Album Review: Christmas Gift - Various

Rainboot's Christmas Gift is a compilation truly in the spirit of the times... A set of fourteen understated, folky, Christmas influenced tracks where all of the takings go straight to a good cause - Save The Children.

For any label to do such a thing takes balls. For it to be a boutique such as Rain Boot is really rather generous (and brave) - they came to BlackPlastic's attention earlier this year when they put out the Whiskey Priest's superb Wave and Cloud. And that surprisingly blunt yet beautiful record is a good demonstration of what to expect.

This truly is the anti-X Factor. Whilst many in the UK alternative scene get behind John Cage's (rather excellent) '4:33' for Christmas number one most of the tracks on this album would make a much more fitting replacement. These are warts-and-all Christmas songs - the second act blues of A Charlie Brown Christmas, prior to the realisation of the true meaning of Christmas. It is the aural equivalent of turning your back on Argos, pulling your collar up and walking off into the cold, present-less, because all that really matters is who you spend it with (not what you spend it on).

There are certainly stronger and weaker moments here. Tyler Butler is battered and bruised on 'Waxwing' whilst The Animal Beat feel cautiously optimistic on 'Love Again'. Unsurprisingly, given the quality of Wave and Cloud, The Whiskey Priest delivers the gut-wrenching 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear' and this contrasts with the beautifully coquettish 'Waiting To Find Me', from Sara Lewis. Where things stray into full on ballad territory is where BlackPlastic struggles a little - Travis Tucker's 'O Holy Night' is an epic Christmas song, it just feels a little over-delivered in contrast to the rest of the album.

Overall though you can't fault the package, and you certainly can't fault the sentiment. With all of the cover price going to a good cause we whole heartedly recommend you check out Christmas Gift.

BP x

Christmas Gift is out now on Rainboot, visit the Rainboot site for details on where to buy (including a pay what you want option at Bandcamp).

Single Review: I Can't Wait / Rock Me - Russ Yallop

Russ Yallop's 'I Can't Wait' is a bit of a master of deception. From the first minute you would be forgiven for thinking this is some sort of funky-house jam. The elements are all there: four-four, filters, female vocal.

Yet almost as soon as that minute is up Yallop treats us to a bass line heavy enough to dispel any illusions. Sure - it's house. And it's certainly funky. But this is a long way from anything described by the two labels together. Packed with snap, crackle and pop 'I Can't Wait' practically fizzes out of the sound system, melting the electronics on its way out. It boasts a lovely organic and analogue feel which, combined with some serious low-end, sounds like Chicken Lips at their best.

B-side 'Rock Me' is similar but with less compromise. There is even less vocal, instead just a moan, yet a lovely disco stab is worked into things to give the track it's hook before finally opening up and blossoming in the song's final quarter into a full on soul sample... And then back to the dark techno drums i goes, a brief flirt in the sunlight brought to an end all too soon.

So this is what minimal sounds like when you aren't afraid to fuck with it: awesome.

Check out a preview below:

I Can't Wait-Crossroads-Rock Me by Russ Yallop

BP x

Album Review: Eighty One (Deluxe Edition) - Soul Mekanik

It isn't really for a lack of decent tracks - just maybe the lack of one cross-over smash. Eighty One was originally released back in 2005 to some acclaim. Roll on five years and it is now seeing a deluxe re-release with a second disc featuring remixes of Soul Mekanik tracks, some of which are originally from Eighty One and some of which aren't.

The album shows it's age a little yet because Soul Mekanik never really go after the specific fad or trend of the time it actually doesn't sound as out of place as other albums might. Opening track '81 Intro' captures Soul Mekanik at their best - clicks and thuds form a cold, metallic rhythm offset by a warm string section. It's just a shame it's only a couple of minutes long (there is a longer version on the bonus disc, but it is still little over three minutes).

'Wanna Get Wet' remains Soul Mekanik's most liberated pop moment - deserving of a summer re-release and covered on these pages a long time ago it remains a short-skirted irresistible joy of a record. 'High On Hope Street' is as slow, soulful and dub heavy as '27/5/81' is pacey, cold and efficient. The acid-tinged 'Serobotik' and 'Elektrik Elefant' both stand out, demonstrating Soul Mekanik's ability to make more dance floor focused tracks (as well as their desire to fuck around with stuttering vocals a lot). Occasionally things feel formulaic - particularly on the penultimate track 'Robots' (how many tracks about robots do we need) but on the whole there are enough ideas here to enjoy.

The remixes are mixed. Maurice Faulton adds a bit of space to 'Go Upstairs' and not much else, but to be honest that works. Less successful is Freeform Five's over-egged take on 'Don't' which frankly should have taken the name of the song as advice. There is just too much going on. 'High On Hope Street' gets the baseline pushed forwards in the mix and loses the vocal on the 'Rubber Dub', giving the song a much more upbeat feel. Greg Wilson's Re-Edit of 'Wanna Get Wet' is typically restrained and frankly just feels like a wasted opportunity, like an ice cream sundae without chocolate sauce.

On their own the remixes here really do not justify the package, but if you haven't ever given Eighty One a listen and you are a fan of dubby, electronic soul then this re-release may be worthy for the original release itself.

BP

Eighty One (Deluxe Edition) is out now on Wonk, available from Amazon.co.uk on CD [affiliate link].

UPDATE: As a taster download the non-album track 'Beam Me Up' on MP3 for free here [right click, save as].

Album Review: Rebel Rave - Various

Anyone that has followed BlackPlastic for a long time may be aware that Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels label is one of those labels we just have a bit of a soft spot for.

Back in the days when BlackPlastic was just starting out the label captured a unique take on the (then current) emerging Electroclash scene - taking that scene's enthusiasm for experimentalism and pop sensibilities. Rather than applying it to the no-wave post-punk and disco samples that was Electroclash's short-lived treasure trove though it felt like the Crosstown Rebels label was genuinely creating something of the future.

The result was some average to good records but more importantly some genuinely excellent mix albums, both on the Crosstown Rebels label (in the form of Rebel Futurism and the follow up, Rebel Futurism II) and in Lazarus' Suck My Deck compilation for Bugged Out! The latter actually proving a particularly prophetic view of the minimal sound that came to dominate over the years that followed.

With this background in mind a Crosstown Rebels compilation still feels like a bit of an event. Rebel Rave is a three disc set with the first two discs being unmixed and the final on the three discs mixed by Clive Henry.

Sadly Rebel Rave feels dry compared to the relative passion and drive of the albums mentioned above. In reality there are some strong moments - the stripped back minimal of Minilogue's 'Hitchhikers Choice' or the angry vocal of The Royal We's 'Party Guilt' for example - but this really feels like an evolution of the minimal Crosstown Rebels sound rather than a revolution.

Where are the clever moments that re-imagine what a genre can be? For a label that released an album as challenging (and frankly bonkers) as Lazarus' own Smoke The Monster Out this just feels phoned in. Maybe they really believe that this set of tracks are genuinely exciting and defining. Hell, maybe BlackPlastic is just getting too old but we struggle to believe this would ever have raised our pulse without some sort of chemical enhancement.

With a title like Rebel Rave BlackPlastic just expects a bit 'more'.

BP x

Crosstown Rebels Present: Rebel Rave is released today on Crosstown Rebels, available from Amazon.co.uk on CD and MP3 [affiliate links].

Album Review: Innerspeaker - Tame Impala

2010 feels like it has been the year of the grower... Many of BlackPlastic's favourite records from the past twelve months have been those that hold something back, saving greatness for those that persevere.

We have already covered Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma but you can now add Tame Impala's Innerspeaker to this list.

Not instantly picked up on by many and certainly not as celebrated as it should be, Tame Impala's debut of spiralling prog-rock and thick, chunky bass lines sounds unlike anything else you will hear this year. Innerspeaker is like a trip through all of the best parts of seventies rock but with the added benefit of hindsight. The record is tightly wound into a cohesive whole that feels like one monster trip. Sure, it's retro, but unashamedly so and with a focus on production that sparkles and song-writing that feels timeless.

The closest thing to Tame Impala would be the introspective experimentation of the Flaming Lips combined with the shining bombast of Secret Machines. No bad thing in itself, and yet the band bring their own style, an added layer of psychedelia that is hard to resist.

If you have read anything about Tame Impala it probably mentioned 'Why Won't You Make Up You Mind' - a stand out track on an album that feels like a proper album to the point where individual highlights are difficult to pick out. And 'Why Don't You Make Up Your Mind' is undeniably great, awash as it is in harmonious vocals layered atop crying guitars that pan from left to right to left - only prog-rock can get off so much on the concept of stereo.

But to focus on 'Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind' is to miss much. There is the rapid thrill of 'Desire Be Desire Go', 'Alter Ego' with its looping drum section and acid soaked guitars that give way to a delicate bridge section and the Jurassic sized bass of 'The Bold Arrow of Time' for starters. Probably best of all in BlackPlastic's opinion however would be album opener 'It Is Not Meant To Be'. A ballad for the pessimist it opens proceedings in a wave of radio static before the drums crash in sounding like a prog take on A Tribe Called Quest's thrilling 'Scenario'. The result is wonderful. Singer Kevin Parker's vocals sound resigned in the best possible way -  stoned, smitten and content to be even classed as in the race.

Innerspeaker is another one of those records you can't help but come back to. Each further listen feels like scratching away another layer of the silver crap that coats lottery scratch cards and you never quite know what else might lie beneath. Epic.

BP x

Innerspeaker is out now on Modular, available from Amazon.co.uk on CD, LP and MP3 [affiliate links].