Gaudi – In Between Times (Six Degrees Records)
CD/DL
Out Now
Nope, we’re not
talking the mosaic-laying architect from Barcelona. We’re talking about the musician, record producer
and solo artist who has worked with so it seems everyone from Bob Marley to
Mazzy Star, and from Asian Dub Foundation to Desmond Dekker, so, you can put
your ceramic adhesive away forthwith.
Like many musicians of
his ilk, Gaudi relies heavily on guest vocalists preferring himself to
concentrate on some great backing and full-on instrumentals. ‘In Between Times’ seems to employ a well
suited mix of reggae/pop/dub/ stomp to carry it through and the fusion is very
successful.
Album opener, as you’d
expect is probably the most commercial track on the album. With voice from Michael Rose, it’s a decent
enough start, but, only a few short steps away from the dreaded vocoder. You’d really expect an album of pretty
ordinary pop songs after this, but, there’s just something about the partially
dubbed backing that holds your interest.
Lucky really, as instrumental
‘Tamino And The Temple Of Dub’ is something rather special. Again, there’s the stomp drum which plays a
major part in the album, there are some clever dubbed panpipe effects and even
a stylophone (ah, yes) thrown in for good measure. Gaudi himself pitches him with some falsetto
vocals and it becomes a decent enough tune to put the album on track.
When Tahar Momoproject
contribute to ‘Hurriya’ it’s absolutely superb.
Hypnotic chanted vocals and a backing track seemingly borrowed from
Depeche Mode’s ‘I Feel You’, it shows incredible promise for the album,
particularly when it’s followed by ‘I Start To Pray’, which features mad as a
box of frogs Lee Scratch Perry who is enjoying his latest resurgence in the
industry at the moment with current
collaborators The Orb.
As a stark contrast,
there’s some awful stuff on here too.
The vocals from Deadly Hunta on ‘Babylon Is Fallin’ are nothing short of
comical and barely listenable, you actually
have to force yourself to listen to realise how bad they are. Whatever possessed Gaudi to use the vocals is
beyond the reasoning of any sane person.
‘Spiritual Orphans’
and ‘Crucial Data’ almost make up for Gaudi’s misdemeanour, with the later a
dubbed, reggae, space-pop affair as good as anything on the album, and,
‘Unlimited Possibilites’ closes the album in fine style. There’s a pointless ‘hidden track’ which
really isn’t worth the effort of finding, so don’t bother.
A ‘nearly’ album of
amazing tracks and shocking tracks where maybe two or three could have been
omitted, but, it’s better than laying broken tiles.
7.5/10
Links
Published on Louder Than War 27/09/12 here
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