Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Various Artists – Protected, Massive Samples (Rapster Records)

Posted: 25 Apr 2009 03:30 AM PDT

Protected, Massive Samples

For any avid Massive Attack fan, this is indeed an essential compilation, containing many of the tracks that Massive Attack have sampled since Blue Lines. It's a very eclectic mix of tunes, containing twelve originals by Wally Badarou, Lowreil, William DeVaughn, Al Green, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Billy Cobham, Lewin Bones Lock, John Holt, The Blackbyrds, Pieces Of A Dream, Rufus & Chaka Khan.

If you put this CD on the stereo without knowing what it was, anyone with a liking for Massive Attack would instantly recognize this would have to be a compilation of tracks sampled by Massive Attack. This is a double edge blade though. Yes, Massive Attack have crafted samples from these tunes to create what many consider to be timeless classics, but what about the originals? Many of these songs are underrated, and do not receive the recognition they deserve, so why does a band like Massive Attack receive all the credit? In a sampladelic era a new audience is enticed with sweet melodies and rhythms, when most probably do not appreciate the origins of these songs. The irony is, like many other contemporaries from this era of UK music culture, the obvious examples being Chemical Brothers and Fat Boy Slim, many of these original tracks have not just been 'sampled', snippets of a song rearranged and reinterpreted, but many of the songs on this compilation have had large sections of the tracks used, almost as if to remix. Some may criticize this practice of sampling large sections of a song to be comparable to plagiarism, but its more about the reworked versions statement at its time of release, after all, its all about timing, and that's one thing Massive Attack excelled at, they always seemed to strike a chord with the listening public.

The first three albums by Massive Attack will still sound great in years to come, and this is why this compilation is an essential purchase for anyone with a passing interest inthis whole Bristol scene.

Wayne Stronell

Ghislain Poirier – Soca Sound System 12” (Ninja Tune)

Posted: 25 Apr 2009 03:19 AM PDT

Ghislain Poirier - Soca Sound System EP

Its been a while between drinks, but Ghislain has returned with a killer EP of uptempo dancefloor slayers, riding the riddims at your local dancehall, this is the future of jump-and-wave riddims. This fits comfortably between modern dancefloor production, a grimey party killer, with fun very high on the agenda.

The MC's present elevate this release to another planet, giving a sing along element to rock any party, Mr Slaughter, MC Zulu, and Face-T returns again with a killer delivery that would send any dancehall into a writhing sea of bodies unable to do anything but jump. A Ghislain Poirier EP would not be complete without an electroid riddim, showcasing his truly futuristic production style.

Just when I thought the modern dancehall was heading the same way as US hip-hop, this EP sets me straight.

Wayne Stronell

Intrusion with Paul St. Hilaire – Little Angel 12” (Echospace)

Posted: 25 Apr 2009 03:11 AM PDT

Intrusion - Little Angel

The third and final installment in the Intrusion 12" series, taken from the album The Seduction Of Silence, featuring Paul St Hilaire, aka Tikiman, most who know this vocalist have sought out anything bearing his voice since his dub techno experiments with Rhythm & Sound.

Little Angel is a dub lullaby, sweetened with the voice of Paul St Hilaire, plodding melodic dub, with that hidden layer of crackle and noise. Angel Version removes the vocal, and serves up a more Rhythm & Sound dub track, still enveloping the listener with a heart warming feeling, only heightened by a brief return of a ghostly Tiikiman. A Night To Remember seems to steal a portion of the original melody, and embed it in a summer wave of undulating synth. The digital version of the EP contains an exclusive, Kingston's Burning Dub, which strips everything back to the bones, veering away from a straight up 4/4 rhythm, and adding even more echo to the mix.

It may not be a template for something new in dub techno, but it warms the soul.

Wayne Stronell