BUMPS OF THE MONTH

Rip It Up, Issue 230, 1 October 1996, Page 27

BUMPS OF THE MONTH

VARIOUS ARTISTS The Rebirth of Cool Six . (Island) ’ The ever reliable Rebirth series continues and we’re up to number six already. While previous editions have carried a theme, A Jazz Thing, Subterranean Abstract Blues etc., this one,' in keeping with the current musical climate, presents a wider perspective under the heading On Higher Sound. Fortunately it backs up this bold claim with some stunningly beautiful tracks.- There’s ‘Claire’ by iO, a loved-up and tranced-out, disco house groove of epic proportions, and the trip-hop stylin’s of house man Felix on Nicolette’s excellent ‘You Are Heaven 'Sent’. Because no cool compilation today can afford to leave out drum ’n’ bass there’s the seminal anthem that is ‘Horizons’ by LTJ Bukem, and ‘Feel the Sunshine’ by Alex Reece (which I’m well sick of but, hey, it works well in the context of this compilation). It is, however, Outside’s ‘To Forgive But Not Forget’ that surprises. A haunting, melancholic violin workout set against a drum ’n’ bass rhythm onslaught, the different threads at first resisting each other, before flirting, then finally submitting into a moving fusion of emotion expressed through music. Rebirth Six closes with Dave Angel’s ‘Rudiments’, a slice of pure techno,, music to make you think. On Higher Sound indeed.

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST Beats, Rhymes and Life (Jive)

Oh, yeah, another must have from the crew who make it all seem so simple. The Tribe have now dropped four effortlessly superior albums that just reek of the kind of fresh vibes that must have once inspired many a jazz musician to proclaim, “Goddamn, that’s some fresh shit.” That’s right, Tribe do incorporate a certain jazziness into their true school flavour, whether it be played live or sampled and looped, it’s always understated and mad tasteful. The beats, of course, are crisp yet butter smooth, and totally hypnotic. Just close your eyes and nod your head .to this... Lyrically you already know the Tribe cannot be touched. Q-tip and Phife are two of the most laidback, smoothed-out vocal gymnasts around. While you sway to the music, the lyrics gradually unfold and circle around your cerebellum. As with any hip-hop album, it takes repeated listens before the messages start to unravel themselves, but with Tribe you know it’s going to be conscious, you know you’ll learn something, and you know you’ll be uplifted. Isn’t that what music is all about? ■ . .

VARIOUS ARTISTS DJ Kicks: Kruder & Dorfmeister (K 7

The dance market is now rammed with dodgy compilations and sad mix CDs but this ain’t one of them. As always the deeply.cool Kruder & Dorfmeister are streets ahead of the competition. What they’ve done right, is take 17 of their favourite tracks, two bottles of whisky, a bag of skunk, a dub producer named Alex, and locked themselves away in a secret dub