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Posted 07 July 2006 - 03:38 PM
Hi-res cover: front + back
Artist: Slackbaba (UK)
Title: … And The Beat Goes OM…
Format: CD (jewel case)
Label: Liquid Records (UK)
Cat. #: LRCD001SB
Distribution: Arabesque
Date: 26 June 2006
Track listing:
01. 11’37” A Drop In The Ocean
02. 09’21” Drink More Tea
03. 07’41” Sea Of Green
04. 09’15” Long Sunny Daze
05. 09’19” The Golden Apple
06. 06’32” Metatron’s Sugar Cube
07. 07’50” And The Beat Goes OM
08. 08’39” Fruit Of Mahoot
.m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/rx9x5 (all tracks!)
Review:
The Energizer-baba…
Slackbaba is Brighton-based producer Jonathan Smith who is gaining increased popularity within psychedelic downbeat circles… He has performed at some of the biggest festivals/parties in the UK and across Europe to much acclaim. The few compilation tracks I’ve heard from his hand were also very nice and incredibly versatile… Supposedly Johnny spent more than a year writing, wrestling, nurturing, tweaking and configuring these 8 tracks for this, his debut album …The Beat Goes OM… Released by visionary UK label Liquid Records, I’ve got a feeling we’re in for a treat… So yeah, I’ve been excited about this for a long time… Let’s hop in!
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: A Drop In The Ocean
The album opens in a true grandiose fashion with a pure monster of a track… Epic and ethno-lush melodic pads are accompanied by organic, floating, nature sounds… It’s all tied with phat dubby vibes and ethereal, dreamy bridges… The trippy samples are the icing on the cake – and each and every one is perfectly placed! Ear candy if there ever was ear candy – let me tell you! This is huge in regards to length, girth, width, height, depth, etc… In one word – gigantic! An amazing tune!
#02: Drink More Tea
“Psychedelic plants… plants… plant! […] That’s where I found my miracle. In DMT and ayahuasca…” Here’s the track that will boost tea sales everywhere! The beats are deeper, the melodies are lighter, the spliffs are stronger, the edge is more psychedelic and the groove is just perfect! Again the samples are well-placed, and I love the ambiguous nature of the main sample – we know the guy says ‘psychedelic plants’ but it kinda sounds like ‘psychedelic trance’… The flute lines are pure perfection and puts Raja Ram to shame… Oh yes, this is another eclectic, groovy piece of psychedelic dub which crosses well over into other genres within psy… It’s as lovely as it is epic… And I’m definitely not drinking enough tea… Sweet!
#03: Sea Of Green
This track opens with an ancient, Eastern-inspired string instrument playing a sad, melancholy tune – but despite the initial sadness it’s absolutely gorgeous! Those string arrangements are definitely the signature mark in this track. Lovely! As the track progresses more flavours are added and eventually the added strings morph into sonic synth exploration… The subtle beats and breakz are accompanied by the deepest, most dubby bassline so far… If you haven’t already, it’s time to light up… Puff, puff, giiiive!
#04: Long Sunny Daze
…And what better time to spend some quality time puffing away, than a lazy, sunny afternoon? This here is laidback, muscle-relaxing hardcore chillage! We’re still getting a heavy dose of dub, completely entangled in an array of simple arpeggio melodies, complex rhythms and subtle psychedelia… Nothing too hectic, but not too scarce either… It’s just right… It might be more wallpaper’ish than the previous tracks, but it’s still beautiful to behold… Very lush!
#05: The Golden Apple
“There is more to reality than meets the normal eye…” Whereas the last couple of tracks were mostly chilled, this track faces up to the competition and introduces a more up-tempo rhythm section… Sure, this is not a dancefloor track per se, but it certainly has some serious spruce – the energy level is very impressive! The string instrumentation, the impressive tribal rhythm section, the ethnic influences and the lush psychedelic factor that ties it all together so nicely… Like a dubbed-down version of Voice Of Cod vs. Mantrix vs. Entheogenic… In short, psychedelic dub! Groovy!
#06: Metatron’s Sugar Cube
After more than a couple of reefers it’s time to up the ante and dig even deeper into psychedelia… And this is where it gets more complex, weirder and evidently trippier… This is mushy, psychedelic forest dub – aimed at tripped out trancers and couch dancers… It’s an interwoven, multilayered piece of complexity – cleverly avoiding the pit of introvertness… Easily the most danceable track thus far – regardless if you’ve dropped ‘cid or not… Wikkid!
#07: And The Beat Goes OM
As the cunning name of the title track suggests, this track is deeply rooted in India… Hindu symbolism, traditional Indian instrumentation and a healthy dose of Sanskrit chanting – Oh yes, the baba is paying homage to the motherland here… We’re right back east of the river Ganges! It’s an esoteric journey thru misty valleys, dusty deserts and fruitful plains… Rich, ripe and totally gorgeous! Om Namah Shivaya!
#08: Fruit Of Mahoot
The closing track is a tour de force of electronic-slash-organic downbeat musica… It’s still riddled in dubby vibes, but again the psychedelia is bubbling just under the surface leering its DMT-soaked head… The melodies are drifting peacefully creating a notable contrast to the calm, yet pounding kick and percussion… Totally uplifting and somewhat danceable head-bob friendly stuff!
It’s been said numerous times before, but I’ll have to say it again: There is nothing slack about this baba! Really! This is a perfect example of just how amazing psydub can be… I don’t think I’ve been this excited about a downtempo debut album since Capsula’s Synthesis Of Reality released on Ajana Records in 2005… And yeah, this is not chill – it’s downtempo! Also with the distinct dub-influences, the comparison to Ganja Beat’s Paradise & Tranquility (Organic Records 2005) is an easy one to make… But for me, this is a much, much better album… There are no bad tracks here, and the stand-out tracks are falling over each other – hell, I’m impressed!
What I’m trying to say here, is that this is a very good album. The time and dedication that Johnny has put into this really pays of… The production is crystal clear and you can tell that every little detail has a lot of thought behind it… It’s an essential purchase for psydub fans, and I’m pretty certain it will go down very well with fans of psychedelic downbeat too… Any open-minded fan of crossover music really! Be sure to check it out – it’s a real treat! …Enjoy!
Favourites: 1(!!), 2(!), 5, 6(!), 7(!), 8
DeathPosture
External links:
Liquid Records: http://www.liquid-records.com
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/720017
Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/pxkhb
Amboworld: http://tinyurl.com/oxq9e
Discobole: http://tinyurl.com/evnpc
AudioJelly: http://tinyurl.com/ljzc3
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/qtkl9
Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/k8qyz
Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/hk8df
Juno: http://tinyurl.com/hpnv9
Ajuca: http://tinyurl.com/frtld
MultiQuote
Posted 25 October 2006 - 05:06 PM
Long Sunny Daze has such a sweet bassline,I really enjoy this track.