Greg Bowes
BRENDA FASSIE: Now Is The Time (CCP)
THE controversial and incontrovertible Ms Brenda Fassie returns clad as the= ar
chetypal “girlie” raver. But don’t let that put you off because this album,= wh
ile ironically not as dance-oriented as her last (the Arthur-produced Umunt= u =20 Uyathintsha), is still an accomplished outing. While the rhythms on Uwile a= nd=20
Antique are rather lightweight, they’re held tightly together by Brenda’s s= til
l strong v oice and deep traces of melancholy, and will surely move any kwaito floor. = A d uet with Papa Wemba and the pop fillers are all, in atmosphere rather than = qua
lity, fine achievements. It all just goes to prove that with some top class= pr
oduction this lady could still be truly phenomenal.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Wipeout 2097: The Soundtrack (Virgin/EMI)
THE soundtrack to the Sony Playstation game gets a surprising local release= , a nd with the Designer’s Republic’s stunning sleeve wholly intact. Much like = the
game, the nosebleed electronica on this disc is a stomach-churning and pot=
ent
ially brutal affair. It features mostly British “leftfield” techno producer= s – Leftfield themselves are here, as are Orbital, Underworld and the Prodigy =
– w ho supply=20 some thrilling dark cuts, while mad Frenchmen Daft Punk deliver up a hefty = dos
e of over-EQed, uncut funk that’ll have you wondering whether your ears are= st
ill working properly. Most impressive are the jungle contributions from Pho= tek
and Source Direct. Both are part-time members of Goldie’s Metalheadz crew =
and
their brand of scary, super-quick mania complements the game perfectly.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Trance Europe Express 5 Volume 17 (Volume)
THE Trance Europe Express Series has become notable for its wide open and e= xpe
rimental agenda. Number 5 exhibits a fresh collective of knob-twiddling tal= ent
, including Carl Cox, DJ Trace and the kitchen appliance-sampling Dr Rockit= . B est of the bunch for me though comes from Russ Gabriel, who uses solid hous= e b eats to re-route some rare grooves. Volume 17 on the other hand encompasses= va
rious appr oaches to alternative music and does include a few dance acts. Unfortunatel= y,=20
the numbers from Alabama 3 (a blues-infused trip) and System 7 (a Detroit-i= nsp
ired collaboration with Derrick May) sound out of place among the likes of = Ela
stica and the Cocteau Twins. Nevertheless, there are decent contributions f= rom
Morphine, Bj=F6rk and Curve, making this more excellent fare from the good=
peop
le at Volu me. Turn it up louder!