Gabin - Mr. Freedom (2005)

Gabin - Mr. Freedom

Original Release Date: Aug 23, 2005

Label: EMI Music Distribution

Genre: Electronica, Electro-Jazz

Size: 391 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + Covers)

Tracklisting:
01 Mr Freedom (Feat. Edwyn Collins)
02 Into My Soul
03 The Other Way Round
04 Bang Bang To The Rock'n'Roll
05 The Thousand And One Night
06 It's Gonna Be
07 Midnight Caffè
08 Just Be Yourself
09 Africa
10 And She's Still Watching me

Links:

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Gabin - Gabin (2002)

Gabin - Gabin

Original Release Date: Sep 3, 2002

Label: Astralwerks

Genre: Electronica, Electro-Jazz

Size: 467 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:
01. La Maison
02. Une histoire d'Amoure (feat. Joseph Fargier)
03. Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap (feat. Stefano di Battista)
04. Delire et passion (feat. Ana Carril Obiols)
05. Sweet Sadness
06. Mille et une nuit des Desires (feat. Ana Carril Obiols)
07. Urban Night (feat. Stefano di Battista)
08. Gabin Vs Cal's Bluedo
09. Azul Aсil (feat. Ana Carril Obiols)
10. Terra Pura11. House Trip
12. La Maison (di Battista's Dream) (feat. Stefano di Battista)

Review by Robert L. Doerschuk

Milky, silken rhythms lace through this collaboration between Roman DJ Filippo Clary and jazz bassist Max Battini. Their perspectives find accord in the realm of what martini-addled old-timers might label "acid jazz." Electronic timbres are tactile and smooth, guest vocals by Ana Carril Obiols of Mano Negra and Joseph Fargier waft forth from washes of reverb, drum tracks move sensuously from the space-age bossa nova of "Sweet Sadness" to the impish manipulations of "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" on "Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap," whose spelling as well as vibe betray European roots. Though the beat keeps things moving along, it seldom disturbs the texture, which in these appealing performances is just as important — more so, in fact, on tracks like "Urban Night," on which Stefano Di Battista's soprano sax and Gabin's synthetic strings paint a midnight mood that recalls a much earlier collaboration, between Gerry Mulligan and Beaver & Krause in the primeval days of electronic music. The only exception to this balance of elements is "House Trip," in which crowd noise plays a major role and compensates for the less subtle sound shading. The irony might be that this delirious audience is sampled from somewhere else and looped — if so, listeners have only themselves to blame for surrendering to this groove as well.

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Troublemakers - Express Way (2004)

Troublemakers - Express Way

Original Release Date: Aug 10, 2004

Label: Blue Note

Genre: Electronica, Electro-Jazz

Size: 489 Mb

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Tracklisting:
1 Everyday Is Just An Extension Of Yesterday (6:08)
2 V 72 (2:04)
3 Le Bocal (4:41)
4 All We Love (4:54)
5 Everywhere Is My Home (4:40)
6 County Farm (4:55)
7 Highway Blues (4:31)
8 Lemon (4:37)
9 Shadows Lights... (4:36)
10 And Music Everywhere (2:51)
11 I Could See (1:51)
12 If You Arrest Me (5:42)
13 Call And Response (6:10)
14 God Bless Billie (3:57)
15 Race Records (4:21)
16 Lester Young In Eternity Blowing His Horn Alone (8:40)

Links:

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Troublemakers - Doubts & Convictions (2001)

Troublemakers - Doubts & Convictions

Original Release Date: Mar 2001

Label: Guidance Records

Genre: Electronica, Electro-Jazz

Size: 370 Mb

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Tracklisting:
01 Street Preacher (6:16)
02 Too Old To Die (4:46)
03 Noces Africaines (1:49)
04 Awake (6:58)
05 Get Misunderstood (4:08)
06 Electrorloge (7:37)
07 Fatigue Universelle (6:55)
08 Chez Roger Boité Funk (6:47)
09 Hum Hum (1:42)
10 Groover Is Back (5:07)
11 Black City (6:03 )

Review by MacKenzie Wilson

Parisian multi-instrumentalists Troublemakers mold an eclectic array of funkadelic jazz grooves and hip-hop-centric vibes on their stylish debut Doubts & Convictions. Not necessarily hard-hitting in the sense of bringing acidic elements to the core, Doubts & Convictions focuses on a healthy dose of various musical styles. It's groovy yet seductive, with tight synth-power and mysterious vocalic backdrops, the attitude of Roni Size, and household theatrics similar to labelmates Nuspirit Helsinki. "Street Preacher" blazes with brooding saxophones, and the sultry waves of "Too Old to Die" frolic with '70s jazz-funk (Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye would be pleased). Interestingly enough, Troublemakers also disregard the most common atmospheres associated with '70s jive sounds. They size things up a bit, scaling the generic compositions for a moving and classic vibrato. "Electrorloge" is a bit more robotic, but dark basslines shape the overall sassiness of Doubts & Convictions. No swagger or sophistication needs to be defined; therefore, Troublemakers can make it individually without all the hype of new-millennium electronica.

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Cayetano - The Big Fall (2009)

Artist: Cayetano

Title:The Big Fall

Label: Etage Noir Recordings

Genre: Electronic /Downtempo / Lounge

Time: 50:49 Min

Size: 312MB

Release Date: 24.09.2009

Flac + .cue + .log + Covers

Tracklist:
01. Which Color You Like
02. Doppelganger (feat. Kozalias)
03. Crossing Line
04. Nothing Left To Do (feat. Valia)
05. The Big Fall
06. Another Galaxy (feat. Kozalias)
07. Mall Fever08. Mall Reprise
09. The Secret
10. Feel (feat. Valia)
11. Like A Fool
12. Notre Dame
13. Paint My Day (With Black)

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Cayetano - Focused (2006)

Artist: Cayetano

Title: Focused

Label: Sala Sonora Records

Genre: Electronic /Downtempo / Lounge

Time: 49:46 Min

Size: 322MB

Release Date: 2006

Flac + .cue + .log + Covers

Tracklist:

1. Mathematical Sorrow

2. Sweet Poke

3. Las Sirenas

4. Stretto Café '06

5. Stay

6. Red Winter

7. After All (It's Bossa)

8. La Poupée

9. Une Histoire Si Petite

10. Spiritual Sun

11. Focused

12. Red Winter II

13. The Light Aro

Links:

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Kid Loco - The Italian Job (2008)

Kid Loco - The Italian Job

Original Release Date: 2008

Label: Temposphere

Genre: Electronica

Size: 391 Mb

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Tracklist:

(01) [KID LOCO] THE RIGHT INTRO

(02) [KID LOCO] CREPUSCOLO SUL MARE

(03) [STEFANO TAROSSI] FEARING MUCH (Kid Loco's M. Session Mix)

(04) [I MANIACI DEI DISCHI] PER IL DISCO CHE PIU' AMO (Kid Loco viva la Rockola mix)

(05) [GAK SATO] CLAPSOY (Cumbia Loco mix)

(06) [PIERO PICCIONI] MAGIC (A new experience mix)

(07) [PIERO UMILIANI] LADY MAGNOLIA (Belleville B-Boy mix)

(08) [KID LOCO] LA SEDUZIONE (version 2007)

(09) [ARMANDO TROVAJOLI] SESSOMATTO (Kid Loco Sexamental mix)

(10) [THE TRANSISTORS] MISSION TO VENUS (Belleville carnival of 2007 mix)

(11) [GAK SATO] PENETRARE (Belleville B-Boy mix)

Links:

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Kid Loco - Kill Your Darlings (2001)

Kid Loco - Kill Your Darlings

Original Release Date: 2001

Label: Royal Belleville

Genre: Electronica

Size: 317 Mb

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Tracklist:

01. Kid Loco - Cocaine Diana

02. Kid Loco - Lucy's Talking

03. Kid Loco - Horsetown In Vain

04. Kid Loco - Three Feet High Reefer

05. Kid Loco - A Little Bit Of Soul

06. Kid Loco - I Can't Let It Happen To You

07. Kid Loco - Gypsie Good Time

08. Kid Loco - Here Come The Munchies

09. Kid Loco - Going round in circles

10. Kid Loco - I Want You

Links:

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Kid Loco - Jesus Life For Children Under 12 Inches (1999)

Kid Loco - Jesus Life For Children Under 12 Inches

Original Release Date: Sep 21, 1999

Label: Atlantic

Genre: Electronica

Size: 456 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:

01. The Pastels - The Viaduct (Kid Loco On The Right Bank Of The River Mix)

02. Uriel - You Who Are Reading Me Now (Kid Loco Love Experience Mix)

03. Saint Etienne - 4-35 In The Morning (Kid Loco Talkin' Blues Mix)

04. Talvin Singh - Traveller (Kid Loco Once Upon A Time In The East Mix)

05. Kat Onoma - La Chambre (Kid Loco Where Were You Mix)

06. Tommy Hools - Les Reprouves (Kid Loco Action Time Mix)

07. Pulp - A Little Soul (Kid Loco Lafayette Velvet Revisited Mix)

08. Gak Sato - Penetrare (Kid Loco Belleville B-Boy Mix)

09. Badmarsh + Shri - The Air I Breathe (Kid Loco Land Of 1000 Strings Mix)

10. Mogwai - Tracy (Kid Loco Playing With The Young Team Mix)

11. Cornu - Youpi (Kid Loco Space Spaghetti Mix)

12. The High Llamas - Homespin Rerun (Kid Loco The Space Raid Mix)

Review by Keith Farley

An excellent set compiling Kid Loco's outside productions for like minds (Saint Etienne, Pulp, High Llamas) and less so (Pastels, Talvin Singh, Mogwai, Kat Onoma), the Jesus Life for Children Under 12 Inches remix album presents Loco-ized versions some justifiably excellent tracks, made even more solid by the producer's knack for balancing old and new influences, and retaining the spirit of the original even while he pulls out his production bag-of-tricks

Links:

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Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story (1997)

Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story

Original Release Date: 1997

Label: Yellow Productions

Genre: Electronica

Size: 514 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:
1.1 A Grand Love Theme (4:03)
1.2 Relaxin' With Cherry (5:39)
1.3 Love Me Sweet (4:50)
1.4 The Bootleggers (7:12)
1.5 Calling Aventura King (6:31)
1.6 Sister Curare (5:28)
1.7 She's My Lover (A Song For R.) (4:38)
1.8 She Woolf Daydreaming (4:57)
1.9 Alone Again So (7:05)
1.10 Cosmic Supernatural (4:49)
2.1 La Seduzione (5:18)
2.2 Pearly Girly Man (4:18)
2.3 Cum'on (3:07)
2.4 The Wrong Number (6:34)
2.5 She's My Lover (A Revolution Sitting Stoned In A Field Remix Edit)
(4:39)

Review by John Bush

A Grand Love Story is an irresistible romp through the lighthearted, pastoral side of trip-hop by way of orchestral pop paragons like Bacharach, Gainsbourg, and Love. Songs like the single "Relaxin' With Cherry" and "She's My Lover" are beautiful pop songs, constructed mostly from sampled material with a few live guitar and basslines plus vocals by Prieur and the Pastels' Katrina Mitchell. If the '70s fixations of Air were shifted back a decade, the results would be quite close to A Grand Love Story.

Links:

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Kid Loco - Blues Project (1996)

Kid Loco - Blues Project

Original Release Date: 1996

Label: Yellow Label

Genre: Electronica

Size: 188 Mb

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Tracklist:

01. Kid Loco - Public Paranoiac Number One
02. Kid Loco - Talkin Bibles Vendors Blues
03. Kid Loco - Welcome in a World of Sex
04. Kid Loco - Sister Curare
05. Kid Loco - Let us Now Praise Famous Men
06. Kid Loco - Kronos goes Cosmos

Kid Loco's first release on CD, BLUES PROJECT, is much darker than A GRAND LOVE STORY, but I guess that's why they call it the blues. "Public Paranoiac Number One" has some minor piano chord backed with a steady, slightly off-kilter rhythm. A double bass and saxophone help round out the track and emphasize the dark jazz aspect. The interlude "Talkin' Bibles Vendors Blues" takes some samples from the great documentary SALESMAN. "Welcome in a World of Sex" gets a good rhythm going, and develops a little bluesy piano and sax line towards the middle, while "Kronos Goes Cosmos" has its darkness on display all the way through, with a jazz drum breakdown right in the middle followed with a classical string quartet. Overall, this EP isn't quite as focused as his later work would be, though it's worthwhile in itself.

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Bent - Intercept! (2006)

Bent - Intercept!
Original Release Date: Oct 9, 2006
Label: Amato
Genre: Electronica
Size: 329 Mb
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Tracklist:
1. Exercise 7 (4:45)
2. To Be Loved (4:24)
3. Stay Out All Night (4:40)
4. Breakfast at 80,000ft (3:17)
5. Tired of the Show (3:55)
6. Wendy, Darling (1:28)
7. Waiting for You (5:20)
8. As Seen From Space (2:28)
9. The Handbrake (5:16)
10. Leavin' Me (5:54)
11. After All the Love (4:31)

Bent's fourth album, Intercept!, picks up after Ariels and further masters their blend of eccentric chillout and ethereal house. The secret ingredient is an unconventional lushness from the duo's signature background effects and array of beats. The tag team of Nail Tolliday and Simon Mills split from their record label between albums, and consider themselves in a rebirth stage. There are still many aspects of the custom Bent sound present, but Intercept! is tinged with more sophisticated lyrics and polished beats. Their unusual melodies result from a programmable charisma and celestial ambience throughout all of their material.Just as their debut, Programmed to Love, began with "Exercise 1", Intercept! begins with #7 in the series, commenced by the familiar old man's voice, angelically gliding around a sample of uptempo chillout palpitations. "Breakfast at 80,000 ft" is a Lemon Jelly-esque spacewalk in the morning sun. "Wendy darling" is a short, stringy melody breathing over a light flute that would go well in an evening drive to a party. "As Seen From Space" is the most delicate track, with soft piano flights and a virtuous chorale that could even de-stress Woody Allen before bed. Guest vocals are notably provided by Simian's former frontman, Simon Lord, on nearly half of the tracks. While Simian is defunct, its essence lives on vicariously through Intercept!. "To Be Loved" is a cascading jaunt remniscient of Simian's quirky pop. Similarly, "Waiting For You" is a jittery, fuzztronic track with altered vocals and an erratic guitar loop. Though less uptempo, "Tired of the Show" is a beeping, frustrated swing on a relatively thin backdrop. In a calmer tense, "The Handbrake" is a rubberized, swooning ballad, sustaining a flighty sensation throughout. Simian-esque beats and minimal vocals form the base of "After All the Love", highlighted by whistling and soothing harmonica to finish the album. Bent blissfully extend their catalog with Intercept! and continue to develop their unique brand of electronica. With a large portion of the album featuring the same vocalist, there is perhaps more of a continuity with this album than in the past, but Bent's idea of continuity is still quite vast. The airy synth, digital claps, and staccatoed guitar are obvious in several tracks, but in a wide array of melodies and tempos. Intercept! is yet another triumph, and Bent remain innovators of indie chillout.

Links:

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Bent - Ariels (2004)

Bent - Ariels
Original Release Date: Oct 12, 2004
Label: El Dance
Genre: Electronica
Size: 420 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:
1. Comin' Back (4:41)
2. Sunday 29th (4:09)
3. I Can't Believe It's Over (4:17)
4. As You Fall (3:35)
5. Silent Life (4:59)
6. Sing Me (5:15)
7. On The Lake (3:20)
8. Now I Must Remember (4:47)
9. You Are The Oscillator (3:49)
10. Sunday Boy (5:51)
11. Exercise 4 (5:44)
12. The Waters Deep (8:32)

Bent arrived on the back of the chill-out craze that pervaded the first half of 2000, and they proved to be assured and humourous players. Their albums Programmed To Love and The Everlasting Blink are both very listenable, if criticised for being a touch unkempt around the edges.Ariels is an audible change of gear, with a tightened grip on structure and a change of focus to more song-based material. Guests brought in to achieve this include Sian Evans from Kosheen, Rachel Foster (Weekend Players), Steve Edwards and long standing vocal accomplice Katty.The new approach pays handsome dividends, with the opening trio as strong a start as you could hope for. Comin' Back has a gorgeous old time vocal from Foster and a euphoric chorus, its sprightly beat an uplifting vibe. Sunday 29th evokes Dubstar at their best, a throwaway chorus and breezy lyrics. So far so good, and a hint of melancholia on I Can't Believe It's Over gives air to the rich voice of Sian, sounding much more at home in this musical company. The focus drifts for a while in the dreamy As You Fall, while Silent Life attempts to recreate the upbeat mood from the opening, largely successfully. On The Lake is awash with harp glissandi, certainly not sparing on the production front, but creating a lush, humid atmosphere. The breathy vocals for Now I Must Remember and Sunday Boy make for a pair of winning downtempo tunes, but the instrumental Exercise 4 is perhaps the best here, its electro touch more than welcome. Closing track The Waters Deep takes the warm fuzzy feeling over the horizon.Bent use for the most part a wide open sound, creating real outdoor music for the summer. At times this means the production can lack subtlety, disappearing into a warm mush, but more often than not there's a hook or vocal to enjoy. It's certainly a step forward from previous records and means they're punching at the same weight as their fellow downtempo duos Groove Armada and Lemon Jelly.What really works here though is the fact that a summery record is being released at exactly the right time. So many labels get this wrong, dictated by the traditional "boom" periods of spring and autumn, while what the music lover wants is hot, sunny music for hot, sunny days - and that's what Bent are offering. With a bit of class thrown in.

Links:

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Bent - The Everlasting Blink (2003)

Bent - The Everlasting Blink
Original Release Date: Mar 3, 2003
Label: Guidance Records
Genre: Electronica
Size: 409 Mb
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Tracklisting:
01. Bent - King Wisp
02. Bent - An Ordinary Day
03. Bent - Strictly Bongo
04. Bent - Beautiful Otherness
05. Bent - Moonbeams
06. Bent - So Long Without You
07. Bent - Exercise 3
08. Bent - Stay the Same
09. Bent - Magic Love
10. Bent - The Everlasting Blink
11. Bent - Thick Ear

Guidance Recordings is very pleased to announce the signing of Nottingham, England based duo, Bent whose truly innovative blend of kitsch sci-fi flavors has catapulted them to the forefront of the UK downtempo electronica scene alongside Groove Armada, Blue States, Kinobe and Zero 7. Bent a.k.a. Simon Mills and Nail Tolliday first made their way into our hearts, our minds, and our living rooms with their 2000 debut album "Programmed to Love" which heralded a new direction in leftfield dance music and is now widely lauded as one of chill out's crowning moments. For their sophomore outing, Bent have enlisted legendary producer Stephen Hague of New Order and Pet Shop Boy's fame to turn out an enchanting and well crafted album of ethereal pop music that remains firmly tongue in cheek and full of surprises. Armed with a suitcase full of 10p records purchased at car boot sales and a collection of "30 to 40" vintage samplers, Bent work sonic alchemy on the "Everlasting Blink" effortlessly transforming a melting pot of steel guitar twangs, country and western melodies, celestial synthesizers, Glam disco attitude and Hawaiian tiki bar blues into a fluid album of lush song structures underscored by an undeniable optimism and sense of humor. In addition to featured vocalist John Marsh of the Beloved, the album contains "sampled" cameos from The Captain and Tenille, 70's/80's throwback David Essex, and Country music crooner Billie Jo Speers which may sound frightening in theory but work a treat in Bent's most capable hands. Forget about Beckham, bend it like Bent!

Links:

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Bent - Programmed To Love (2000)

Bent - Programmed To Love
Original Release Date: Sep 5, 2000
Label: Ministry Of Sound
Genre: Electronica
Size: 496 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:
01 Exercise 1 (6:27)
02 Private Road (5:31)
03 Laughing Gear (0:57)
04 I Love My Man (5:49)
05 Butterfingers (2:10)
06 Cylons In Love (5:32)
07 Wrong Rock (0:51)
08 A Ribbon For My Hair (5:26)
09 Blue (0:10)
10 I Remember Johnny (5:51)
11 Swollen (7:26)
12 B/Bishop (1:01)
13 Exercise 2 (6:02)
14 Invisible Pedestrian (6:24)
15 Memories (0:44)
16 Irritating Noises (4:22)
17 Always (6:16)
18 Beach Buggy (2:41)

Review by JoE Silva

Much respected on their native English soil, while virtually unknown outside of dance circles elsewhere, Bent traffics in the sort of mid-tempo beats and well-sculpted, chilled atmospheres attributed to many French techno-heads. Differing slightly from the U.K. version of this release, this track listing still includes the gorgeous "Swollen," a Sade sound-alike piece that makes you wonder why they didn't hunt down the original in hopes of possibly scoring a worldwide smash. The experiment, however, falls a little flatter on "Private Road," but only because the melody lacks similar muscle. Kudos are to be given for the vocoder-laden "Cylons in Love" and the wonderfully reconfigured Ernesto Lecuona piece, "Always." Though not every track may manage the allure of the aforementioned, the skill and imagination employed (as on the sample-heavy "Exercise 1," for example) make this a more-than-enjoyable release throughout.

Links

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Air - Love 2 (2009)

Air - Love 2
Original Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
Label: Astralwerks
Genre: Electronica, Downtempo
Size: 298 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:
01 Do the Joy
02 Love
03 So Light Is Her Footfall
04 Be a Bee
05 Missing the Light of the Day
06 Tropical Disease
07 Heaven's Light
08 Night Hunter
09 Sing Sang Sung
10 Eat My Beat
11 You Can Tell It to Everybody
12 African Velvet

Review by Heather Phares

For part of Air's Pocket Symphony tour, Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin played shows with only drummer Joey Waronker as support, forcing the band to strip its songs down to their essences. They stick with that lineup on Love 2, which delivers some of the most Air-like music to the band's name, and with good reason: this is the first time Dunckel and Godin have produced their own album. The duo tends to follow its more ambitious work with more accessible material and Love 2 is no exception, replacing Pocket Symphony's exotic, experimental bent with a renewed emphasis on the pair's quintessential sound. Godin and Dunckel dig deep into their arsenal of vintage electronic gear, topping those burbles, buzzes, and whooshes with some strings here and a few fuzzed-out guitars and basslines there. Above all, atmosphere is the focus, and early on, the album finds Air at their most confectionary: "Love" is irresistibly pretty, offsetting a glockenspiel that sparkles like grains of sugar with brisk shakers. From there, Love 2 sweeps away any remnants of Pocket Symphony's expansive melancholy with concentrated happiness — these are some of Air's most lighthearted songs since Talkie Walkie. "Be a Bee," with its aptly buzzing and hovering synths and spy movie theme guitars, could be one of the most stylish novelty pop songs ever. However, the album is often at its best when Air give listeners more in the way of vocals and hooks. The elegantly psychedelic "So Light Is Her Footfall" and the hazy soft rock sunbeam that is "Sing Sang Sung" expand on the band's pop side just enough, while "Heaven's Light" crystallizes the gorgeous retro-futuristic sci-fi romance Air have crafted since their Premiers Symptomes days. Indeed, Love 2's title and album artwork — which features the duo sitting by the shore gazing pensively into the mid-distance — play up Air's image as makers of mood music extraordinaire, albeit with a bit of an ironic wink. The music does just as deft a job of negotiating the fine line between sophistication and schmaltz; Love 2's centerpiece, "Tropical Disease," has it both ways, going from dramatic to melodramatic to playful and back again as it covers rippling pianos, slightly goofy-sounding flutes, and a decidedly seductive coda. Dunckel and Godin add just a little tension and darkness to the album's sweetness and light as it unfolds, especially on "Eat My Beat," an impressive showcase for the immediacy Waronker's drumming brings to all of these songs. Air remain a deceptively subtle band, and repeated listens to Love 2 reveal that Godin and Dunckel aren't just remaining true to their aesthetic here, but that even a smaller-scale album from the duo has plenty of wit and surprises to offer.

Links:

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Air - Talkie Walkie (2004)

Air - Talkie Walkie
Original Release Date: Feb 17, 2004
Label: Astralwerks
Genre: Electronica, Downtempo
Size: 288 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:
1. Venus (4:05)
2. Cherry Blossom Girl (3:40)
3. Run (4:12)
4. Universal Traveler (4:22)
5. Mike Mills (4:27)
6. Surfing on a Rocket (3:43)
7. Another Day (3:21)
8. Alpha Beta Gaga (4:40)
9. Biological (6:05)
10. Alone in Kyoto (4:51)

Review by John Bush

Artistic development doesn't always improve an artist's work, as the members of Air discovered when their second album, 2001's 10,000 Hz Legend, disappointed fans and critics expecting another pop masterpiece to rank with their debut, Moon Safari. 10,000 Hz Legend buried the duo's clear melodic sense underneath an avalanche of rigid performances, claustrophobic productions, and a restless experimentalism that rarely allowed listeners to enjoy what they were hearing. Gone was the freshness evident on Moon Safari: the alien made familiar, the concept that electronic dance could be turned into a user-friendly medium, the illustration of simplicity and space as assets, not liabilities. Fortunately, Air learned from their mistakes — or, at least, their limitations — leading up to the recording of third album Talkie Walkie, and the happy result is a solid middle ground between both of their previous records. The features are kept to a minimum and the tracks are constructed to sound no more complex than they need to be, even though Air risk the assumption that Talkie Walkie is a simple album. While there's nothing present to compete with the plodding glory of "Sexy Boy," Talkie Walkie ultimately succeeds because of Dunckel and Godin's renewed contentment to produce the tracks they do better than any other — ones with a surface prettiness but no great depth. (It's no mystery why they've been tapped for several scores.) Ironically, the one track here that shrugs off the simplicity of electronic pop is a track first heard in a film, "Alone in Kyoto," an impressionistic string piece originally composed for the Sofia Coppola film Lost in Translation.

Links:

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Air - Pocket Symphony (2007)

Air - Pocket Symphony

Original Release Date: Mar 6, 2007

Label: Astralwerks

Genre: Electronica, Downtempo

Size: 324 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist
01 - Space Maker
02 - Once Upon A Time
03 - One Hell Of A Party
04 - Napalm Love
05 - Mayfair Song
06 - Left Bank
07 - Photograph
08 - Mer Du Japon
09 - Lost Message
10 - Somewhere Between Waking And Sleeping
11 - Redhead Girl
12 - Night Sight

Sound familiar? If so then you probably know the Air that has lead up to this point. The previously mentioned "haiku" approach to songwriting combined with cool atmospheres have been a formula for success so far for the band. One trick ponies? Not quite, for every "Remember" there is always a perfectly balanced pop song in the form of a "Cherry Blossom Girl" to give the band depth, but this is all in the past, and we're here to focus on the present and the new. Following Air's golden rule of "one full length release every three years", 2007 would be the year the band expanded on their instrument usage all the way to the East (Japan to be exact) and put the title of last years mix tape album, Late Night Tales into practice. Most of these songs are melancholy and soft, waiting for a darkened sky to play to; but its not that simple as without the pop structures and radio-ready format that previous releases had spun into gold, this was without most of that. What is left are 12 tracks featuring guest vocalists, instruments from Japan, not enough pop songs but a peaceful atmospheric work that should please any casual or hardcore fan. The heart and soul of this work can be found in the usual musical approach taken by the band, but is enhanced with the lungs and spleen of the Koto and the Shamisen. The setup is different and the band can put this new found experience (it did take Goodin a year to learn how to play these instruments after all) to making something new and yet travel back to make a release more like Moon Safari. While it does recollect of their debut disc more than their previous Astralwerks release, the band is much more diverse and experienced than nine years ago.It begins with covering familiar ground, an instrumental opener with the name of "Space Maker", a rather spacey, stream of consciousness but it still follows general rules of structure which benefits the track. Though it seems lengthy at four minutes it holds up well as a track on its own as opposed to just the introduction. What helps it stand up on its own is what follows it, that being the lead single "Once Upon a Time" which may be no all time classic but is our first chance to hear Jean Benoit Dunckel's voice since the previous year's solo project Darkel. The song is written in the haiku form that has vaulted and made their songs on the past, in this case with the line "I'm a little boy/you're a little girl/once upon a time". Here piano leads the charge in loop form with an actual drummer (in the video at least) and a Shamisen over the interlude section. The new Air has shown its colors but the massive shock changes don't come until the next song which features a guest vocalist and the beginning of what makes this work a grower, one that takes time to get into.It plays at a slower rate, displays more Shamisen and more significantly the ex front man of Pulp, Jarvis Cocker, these reasons are what make "One Hell of a Party" the stop drop and reexamine moment of Pocket Symphony, isn't there only one conductor in this miniature music machine? Mainly yes, but this one was picked up while producing another work and the more the merrier. This turns out to be true as the slow paced low tone voice of Cocker goes along greatly with the somber sounding night after the party. Guest vocalists turn tricks for the group again later in the album with Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon with "Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping" which plays out like it sounds. The major bulk of the album is a division of sprawling calm piano lead tunes and guitar drenched faster songs with Dunckel on the mic. The exception is "Mer du Japon" which features a suprising awakening of the synth, making the backdrop on this fast paced song. The album ends on "Night Sight" which is one of those things that is predictable but still enjoyable. It does play out like the title states, employing the synth to play notes in the key of Night Sight, if thats at all possible.It may take some getting used to it, but proper exposure and realizing the continued growth of Air will still lead to the road of musical satisfaction. They may be in their 12th year of existence but this is still a young and growing musical project, one that has seen different days and shows it in the changes of their music. This is recommended if you are a fan of chill out electronica, late night drives or walks, or if you want to hear the newest thing from Air.Recommended Tracks: Once Upon a Time, Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping, Napalm Love, Left Bank

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Air - 10 000 Hz Legend (2001)

Air - 10 000 Hz Legend

Original Release Date: May 29, 2001

Label: Source UK

Genre: Electronica, Downtempo

Size: 401 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:
1. Electronic Performers (5:36)
2. How Does It Make You Feel? (4:38)
3. Radio #1 (4:23)
4. The Vagabond (5:37)
5. Radian (7:38)
6. Lucky and Unhappy (4:31)
7. Sex Born Poison (6:19)
8. People in the City (4:57)
9. Wonder Milky Bitch (5:50)
10. Don't Be Light (6:19)
11. Caramel Prisoner (4:57)

Review by John Bush Eager to prove their songwriting smarts and knowledge of traditionalist pop on their sophomore work, French band Air pulled back slightly from the milky synth pop of their 1998 debut, Moon Safari. 10,000 Hz Legend is a darker work, just as contemplative and unhurried as its predecessor, but part of a gradual move from drifting, almost pastoral melancholia to a downright post-modern helplessness in league with Radiohead. Air are still tremendously effective producers, and have actually expanded their palate with a surprising array of pop instrumentation (acoustic guitars, flutes, pianos, a harmonica, harps, and many strings) to file alongside the countless trilling synthesizers and machine sequencers. The two lead-off tracks, "Electronic Performers" and "How Does It Make You Feel," are breathtaking productions that exploit the same robot-weariness tendencies that made "Sexy Boy" (from Moon Safari) an alternative hit. Still, those detached retro-vocoder treatments sound so much more passé in 2001 than when the duo first tried them out in 1996. Jason Falkner and Beck, a pair of equally hardworking slacker-pop icons, appear (respectively) on the next two tracks, the tongue-in-cheek single "Radio #1" and an excellent morning-after jam named "The Vagabond." Again, the production is stellar, but these find Air stranded between art rock and pop, caught in the trap of trying to make great pop music yet never sounding particularly studied or concerned about it. Falkner pops up again on "Lucky and Unhappy" and "People in the City," a pair of album standouts that subvert any pop inclinations with a raft of bridges and breakdowns among the layers of production. "Wonder Milky Bitch" is another precisely studied track, a haze of lunar-desert synth pop directly evocative of country-pop classicist Lee Hazlewood, and "Radian" brings Air back to the instrumental textures of their early work. Fans and involved listeners are definitely rewarded with increased dividends after multiple listens, but even they may wish for an album that harked back to the simpler days of the Premiers Symptomes EP and Moon Safari.

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Air - Premiers Symptomes (1999)

Air - Premiers Symptomes

Original Release Date: Aug 24, 1999

Label: Source Records France / Virgin

Genre: Electronica, Downtempo

Size: 194 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist:

1. Electronic Performers (5:36)

2. How Does It Make You Feel? (4:38)

3. Radio #1 (4:23)

4. The Vagabond (5:37)

5. Radian (7:38)

6. Lucky and Unhappy (4:31)

7. Sex Born Poison (6:19)

8. People in the City (4:57)

9. Wonder Milky Bitch (5:50)

10. Don't Be Light (6:19)

11. Caramel Prisoner (4:57)

For years, obsessed fans and collectors clamored for a domestic re-issue of French-duo Air’s five-track EP, Premiers Symptomes. In 1999 they got more than they had bargained for. While the original European release pulled together five early Air singles of dreamy consistency, the US release mindlessly tacked on two funky "bonus" tracks that many believe clashed with the original vibe. To settle the controversy, I recommend programming your disc player for only the first five tracks. That way you may better experience Nicolas Godin’s and Jean-Benoit Dunckel’s lullingly tranquil soundscapes without the jarring wake up call of newcomer closing tracks "Californie" and "Brakes On."

Blending the vintage sounds of the Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, and Clavinet, these five separately released singles hang together with a delicious album-like cohesiveness, creating a soul-soothing atmosphere that you will crave at the end of the day. These five singles represent some of the most gorgeously grooving electronica pop in the entire Air discography, clearly holding their own next to anything on the duo’s gem-filled full-length debut, 1998’s Moon Safari.

The music of Air offers a blissful escape from our modern day blues, helping us breathe a bit easier, if only for the duration of a few brilliant tracks.

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Jose Padilla - Navigator (2001)

Original Release Date: Oct 30, 2001
Label: Warner Bros
Genre: Electronica,Chillout
Flac 1.1.4 (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklist
01. Jose Padilla - Something
02. Jose Padilla - Las Cazuelas (2000 Remix)
03. Jose Padilla - Bosaxi (Touched Mix)
04. Jose Padilla - Navigator (Part 1)
05. Jose Padilla - Adios Ayer (Fresh Mix)
06. Jose Padilla - Karyn
07. Jose Padilla - Lontano
08. Jose Padilla - Dynamic Earth (Gravity Mix)
09. Jose Padilla - Navigator (Part 2)
10. Jose Padilla - Strolling
11. Jose Padilla - Nina
12. Jose Padilla - The Look of Love

Spaniard José Padilla delivers his second full-length record, featuring 14 tracks mostly composed himself based on personal thoughts and experiences. Mainly focused on music from ambient to chill-out, Navigator is comprised of gentle melodies flavored with Brazilian bossa nova, jazz fusion, and Spanish flamenco, covering Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love" (an orchestrated version featuring vocals by smooth jazz vocalist N'Dea Davenport) and a sensual and intimate "Adios Ayer" (sung by Seal). Navigator becomes an enjoyable journey through ethnic and modern soundscapes. As defined by ambient music pioneer Brian Eno, it's been made to induce calm and provide space to think.

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Loopa Scava meets Cayetano - Up and Down (2008)

Artist: Loopa Scava meets Cayetano

Title: Up And Down

Label: Etage Noir Recordings

Genre: Electronic /Downtempo / Nu Jazz / Trip-Hop

Time: 39:58 Min

Size: 215MB

Release Date: Nov 14, 2008

Flac + .cue + .log + Cover

Tracklist:

1. A Hot Day

2. Future Memories (feat. Pelina)

3. Hide (feat. Pelina)

4. The Rain Comes Again

5. When Music Starts (feat. Pelina)

6. Bel Epoque (feat. Pelina)

7. Up And Down (feat. Pelina)

8. Eastern Crossroads

9. You Dont Love Me (feat. Pelina)

10. Up And Down (feat. Hain Teny)

In this case, you don’t have to do with just a music style like dub, jazz, trip-hop...What makes this album really wonderful is the combination of all styles. Dub bass-lines are fitting strong with the trip-hop beats, the saxophone blows abstract jazzy tunes giving oxygen to the piano and the rhodes while in many cases the sound from the vintage classic guitar are driving your thoughts very far... And when the amazing voice of Pelina comes, things are getting really colorful...

Soul Seduction

Links:

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Cantoma - Cantoma (2005)

Cantoma - Cantoma

Original Release Date: Sep 13, 2005

Label: Quango

Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo

Size: 406 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:

1. Marisi (6:38)

2. Essarai (5:48)

3. Moonsmith (5:50)

4. Pandajero (5:21)

5. Balafia (5:40)

6. Overtime (5:06)

7. Etoile (4:45)

8. Cosmopole (6:38)

9. The Call (6:55)

10. Early Till Late (4:47)

British DJ Phil Mison is no stranger in the musical world of chill-out electronica, where he emerged on the forefront of the whole Ibiza boom in the early 90s as resident DJ alongside the legendary Jose Padilla at Cafι del Mar. Over the last decade, he has become one of the world’s most beloved chill out djs, sharing his signature Balearic sound on the influential compilations, Soundcolours and Real Ibiza.Cantoma’s debut project is an album that will transport you to the warm beaches of Spain. Deeply rooted in flamenco, dub and south-east asian influences, Cantoma’s sound weaves together a delightful tapestry of musical cultures and creates a sound uniquely its own.Joined by an all-star cast of collaborators including producers Chirstophe Goze and DJ Pathaan, the renowned Brazilian jazz vocalist Silvana Malta (a frequent Hermato Pascoal collaboration) and Danish pop vocalist Tanja Thulau, whose ethereal voice has been compared to that of a young Bjork, experience this memorable debut this fall.

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Federico Aubele - Amatoria (2009)

Federico Aubele - Amatoria
Original Release Date: May 19, 2009
Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge
Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo
Size: 220 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:
01. Luna Y Sol [0:03:35.57]
02. Suena Mi Guitarra [0:03:01.73]
03. Otra Vez [0:03:14.08]
04. Te Quiero A Ti [0:03:45.70]
05. Este Amor [0:03:35.73]
06. Hermosa [0:03:04.28]
07. Del Aver [0:03:24.40]
08. Siemphire Nuevo [0:03:10.44]
09. Riendo Asν [0:03:03.96]
10. El Sabor [0:03:15.86]
11. Tan Cerca [0:03:45.49]
12. Amatoria [0:03:37.12]

Review by Alex Henderson

Some listeners have a hard time comprehending or appreciating subtlety, which is why so many of the more myopic jazz critics had no kind words for jazz' Cool School back in the 1950s and '60s. But in fact, subtlety can be compelling; it has worked wonders for artists ranging from Joni Mitchell to João Gilberto to Sade to the late Chet Baker. And subtlety certainly works well for Federico Aubele on Amatoria. This December 2008 recording never shouts to get one's attention; Aubele is a master of restraint and understatement, but that doesn't mean that the Argentinean singer/songwriter isn't highly expressive on breezy, gently introspective offerings such as "Siempre Nuevo" ("Always New"), "Tan Cerca" ("So Near"), "Luna y Sol" ("Moon and Sun") and "Este Amor" ("This Love"). A wide variety of influences assert themselves on this 40-minute CD, ranging from downtempo and trip-hop to reggae, boleros, flamenco, tango, and salsa. Aubele has cited the Beatles as an influence, and to be sure, the influence of Fab Four's softer side (as in "My Michelle," "Across the Universe," and "A Day in the Life") does assert itself on parts of Amatoria (the fact that this album was recorded 38 years after the Beatles' breakup is one of the many examples of how long-lasting their influence has been). But whatever influences might assert themselves on a particular track, Aubele's songs always sound very personal. Amatoria doesn't beat listeners over the head with Aubele's emotions, but for those who can appreciate subtlety and understatement, this excellent album never fails to demonstrate that the Buenos Aires native is an artist of major depth and substance.

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Federico Aubele - Panamericana (2007)

Federico Aubele - Panamericana
Original Release Date: Sep 18, 2007
Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge
Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo
Size: 290 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:
01. La Esquina [0:03:24.85]
02. Maria Jose [0:03:08.41]
03. En Cada Lugar [0:04:26.80]
04. Las Canciones [0:03:24.89]
05. Tan Dificil [0:02:52.56]
06. La Orilla [0:03:12.76]
07. Pena [0:03:13.82]
08. Este Momento [0:02:55.98]
09. Corazon [0:03:26.37]
10. En el desierto [0:03:21.50]
11. Lluvia [0:03:02.52]
12. Su Melodia [0:03:27.50]
13. La Mar [0:03:06.38]

Review by Jason Birchmeier

Federico Aubele's second album, Panamericana, features many of the same qualities that earned acclaim for his debut, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires (2004), and garnered a strong word-of-mouth following for his music. The porteno again sets his lovely Spanish-language songs against a hypnotic backdrop of Spanish guitar, dub basslines, hip-hop beats, Latin percussion, and ambient production motifs informed by Thievery Corporation, one of whose members, Eric Hilton, is credited with the album's production. As on Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, many of the songs are sung by females; in the case of this album, the dreamy voice of Natalia Clavier, a fellow Argentine from Buenos Aires, graces ten of the 13 songs, either as lead ("La Esquina," "Maria Jose," "La Orilla," "Corazon," "Lluvia") or harmony vocalist ("En Cada Lugar," "Tan Dificil," "En el Desierto," "Su Melodia," "La Mar"). In addition to playing guitar, along with most of the other instruments heard throughout the album, Aubele sings lead on about half of the songs ("En Cada Lugar," "Tan Dificil," "Pena," "En el Desierto," "Su Melodia," "La Mar") and harmony vocals on a few others ("Las Canciones," "Corazon," "Lluvia"). This is a key difference between Panamericana and Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, on the latter of which he performed the music but generally let a varied cast of women rather than himself sing the vocals. Also, the songs of Gran Hotel Buenos Aires were much less lyrical than those of Panamericana, with not only fewer vocals but with those vocals run through effects and mixed into the background. The vocals of Gran Hotel Buenos Aires consequently sounded like just another element in the mix, on the same level as the dub basslines and Spanish guitar. Perhaps purposefully, Panamericana is more of a singer/songwriter album, with the vocals in the foreground and Aubele stepping further into the spotlight, and with the dub aspects noticeably toned down. This may disappoint those who enjoyed Gran Hotel Buenos Aires as a lounge album, one that was beat-driven rather than song-based. These distinctions noted, Panamericana is still a fine album featuring many of the same qualities of its predecessor. Some may in fact prefer Panamericana because of its greater emphasis on songs, and perhaps because it's more conducive to live performance (Aubele indeed mounted a supporting tour, with Clavier in tow).

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Federico Aubele - Gran Hotel Buenos Aires (2004)

Federico Aubele - Gran Hotel Buenos Aires

Original Release Date: Feb 24, 2004

Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge

Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo

Size: 258 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:

01. Federico Aubele - Ante Tus Ojos

02. Federico Aubele - Postales

03. Federico Aubele - Despertar

04. Federico Aubele - El Amor De Este Pueblo

05. Federico Aubele - Esta Noche

06. Federico Aubele - Diario De Viaje

07. Federico Aubele - Mona

08. Federico Aubele - Salvación

09. Federico Aubele - Contigo

10. Federico Aubele - Malena

11. Federico Aubele - Un Lugar

12. Federico Aubele - Besos De Sal

Review by Charles Spano

Argentine Federico Aubele is first and foremost a guitar player. But inspired by artists as diverse as avant-garde tango composer Astor Piazzolla, Wes Montgomery, and Thievery Corporation, he set out to create a solo record that crossed electronica, dub, and Latin guitar music while capturing the sound and feeling of Buenos Aires. The resulting album, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires — actually produced by Thievery Corporation and released on their label, ESL — is like the reverse image of trip-hop. Aubele's songs are atmospheric, driven by sampled beats, and even employ scratching in some cases, but unlike trip-hop, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires is sunny, free-spirited, and celebratory. Always at the center of tracks like "Ante Tus Ojos" and "Despertar" is Aubele's hypnotic guitar. Around that he collages an entire band worth of instruments and samples and, finally, sultry female vocals sung in Spanish — provided by friends of Aubele from Buenos Aires. The format seems ultimately liberating, allowing Aubele the ability to masterfully apply solid hip-hop beats to jazzy Latin numbers ("Esta Noche" for example) and to allow what could be Argentine folk songs to drift into the realm of electronic ambience and dub (the beautiful "Diario de Viaje"). Gran Hotel Buenos Aires is a wholly brilliant album and Federico Aubele may be to Argentina what Sigur Ros is to Iceland: the most forward-thinking and experimental artist to capture the sound of his homeland's cultural, symbolic, and physical geography.

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Saint Privat - Superflu (2007)

Original Release Date: May 7, 2007

Label: Dope Noir

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 223 Mb

Flac + .cue + .log + Covers

Tracklist:
1. Poisson rouge (2:31)
2. La melodie (3:14)
3. Oh-lala (3:16)
4. Superflu (4:18)
5. Une derniere cigarette (3:52)
6. Un, deux, trois (3:56)
7. Mademoiselle (2:52)
8. Somebody to Love (4:11)
9. Rosemarie's Baby (3:46)
10. Confusing Love (3:18)
11. Sans remords (6:38)

A collaboration born of a chance meeting at a midsummer wedding, Saint Privat is the project of singer Valerie and producer Waldeck. Their debut album Riviera broke the constraints of every format and received heavy rotation on alternative, classical and pop radio stations. The album sold out immediately upon release and was repressed several times. “Tous les jours” was the connoisseurs’ summer hit of 2004 in Germany, Austria and beyond, playing on radios from Hamburg to Vienna.
The honeymoon on the Riviera may have passed but now the result of two years of creative marriage has given birth to the new album Superflu, heralding the revival of the “Chanson psychedelique”. At times fresh, charming and tres trippy.
The seductive world of Saint Privat is one of glamour, luxury and enrichment (in French : Le Superflu), but behind the beautiful facade, the dark foundation of the Jet-Set life emerges: hedonism, decadence and melancholy. Superflu becomes a nostalgic daytrip to places inaccurately remembered because our minds have been hobbled by divine champagne.
It is 1976. We take the Concorde from Paris to New York. The pilot reminds us somehow of Alain Delon, and he greets Valerie with a knowing wink. The next morning, Valerie doesn’t wake up as usual in her Upper East Side Apartment, but under a blossoming cherry tree in Central Park. She is wearing her evening dress, barefoot. Lying next to her in the grass : an empty pillbox, a bottle of champagne and singer Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane.
And the music : The very French ” La melodie”, the melancholic yet erotic “Une derniere cigarette”, the frivolous “Oh-Lala”. Always supple and 100% at ease, Valerie playfully switches between the roles of the “Femme Fatale” and the “Lolita”.
The album was recorded by the Saint Privat Live Band- Clemens Wabra: guitar, Ruediger Kostron: bass, Erwin Schober: drums. The vocal recordings were recorded with the band to catch the authentic atmosphere of a raffish old French Variete theatre. To accentuate the feeling the musicians were shown psychedelic soft porn as they played, and playing his own organ, Mastermind Klaus Waldeck refined the songs with some sublime dub, clubgroove and electronic sounds
Le superflu est chic !

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Saint Privat - Riviera (2004)

Original Release Date: Aug 24, 2004

Label: Dope Noir

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 220 Mb

Flac + .cue + .log + Covers

Tracklist:

1. Rokoko (4:29)

2. Pan Am 009 (4:15)

3. Nothing to Lose (3:51)

4. Tous les jours (2:23)

5. Mille baci (3:38)

6. Gone With the Wind (3:51)

7. The Girl From Ventimiglia (3:49)

8. Bach en dub (2:45)

9. September Song (2:51)

10. Good Bye Honeymoon (4:14)

11. Dolcissimi (5:03)

Saint Privat is a story born of a midsummer wedding. Valerie performs in thewedding band and in doing so meets electronic producer Waldeck who isamongst the guests. They start a conversation and discover they want to movein the same direction- musically that is. Et voila... some time later Saint Privatis born.Saint Privat takes you to a glamorous world nestled between soft Bossa-Nova,60’s Riviera and Rococo Jazz. Intimate and glamorous vocals reminiscent offrench chansons combined with subtle electronic sounds set the delicateframework for their dreamy, fresh but nevertheless deep debut album. “Riviera”brings back a forgotten world in which charming jewel thieves end up in highspeed car chases on the French riviera. A world full of spotaneous joy(“Nothing Lose”), baroque feelings (“Rokoko”) and sparkling hedonism.The music on this first album ranges from compositions of their mastermindWaldeck, who recalls some classic Italian and French movies in a self-mademusical microcosm, and rearranged Kurt Weill music (“September Song”) toJohann Sebastian Bach compositions (“Bach en dub”). Like no other electronicartist, Klaus Waldeck manages to put his audience in a blissful hypnosis bymeans of ingenious elements and repetitive sequences.The name Saint Privat not only reflects the “private” nature of the music, butis also the name of a small village in the South of France in which the charmingsinger Valerie Sajdik currently resides; a place of spiritual power where musicianslike Pink Floyd and George Harrisson as well as the writer Ian McEwan havecreated works of unique character.Most tracks of the album have been recorded live by musicians of the DopeNoir Jazz Division: Clemens Wabra, Rudiger Kostron (electric bass), Shayan Fati(drums) Phillip Moosbrugger (acoustic bass), Flip Phillip (vibes) and Stoney“The Flute”. Waldeck/s electronic skills are used less as heavy counterweightagainst the acoustic framework, but more as an intelligent and spicy ingredient.

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Les Hommes - Les Hommes (2002)

Original Release Date: Aug 20, 2002

Label: Schema

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 301 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + Covers)

Tracklisting:

01 - In Spring

02 - Intraspretto

03 - Six and Eight

04 - WeeGee

05 - Pousada do Amor

06 - The Fourth Homme

07 - Vista do Mar

08 - Hommage

09 - Boogaloogalick

10 - The Way-Out

Links:

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Thunderball - Scorpio Rising (2001)

Original Release Date: Jul 10, 2001

Label: ESL

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 318 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:

01. Heart of the Hustler

02. Domino

03. Vai Vai

04. Sapphire

05. Angela's Lament

06. Scorpio Rising

07. Stereo Tonic

08. Vibrations

09. Solar

10. On The sly

11. Golden

Review by Bret Love

One can only guess which Hollywood director will be the first to enlist Thunderball masterminds Sid Barcelona and Steve Raskin to compose the score for his or her next movie, but rest assured it will be worth dropping a hard-earned eight bucks for admission. On the heels of their critically acclaimed (and very appropriately titled) debut, Ambassadors of Style, Scorpio Rising is an even more seamless imaginary soundtrack. In Thunderball's world, blaxploitation funk, cinematic soul, bossa nova lounge, downtempo dub, and downtown drum'n'bass all come together to create a hipster vibe few other groups could even aspire to, let alone create. From the Curtis Mayfield tribute of the opening "Heart of the Hustler" and the airy jungle jazz of "Vai Vai" to the ambient, Indian-influenced hip-hop of "Stereo Tonic," these guys blend styles like Esquivel mixes drinks, making this the coolest album you'll hear since United Future Organization disappeared. Could someone please give Guy Ritchie Thunderball's number?

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