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WEBSITE: www.coldcut.net
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Neben dem schon atemberaubenden Album, haben Coldcut, für Ihren Pioniergeist mehr als bekannt, noch eine weitere Idee im Gepäck -My CCTV.
Wo man auf Konzerten heutzutage bis auf die Unterhose nach Kameras durchsucht wird, wollen Coldcut das genaue Gegenteil.
Zu jedem Coldcut-Konzert die Kamera mitbringen, filmen und im Idealfall auch noch auf einer DVD verewigt werden.
“8 Years since the last album too long?
The late bird catches the late worm. Sound Mirrors is a soul coal fire lighter, the organic choccy biscuit in ya tea.
Never give anyone advice, I was always advised so let's keep it to: listen with all orifices" – Coldcut
Let’s just say it right at the start. In “Sound Mirrors” Coldcut have made the best album of their long and illustrious career. It’s not something you can state lightly, but there you are. Their production has never sounded better, their ideas have never been more various or interesting, they’ve never had such a great cast of guests and then integrated them into their sound so well. Yes, it’s a record that is deeper, funkier, cleverer, more engaged and more engaging than anything they’ve done before. And, it follows from that, it’s deeper, funkier and cleverer than just about anything else around right now.
Opening up with lead-off single “Everything Is Under Control,” Jon More and Matt Black quickly set out their stall. With guests Jon Spencer (of “Blues Explosion” fame) and rapper Mike Ladd rev up a chugging hip hop rock template that nods back to classics like “Beats & Pieces” while giving them a raucous, contemporary edge. But, in fact, this is little more than a starting point.
“True Skool” features Roots Manuva on some Bangles-inspired, instant pop dancehall classic business that will echo round your cranium for months. The Rootical one, a man who has held the “Godfathers” in the greatest esteem since joining the Ninja/Big Dada camp back in ’98, drops a heavyweight performance, obviously revelling in Coldcut’s grasp of the interface between the classic and the bubblegum.
“Man In A Garage” sees John Matthias give a beautiful, low key, folk-edged performance while Coldcut hook up a rhythm that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Aaliyah record. Once again, it’s a tune which gives a big clue as to what “Sound Mirrors” is all about – the combination of great song writing with contemporary production smarts.
“Walk A Mile” features the legendary Robert Owens on an epic, building, hands in the air, push-up-ya-lighters tune that (whisper it) perhaps betters Coldcut’s legendary “Autumn Leaves”. It amply demonstrates the duo’s understanding of pop music but also its interface with rave’s euphoric sweep. Oh, and they even end up with a little Reichian serialism, in case anyone thinks they’ve sacrificed the sheer breadth of their vision.
That, though, is just the singles. From hereon in the album continues to broaden and deepen. “Mr Nichols” combines a beautifully subtle piece of music with a superb, deadpan piece of writing from Saul Williams. “Sound Mirrors” is a swirling, psychotic piece of instrumental music which sounds like Tricky’s “Maxinquaye” album performed by the London Philharmonic. “Boogieman” continues the bogled-out theme established by “True Skool” but turns it into a stripped down, technoid classic, albeit one featuring the words of legendary Black American poet Amiri Baraka.
The tempo continues to be pushed on “This Island Earth,” featuring the hotly-tipped Mpho Skeef, which is immediately followed by another club-class dance number in “Just For The Kick.” Lyrics are provided here by Annette Peacock, best known for her work on the leftfield jazz label ECM, but showing here a snarling poise perfectly suited to the music. On “Aid Dealer” sometime saxophonist and Mercury-nominee Soweto Kinch serves up a stinging lyrical attack on the aid industry before former Ninja Andrew Broder aka Fog offers wonky, melancholy lyrics over a faltering kitchen sink orchestra backing on “Whistle And A Prayer”. Finally, with perfect poise, “Colours The Soul,” with vocal assistance from Dom Spitzer, ends the record with the kind of psychedelic maximalism that shows musicians absolutely confident in themselves and their abilities. It’s a beautiful way to close a beautiful album.
At a time of intense musical conservatism it’s bracing to find a production team who are still willing to push and to keep pushing but who, in doing so, create inspired, accessible music that transcends genre. This is a record which shows once again that Coldcut acknowledge no boundaries and set themselves no limits and, that in doing so, they create timeless records for whoever is prepared to join them. A moment’s reflection should be enough for you to know that it’s time to listen.
Coldcut – Sound Mirrors
1. Everything Is Under Control (jon spencer, mike ladd)
2. Tru School (roots manuva)
3. Man In A Garage (john matthias)
4. Walk A Mile (robert owens)
5. Mr Nichols (saul williams)
6. Sound Mirrors (string arrangement by micheal price)
7. Boogieman
8. This Island Earth (mpho skeef, dom freeman)
9. Just For The Kick (annette peacock)
10. Aid Dealer (soweto kinch)
11. Whistle & A Prayer (andrew broder aka FOG)
12.Colours the soul(dom spitzer) [the space shuttle vacancies]
Coldcut History
1987 'say kids, what time is it?' - the UK's first sample-built record
1987 Eric B and Rakim's "Paid in Full" (Seven minutes of madness) - redefining the concept of the remix
1988 'whats that noise' album released - silver in the UK (includes 'Beats & Pieces', 'Doctorin' the House' (feat. Yazz) & People Hold On (feat. Lisa Stansfield)
1988 'people hold on' top 10 in UK singles chart
1988 Coldcut start their solid steel show on Kiss FM
1990 Coldcut tour japan with beats international (norman cook), and decide to form Ninja tune record label
1990 BPI "Producers Of the Year" award
1990 first ninja tune releases - by DJ Food and Bogus Order
1991 second album 'some like it cold' released
1993 'autumn leaves' released
1993 Coldcut & Hex release their "Top Banana" computer game in which the female hero KT saves the rainforest by shooting hearts at the tractors and businessmen
1994 Hex release
1995 '70 Minutes Of Madness' Journeys By DJ mix CD released - voted the best mix CD of all time in UK magazine Jockey Slut
1996 Stealth club night (Club of the Year in the NME, The Face and Mixmag)
1997 'let us play' released with innovative video and games CD-ROM
1999 VJamm (version 1) released (AV software designed by Coldcut and Camart)
2000 "Generator" audio-visual installation for the Glasgow Gallery Of Modern Art and "Synopticon" for the JAM, a major exhibit at London's Barbican.
2002 gridio AV installation at Barcelona MACBA, Paris' Centre Pompidou, Graz
(Quelle: verstärker medienmarketing gmbh, 6.1.2006
FORMAT: CD
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