Album Review: Wonky - Orbital

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I recently found myself at an industry event to celebrate MySpace's relaunch. Alongside Ladyhawke and a few others, the main entertainment (free booze aside) was an Orbital DJ set. I've not really listened to any Orbital for years so my expectations were fairly low, expecting them to be (whisper it) a little over the hill...

Predictably it turns out I was wrong, for there, surrounded by several hundred advertising executives, we had quite the party, mostly due to the closing track on new album, Wonky. It turns out Orbital still know how to rock a synth and create a lot of noise.

And that is in some ways the main lesson to learn from Wonky. It's been nearly eight years since their last LP, the Blue Album, and in that time dance music has continued to change. Orbital are seemingly oblivious to that passing of time and you can't help but feel they are probably all the better for that fact. Which means at times Wonky feels downright old.

Sometimes the sense of nostalgia works and sometimes it doesn't, but this is an album that gets far more right than it does wrong. 'Beelzedub' may be heavy handed in it's use of heavy breaks and vicious bass in a way that just isn't as dark as it would like whilst struggling to achieve relevance in a world that has seen dubstep and grime but that is one of only a couple of duff moments. Opener 'One Big Moment' captures the joyous shared spirit of rave perfectly, proof that sounding almost like it could have been made in the same session as 'Chime' doesn't hurt it a jot.

Both guest turns on the album also come off well. Zola Jesus features on 'New France', an album highlight that takes its cue from Hooky's bass playing. And whilst current single 'Wonky', featuring Lady Leshurr, shouldn't really work it somehow does, the barreling drums and blood pressure raising melodies somehow making up for a potentially over-the-top vocal - though even the vocal shines at the bridge.

Wonky is best when it feels most like the boys aren't even trying though. 'Stringy Acid' throws a euphoric acid climax in at the album's mid-point that sounds fresh simply because you won't have heard anything peaking so blatantly for so long. The best is saved for last though - closing things out is 'Where Is It Going?' and it feels like a response to questions over where the the Hartnolls can go from here. The answer would appear to be back to what they do best - massively uplifting, end of the night anthems that make advertising execs dance like loons in front of their colleagues. Who wants to grow old gracefully anyway?

Wonky is out now on ACP, available from Amazon.co.uk on CD, Digipack CD, LP and MP3 [affiliate links]. Stream now on Spotify:

Single Review: Frisky - Maceo Plex

Image source: WildbloodMore understated funk laced tech-house gallantry from Maceo Plex single on Crosstown Rebels. A Maceo release is generally always worth a listen and this one is no exception, despite some track names that are more than just a little lame.

'Frisky' is muted in atmosphere so whilst the name conjures up visions of Lynx adverts and sticky Jaeger coated dance floors it is actually something quite different. This is less collective euphoria, more mutual alienation and, a slightly mis-placed spoken word moment aside ("Sometimes you got to get loose, feel frisky") it totally works. It's the house equivalent of a long wordless car journey.

B-side 'Sex Appeal' is a different beast - it's still classy in comparison to its name but this time it is at least descriptive of the subject matter. This is a bumpy, tweaking and emotive piece of acid house. What Maceo Plex has been doing so well recently is bring a warmth and depth to pretty straight forward house and techno, and that is exactly what he does here. The acid is jacking but this is a really full, sophisticated take on the sound. The heavily filtered male vocals may be a touch too much for some though and a dub that strips them back a little would be welcome.

Frisky is out now on Crosstown Rebels, available from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link].

EP Review: High U Gonna Feel - Den Ishu

Previously unknown to me, Den Ishu has just released a really nice four track EP on Supernature.

Title track 'How U Gonna Feel' drops some heavy funk, a hard, substantial bass line keeping things moving amongst tweaking strings and the odd flourish of live bass. This is a track that instantly feels very, very close - the drums high in the mix and the whole thing incredibly crisp. It's a pretty irresistible start to the EP.

'Your Experience' may be a little less immediate, but it's just as good - a Detroit groove builds whilst a clipped vocal harps on about the importance of 'the experience'. It's clearly a dance floor piece but it does it pretty well. 'Say The Word' continues the progression - it's harder and more introspective than either other cut, synths swirling claustrophobically, holding one pretty much continuous warbling melody line for about a third of the song. With nice percussive breaks and plenty of high-end it once again proves Ishu's chops.

Avatism turns in a seriously deep remix of 'How U Gonna Feel' that focuses on a few key elements and throws in some piano jazz for good measure. It's very dark and creepy but also seriously catchy, dropping a massive bass line halfway through that you can't help but move to.

A really consistent but varied release.

High U Gonna Feel is out now on Supernature.

Album Review: LateNightTales volume Two - Belle and Sebastian

Image source: The Music Slut

Embarrassing fact or not (I'm really not sure) - I've never really listened to much Belle and Sebastian. 'The Boy With The Arab Strap' is excellent but beyond that I draw a bit of a blank. The LateNightTales albums are generally worth a listen though and so when a copy popped through the letter box I stuck it on regardless of relatively modest excitement levels.

And I'm very glad I did because it is probably the best LateNightTales I've heard. It's far more eclectic than I would have expected and there are not just one or two but a number of tracks by artists I've not heard of that I will certainly check out more of.

Things start off relatively psychedelic with Broadcast's 'Ominous Cloud' instantly plunging us into a swirling world of slightly trippy sixties pop. It feels like being stuck between the celluloid of The Wicker Man and Performance. Nothing on this album stays as it is for long though and soon you are enveloped in Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges' Latin Jazz and things feel much warmer than you would ever have expected on such an album.

Bonnie Dobson's 'Bird of Space' is back in bonkers psychedelia territory but it is also strangely beautiful, Dobson's shrill vocals dancing around sitars and sweeping strings to create a disconcertingly epic sound. In amongst all this weirdness Gold Panda's 'Quitters Raga' fits like hand slipping into glove, highlighting Belle and Sebastian's selection skills and Gold Panda's utter brilliance.

After the Pop Group, whom are probably the sole bum-note, their avant-garde post-punk still leaving me cold, things get even more sublime. All too brief, the Stan Tracey Quartet's 'Starless and Bible Black' provides a brief one-minute stellar jazz interlude that feels like free-wheeling through space, see the Earth vanish from view and barely caring. The Lovin' Spoonful's 'Darlin' Be Home Soon' is a perfect contrast, filled with the same dull ache but wrapped up in earnest pop melodies and beautiful production. Belle & Sebastian's cover version of the Primitives 'Crash' is good, but mainly serves to highlight how brilliant a lot of the other material here is.

I could go on, but you should probably just listen to the album... There is just so much worth hearing. A dub of Pete Shelley's solo record 'Homosapien' almost steals the show but it is Remember Remember's heartbreaking 'Scottish Widows' that does. A haunting, perfect piece of music - call it new-classical, call it post-rock, I call it fantastic.

In summary then? You'd be foolish not to.

Belle and Sebastian's Late Night Tales Volume 2 is out now, available from Amazon.co.uk on CD and MP3 [affiliate links]; stream now on Spotify.

EP Review: What You Do - Miguel Puente

Image source: Resident AdvisorFollowing on from last week's ode to John Talabot here is a bit more warm dance music from Barcelona for you.

Johnny White and Nitin's No. 19 Music have recently had releases from Louie Fresco and the highly in demand Maceo Plex but now it's the turn of Barcelona based Mexican Miguel Puente. All three tracks here feature a slightly retro sound that harks back to late eighties house, albeit with a fairly progressive edge. Cue bouncy bass lines and a minimal approach to production that relies very little on anything beyond drums, bass and vocals.

All three tracks here are relatively similar - they could almost be different takes on the same record. Title track 'What You Do' has a hard bouncing bass line but despite being the title track it is probably the least interesting. 'It's Been So Long' has some melodic keys and feels perfect for those moments just after the sun has dipped below the surface. 'Save Each Other' is best though, with the same heavy bass as the other two tracks but some massive echoing drums and some massive reverb - it's well worth a listen.

What You Do is out now on No. 19 Music.