― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 04:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Andy, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 05:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
haha
― Chip Morningstar (bob), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 09:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
I listened to Never Ever Far again. Think its a great track, obviously. But I'm really not hearing anything much 2-steppy about it. There's the 4/4 pulse, and the barest hint of a melodic bassline. The drum pattern shuffles along, sure, but I wouldn't exactly call it "intricate" and it doesn't do anything to break up the pulse. And it just plods along unchanged for the duration of the song. I think his rhythms are quite downbeat, actually.
Whereas I then put on Rewind, to take a completely random example, and I hear a rhythm that's much more ruptured, with lots more internal breaks, micropulses, microedits... there's just so much going on. And that's not a particularly adventurous 2-step track. There's not really any dub elements going on in it, for instance, which bring a whole extra level of beef and disorientation on 2-step tracks from early (Double 99) to late (James Lavonz).
For me a lot of the best 2-step outshines Edwards--whether you agree with that or not, I think it's hard to dispute that there's a lot more going on in the music than what he brought to the party. All I'm saying is, I think the James Brown-Ohio Players metaphor is a tad overstated... I never liked the Ohio Players much, either!
― Ben Williams, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 10:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ben Williams, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
so i dug out the akufen record and it's really good! i was too quick to dismiss it.
― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 19:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
I sorta agree with Ben - I luv Todd Edwards but mostly for reasons quite different to what appeals to me re UK Garage. Although his remix of Hakan Lidbo's "Walk Away" sounds amazing in the middle of Pure Garage III.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 25 April 2003 04:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 25 April 2003 04:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
Anyway - Matos, great article! But why the Akufen bitching (other than him receiving accolades that Todd should've got)? In your blog entry you rightfully claim that the big difference is that Todd is about melody/harmony/texture while Akufen is about rhythm... and then you write:"Akufen's message boils down to "look how weird and cool the radio blips I picked up are," "But ain't that kinda missing the point? Surely, Akufen message rather boils down to: "look how FUNKILY I've arranged these weird and cool radio blips"? His stuff is deliciously sharp and TIGHT, basically, the most wonderful brain aerobics, calling your synapses to get on down and boogie.
"Full On Vol.2" is great, but it suffers a bit from bad sequencing, making it even more hermetic and uninviting for the uninitiated - I prefer post-"Saved My Life" Todd to the old school Todd, but tracks like "Radio Thing" and "Push The Love" did stir up the flow of "Full On Vol.1" in a good way, and their ilk is sorely missed here.
The mega-wonderful 1xtra mix I pimped in the post way above is still something I think all Todd-heads should check out, and if you want more Todd R&B jams, click 'ere:http://www.johnclew.fsnet.co.uk/cheekyrnb.ram
― Mind Taker, Friday, 25 April 2003 17:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
Actually, having already written it up in print, I must say I disagree with you re: the sequencing of Full On 2--I think it's much better done than the first one, the first couple tracks are kinda blah but then each track keeps upping the ante; my two favorites are the last two tracks, always a good sign. Also, to me his absolute peak is the Mantra "Away" remix, which is '97 I believe--his remixes are at least as good as his originals, probably a bit better. It's gravy gravy gravy as far as I'm concerned, but as my man Andy pointed out last night, he does seem to be getting a bit more M.O.R. as far as his source material and effect both.
Also, that thing you linked way upthread (haven't checked out yr new link, will try to later) sounded good, but basically like Todd-of-old with clankier beats--not that big a difference, really.
― M Matos (M Matos), Saturday, 26 April 2003 01:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
It's a half hour mix that's got half the tracks off "Full On Vol.2" put together in a way that beats the album's sequencing as far as I'm concerned, with a few oldies thrown in (in this context "The Praise" sounds soooo much better than ever)... it just goes up and up, culminating in the indescribably gorgeous remix of Space Cowboy's "Crazy Talk" - one of his best in ages. Unfortunately still unreleased, and no-one knows when it will hit the streets.
That Mantra remix - fuck yes, what a jaw-droppingly awesome tune. I agree that his remixes are often beter than his originals (and considering the business practices of i! Records, I'm not holding my breath for a best-of remix comp in foreseeable future, sigh). Tim's right about the Hakan Libdo dub too, and I'll also add to the list his (along w/ Sunshine Bros) remix of Somore's "Refuse" that hardly anyone ever mentions, but is truly heavenly.
― Mind Taker, Sunday, 27 April 2003 14:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mind Taker, Sunday, 27 April 2003 14:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 27 April 2003 16:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
project for the future (i.e. when/if I get a better PC w/d/l and burnign capabilities): make that T.E. remixes comp myself.
― M Matos (M Matos), Sunday, 27 April 2003 23:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
― JC Lew, Saturday, 28 June 2003 19:50 (twenty years ago) link
― Chip Morningstar (bob), Saturday, 28 June 2003 20:49 (twenty years ago) link
― JC Lew, Sunday, 29 June 2003 23:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 19:47 (nineteen years ago) link
(along with a bunch of other amazing stuff)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 19:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 20:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― etc, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 05:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― m. (mitchlnw), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 08:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 19:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 19:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 19:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 1 October 2004 20:08 (nineteen years ago) link
Gah.
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 1 October 2004 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 1 October 2004 20:11 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 1 October 2004 21:15 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 07:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 08:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 8 January 2005 01:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― .adam (nordicskilla), Saturday, 8 January 2005 01:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 8 January 2005 01:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― W i l l (common_person), Saturday, 8 January 2005 01:36 (nineteen years ago) link
ooh, a NEW ALBUM. great!!! no word on the release date yet, but the Godd himself says it's gonna be vocal-heavy. not sure about the "definite departure" bit, but I don't mind - after all these years I'm STILL not tired even slightly tired of his shtick (and I'm glad that many 4x4 UKG producers have picked up on his vocal science recently). on his Myspace page you can hear last year's "Like a Fire" and the aforementioned "Far Away", which is wonderful as usual.
― Mind Taker, Thursday, 16 February 2006 20:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Mind Taker, Thursday, 16 February 2006 20:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 06:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 10:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Mind Taker, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 11:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Vinnie (vprabhu), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 23:23 (eighteen years ago) link
Sugar Beetz - In Your Eyes
4x4 UK garage Todd hommage from '04... though "hommage" is an understatement for such a straigh-up style-jack. anyway, it's completely awesome!
― Mind Taker, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 23:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 23:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Mind Taker, Wednesday, 22 February 2006 00:24 (eighteen years ago) link