Prash - Love Means Never Having To Say It Aloud

Hear The Track Here

Here's another artist who has been going great guns on Soundclick over the past couple of years, and one of my favourite Soundclick artists of all time. Obviously a lot of that has to do with me knowing the guy (so to speak) and the day to day interactions we have, but long before I got to know him he was just a noobie like you, or you. It was his music that sold me on the person, as is usually the case. Fact is, there is no denying that Prash is an individualistic, talented musician and one that can make music to satisfy many ears - regardless of genre preferences.

An accomplished musician is an accomplished musician, right?

After a string of Must Haves and two appearance in my end of year reviews (2004 & 2005), Prash has done a grand job as far as I am concerned and judging by his many fans and listeners, he is doing it right. This year has been a bit slow on the Prash front although he stormed back into form with his collaboration with Chris Bishop (aka Project Overseer) on What Has Happened To Peace On Earth (August 2006), a track I highly recommend you get a listen to. Now you would think that Prash - being a mate and all - would know I [grinding teeth]fekkin HATE[/ungrinding teeth] - and I quote here - 'mushy love song(s)'.

Not the usual sort of drivel you'd expect from the lad, is it? Well, lessee...

Prash wrote this for a friend as a gift to HIS wife (Prash is still single, ladies) and I think that is a great idea. Don't buy her flowers, buy her a song :D Nonetheless I wish he had put up the lyrics on the site, but as I struggled with my massive predjudices, I think I got the gist of it. What we find is Prash in fine pop form, albeit with a massive overdose of sugar - mostly admittedly from the lyrics. The music though is pure Prash; soft, inviting and so smooth you could use it as a ski slope. I freely admit that I don't like this song as much as some of Prash's own personal tracks, but Love Means... carries all the hallmarks of the skills I - and many others - have come to associate with this artist.

Highly Recommended (providing you like (ahem) 'mushy love songs').

Divine Turmoil - Ambivalent Emotions

Hear The Track Here

Now here's something that going to stretch even my descriptive powers. Get this: Divine Turmoil (great name btw) are in the Alternative: Experimental niche which will probably make a good few listeners pause - unless they read the bands bio in which case things get even murkier. Seems like their influences are Megadeath, Mogwai and other metal maniacs and they seem to plays some decent guitars between them. So who, exactly, does this square with the whole 'experimental' tag? That certainly had me scratching my head for a while because I read all this while downloading the track prior to the review process.

Now that I've heard it, I am absolutely none the wiser.

I am, I have to admit, much cheered by coming across a guitar instrumental in such a setting and a ridiculously good guitar instrumental too. Except, surprisingly enough the kinda Metal section towards the end of the track. That section didn't really work for me, I thought it detracted to much from what had gone before. So, there is no doubt that - in some ways - this IS a bit of an experimental track but whatever you do, don't let that tag put you off this nimble little track. I know what the term means to most people and I know that avoidance is their first response. In this particular case, it would be a mistake - particularly if what I've described above interests you.

Now, when I say this is a guitar track you'd better believe it. Every method that can be brought to bear is used 'as a lap-steel, distortion over clean, and simply playing around with different effects and harmonics' as the band state in the songs comments. As such its definitely worth a listen if you like to hear guitars played well. It's funny though that as convincing as they are in the acoustic arena that this doesn't carry on into the metal phase, which sounds amateurish by comparison. Still, even as a musical exercise it works well so I doubt DT will lose any sleep over anyone's opinion..let alone mine.

Very decent acoustic guitar track, don't let the label fool you.

Onager - The Blossomed Gates

Hear The Track Here

I've come across Colwyn Bay's Onager a couple of times before through MP3 Unsigned and liked what they did although nothing - as yet - as set me on fire. Having said that I did give them a Recommended for Dark Glass (July 2005) for its edgy electronic feel and it's Numanesque musical references - although missing the essential ingredient, the vocal to go with it. There is an added incentive with this track because it's a spoken word poem by one Abeey Williams, a young lady who has been gathering much attention on that site although I have yet to hear any of her work.

So, let's rectify that right now...

Her contribution to this track is writing the lyrics and then speaking them over the track Onager constructed especially for this purpose. Well, to quote one of the main lines in the track 'I've blossomed beautifully' because it certainly applies to the whole track too. The combination of the poem's meter and delivery and the dramatic flourishes of the musical track is really, really effective. My only quibble, and it is slight, is that sometimes the vocal gets a bit lost in all the musical fireworks going on. So, if I haven't particularly liked anything from Onager before this track solves those problems with an emphatic 'yyyyyeeeessssss' Class work all round, from all parties.

However, special mention of two things: the lyrics (which really should be read as you listen to the tune, and the music. Abeey has an excellent vision, and her lyrics show that she knows how to construct a visual word picture that conveys the subject matter beautifully. Excellent job. The real highspot - for me anyway - is the music. What a breathtaking peice this is. If this had come up as a track on it's own I would have raved about it, it's mixture of drama and musical nous propels it along at breakneck speed. The sounds were very, very cool and the mix understated enough for the full drama of the lyrics and music to work their magic. Yet another collaboration that shows working together can often have ridiculously good results.

Highly Recommended. Class all the way.

Soupbone For Murder - Groucho Von Strainer

Hear The Track Here

Lavalush - the forumname of SFM - asked me to forget reviewing this during this months reviews but hey.... Look at it. Soupbone For Murder? Groucho von Strainer? Come on, the question that should be asked is how the fekk can I resist it?? :D Seriously, this is definitely a contender for wacky names of the year, in all respects. Despite being, I hope, quite a witty guy I often wonder if I should take an artist with a strange/name attitude seriously or not. I like music, and Soupbone For Murder claim to make it so hey, why not.

At least it keeps me off the streets. Which keeps you safe.

You could have slapped me in a dress and called me Sally, so dazed was I the first time I heard this track. It really isn't often that you come across class production allied with instrumental expertise - especially in the acoustic field. Most of this genres artists are of the singer songwriter persuasion and there really aren't that many at all of the calibre of (say) Christopher Martin Hansen or MiKe Silvestri. Having said that, surprisingly enough, Soupbone For Murder comes comfortably close to that mark on this extremely likeable and approachable tune.

Whatever I might think about an artist, the one thing that always determines it is the music and in this case, Groucho Von Strainer is as good anything else around in that genre - and it would beat the pants off a few musicians in other genres too. It's a very hefty brew too, considering it's acoustic background, because almost every manner of known acoustic stringed instrument makes it's presence felt. All produced in a superfine, clear mix that lets each instrument claim its rightful place. It's also just over two minutes long which is about as much as is necessary for this track to register solidly. Which should also tell you much about this musician. Very tasty stuff indeed and this is an artist (despite being named like some Cluedo character) who definitely SHOULD be taken seriously.

Highly Recommended Acoustic instrumental with just a whiff of traditional...

Retrograde Pop - In A Little While

Hear The Track Here

OK I'm going to be REALLY rude here and address myself to the many, many old farts frequenting Soundclick, because a lot of the things I have to say apply directly to people of my generation (crusty to falling to bits) and the flashbacks I am about to unleash in your direction may hinder your thought processes. All this chatter just lately about the new Bob Dylan album got me thinking about this most influential of artists. Me, I love and adore his Blood On The Tracks sound and I suspect that is one of the reasons I have grown to love the musical talent we know as Cam because he captures that languid tone so well.

Yep, that is him in a earlier, gentler time. He looks about 12 doesn't he? ;)

Retrograde Pop is a new cubbyhole for a younger version of Cam's Even Song and I know for a fact there are going to be thousands of musicians on here who will recognise and empathise with regurgitating his musical past. See, another of my most influential artists has been The Beatles, particularly in their more lyrical moments and this Cam combines both Beatle AND Dylan most superbly. In A Little While isn't the time it took this track to adhere itself to my ears, cos that happened in about two notes. While it's true that there is a lot of musical reference here (for us alleged old farts) there's also a classic Cam performance.

All the Retrograde Pop tracks date from when Cam was a mere 16 and are some of the tracks he wrote at the time, re-recorded and performed - or at least that's my understanding. However, when you are deep in the midst of a track with the lushness of In A Little While, such things don't matter because - as Cam says - he's only picking the best tracks from the period and this is definitely that and a bit more besides. Fact is I couldn't care less when this was made/written/spawned, all I care about is yet another almost flawless Cam performance encased in an arrangement that owes everything to both Beatles and Dylan but with that typical Cam lightness of touch. Irrisistable to Cam fans certainly but I suspect this is also a casual listener wake up call too. Classic Cam. Who'da thunk it?

MUST HAVE

Cameron Pierce - Cold

Hear The Track Here

It's pretty much a given now that when I see a new Cameron Pierce track on my review list, I am going to like it so there's my bias out the way from the start. The only question, in my mind, anyway is am I going to keep it? See, despite me seeming to rave about most anything that comes down the pike, I am very selective indeed at the amount (and quality) of the tracks I give hard drive room for. These are usually Must Have's and contribute greatly towards my year end awards points system. For example, out of the 500+ tracks I have reviewed this year, I have kept 83.

See how tough it is?

Not that Cameron needs to worry overly much, he has figured in every year end review so far, mainly because he really IS that good, and certainly one of the most consistently good artists on Soundclick. To be sure you would need to be into his brand of semi-acoustic pop rock with a distinct leaning towards the harmony group approach, and in this case the vocals are always worthy of a listen or two. So, you will hear a slick, polished songwriter at work and if you like that kind of thing, believe me you and Cameron really should and Cold is a good enough example of what he does.

Aaah, you say, but is it a keeper? Welp, again he has nothing to worry about on that score because he already has one of those 83 slots I mentioned. As likeable as Cold is, I admit that I did have some problems with it. Certainly not with the song itself or even the production (my usual harrowing ground) in this case, I think it's the performance that's throwing me. Despite it's semi-acoustic setting, Cold is an angry song, and it's not afraid to show it. It felt to me when the track really started to emote (and it does that exceedingly well) the vocals didn't quite match the drive of the track. Mind you, this is a quibble this small (holds finger and thumb together) because as usual everything else sounds very good and I'm just merciless ain't I? Yeah, mean too...

Recommended Pop Rock. Not Cold at all, hot even.

Martin Gallagher - Morning Fantasy

Hear The Track Here

Well this is the third time around for MP3 Unsigned's Martin Gallagher and I haven't recieved a good kicking yet so I think it is fair to say he isn't related to those other Gallaghers. Stylistically he's a far remove from an Oasis retro remake and owes more to the old standard; credible arrangement, tasteful aural decorations and a trick at writing a catchy song. I admit I liked, very much, the tribute song to his father, By Your Side (December 2005) and loved its simplicity and its emotional reach - not easy given an acoustic setting.

What give it a point though is the song. No matter what you daub on top of it, it won't mean anything if the tune doesn't have meaning, and musical reference for the listener, and in that respect Martin has definitely come good. Although it's a bit on the light side, the production is certainly meaty enough where it's needed, the bass in particular was right in the pocket. Mind you, I have a thing about walking basslines anyway and this one pounds the pavements from here to yonder. And that's just the chassis of this fascinating peice of music, and while I can (and probably will) pull a few holes in the mix/production, there is no doubt that musically this is a real high spot for Martin and he no doubt feels good about it.

As indeed he should.

It's a terrific track; full of Beatle references, gorgeous harmony backing vocals and some very slick moves from the man himself. For my money, all this achievement was undermined by a couple of things, nothing really major and may not indeed by spotted by that many listeners. Firstly, the drums kinda disappeared entirely once the song got a-pumping, and for a track with this amount of oomph that is definitely not a good thing. For a guy who is also steeped in the UK culture I can spot millions of local references in what Martin does, and I guess it is one of the reasons why I think most people won't notice the odd strain in the main vocal, they will be too busy wallowing in the nostalgia for the world Martin grew up in. Morning Fantasy is a bright and extremely pleasant track whose overall performance makes it happen and it's certainly the best thing I have heard from him yet.

Highly Recommended (for a great song and arrangement)

Jay Daniels - Lunette Tears

Hear The Track Here

Here's a long but heartening story. Imagine this, you come online a couple of years ago, all fired up with the zeal of uncovering the internet. You are a rock guitarist and although your kit isn't up to much, you think you have what it takes. Then some guy comes along, listens to what you put online and then proceeds to bite your critical ass each time you lay a track before him. A bit of a comedown, right? Welp, that is the position Jay (Jonti) Daniels found himself in with me. No matter which way he spun around, his material was just not doing anything for me. Believe me, I know what it's like to take hard reviews, I've had more than my fair share and some that still bring a blush to my cheeks to this day. How could I have been sooooo blind?, you know what I mean?

So what does this artist do about that?

Turns into a hip hop artist is what, although to my ears what he is doing has more (still) to do with rock than any form of hip hop I know. Still, that's just small and very bitter grapes, because - ta da - Lunette Tears is pretty much everything I have expected from this artist in the past and never gotten. If it takes a change of genre to do that, then so be it. It also proves a golden rule about reviews, it's just an opinion. If you get put off by a review then you never had it in you in the first place, believe me the things I say are FAR kinder than you would recieve in the real world. Nonetheless, all my criticism is for one reason and one reason only, to further the music. When it pays off, as it does in this case, it is a rare and wonderous event.

It isn't all beer and skittles though because as decent as Lunette Tears is, it still has some rough edges. However, compared to what came before, this is certainly something I feel Jay can be proud of, although not in a hip hop way. The reason I got interested in this guy in the first place was because he claimed to like and play like Jimi Hendrix and a statement like that is always going to interest me. Now, at least on this track, I see the glimmer of what he was talking about. He has managed to sew together an extremely passable backing track, a very good arrangement and some tasty licks to add the icing and -considering where we came from - this is a great listen. Stilll need to pay more attention to the finer points of the mix but this is definitely getting somewhere.

Tasty guitar based instrumental (and it's only 2:25)

Lord Skye - Legends Main Theme

Hear The Track Here

I think Lord Skye is trying a bit of Bait The Bear with this request ;) I make no secret of my aversion to the Games (shudder) Soundtrack scene, and yet here he is bedevilling me with yet another... Is there no end to this curse? (Ed: I ask myself that several times a day). I jest, of course, but not by much. While its true that I don't like the bleepy, SID type tracks employed by games AT ALL, I do kind of enjoy a well thought out, complete musical soundtrack as much as the next guy and guyess. I will stipulate here though that I mean in the game, I like the music in the game, that's what it's made for. It's the same with movie soundtracks, I'd rather be watching the film with the music in it, ya know what I mean?

Still, there are always exceptions...

I reviewed his Spring~Sunny Meadow track last month and quite liked it although the sounds used wasn't really my cup of tea at all. Still, if you take into account my predjudice against the genre, that counts as a compliment I guess. So, Legends Main Theme is - as you no doubt guessed - the soundtrack to a freeware game LS is working on and is 'a typical march' Oh. Right. Hold on, I'll get out some marching powder (think about it, think about it). While Legends suffers from exactly the same fate as its predecesser in the sound department, to my ears there is no denying that - given the right tools - Lord Skye can be making tracks thta could sit equally well amongst so called 'modern composers' He's certainly got the musical knowledge for that.

See, if you have a little dig around in his kit list (bottom of his SC page), you'll see that our Lord is a musician of the old school; all those cute little black dots on that strangely lined paper. He works with Finale and Fruity Studio, with soundfonts and that is where IMHO the problem lies. I know FS well, and I know and respect its post production wonders. I also know about soundfonts and either GM or XG sound formats, and this track is made almost entirely of the latter. 'Nowt wrong with that!!' I hear the geeks squeak but I beg to differ. The difference IMHO being you have to work to make your creation breathe otherwise it's an art exhibit and nothing more. Personally, Lord Skye, I think you have nothing whatsoever to worry about musically, as you have already proved. Now it's all a matter of presentation. No, wait. Maybe you HAVE to work this way because of the games soundtrack genre?? Somehow, I don't think so.

Musically muscular, but well flabby in the soundsets...

Pilesar - Radioactive Toy Revolt

Hear The Track Here

My neighbours hate Pilesar. I think they have finally tumbled to the fact that the music that gives them toothache, earache, headache and menopausal hot flushes is none other than Pilesar's greatest hits. It has to be said, however, that even I will admit that the procession of musical insanity that constitutes Pilesar's output is often hard to take. He is, after all, the Prince of Pandimonium and pretty much anything goes and often does. Having said that, his work is enjoyable, interesting, endlessly fascinating and completely, utterly manical.

Just the way we likes it...

Luckily though, especially for those who think I jest about this, his normal reactions are somewhat muted on RTR because it's the second collaboration with Cam (aka Cam's Even Song). I am a big, big fan of both these artists so it's pretty easy for me to work out who is who on this track, and I especially see Cam's prediliction for a great groove. Like all of Pilesar's work, it does require that the listener have at least the semblence of a working brain and a knack for getting under the surface of things. Believe me, if you took Pilesar at his base value you would have to run away screaming. It's taken me a long time to build up immunity (ooops, sorry I meant an acquired taste) but now I've got it, it'll scar me for life.

Cam is far less the scarier figure here and it would appear that he provides the base arrangement (and the backing track if I guess right) and Pilesar provides the witches brew of stuff a-wailin' and a-hollerin' over the top of it. Yeah, but after a few good plays, do I actually like it? As a combination of these two very different artists talents, I most certainly do because it shows them both off to the best advantage. As a track in its own right, this is a moody, complex peice that will demand the viewers attention if you want to get the most out of it - but it is worth the effort. Another worthy - if highly unlikely - collaborative effort bears strange fruit. Ain't the internet the dogs danglies??

Recommended weirdness.

Envy - Everything

Hear The Track Here

You may notice I have a blank look today. That is because although I have had a lot of experience with the emotion called envy (that sly green goddess!!), I have no experience whatsoever with the MP3 Unsigned artist by that name. So, let's see (squints at screen) yadda yaddda, ahh. Older track of theirs, revamped. Yadda yadda. A five peice band from Sarf Eas' Lunnun. Rock! Yeah, that'll do it. So, as you can see I'm struggling enormously to give you any meaningful info so stop being such lazy gits and go and find out for yourself what Envy are about.

Let's concentrate on the music...

When they say rock, mind, they mean of the rough and in-yer-face variety and that's usually the best kind of rock music. There's some very authentic buzzes and whines at the beginning that make me think that this is basically a live recording and if it ain't these guys have done a great job of getting it to sound like it was. Everything turns out to be pretty much old school rock, rifferama city even. Nothing wrong with that and Envy turn in a very capable performance that made me pay attention, at least for the first few plays.

Once I started to really look at the track though there were things I though could have been done better, but considering all the activity in the track - if it was recorded live - would have been nigh on impossible. However, as a wishlist, I think the vocalist could stop trying so hard and r-e-l-a-x into the track it would help, although the vocals as a whole are still good enough. The evidence of straining to reach notes is fairly noticeable though, but only to a nitpicker like me. The overall sound could have been easily beefed up a little more, considering this is blood and thunder craggy, wizened rock, it's quite easy on the ear.

Good song though, and that's what will do it for this band...

Rolland Harrison - Ja Makin Moonshine

Hear The Track Here

I first came across this fluid, competent jazz guitarist last month when I reviewed his Dogtown Blues track, and right good it were too. Of course, it has to be stated that not everyone jives to jazz, but there are enough afficiendos of the genre to give Rolland Harrison the big thumbs up. Truth is, this kind of cool blue jazz is all too rare, at least with this amount of dexterity; there are loads of jazz players around but not too many jazz guitarists. So, if you need a welcome change to bonka-bonka and cheep-cheep-whirr-whirr then bend an ear this guys way, I garantee he will keep you amused even if you think jazz is 'ole time music'

T'ain't I tell ya!!

A collaboration, this time with the curtly named ODB or ODannyboy to be completely accurate. Matter of fact, this should be accurately be called an ODB track because the only thing that Rolland contributes here is the lead guitar. Of course, saying 'only' the guitar much denigrates the awesomely fluid licks Rolland contributes to these proceedings; his tone and his dexterity are wonders to behold. However, when all is said and done, the guitar piece is only one small part of this extremely well made, breezy as a September day track.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting ODB to sound anything like as polished (slick even) as he does and I have no idea why. Certainly, the lightness of being that carries this track through its paces may well give you the impression that this is a lightweight track, but that would be mistaken. Sure, there's not much driving this superficially, but over a period of time, this track seems to develop momentum easily enough so don't go by first impressions. Ja Makin Moonshine is a wide open, extremely friendly track that will certainly find a home amongst those who like their music on the softer, gentler side.

Highly Recommended (for the song and performance of both artists)

Redshirt Theory - Good Grace

Hear The Track Here

At least I think this is the track I am supposed to review but my copy says this is called Good Faith so I'm a bit confused. Situation normal then. I'm not confused about Redshirt Theory though because Aaron Jones (for it is he) has delivered some very neat music my way over the past few months. One of which, Its Been a Long Time (June 2006) got a Must Have rating from me and considering it was a dance track I'd say that was a rare compliment for this guys work. In the space of a year or so, Redshirt Theory have carved out a nice little spot on MP3 Unsigned, and deservedly so. It appears there's dance music and then there GOOD dance music. There's a turn up for the books.

This is a collaborative effort, including our old friend Mark Alexander who seems to be popping up everywhere just lately. So let me see if I can get this right (for a change). Aaron is responsible for arranging, producing, with added vocals, piano and bass from Mark. I have to tell you Mark and I have had words about some of the things he does but - in all truth - I have never heard him sound better than on this track. A wonderful, powerfilled vocal that soars thanks to the faultess production and mix that is a standard feature of Redshirt work.

The icing on this particular smorgasbord is supplied by the engimatically named 'essence' who picks up the bulk of the vocal duties. Again she is tremendous uplifted by the production being brought to bear but nonetheless she would still have sounded good even if she were recording into a bucket. She has one of those voices, you know what I mean? A breathy, ethereal thing of light and beauty, it floats through the track with confidence and maturity. When Mark enters the picture (around 2:40) though, it's his vocal that captures the attention. Now whether that's because I know the guys work well and - as I say - I haven't heard him sound better than this, and I'm therefore biased. For my money though, Mark Alexander stamps his personality on this track in no uncertain terms. Absolutely top marks for all involved, in every respect. This is a killer track and no mistake, you'd be a fool to miss it.

MUST HAVE

The Jeremy Nail Duo - California

Hear The Track Here

Jeremy Nail and Justin Sitz (AKA The Jeremy Nail Duo) are a new name to me and by the looks of it Soundclick too. Considering they cite such mope muppets as The Cure, Morrisey and U2, they have a surprisingly light easy sound and decidely more upbeat lyrics than 'I hate me, I hate you, I hate everything and everybody and life is really horrible' that are the usual frolicking ground of the English Le Miserables. Bet you get the impression I can't stand all that self absorbed navel gazing eh? You'd be dead right too.

Get a grip, life sucks. Deal with it as my American chums like to spout.

There's a very Californian sound about California (Ed: Did he just write that!! Please tell me he didn't just write two fricking California's), so if you were already thinking Beach Boys, Eagles etc then you'd be partway right. Therefore it stands to reason that this is just one facet of what these two songwriters do because I can discern no English influence whatsoever - mopy or otherwise. What I do get is that special flavour that West Coast inspired tracks always bring, sunshine through my ears and direct to my soul and that, my friends, is exactly what I would have expected. So, as far as material goes, I'm sold. California is a great song, well performed but it would have been nice to see some lyrics, always an important factor in listening pleasure.

Where the track does fall down is the overall sound, and to my mind, the lack of drums to really nail this sucker to the floor. Had it had those attributes, I would have needed the tissues while being around this track if you take my filthy innuendo. Without it what you get is a light, breezy, guitar and vocal workout that serves to show what kind of track California could be, given the right arrangement. As it is, I can certainly recommend it for it's inbuilt sunshine and general likeability and after several plays I see the Bono in the vocals, which is no bad thing. Provided that there is no whining :D

A little slice of sunshine.

Jim-n-Lisa - Rasta Man

Hear The Track Here

Rasta? I've heard of Tex-Mex but Kingston Tex is really pushing the boat out. It goes without saying that just about everything this duo do really pushes the boat out so seeing them tackle a nice likkle bit o' riddim is kinda par for the course. As they say themselves in their opening blurb 'Jim-n-Lisa play electronic, acoustic, world/new age, jazz, rock, and other styles; sometimes, all at once'. Surprisingly enough it never sounds as bad as it's written. There is a definite art to stitching together complex peices of work and Jim-n-Lisa are one of Soundclick's leading players in the 'how do they do that?' stakes.

Regular readers will already be nauseatingly aware of my feelings about this artist, they were after all my Artist Of The Year once and they have a string of glowing reviews from me - all rightly deserved IMHO. Mind you, after the dubious delights (I jest, t'were fekkin amazing) of Missing Douglas (August 2006) they would have to go some to top that droll little love billetdoux. Truth is, I was half expecting to be a bit let down because - after all - no-one can keep coming up with the goods every time. Especially when it covers an area I especially love, and consider myself fairly proficient. So, having put aside my automatic 'how dare he, I'll kill him' response, which admittedly a hard thing for me to do, I got to grips with me bredden who heretofore had only emitted the odd y'all, now was all I and I and all that...

So, where we we? Aaahh, yes, ganga....

Rasta Man is basically a pean to the miracle weed, complete with bong bubbles, lighter flicks and a roomful of smoke that could drop an elephant in its tracks. My immediate thought was this was like something 10cc would do, rather than something more rootsy and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's a fine pop tradition. In that respect, Rasta Man eventually won over the HUGE predjudice I had worked up with it's cool, breezy style, the lovely flute licks, the inspired sound fx and so much more. You can always count on Jim to load his deck as full as possible, and this track is five minutes of music that it will take you months to drain it dry. Absolutely knockout and not something you would expect from such a known toker. Whenever I meet him, he seems to have trouble stringing a couple of words together. On second thoughts, THAT might have to do with the Texas accent too*. Always talking like they still have the burger in their gob....**

Highly Recommended (very) smooth pop (may prove addictive)

* and ** = NOTE to the Lone Star state: I was only having a leedle joke, please don't kill me

Nuff X - Inside (What I Want)

Hear The Track Here

Having just said in my Digital Juggernaut review that I don't particularly like breakbeat, here is a breakbeat artist I DO have a bit of time for. Although Nuff X and I got off to a rocky start, over the past few months he has shown me that first impressions can often (Ed: I think he means always...) be wrong. His cutup style of breakbeat is very much too my liking and he has shown consistently over the past two or three releases that is not just a one-off either. So much so that I gave his Open Your Eyes and See Me Screaming (August 2006) a Highly Recommended and - believe me - that isn't my normal reaction to breakbeats.

The difference, of course, being experience, musical maturity and a willingness to go that little bit further to make the track actually work. Inside (What I Want) is considerably heavier than anything I have heard from Nuff X, in terms of both instrumentation and feel and so far I've had a very decent time of it. Again, it shows to me that with this artist it really is ideas that count and this guy has a barrelful of them, on almost every one of his tracks of late.

From the opening synth/kick routine you know that you are listening to finely balanced sound, the kick sound in particular is a joy to behold. Mind you, it's all the extraneous sounds that make the track work for me. 'Is this truly what you want' Nuff whispers in your ears and I have to say that yes, this is exactly what we want. Great musical ideas, used in a way that is as unique as it is possible in a genre done to death. As good as a breakbeat artist as he may be, for me this is a thinking musician who truly works hard to get his point across.

Highly Recommended (as if that were any surprise) Seriously disturbing.

Digital Juggernaut - The Berlin Sex Slave

Hear The Track Here

Digital Juggernaut is the band name of Tim Spicer, a 22 year old producer and DJ from Warwickshire,UK. A new name to me from MP3 Unsigned to be sure, and one that works in the Breakbeats field too, which - as you well know - isn't always a good place for me to find decent tracks. Funnily enough, MP3 Unsigned seems to be home to a lot of Breakbbeat artists, so it's a bit puzzling that I haven't had to deal with lots more of them. Maybe, in this case, my reputation really does preceed me....

Or maybe I'm just as nasty as people make out :D

If I didn't already know DJ was a Reason user, certainly the first instrument would have shown me. A plucked string VST that many of us will be all to familiar with, and not a sound everyone loves, including me. It is a 'factory' sound that I feel could have been made more of by even just the slightest of tweaks to it and it shows a hint of laziness that it wasn't done. The same thing applies to the JFK sample, which to my mind is used way too much and after a while just serves to get on your nerves. Although there are undoubtedly some really good ideas buried away in this track, I don't think they were much capitalised on. Certainly the bassline is strong enough to keep the track afloat but to my mind the arrangement is a little too ragged to really hold interest.

Here again, I seem to be at odds with the number of comments praising this track, and I fear that I will have to put that down to me not particularly liking the genre. Personally I feel like a LOT more attention could have been paid to getting the sounds right (particularly the factory sounds) and working the arrangement a little better. The same could be said of the drum track which is so sparse it comes down to a single snare hit. Now that SOUNDS like it should work out fine, but to my ears it just highlights the sparseness of the arrangement. Maybe if you really like the genre, you will probably think differently, but for me, well I come away from this track disappointed. Won't stop me listening to what else this artist has to offer, and this review should not stop you from checking out this track too - remember I am an old curmedgeon as far as material like this goes...

Alderman - A Place With No Name

Hear The Track Here

Another artist I have known it seems like forever and another that has consistently pleased and often confounded me by the musical directions he has gone into. I think the very first track I ever heard from him was Catch a Glimpse of Wonderland (February 2004) in which he set out his musical stall very nicely. A taut, intense electronica workout that showed he had a different style than the others in his field. Since that time he has proved that time and time again, he knows what he wants and he gets it. It helps, of course, to have your fortunes mixed with the likes of Jim-n-Lisa (the collab offshoot Pond Surfers), Rey Varela (who guest warbles on this track) and other luminaries of this little scene. Course, it don't mean diddly if Alderman didn't come up consistently with the goods and he does more often than not.

He is also an artist who can literally touch people with his work, I have seen it time and again. One of the reasons I gave his Into The Light (March 2005) a Must Have is not just because the music was good, but because the song said something, and in so saying touched the essential human in many of his listeners. The same can be said of the first real J-n-L/Alderman collab Diamond Dust (June 2005) also, btw, a Must Have. So what is it then, that makes Alderman so special? Well, I of course can only speak from a personal angle but I think many people like this artist because he is who he seems to be: a decent human being who is sharing his thoughts and ideas about life and the universe with us in the only way he knows how - through his music.

Not a lot wrong with that.

I mention Into The Light and Diamond Dust purposely because A Place With No Name explores some of the same themes as those tracks. Not only does Rey deliver the vocals on this track he went some way towards straightening out Alderman's English. Mind you, seeing as he is Swedish, there's nowt wrong with that. He can speak better English than I can speak Swedish and that's a fact. Lyrically and emotionally I bonded with this track immediately but despite that I found myself struggling to LIKE the track and the reasons for that are quite complex - and none of them the fault of either Alderman or Rey Varela. Something about the arrangement of the track - and the samples used to create it - doesn't sit right with me and I've spent days trying to pin it down. Both the musical and vocal performance are infinitely credible, but I don't know, it just doesn't sit right. Still, that's really just me being Mr Perfecto again and most people listening to this will nod their heads and think 'aaah yes, Alderman.....I like him....' Well, the singer knows his stuff too, and I think both musicians have nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of...

Recommended, other-worldly chillout.

Herult Hennreg - Journeyman

Hear The Track Here

Herult Hennereg is (and I quote his words) 'a genre chameleon whose weirdness is his blessing' so there. It is, however, a fairly accurate description, at least judging from what I already know about Journeyman, having lived with it for a few days. Weirdness IS a blessing as far as I am concerned and - in this case - it is rightly applied. For sure, you may well hear some of this artists quality elsewhere but there can be no denying - whatsoever - you won't hear much that would better this. That applies regardless of what your particular musical preference may be. That's because Journeyman is that special, and exceeding rare thing, a beautifully produced, artfully rendered, seamless track is is nectar to your hearing implements.

Herult Hennereg is obviously a new name to Soundclick although I notice that HELLbus has already picked up on the quality on display here and that's agood sign. As soon as I heard this track, my immediate impression was that he must be Swedish. He is, as it turns out, Austrian (I think) so that goes part way to explaining exactly how good his music is. Not sure what it is about the pop sensibility of artists from Europe but there is a craftsmans touch about this which can only be European. Even at their most innovative, American musicians could never come out with something so complex, and yet so simple. Now, before I get innundated with abusive emails from our friends with the big hats and even big skies, you KNOW I like American music but hey, listen to this then tell me what American artists sounds or feels like this.

I think the reason also I am making the Swedish connection is that Journeyman reminds me of the work of Sylvan & Bonamici if not in style then certainly for the arrangement and production values. Journeyman is pretty much yer typical sea shanty (I kid you not) although it's probably more ho ho than yo ho. It's also encased in a rock solid rock arrangement all of which makes it an absolutely cracking song and to be sure that's it's main selling point, but certainly not the whole of the picture. In every other respect (performance, production, arrangement and musical idea) this is the real deal and well deserving of the high rating I am about to give it.

Excellent idea, brilliantly brought to life and a MUST HAVE.

Strife & TGL - Till The End Of Time

Hear The Track Here

I've been thinking a lot about the past over the past few weeks. First because a lot of the people I knew 2-3 years ago have all of a sudden started appearing again (names like ConKuss, Skizza and others may ring some bells) and - yesterday - i heard that one of the people from that era (an artist known as Pagoda) had passed away. In keeping with that train of coincidence, this month's review list starts off with another artist I have known from that period - Strife (joined in this case by TGL, another member of that long ago site) and now working as a duo.

Nice to see those old faces, that's for sure.

So, although I've given you Strife's SC page as the link, the track up for review can be found at download.com, it does not appear to be on Soundclick as yet. As it happens, I've always had a penchant for Strife's brand of bright n breezy electropop, although he hasn't always delivered things that stand the test of time. Still, that small change when, if all you are looking for is a straight forward peice of electronica that doesn't stretch the brain cells too much but definitely infects the nod and toe-tap muscles. Mind you, having said all that, I like to have a fekking heart attack when I noticed that this obese sucker weighed in at just over 10 minutes. Dance (uh oh) electronica (double uh oh) that should be enough to give Gilmore the galloping gripes right enough.

Good job then that I have both a taste for Strife's work, if still a marked dislike for the genre he works in, and Till The End Of Time shows him to be in fine, fine form and is a classic example of what Strife does best. For my money, ten minutes is stretching a listeners attention span, although I can imagine this would go dance a storm in yer average electronica haunt, it has tremendous dancebility. But here's the thing. Remember I started off this review by yapping about 'back in the day'? Well, I've known Strife for most of the time he has been online, and his experience and maturity as an online musician is exceptional. He is still pursuing the same musical road he was on when I first met him but by God he has learned some tricks since then. I NEVER thought I'd ever say this about a electronica dance track, even less so a ten minute Gorilla in Our Midst version, but I feel I have no choice, this is that good.

Highly Recommended (yep, even electronic and longer than a long thing).