April 1, 2003

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  French Girls

  various artists
  label:: Catalogue

  If you are like me and have had a sustained interest in all things French, and French females in particular, then you will have an interest in the compilation French Girls on the Catalogue label. There were a few names I knew and quite a few I didn't know, so I was quite curious to check it out.

  The end result is a little bit too remix heavy, causing the French female vocals to often take a backseat but I still found this to be an enjoyable compilation which has led me to some artists I had not considered or known about in the past. I think it was a good thing to limit this release to one country in an attempt to really dig into that country's sound.

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  Sascha Funke

  title:: Funkt
  label:: Bpitch Control

  When I first heard him in 2001 on an early Bpitch Control 12inch, I passed on buying the single. His sound was too 'techno' for me. Now it is 2003 and Sascha's minimal tech-house sound is easy to digest

  Sascha Funke will keep good company with artists such as Antonelli Electr and Borneo & Sporenburg in your record collection.

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  King Jammy meets Dry & Heavy

  title:: In the Jaws of the Tiger
  label:: BSI Records

  Lloyd "King Jammy" James mixed the record at his studio in Kingston Jamaica. He used echo and reverb like they were river water flowing around the sound.

  I love bass and I love rhythm. Dry & Heavy are the rhythm section, and Dry & Heavy lead the band. This fact, combined with the Japanese precision of execution (making an imitation that becomes more real that the item it is inspired by) make 'In the Jaws of the Tiger' a dub CD that you should really hear.

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  Sex Pistols

  title:: Never Mind the Bollocks + Spunk and Spedding Demos
  label:: Virgin Records Ltd.

  Do you need to buy this CD set? Probably not, but it sure is good to hear the alternate versions on disc 2. The Pistols were victims of many second rate compilations with live songs.

  While there are no major revelations on this set, the A&M Tapes and the Spedding sessions are well recorded studio sessions sure to be of great interest to any fans of the band.

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  Wackies Sampler One

  various artists
  label:: Wackies

  Before the age of electronica, techno, or rap there was dub. This offshoot of reggae made famous by King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry still lives today in this sampler put out by the once Bronx-based, now German reincarnated label Wackies.

  Instead of the trademark bass-laden remixes that still dictates the dub sound today, Wackies Sampler One incorporates the dancehall sound and the turbulent times that occupied Jamaica during the 70s