Colette N°7
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Who is Colette ? Behind this old-fashioned French name isn’t a DJ. Colette is an ultra-trendy Parisian concept store, much like our Bangkok’s Manga or Playground.
In this seventh installment of their compilation, Michel Gaubert and Marie Branellec, two open-minded selectors, have chosen 16 tracks related to the number 7 with a focus on the seventh art that is the cinema. Built as the soundtrack of an imaginary movie, this selection is oriented up-tempo for its most part.
From the abstract hip-hop of One Self to Isolee’s electronica, the first CD works as an injection of eclectic beats and styles. The highlight being Larry Levan’s disco remix of Bumblebee Unlimited, an irresistibly groovy disco gem.The second CD has a darker atmosphere, thanks to electro genius Vitalic. Through 15 tracks, including 4 by the man himself, this works as a very personal mix of his musical influences, from the evident electro-godfathers Front 242 to the barocco piano of Wim Mertens. To remind us of the dance-floor artist he is, closing the mix is his previously unreleased interpretation of Giorgio Moroder’s classic The Chase.
Bugged out presents : Simian Mobile Disco – Suck My Deck
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It’s a surprise to see the two Simian Mobile Disco ( SMD ) blokes chosen for the third release of the Suck My Deck series. Unlike the two previous opus, mixed respectively by Ivan Smagghe and Damian Lazarus, SMD has the responsibility to step away from the minimal bleeps and intelligent electro.
On the paper, the tracklist looks nothing like homogeneous : hip house, electro, baile funke, techno. It is quite a challenge to blend together so many styles in just an hour. After listening, the quality of mixing leave the listener doubtful but with a better understanding of what geese must feel when force-fed to make foie gras.The lack of subtlety is compensated by the music selection. Sebastian’s Walkman proves the banger it is when dropped in a mix, but it is Make some noise ! by Jojo de Freq that represents the climax of the CD. Its crescendo siren left the listener wonder of its potential damage on a dance-floor. SMD then proves their DJ skills by perfectly blending it with their own remix of Klaxon’s Magick.
Karl Lagerfeld – Les Musiques que J’aime
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In these days of football players turning DJs and writers wanna-be MC, it is no less surprising to see the eccentric Karl Lagerfeld compiling the music he likes. Audacious and talented designer for Chanel, his wit and volubility made of him a media favorite. The double-CD package design, with an imposing black and white picture of Herr Lagerfeld on the front, could have the listener think he is in for a selection of the national orchestra of Vienna best bits. A quick scan at the tracklist contradicts the thought and the participation of Michel Gaubert ( see Colette CD ) at the compilation reinsures of the good taste Karl Lagerfeld is gifted.
In the manner of his fashion shows, which Gaubert has been in charge of sound tracking for years, the CDs prove eclectic. Split in two parts, at home and at work, the first is the most surprising. Opening with the sweet folk of Devendra Benhart, it features also the soulful Mighty Girl of electronic producers Lindstrom and Thomas. Michael Mayer brings his minimal touch to the record preceding LCD Soundsystem hypnotically singing Too Much Love.
60’s rock chicks The Pipettes turn the guitars louder joined in this effort by Planning To Rock and Smokers Die Younger. Karl Lagerfeld proves his humor by throwing in his selection the cute mambo of Xavier Cugat and what could be called a concerto for pans and kitchen sinks closing the first CD.
The second CD, shorter in time, lists the tracks used during the recent Chanel fashion shows. Michel Gaubert mixes The Fall’s Blindness into Stravinsky blended in The Bell Orchestra as a prelude to the selection. Credited a second time is DFA with a Goldfrapp remix, and the unsurprising but always welcome appearance of Joakim.Out of his 60 Ipods, Karl Lagerfeld has put together a wonderful selection and if only for the at home CD it asserts how talented an artist he is.
Dizzee Rascal – Maths and English
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Of the UK rap scene, two iconic singers stand out for having gained respect from the underground scene and being featured on the billboard charts : The Streets, aka Mike Skinner, and Dizzee Rascal. The latter has just released his third studio album after a 3-year wait.
Each british hip-hop album release here should be celebrated, especially when it proves to be quality. While Dizzee’s second album Showtime received a mild success from both the media and the hip-hop head, Maths and English is a strong comeback for his protagonist.
Don’t look for The Neptunes in the credits, or a Snoop Dog featuring, this album is grime and while the bling bling temptation might have been huge for Dizzee, he intelligently avoided it. Instead, after the menacing first track, Pussy’ole brings the listener back in time with an old-school US hip hop sample.
The whole album sounds dark and tense pushing Dizzee’s flow to its best level so far. His lyrics sometimes fall into deja-vu rap, not helped by the easy use of the f-word among others, but the electro beats and frenetic claps save even the most average track.
Crossing the bridge between grime and drum’n’bass, the collaboration with Shy FX on Da Feelin’, injects a soulful deebee break halfway through the CD and contends to be a future club anthem. Other artists featured on the album are Arctic Monkeys’ young singer Alex Turner and the witty Lily Allen, both opening the album and the genre to something new. With this album, Dizzee has released his most consistent and eclectic album. Being a fierce Londoner, like his city, the music is influenced by different styles, from reggae to hip-hop through electronica and drum’n’bass. What the US hip-hop fails to do, afraid of experimenting and pushing its own culture.
SUPPORT BY MANGA. 
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