Poster

Alabama 3

‘Outlaw’

Where the fuck is Johnny Cash! He’s on the “Last Train To Mashville”, and through the ether the vague shadows of South London’s finest come to walk the line. At last, situationist charlatans, fops, dilettantes, recidivists – and the last joke in the acid country cracker reengage with their latent genius.

“Outlaw”, the bands fourth LP. , hits harder than Numbers the fourth Testament, a joyous amalgam of country, blues, gospel and the lost analogues of Johnny D.; they have reclaimed the covenant. Acidicly yours, an album that hangs better than Mussolini, tighten than piano wire- please, please, let yourself be garrotted.

Dwight Trible and the Life Force Trio

‘Love Is The Answer’ (Ninja Tune)

This recently harvested crop of tunes from Dwight Trible, visionary in concept, is fresh and innovative as well as rich in respect for its musical influences. Sun-Ra style jazz, Last Poet’s hip-hop, the funk of Parliament and a taste of Chicago garage-house can all be heard in this lovingly created album.

An esteemed elder statesman of the L.A. music scene, Trible has worked with greats such as Bobby Hutcherson, Charles Lloyd and Harry Belafonte. He is the vocalist with the Pharaoh Sanders Quartet and is also the vocal director for the Horace Tapscott Pan African Peoples Arkestra, a Los Angeles institution with a history stretching back forty years and an active engagement in the city’s Black community since the Watts Uprising.

Completely free form throughout, the album moves from the 80’s synth funk sound of ‘Equipose’ and the laid back disco vibe of the title track-‘Love Is The Answer’, with its looping guitars, mellow percussion and soulful vocals, through to the pure avant-garde scratch and rap strangeness of ‘Waves of Infinite Harmony’ onto the radical rhythms and rap poetry of ‘I Was Born On Planet Rock’ and ‘Antiquity’, finally resting with the beautiful ‘Constellations’ and spiritual guidance of ‘Celestial Blues’.

Equally brilliant vocals, instrumentation, percussion and arrangements pervade this lyrically and musically elevating, highly enjoyable and conscience uplifting work.

HOT WAX

By Kaz Peet

A STONED SELECTION

Zion Train

‘Original Sounds Of The ZionRemixed (Universal Egg)

This recent release from the stables of the mighty Zion Train consists of fifteen remixes of tracks first released in 2002 on the album “Original Sounds Of The Zion”. Engaged since then in building a new studio and other musical projects, the tunes were passed around musical friends and peers around the planet resulting in this collection of re-workings from bands and artists including Twilight Circus, Rob Smith, Unity Sound, Vibronics and Balafonic.

In ‘Love Revolutionary” - Love Grocer, a seventies style King Tubby dub underlies an almost spaghetti western film score trumpet line to great effect in this instrumental version. By contrast Pier Paolo Polcari delivers a very funky and steppin’ right up high version with its toast lines and psychedelic wahwah guitar. Two other versions of this classic appear on the album, one from Dub Creator, the other from LBJ vs. Bommitomni with its techno bass and sounds.

A touch of Bhangra moves down the dub sidewalk in Transglobal Underground’s version of ‘Zion High”.

The striking, soulful impact of Molara’s voice is at full power in “Beautiful Children”, with a splendid version from Speedwell closing the album.

Various

‘Trans Slovenia Express Vol. 2’ (Mute)

A very late follow up to the critically acclaimed Trans Slovenia Express Volume One, released in 1994, Volume 2 again is another selection of Kraftwerk covers, by bands and artists from Slovenia.

More of a showcase for the talent of the region rather than a further attempt at a Kraftwerk recontextualisation, the album opens with Laibach’s moody chiller: Bruderschaft, not a cover, but rather, a caprice on their own song: Brother of Mine, a glistening exercise quintessential Kraftwerkian modality – quite beautiful, quite Kraftwerk. The Stroj’s: ‘Metal on Metal’ gets closer to it’s subject matter than the original did, with some real robust steel-thumping, whilst stadium rock act Siddhartha take on The Robots with the warm fat din of metallic guitars. Although there are no tracks here that mirror the clear vibrant genius of the Kraftwerk catalogue this album, like its predecessor did, reveals its artists worthy standard bearers, and the once thought exclusive material, durable, and a highly verdant plain for further exploration.

Dr. Who at The Radiophonic Workshop. Vol. 1 and 2

A fascinating insight into the pioneering electronica of The BBC Radiophonic Workshop throughout the sixties and seventies. These two albums contain all four Doctor Who themes, TARDIS take-offs and landings, plus much of the sublime atmospheric electro-wobble associated with Daleks, Cybermen, and SpacePirates of yore. In combination, essential for Doctor Who fans and vintage techno lovers alike.

The Herbaliser

‘Take London’ (Ninja Tune)

Marching onwards and upwards in true soldier style, The Herbaliser return with the release of this storming sonic assault – “Take London”. A synthesis of laid back hip-hop beats, funky grooves, moody jazz-scapes along with a big production sound – the unique seal of this outfit, reaches new depths in this album.

Always placing great emphasis on lyrical and vocal content, here three guest vocalists are featured – the one and only Roots Manuva. Nottingham’s Cappo and long time collaborator Jean Grae who excels in the sultrily profound and moving “Close Your Eyes”.

Various

‘Under The Influence – Carl Barat’ (DMC Recordings)

Here we have a bunch of favourite and influential tunes hand picked by Carl Barat of The Libertines.

Covering a time span of over forty years, the album includes The Mamas And The Papas, Small Faces, Bob Dylan (with a particularly good track – ‘Hurricane’), New York Dolls, Clash, The Stranglers and The Streets.

Peter Tosh And Friends

‘Black Dignity’ (Trojan)

Coming as one of the latest releases in the re-issuing of JA. Reggae music, this collection of songs from Peter Tosh is taken from recordings made in the early seventies, some on Joe Gibbs label and some on Lee Perry’s. After being a founding member and the eldest of The Wailers, his contribution was becoming undermined following the media sensationalisation of Marley.

Known as ‘The Steppin’ Razor’ and coupling an uncompromising militancy with his deep, prophetic biblical voice, Tosh always engenders a powerful impact. Here we are treated with such classics as ‘Four Hundred Years”, “Downpressor”, both recorded with The Wailers and “(Earth’s) Rightful Ruler” recorded with

U-Roy. Other new editions on this label are “Pressure Drop” the definitive collection of Toots And The Maytals and “Guns Don’t Argue” an anthology of Dennis Alcapone.

This music can NEVER be beaten!

Will Saul

‘Space Between’ (Simple Records)

This serendipitous release from Will Saul, his debut solo album, definitely stands in the more experimental end of the dance music field. Genreless rather than crossing, he creates something entirely wholesome, cavernous and organic – fertile and lush psychedelic pastures in which to lose one-self.

Co-produced by Fink (Ninja Tune) and Tam Cooper (Precision Cuts), Saul alchemises his base materials of dub, electro, techno, downtempo and broken beats into a glistening golden, head sensation. Brimming with soul, subterranean bass, evocative sounds and graceful melodies, “Space Between” is perfect for chilling in or dancing it out.