spinning drum blog

Ruth Flowers likes to see the kids have fun, and so why not spin some happy hardcore for the club scene.

Filled with jumpy beats that dart through 12 eclectic nu-jazz tracks that hover between global house and techno, Future Sound of Jazz 11 pumps the tempo and spirit up a notch. Compiled by Compost founder and owner Michael Reinboth, who started in 1994 handpicking up-and-coming nu-jazz artists from across the globe, number 11 more than ever marries big sound with fresh vibe. Grabbing your attention immediately with the stand-up groove of the nu-jazz string arrangement “Salome” by Joash, followed by the bumping Latin percussion of Christian Prommer’s tech-jazz rework of Koop’s “Drum Rhythm A,” the whole thing unfolds into a jostling celebration of rhythms and flavors from every genre. Dennis Ferrar makes old skool keyboards and the house shuffle new again with “Son of Raw,” and No Theory’s “Strictly Instrumental” brings a minimal tech drive to the nu-jazz stream. Whether broken, glitched-out, tuba-laced or steadfast, FSOJ11 maintains a solid groove, and through all the head bopping pleasantries, there are enough edgy tracks to remind the listener they are still being privy to some sophisticated rarities.
www.compost-records.com

So which is it you might ask. Well, no more just background for new age shops or bedtime treats for ravers, under the beat-less direction of Paul Dickow and E*Rock, ambient music merges with sound art to showcase of Portland’s homegrown bliss pop talent. Featuring a sonic wash of tracks from indie artists such as Yellow Swans, Lucky Dragons and White Rainbow, the near beat-free soundscape, broken only by the fuzzed-out minimal techno of AM/PM’s “Even As We Are” and brief cut up groove of Freeform’s “Aunt Meridian,” seems at times more suited to art installation than home listening. Most likely chalked up as spaced-out sound collage by the average ambient fan, experimental music lovers will appreciate the thick soup of disembodied samples, digitally processed drones and minimal melodic and overly moody interludes.
Audio Dregs audiodregs.com
by Romina Wendell (first published in Exclaim Magazine)