Superb. Tricky is back with this claustrophobic prowler of a track, menacing and brooding as a
panther. Sounding as though he's tried curing his cold by gargling gravel, Tricky croaks out the
lyrics as Martina provides usual backing duties. The track consists of a sample played over
scary low bass rumblings: perfect for Halloween..! "The Imposters Mix" of the song is
even better, extending and stretching the album version into a horror movie soundtrack, with discordant sounds
and effects sounding throughout.
B-side "Ghetto Youth" consists of a spoken Jamaican drawl over a doped-out backing; other
extra track is "Flynn", no more than an experiment carried out with samplers and a drum machine.
Buy this one for the a-side...
Rating: 10/10
The Rest
"Possibly Maybe", with its sci-fi piano intro and laid-back trance dub torch song will be familiar to
many, being lifted from Bjork's recent "Post" album. Not one to set the charts on fire (or to
be covered by The Smurfs...), "Possibly Maybe" is nevertheless a relaxed and soothing late
night vibe.
The b-sides are all remixes: "The Lucy Mix" transforming the song into a strange alien
thing; the "Calcutta Cyber Cafe Mix" adding Eastern percussion and shimmering keyboards to the
mix; the "Dallas Austin Mix" changing the song least, merely electro-ing it up a bit.
Rating: 8/10
This track from BT - or Brian Transeau - consists of a New Order-like track (lots of bass and
repetitive drum beats) over which professional nutter Tori Amos sings. It works - but only just.
The beats sound very dated against today's drums n' bass rhythms, and Ms Amos doesn't really
do much more than a good Kate Bush impersonation. Despite that, it hangs together quite coherently:
as background music. Most of the remixes accentuate the musical wallpaper properties of the
tune, turning up the ambience and creating Orb-like meanderings around the main tune. In fact, I
think "Blue Skies" secretly wants to be "Little Fluffy Clouds"...
Rating: 6/10
Good grief - it's Kajagoogoo. I always wondered what Limahl got up to after doing
"Neverending Story".
Rating: 4/10
|
