MUSIC REVIEWS
Reggae Goes Techno: A Look at Two of the Best
Reggae Goes Techno: A Look at Two of the Best
Reggae Goes Techno: A Look at Two of the Best
Reggae Goes Techno: A Look at Two of the Best
Reggae Goes Techno: A Look at Two of the Best
Reggae Goes Techno: A Look at Two of the Best
Various Artists
Law of the Jungle
(Moonshine Music)
23°
An Endless Searching for Substance
(Silent Records)
A trip to Jamaica puts reggae music in a round, warm light. Life on the island unfolds in a laid-back time frame, while its musical accompaniment unfolds in an off-kilter rhythmic vitality, with tonal colors true to Jamaican speech. But when Jamaican music is transplanted to European, Canadian, and US cities, reggae sounds become tempered with alien cultural rhythms and sonic tints. The past year witnessed an extraordinary mutation of reggae into two new forms, both illustrating the fate of traditional roots music when it is lifted out of its native context.
Fresh out of London's clubs and recording studios comes "jungle," a wild new genre synthesizing reggae and techno. Thunderous bass and drum tracks are accelerated to 140 or more beats per minute. Various sweet synth-hooks and soul/reggae vocal samples add romantic touches to otherwise darkly manic, gangster-tinged club music. Only one US label thus far - Moonshine - offers a view of jungle through its smartly compiled anthology, Law of the Jungle. Among the disc's 11 acts are Shy FX and Gunsmoke: "Original Gangsta," its snare drum-dominated track, unforgettably shouts the terrors and joys of black London. Also, put your ears to Jungle Vibes and Renegade Selector, two stellar compilations on Crammed Discs.
On the other hand, if you prefer reggae rhythms at their most relaxed, with subtle washes of synthesizer and electronically processed vocal samples, Eno-like atmospherics, and softly textured bass and drums, you'll vibe with "ambient dub." 23°ree; offers superbly crafted ambient landscapes (think a Jamaican day at the beach). Afro-Caribbean hand drumming floats through cloudy synth textures. Bass and drums invoke a beckoning god a world away.
16 Volt
Skin
(Ink Head Music Publishing)
Sometimes I want to get up on my chair and yell, Hey, a monkey could play better than that! Then I remember those hurdy-gurdy guys, and I think, Maybe it's better that the monkeys just handle the money.
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