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interesting title. interesting new style.
as with sigue sigue sputnik the second unkle lp there is a definite 'this time its the music' feel to this lp, whereas sputnik hyped the first lp on ultraviolence and advert breaks, unkle were predestined for a fallout with the media whatever the first lp brought, this time though there is no white heat focus on the dj shadow masterpiece as desired so feverishly previously. instead, james lavelle has teamed up with a well established studio boffin, multi-instrumentalist richard file. james has obviously decided to exploit the skills and new studio techno sonic toys available to the max, as this lp sounds fantastic. while i know there are some rather splendid guests on the second unkle lp proper, the hype has been far more minimal. gone are the sonic collisions of rap and rock being fused via shadows deft sampling. gone are the surreal cutup vocals, gone are the noisy interludes. instead these tricks are replaced by a clean coherent polished studio based dance groove. epic in nature and rich in detail, with layers and layers to peel off with each extra listen. i'm sure the tag 'all style. no substance' will be wheeled out elsewhere by those who view james lavelle as some kind of aural con artist, whereas, i believe james is a music head, pure and simple. read the sleevenotes/interview for the global underground mix and this becomes very obvious. i suspect that he has seperated each musical path into its own identifiable brand. lavelle has clearly defined his new roles for each of his favoured sounds. there are the solo dj slots where he explores all varieties of house music (hear his global underground mix for evidence), then there's the mashup/sample madness crush collision of the unklesounds mixes with all genres pushed through the hip-hop/big beat blender, and, now there is unkle mk2. smooth, bassy, deep, mellow, intimidating, unsettling. opening with a spooky speech, and diving into soon-to-be classic single 'eye for an eye' with its insanely catchy looped acoustic guitar riff this track has a grandiose build up and doesn't let up for another 5 minutes. having seen the accompanying movie i know that this carries a weighty message, not lightweight entertainment. but, highly addictive nonetheless. next comes the downfall of the lp. 'in a state' built around a routine ibeefa-chillout kind of groove, this track would not stand out on daytime radio1. i want unkle to be anything but a pleasantly nice, but rather ineffectual dance track. closer listening on headphones reveals a stomping bassline set against the smoothness, ah ha, mani. all becomes clear. fear not though, as this is a rare event through the course of these 12 tracks. other highlights include the menacing bassline opening to 'safe in mind' recalling fellow politico-dub-warriors massive attack, of whom 3d actually appears later on, next we're falling into a bladerunner-esque montage of synths and sci-fi voiceovers evoking atmospheric paranoia, and then calming nerves into 'what are you to me' with its revisitation of acoustic guitars over a summery vibe. but, the mood is quicky darkened once more by 'panic attack' with its quasi-religious vocals and imposing jittery basssynth line, vocals from the aforementioned 3d add to the denseness. but, my personal unkle fave is 'reign', featuring long time collaborator ian brown along with his old pal mani - all talents concerned are set to maximum stun. bass throbs, beats rock, strings are epic as ever, and ian is riding the sonic groove like it is the end of the world. i'm hooked. overall, the lp has a far more complete feel than its big brother, despite its lack of rough edges, i know that this one will be rattling my bassbins for years to come. stunning. official : http://www.unkle.com... non-official : http://www.unkle77.com...
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