(Perfecto/Festival Mushroom Records)



Although he has a career that stretches back to the late 70’s, this is the debut solo studio album from the artist now simply known as Oakenfold. Bunkka (named after the studio the album was recorded in) is an ambitious effort from the UK uber-DJ. One that has been delicately crafted to crack the American market, the final frontier where Oakenfold is yet to attain the critical and commercial success he has experienced in Europe.



One of the most anticipated albums of the year by the dance music community (along with Sasha’s looming Airdrawndagger), Bunkka has more guests than a Jewish wedding. Oakenfold has enlisted the help of vocalists on all the tracks bar one, and it is obvious that each guest has been carefully selected to have maximum impact and awareness on the American audience (not that there is anything inherently wrong with that).



The album begins with the double A-side first single Ready Steady Go. It is a feverish beginning to the album, with a guitar riff akin to a spy movie theme song. Vocals are courtesy of Asher D from UK garage stars So Solid Crew. Lyrically the song is somewhat sparse, more or less just a constant repetition of ‘ready steady go’.



Southern Sun is up next, the second part to the double A-side first single. This is the song that most people would be familiar with, as it’s gained the majority of airplay. I quite like this track but due to its delicate dynamic (it doesn’t work well at low volume on a transistor radio), anytime I’ve heard it over the airwaves I haven’t been particularly impressed. Vocals come from Carla Werner, a relative unknown (until now) who holds the falsetto notes well. There is a Tiesto remix making the dance-floor rounds at the moment which is receiving good reports.



Sampling the string arrangement used to great affect in the movie Requiem for a Dream (for anyone who has seen the movie you will know what I’m talking about!), Zoo York is one of the definite standouts of the CD. It is understated and nicely balanced, using the melding of electronic elements with classical music quite nicely. It is the only track on the CD not to feature a vocalist, and consequently does not have the commercial verse/chorus/bridge structure prevalent throughout the remainder of the album.



Other guest spots are filled by the likes of Shifty Sherlock (from Los Angeles rap-rock crossover band Crazy Town) who lends his rap talents to Starry Eyed Surprise, Perry Farrell the eccentric front man of 90s rock bands Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros who sings on Time Of Your Life, Ice Cube raps on Get Em Up, and Nelly Furtado & Tricky who feature on album closer The Harder They Come.



Oakenfold openly admits that Bunkka is not a ‘dance’ album. Each track has been meticulously produced and is structured to gain maximum commercial acceptance, meaning you wont find the original mixes to any of these songs anywhere near a dance-floor. It is an ambitious endeavour, one in which I think Oakenfold succeeds to a degree. However due to his roots in dance and electronic music some of the tracks become cluttered and over-produced.



As a whole it is impossible to classify the album into one single genre as it draws on Oakenfold’s many influences (hip-hop, rock, dance). Overall Bunkka is an accomplished CD, but one which is not likely to be picked up too quickly by dance music devotees.