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Where to begin with the funky enigma that is Darondo? You probably clicked the "more info" button for one of two reasons: either you know Darondo's "Didn't I" as the lead-off slow-burner from Gilles Peterson's recent Gilles Peterson Digs America comp,...
expand review or you saw the dude on the cover -- the one who looks like a pensive, iced-out Screamin' Jay Hawkins -- and just had to know who it was. No matter what the reason, you've just lucked out, for Darondo has got to be one of the most unexpected and pleasant musical surprises of the past few years. An underground legend in the Bay Area, Darondo was recently tracked down by Ubiquity Records. Not only did he give them permission to reissue some of his classic recordings, but he also went into the studio and recorded additional vocals for some of his unfinished works. Darondo's got range, too: you get a little bit of everything from his broad pallette, from hard funk to smooth soul joints. 9 cuts in all, in a pic sleeve which features the man himself on the front and details the entire saga of Darondo on the back. -the mgmnt
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I know you've probably heard the comparisons – how Nino Moschella is "the new Stevie Wonder" – and I know you're looking at that cover and thinking it looks like the lost solo album from one of the members of Deee-Lite, but...
expand review don't hold either of those things against the man. (Okay, maybe the cover.) He can't help it if he's a funky white boy! And while I guess Stevie is within a 20 foot radius as reference points go, a lot of this sounds more like a stripped-down Prince or straight-up current electro-fonk – which is to say it ain't bad at all. "Are You For Real(1)," "Inside Yourself(2)" and "Strong Man(3)" are winners. Ditto for the wah-wah spatter of "If You Believe(4)" and Motown-tinged vocal performance on the soft album closer "Holding On(5)." Now let's all hold hands and do trust falls! -Chris Lemon-Red
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Ubiquity singer Nino Moschella and producer Shawn Lee get all sorts of tangled up on this EP, guesting, remixing and collabing on all the tracks here. Nino's kind of got this soulful Robert Plant hitting the high notes thing going on, and...
expand review Shawn Lee is known for his heavy live band sound (with psyche edges) so the combo is automatically a good one. "Kiss The Sky(1)" and "Song For David(2)" are both cuts off Shawn's upcoming album, with Nino sounding down right Led Zep on "Kiss" and Shawn turning in a drama tough instrumental on "David." Warp artist Mark Pritchard also contributes an exclusive remix for "Kiss The Sky(3)," turning it into a murking electronic gorilla. The sound gets more mellow on the b-side with the Shawn Lee remix of "Hold On(4)" and Nino's original acoustic piece "You Never Come(5)." -the mgmnt
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Nomo back on the scene with the first single from their already released debut album. Ubiquity does this one really well, putting Nomo's cover of Sun Ra's "Rocket #9(1)" as the first track even though the name of the single...
expand review is "Nu Tones(2)" which shows up as the inside cut on the a-side. The Sun Ra tune is captivating to say the least. It starts out with a wall of dissonant sounds that Ra is probably smiling down on from the mothership as I write this. Scott tried to give this the patented free jazz preemptive Sizzle strike (aka: "No. This shit fucking blows, guy.") when Mike put it on at the Lab the other day, but even he was feeling it when the beat dropped and the aural stormclouds parted. There's something that I am totally in love with about the vocals on this tune. Goddam if they don't make me want to get the faack off this planet on my own rocket #9. "Nu Tones" is also a strong selection as it is the opener on the full-length and really sets the foundation for the band's sound. A remix(3) of "Tones" fills out the entire b-side courtesy of Ghostly International's Matthew Dear. It is super minimal and techy, but still somehow feels soulful largely thanks to the live flute that floats in and out of the mix. This guy just makes beautiful electronic music without the floss. More bang for the buck with some nice percussion snippets and a locked groove to round out the goodies on this quality piece of vinyl. -Telekinetic Kat
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Orgone first slid into the Lab conscious with their tuff (and instantly sold out) version of "Funky Nassau," and now they're back with an equally hot cover of George McCrae's "I Get Lifted(1)." If the name doesn't ring a bell, you'll recognize...
expand review the opening guitar lick that Puffy flipped for Biggie's "Respect." They're is as tight as you'd expect on this extended 7-minute version, but LA's Fanny Franklin really seals the deal with the soulful guest vocals. Flipside features "It's What You Do(2)," an original composition "inspired as much by Roy Ayers as Fela Kuti." These guys are on a roll. A-Side plays at 45; B-Side at 33. -Chris Lemon-Red
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So you may be asking yourself, what's the deal with this Gilles Peterson guy, is he really all that? Well my man, on this CD, GP shows and proves. I'm talking about Moses Dillard's "Tribute to Wes(1)," Baaska & Scavelli's...
expand review "Get Off The Ground(2)," and Forty Seven Times Its Own Weight's "March Of The Goober Woobers(3)." Oh you don't have those? How about the World Experience Orchestra? No? Well surely you have Jon Lucien's first single, "Search for the Inner Self(4)"? Don't have that one either? Well of course you don't, fool. This is one of the globe's top soul collectors taking his first step onto American soil, you didn't think he was going to come with some lightweight stuff did you? The closest Mr. P comes to the surface is Ellen McIlwaine's folk-funk "Higher Ground(5)" and Ira Sullivan's blueprint-for-4Hero "Kingdom Within You(6)," but even those are rather tricky comeups. But aside from all the rare-record wankery, I'm really digging the mood here, as the set moves from the near-perfect "Didn't I(7)" by Darondo through folk, funk and jazz flavors with practiced ease. Sixteen songs in all, on two pieces of vinyl or a single CD. -monk
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