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(Harmless Recordings/Inertia)
This latest release from DJs Jonathan More and Matt Black, aka Coldcut, takes over where the last in the series of Life:Styles compilations left off. This duo rose to acclaim in the mid-’80s through a solid combination of production and remix work for a number of modern rock, hip-hop, and dance outfits, including Yaz, Lisa Stansfield, Blondie, and Queen Latifah. Despite their unusual connection to the U.K. acid house and rave scenes earlier in their careers, the duo main commitment in recent years has been to urban breakbeat styles such as hip-hop, ambient dub, and jungle
More and Black started, not entirely surprisingly, as radio DJs, working at the pirate station Network 21 during the first half of the ‘80s. Although Coldcut was their earliest recognised name, it remained in legal channels for the following few years. The intervening period however did not interrupt the duo’s active involvement in the scene as they continued to release a heap of material under various names and continued to work with various groups on the remix front. One of their recognised mix CD is part of the Journeys series and is titled 70 Minutes of Madness.
The compilation spans seventeen tracks of immense variety and will no doubt satisfy those with a taste for eclectic beats. The introductory tune is the jovial beats of Bobby Shad and The Bad Men – I Want You Back, a brass and flute tribute to the Jackson Five hit One More Chance. Other highlights include Chosen Few – Do Your Thing which is a sweet reggae flavoured tune. The sound is very laid back and the raw and gritty vocals exude soul and funk. Medium Medium – So Hungry, So Angry is a great rocking track that has a smooth early Cure sound to it. The funky bass line punches through the guitar licks and punk vocals – delightful.
T La Rock & Jazzy Jay – It’s Your’s provide my personal favourite of the compilation with a tune dripping of old school funk. The unmistakable sound of Jazzy Jay on the mic and the scratching make this a strong highlight. Alex Kruggier – Taxi Norturno is a cruisy downbeat instrumental affair that seems to have a nice eerie atmosphere with a jazzy twist. The Only Way is Up is perhaps a tad dusty but would no doubt be recognised by many and was included on the compilation as a tribute to real soul, a very old tune by Oris Clay.
In summary, one thing you can expect from this release is a truckload of variety and almost all seventeen tunes represent a different sound or different period. So even if you don’t particularly enjoy some of the tracks they definitely expose the listener to a good variety of music. However at times it can feel like you are listening to a ‘history of dance music’ collection so unless you love your rarities and old school soulful sounds the diversity may not do it for you. Overall, this release can best be summed up as a seventeen track collection of unmixed rarities that in some form made a lasting impression on this duo throughout their long and illustrious career, whilst saying something about the roots of the music of today.
Tracklisting:
01 Bobby Shad and The Bad Men – I Want You Back
02 Barabara Randolph – Can I Get A Witness
03 Chosen Few – Do Your Thing
04 Richard De Bordeaux & Daniel Beretta – La Drogue
05 Esther Phillips – Disposable Society
06 Medium Medium – So Hungry, So Angry
07 Cornershop – Easy Winners
08 T La Rock & Jazzy Jay – It’s Yours
09 Betty Harris – There’s A Break In The Road
10 The Gaylads – Soul Sister
11 Archie Bleyer – Hernandoz Hideaway
12 Alex Kruggier – Taxi Nocturno
13 Auther Russell – Another Thought
14 Morton Stevens – The Long Wait
15 La Formule De Baron – La Gigouille
16 The Temptations – Power
17 Otis Clay – The Only Way is Up
