Fiat Lux ever mark the end of one), everything flows smoothly throughout, like chapters of the story Nova wishes to tell. Still, as these are essentially tunes made for Nova's mix and not their own albums, it's not the crème de la crème of their respective discographies. Yes, even the ridiculously wonderful Fiat Lux. Thus, if I'm to be honest, I can't say Albedo reaches those upper echelons of Ultimae's catalogue, but it sure does push up against that impossibly-high ceiling.

Bubble - Airless

Mushy Records: 2005

I've never mentioned this, but my 2005 re-entry into the world of psy-trance was via a promo package sent to me from the now defunct Boa Distribution. Included in that package was Electro Sun's Pure Blue, the compilation Buckle Up, Vol. 2: Trancelucent Garage (aka: that one with the tacky cartoon of naked chicks), and the downtempo collection of Unwind: A Journey Into Global Grooves. Unbeknownst to everyone though, there was a fourth CD in that bundle, one I found so shockingly bad, I couldn't in good conscience write a review of it too. Okay, it wasn't so much I'd feel guilty on ripping a new artist, but rather I didn't want to so viciously bite the hand that fed me. TranceCritic had already dealt with managers not pleased with us being just another outlet of enthusiasm press, when Paul van Dyk's team pulled back an interview request following Jack Moss' less-than adulatory write-up of Politics Of Dancing 2. However, I never got further packages from Boa, so my discretion was moot.

Plus, I doubt anything I'd have written back when would have made much difference. The duo behind Bubble – Guy Sarnat and Karen Bagdasarov – have maintained a steady career to this day, no small feat in the overcrowded realm of Israeli full-on. True, their last album outing was in 2011, but they've continued a trickle of singles, a smattering of Soundclouds, and a permanent presence on the festival circuit, with a dedicated following eating up their brand of light-weight psy. They've got it made, and all the more power to them for their success. Their debut album's still balls, though.

I get what they're shooting for, Infected Mushroom's influence evident throughout Airless. With song-writing so disjointed and production so cheap, however, it's rare anything clicks in this album. Opening track I'm Looking nicely exemplifies what I'm getting on about. Gentle guitar strumming gets us started, then that plastic, lifeless rhythm the worst of Israeli full-on uses appears, burying everything in the mix. The guitar's still going, but details are lost, nor does it sync with the supporting superfluous effects.

And it just gets sadder from there, I'm Looking diving into 'buttrock' territory with hilariously limp shredding that has no idea what the rhythm's doing, and a pathetic piano patch even Casio keyboardists would shun. This is also that kind of segmented full-on gibberish, where nothing musically ties together, everything arranged in the most generic of random wibble I've ever heard out of the genre. That's just one track out of eight, and things get worse the deeper into Airless we go. Dear God, won't someone save that poor piano patch?

Bubble clearly had ambitious ideas, and sometimes they come through (Class-X has a nifty squealing acid line, Bubble In Panic's rhythms don't suck so hard). Sadly, they lacked the songcraft experience and production capability to see them to fruition here. It's like a teenage garage band shooting for Led Zeppelin epics in their earliest sessions. Not recommended.

Sasha - Airdrawndagger

BMG UK & Ireland: 2002

I sure remember the hot anticipation for Sasha's debut album. Like, there was long, gestating buzz over whether he'd ever do the deed, as the discourse is wont to go when it comes to popular DJs. Curating all those class trance records, groovy progressive house tracks, and spiritual superclub vibes, surely had to impress some inspiration upon Mr. Coe such that his muse demanded his own tunes too. And as his career continuously went from strength to strength (Renaissance, Northern Exposure, Xpander EP!), the time seemed right to drop an LP of original music in ye' olde year of 2002. (whoa, deja-vu)

Everyone's familiar with Airdrawndagger's story: big hype, lukewarm response, now regarded a relic of prog's heyday. For sure folks enjoyed what they heard on this album, but it wasn't the knock-down smash they hoped for. As though they needed this record to definitively and emphatically resuscitate and cement progressive house/trance/breaks' legacy as the One Genre To Rule Them All.

Instead, Sasha – yes, Charlie May and Junkie XL lended a heaping helping hand – set out for something more conceptual, music just as enjoyable being played at home as hearing rinsed out in the clubs. And hoo, he done did that, the tunes on Airdrawndagger utterly lush within my headphone space. Sixteen years on, the production's as cutting edge as the day it dropped, even if the song-writing mostly remains stuck in the past. Which is fine. Despite some wailing that there was nothing as instantly classic as Xpander on here, Sasha maintained Airdrawndagger was an assemblage of his various influences throughout his years of DJing. Or just coming due on all those half-formed ideas floating about from his 'studio time' following missed gigs.

So you get the chill tunes setting the mood early, but holding nothing back on opulent synth melodies either (Mr. Tiddles, Magnetic North), all the while keeping the rhythms at a steady groove. Then things get more technical than musical for a while, which is dope if you dig sound design in your beatcraft, but may be lacking if you need your melodies up front and obvious. James Holden to the rescue then, as Bloodlock might as well be a solo-Holden track, the sort of twinkle-prog he practically pioneered. It's almost shocking to hear this tune now, considering both Sasha and Holden would disown it so soon after. That Coldharbour crew though, they had no problem claiming it.

The album kinda' eases things down from there, Requiem a spritely ambient outing, Golden Arm a steadying prog groover, and Wavy Gravy a chipper prog-breaks closer. Not the rousing finale you'd expect from Sasha and co., but again, Airdrawndagger never was gonna' be a dozen tracks of clubbing fodder. Next-gen production aside, this is mostly a record with no aspirations of commercial appeal, but rather music making that sates one's own soul. And hey, if anyone else gets something out of it, all the better. Such modesty strangely makes it better the older it gets.

Mark Farina - Air Farina

OM Records: 2003

I honestly can't remember whether Mark Farina's debut album was hotly anticipated or not. Like, I'm sure there was long, gestating buzz over whether he'd ever do the deed, as the discourse is wont to go when it comes to popular DJs. Curating all those class deep house records, groovy downtempo tracks, and funky Chicago-San Fran' vibes, surely had to impress some inspiration upon Mr. Farina such that his muse demanded his own tunes too. And as his career continuously went from strength to strength (Mushroom Jazz, OM Records, Frisco Disco!), the time seemed about right to drop an LP of original music in ye' olde year of 2003.

Yet, I was taken completely by surprise when I saw it sitting in the store that day, having heard not a word about it prior. Part of that was the unfortunate death of rags I was following at the time, but even among music boards I lingered on, I didn't see much hype on Air Farina, nor much talk of it since, and I live around his hottest touring regions. It all seems very odd to yours truly, especially since I quite enjoy the album ...after a time.

Right, my initial reaction to hearing Air Farina's production was utter befuddlement. Farina's trademark DJing sound is of irresistible deep funky house, with sounds and production that warms the soul. This stuff though, it sounds like it was made on a plastic Apple music box, everything ultra-compressed and nary a spot of grit and grime within. I get no sense of Chicago warehouses or California beaches – it's as though Farina took his 'music from airports' concept all the way to the aesthetic level, existing in an artificial reality where nothing seems quite real or lived-in. For sure, once the album gets moving, and the songcraft has its chance to strut its stuff, the production becomes less of an issue. And hey, I cannot deny I've never heard any other album sounding like this, much less within the realms of house music, so Air Farina at least stands out on that merit alone. Whether you dig it or not probably boils down to how much you like Mark's tunes, and as I still don't hear much talk about this album fifteen years on, well...

Interspersed with dialog from pilot training videos (plus a humorous clip from The Phantom), Air Farina plays out in enjoyable chunks, a downtempo jam or two followed up by a run of bumpin' house tunes with ear-wormy vocals samples. There's no denying Marks' skill in making his own house, tunes like Dropped Into Water, Gramma So, and Leaving SF just as infectiously groovy as anything he's rinsed out. Meanwhile, floating chill moments like Dream Machine and dips into hip-hop with People Under The Stairs (Travel) show off his diversity just fine. Just, man... that ultra-plastic production though. I can understand why some are ambivalent towards Air Farina, when all they desire is another Mushroom Jazz session.