03OCT2009:BOOKWORMS "AFRICAN
RHYTHMS"
The opening drums of "African Rhythms"
might say London, but Bookworms calls the streets of San Francisco
home. Oddly enough, the track is a re-imagining—not a
remix—of a song by experimental noiseniks (and fellow San
Franciscans) Mi Ami. But where Mi Ami concocted a wild brew of tribal
percussion and post-punk squall, Bookworms dabbles in U.K. funky house
and colors the tune with enough echoed chants and drifting synths to
soundtrack a wonderfully spaced-out tropical dance party. |
OCT2009: BOOKWORMS "AFRICAN
RHYTHMS"
His bumpy yet hypnotic re-imagining of Mi
Ami’s African Rhythms is currently smacking up the real and
virtual worlds and his dense, unreleased dubs have rumbled their way
onto the playlist of Ms Mary Ann Hobbs more than once over the past
year. With our current wave of hot beat producers, you’d be
forgiven for thinking Mr Worms is yet another fresh-faced talent
jostling for position in the Bass Music marketplace….not so.
He’s been doing this for a minute.... read
more |
03JUL2008:SOLOS IN STEREO II CD
FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS
What's your dish? Just name it, and
Bay-Area label Solos will put it out. They prove this on their new
compilation record Solos in Stereo II, featuring the seven artists
signed on Solos, as well as many guest spots. The way the album starts
out, you'd think... read more</span>
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09JUN2008: CB RADIO: "MUEVETE"
(SOLOS IN STEREO II CD)
Bay Area-based Solos
Records will soon unleash the second installment of its Solos in Stereo
compilation, which will showcase the label's main core of artists, as
well as a few guests. Residents on the imprint include eclectic
producer Jovian, sampling master.read more
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01JUN2008:ROCHE: "DASHING" (SOLOS IN STEREO II CD)
Berkeley's Roche is a futuristic MC with a taste
for the past. Using an MPC 2000 and a Casio CT-607, the rapper crafts
robotic beats and rhymes with bass fuzzier than cashmere and sound
effects that chew through cheap speakers... read more
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01JUN2008:
ROCHE ft PUGSLEE ATOMZ: ONLY WHEN I DREAM (SOLOS
IN STEREO II CD)
Bit of a different vibe on this one; I love the piano work on this one.
Sounds so simple but it's damn hypnotic. This is from the forthcoming
Solos Records compilation, Solos In Stereo II, which drops in July.
Definitely be on the lookout for it... read
more
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01JUN2008:
SOLOS IN STEREO II CD
San Francisco imprint Solos Records are due to release their second
complilation showcasing artists on their roster. We’ve previously
mentioned the upcoming ‘Solos In Stereo II’ in a post here
and having just copped the full album we’re happy to report... read
more
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07MAR2008:
It’s supposed to be a story of a girl
who’s been possessed but I don’t understand a word of it so
what do I know. It got a nice feeling to it anyways... read
more
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27FEB2007:
YAO: PLANTAIN IS PUBLIC (CD)
With an eclectic, densely-layered soundscape featuring everything from
re-mixed 70s-era funk guitar over 90s beats to ominous and weird Kool
Keith-style sounds, Oakland-based DJ Yao is very much a product of his
generation—in the very best of ways... read
more |
27FEB2007:
DJ ENSO
While Enso and I have a couple things in common (a penchant for slip-on
shoes and Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin) the present disconnect
between my life and life reflected in "High Spirits" is comical. While
plenty of you are likely "up in the club / hold[ing] your drinks high"
this evening (it's currently Saturday night), I'm sitting at home in a
pair of slippers sipping chocolate soy milk. That doesn't keep me from
knowing a hot party track when I hear one. Slip "High Spirits" into
your party playlist and you'll have 'em eating out of your hand at the
next mixer. |
SOLOS IN STEREO (Solos/US/CD)
"A coalition of artists headquartered in the Bay Area, Solos Records
messes with a wide variety of sounds; they're rooted in hiphop but
unafraid to embrace more abstract electronic action..."
READ FULL REVIEW
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JAN/FEB2005:
SOLOS IN STEREO (Solos/US/CD)
"An eclectic sampler of downtempo and hip-hop from this new SF label
and collective. Standouts are Roche's Pharcyde remix, DJ Yao and Enso
& Louis. For fans of Krush or Daedalus and the LA underground
beatheads. Look for more in '05."
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FLASHMAG HIPHOP MAGAZIN (GERMANY)
SOLOS IN STEREO - 2005 COMPILATION
(translated from original German)
"It's rare for an artist to succeed as well at evoking visual scenarios
with music, as this new album from Solos Records. To describe the
production as varied is an understatement, as these beats and samples
range from fantastic to fanatic to form a multi-faceted whole.
Influenced by classic hip-hop, trip-hop, electro and ambiant collage,
these 14 tracks form audio fireworks. High-quality MC inserts alternate
with soulful vocals. In addition, a relatively abstract valley of
intrumental pieces bring together some unexpected, though nevertheless
successful samples. You could file this album somewhere between RJD2
and Automator, but somehow it's still in its own sphere. From start to
finish, it's obvious that much heart and attention to detail have been
put into this project. Some individual passages become a bit
overloaded, perhaps intentionally forcing the listener out of his
normal comfort zone. Whether the listener wants this or not, is a good
question. For this reason, some traditional hip-hop fans will perhaps
not be fully satisfied with these musical developments. However, free
spirits and lovers of the rather abstract sound should not doubt the
outstanding creative variety here."
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