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Artist:SASHA
Title: AIRDRAWNDAGGER
Label: Kinetic Records
Link:http://www.djsasha.com and http://www.kineticrecords.com
Root: UK/ Electronica
Sasha and Digweed's reputation as international jetset DJs is a tale of mythological grandeur, from the legendary transatlantic new years' eve dj sets performing round the clock on several continents, the tens of thousands drawn to festivals from Glastonbury to Coachella, to the revolutionary Northern Exposure CDs which not only have outsold their competition, but also introduced the concept of dance mixes as a laid-back listening experience. Over the course of the past 6 years, Sasha's personal journey into studio production brought forth high profile remixes for the likes of Madonna and the Chemical Brothers, while his Expander EP and a collaboration with Underworld's Darren Emerson on the single Scorchio became monumental milestones in the dance world. With much anticipation around Airdrawndagger, his debut album, Sasha takes the bold stance to leave clubland, renounces the pandering of proven formulas, and instead offers a more lyrical, operatic and strangely organic exploration of electronica, in the tradition of 70's pioneers Tomita, Jean-Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream, but with the perspective of 21st century production savvy. In a style previously championed by William Orbit and Future Sound Of London, Airdrawndagger renews with the introspective, minor chords sensibility of Northern Exposure, creating ethereal ambiant soundscapes designed as a journey for the mind, a song for the soul. Where Paul Oakenfold brought in every guest vocalists imaginable for his decisively more pop debut Bunkka, Sasha chose the opposite route to create an intimate and personal work of art defining his vision as a musician, not a crowd pleasing DJ.

Artist: JOHN DIGWEED
Title: MMII
Label:FFRR Records
Link: http://www.johndigweed.com and http://www.londonrecords.co.uk/
Root: UK/ Progressive House
While partner Sasha readies for the launch of his carrier as a sound crafter, "Diggers" digs deep in the crates on MMII, crafting a stunning 70 minutes mix of electro, new breaks, tribal and progressive house with the cinematic appeal of a soundtrack for present times: the mix is a journey, a meticulous selection deeply emotional and evocative at the core, a process of assessment, struggle, loss, and finally redemption in the face of a new reality where humanity, perhaps, overcomes a machine world. The carefully chosen tracks are the chapters of a book, each sound a character, each measure a page turned, where Digweed the storyteller speaks without words. MMII is not a nightclub scorcher, and proves that there is so much more to mixing electronica then making people dance in night clubs. The dramatic, often somber mood resolve into lyrical adagios where vocals soar above the music like incantations, a contrast in which the mystical and technological realms are boldly juxtaposed. A few gems like the opener "Lonely Planet" by Polon, "Dust" by Pole Folder and CP, as well as the remarkable "Belong" by Spookie, shine brighter than the rest, but the seven other tracks are all richly textured and skillfully produced. The selection is unique and the mix flawless, reaffirming John Digweed's position as a visionary among his peers.

Artist: BETH ORTON
Title: DAYBREAKER
Label: Heavenly Recordings/Astralwerks
Link: http://www.astralwerks.com/
Root: UK/ Rock
Daybreaker, Beth Orton's third album, is not the tale of a lonely white girl stuck in the corner of a coffee shop with her guitar. Her husky voice, once the trademark to William Orbit and Chemical Brothers productions now emerges with a big league confidence and maturity borrowed from songstresses like Ricky Lee Jones, Joan Baez and Patti Smith. Blues, folk and country are the musical roots and the foundation upon which her stunning harmonies are built, with the production collaboration of William Orbit, Tom and Ed Chemical, and Ben Watt, who she credits for "turning the album into Technicolor". Perhaps Ben Watt found here the ideal vehicle to reconnect with his more acoustic beginnings before Everything But The Girl became essentially a dance act. Another hint at the 80's era of british pop ballad comes from Johnny Marr (The Smith, Electronic) who co-wrote "Concrete Sky", the current would be hit featuring Ryan Adams. "God's Song" offers the most riveting moment on the album, a duo with Emiliou Harris serving a healthy slice of country soul that unites to generations of song writing. There is beauty at every turn on Daybreaker, and Beth's words intertwine their meaning with the quiet sensibility of the guitar strings and orchestral arrangements, creating a panoramic view of her innermost thoughts.

Artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
Title: WORLD LOUNGE
Label: Putumayo World Music
Link: http://www.putumayo.com/
Root: Various/ World
As one of the first american label dedicated to tradition in World Music, Putumayo had somewhat missed the boat of the coming electronica revolution of the mid nineties, which gave birth to a fusion of DJ culture and world beat. While this quest for authenticity is fundamental to a plethora of artists with otherwise little chance of international distribution and exposure, it might also have pigeon-holed the label into the "exotic novelty" category. "World Lounge" is one of several new releases aimed at a new beat conscious generation of World Music lovers who like their global grooves to have a cosmopolitan flavor. The selection showcases artists from all over the world, from Asia to the Americas, Europe and Africa. The downtempo of Nicola Conte, Gotan Project, Mo' Horizons, Arling and Cameron, Dissidenten, Pink Martini and more, mix up a cocktail of international roots laced with dub, jazzy breaks and various electronic textures designed to intoxicate your audio channels. An essential chill-out piece to any decent CD collection for hipsters and purists alike, World Lounge might be the hook to lead many to (re)discover many more treasures within the Putumayo collection.

Artist: SNOWBOY AND THE LATIN SECTION
Title: PARA PUENTE
Label: Cubop/Ubiquity Records
Link: http://www.ubiquityrecords.com
Root: UK/ Latin Jazz
Little does the world know that what warms the hearts of Brits during cold London nights is the finest amalgamation of Son, Mambo and Salsa, as administrated by Snowboy aka Mark Cotgrove. The DJ, journalist, promoter and maestro conguero has stood at the forefront of the European jazz scene for over 15 years. "Para Puente" is a tribute to the legacy of the late Tito Puente, though not offering any covers, but merely acknowledging his influence and place in history, having been the first to blend afro-latin tradition with modern jazz. The pace of the Latin Section (Snowboy alongside Davide Giovaninni, Nico Gonez, Ricardo Pla, Neil Angilley, Sid Gauld, Gary Plummey and Paul Taylor) is testosterone infused and guaranteed to raise the temperature in any climate. The production has a raw live feel and purposely unpolished, bringing presence and immediacy to each track. In all Para Puente is a fine demonstration that the musical heartbeat of Latin America is alive and well, and its far reaching pulse resonates in the most unexpected places.

Artist: APHRODITE
Title: AFTERSHOCK
Label: V2 Records
Link: http://www.djaphrodite.com
Root: UK/ Drum and Bass
It's back to the basics for Aphrodite's second domestic full-length "Aftershock", reconnecting with the unapologetic "jump up" sound of 95 where the dance hall reggae and hip-hop influences of jungle where still coming strong through the fast paced urban hip shaker. How drum and bass eventually lost its momentum to finish in a merchandising compromise with corporate entities as an upbeat alternative to elevator music, has mainly to do with talented producers jumping boat to more popular genres. Not so for Aphrodite who pulls all the bells and whistles for this second coming, determined to resurrect drum and bass and put it back where it belongs: on the dance floor. The rolling thunderous basslines bulldoze through every preconceived notion that drum and bass is a format and brings back the underground roots, giving hip hop a hefty steroid regimen with MCs Rah Digga, Big Daddy Kane, Barrington Levy, Schooly D, Deadly Hunta, Reid Speed and High Contrast. Although Aftershock sounds like what 96 should have been, the programing skills of Aphrodite tap into every evolutionary step experienced since then, from Asian fusion to two step, and propel jungle beyond 2002 with new blood and enough stamina to pull a new generation of headz into the bounce.

Artist: BEN NEILL
Title: AUTOMOTIVE
Label: 6 Degrees Records
Link: http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/ and http://www.benneill.com
Root: US/ Jazz-Electronica
It had to happen eventually. With so many electronica artists having licensed their work for television ads, "Automotive" takes the reverse approach by expanding upon ten tracks commissioned for the Volkswagen Turbo Bug ad campaign. Ben Neill's artistic world expands beyond jazz into club culture and visual media. A denizen of the downtown Manhattan art scene, his creative methods are rooted in experimentation leading to a musical invention called the mutantrumpet, essentially a multi-tasking synth-based muted trumpet which live, activates video screens through MIDI codes. These otherworldly sounds are mixed with a jazz sensibility to psychedelic electronic textures which remain on the downtempo side, leaving room for every production intricacy to blossom within each track into pure ear candy. Various collaborations include label mate Ekova's vocalist Dierdre Dubois, Scottish band Geneva's Andrew Montgomery, PereUbu's Tony Maimone, Band Of Susans guitarist Robert Poss, with a unique spoken word performance by French filmaker/writer Chrystel Egal. Ben Niell credits a new generation of advertisers for lifting the stigma once associated with "ad music" and generating a creative interaction between the two industries, where perhaps "Automotive" could serve as a new model for future recording projects. While Ben Neill readies to tour with Supreme Beings Of Leisure, a version of Automotive with collaborator Bill Jones is also set to become a sound/vision installation at Sandra Gering Gallery in New York in early 2003.

Artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
Title: OM 100
Label: Om Records
Link: http://www.omrecords.com/
Root: US/ Downtempo Electronica
No label exemplifies the diversity and spirit of the San Francisco music scene like Om Records. Having kept a forward thinking attitude since 1995 through a roster of artists whose groove experimentation runs the gamut from downtempo to breakbeat and hip hop, to house, broken beat and tropicalia, Om's contribution to the evolution of music at large in the past decade is unmeasurable. Celebrating their 100th release, the appropriately named OM 100 offers a unique insight into this funky community with two CDs of new and previously unreleased material by some 21 artists, including legendary Juan Atkins, label stalwart Mark Farina and Marques Wyatt, King Britt's Scuba project, as well as King Kooba, Ming and FS, Soulstice and many more who help define the OM signature "vibe", refined, sexy and always daring to push beyond accepted boundaries to bring forth the future of music.

Artist: LAYO & BUSHWACKA!
Title: NIGHT WORKS
Label: XL/Beggars Group
Link: http://www.xl-recordings.com/
Root: UK/ Electronica
Loop together some disembodied acid house piano keys and self-restrained percussion, some bluesy bass lines that keep rolling to a crescendo where Nina Simone's timeless vocals settle the score, and you got love "Love Story", the across the board unlikely dance anthem of summer 2002, pop enough for your family club med vacation, yet keeping enough pressure for Ibiza vanguard thrill seekers. Behind the buttons, british duo Layo and Bushwacka!, now poised for international recognition with their second album "Night Works", one of the most innovative record heard of late, whish meshes pop sensibilities with jazz, blues and dub roots, all the while borrowing from a deeply rooted underground dance culture heritage. Live instrumentation collides with house grooves and breakbeats, while minor chord arrangements add splendor and cinematic drama. Evolutionary step or wild experimentation, Night Works delivers a bold and unapologetic new sound. A long way from their underground beginnings as DJs of the legendary London club The End in 1995, Layo and Bushwaka! might just have found their place in the sun.

Artist: JULEE CRUISE
Title: THE ART OF BEING A GIRL
Label: Water Music/ Universal records
Link http://www.juleecruise.net
Root: US/ Pop
When bringing up the word "lounge", one might want to bring up Julee Cruise, whose first album in seven years, "The art of being a girl", is an invitation to a kitshish parlor of schizophrenic absurdities, where as much as for David Lynch's films on which she collaborated (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Fire Walk With Me), the characters she incarnates move through a reality inherent to themselves, often leaving the audience second guessing. Her bittersweet sarcasm and irony wanders nonchalantly above layers of Mancini samples and electronically hi-jacked latin rhythms, produced mostly by composer JJ McGeehan, who owns his fame from the television shows King Of The Hill and The X-Files. Guest producers like Mocean Worker offer an edgier take on this polyester-martini symphony. Julee's philosophy on the art of being a girl may be to not care if the roof caves in, as long as it happens with style, and room service is still available at the other end of the dial tone.

Local Spotlight:
Artist: SUPREME BEINGS OF LEISURE
Title: DOS
Label: Palm Pictures
Link: http://www.sbleisure.com/
Root: US/ Pop-Electronica
When Supreme Beings Of Leisure first came on the Los Angeles scene as Oversoul 7, it was suffering from multiple personality disorder, and its first album was trying very hard to retain a trip-hop underground relevance, struggling with an "over the top" pop complex that left the band stuck somewhere between Portishead and Belinda Carlysle. Nevertheless, SBOL gained enough momentum through charismatic live shows and much help from KCRW to become the best electronica band LA had to offer. The unfortunate sudden accident of A&R man and longtime friend Bruno Guez sent the band and the label in marketing limbo, forcing them to pioneer new methods for band promotion through the internet, resulting in the sales of over 100.000 copies of their first album, and international touring. Five years later, DOS (Divine Operating System) marks a new beginning. Having shed some of its conflicting creative egos to become essentially a duo, singer Gerri Soriano-Lightwood and Ramin Sakurai drop any trendy pretense and dive head first into disco, funk and soul, with a John Barry-James Bond flavor. References to Shirley Bassey, Diana Ross, Chic and Donna Summer abound, while Gerri's vocals seemingly liberated, reach their own Diva status. The songs deliver straight forward pop with much production pizzazz, enlisting help from DJ Swamp's savvy scratches of Beck and Morcheeba fame, Bjork and Prince Collaborator Suzi Katayama and her Love Supreme Orchestra, and Madonna and Michael Jackson arranger Bill Meyers. It is nice to see the label finally putting some big guns behind so much talent. With fewer Supreme Beings on board, less becomes much, much more.