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Sometimes I think there aren't many households like this one, at least not in the musical department. Here, it's not uncommon that a black metal album is preceded by a post-rock album and followed by some trip-hop or punk or reggae or industrial or whatever. It's like a neverending jukebox where all kinds of new music are inserted and listened to at any given time. If we set the jukebox to shuffle, we're in for a longlasting rollercoaster of genres, atmospheres and emotions. Being a music collector is somewhat comparable to going insane, that's for sure.
Enough about me, let's talk about Okapi for a while because it's definitely worth it. This Italian turntablist and producer has brought us something we just can't resist. By blending a number of highly danceable 'down-tempo' musical styles he has created one of our soundtracks for this summer. Hip-hop, dub and a range of electronics are being mixed into a highly enjoyable album that sometimes reminds me of acts like Gonjasufi, The Gaslamp Killer and The Herbaliser. So you get the idea now, it's time to start some serious head-nodding.
The quality of this album proves that it's not really a surprise that Okapi collaborated with people like Mike Patton and Peter Brotzmann and with bands like Zu, along with his own groups, Metaxu and Dogon. We're dealing with an experienced producer who knows a little something about musical history and is not afraid to incorporate some these elements. There's almost crooner-like vocals, ranging back to the twenties in the opening song. There's a touch of funk, 'island music' and dubstep, all pressed into one song, 'Bad Bee'.
Title track 'Pruffoli' shows a dark dub atmosphere like Scorn could have made, mixed with some roots reggae. This mix is extremely warm tempered an surely brings a smile on my face. In 'Monastic Bingo' there's even a hint of drum & bass. This song also reminds me of Funki Porcini and even a bit of bands like Tortoise or Kreidler, at least in terms of the overall 'chill' feel. Of course ambient never is far away and it's always supported by smooth rhythms and percussion.
So here we have it, another review with a lot of big names thrown in to give you an idea of what this album sounds like. However, aside from all these influences, I feel that this is a very personal and quite unique album, created with a lot of pleasure and enthousiasm. To be honest, the whole review was written before I even reached 'Sheep News' and that only happens when an album truly inspires the reviewer. This reviewer is quietly going to enjoy the rest of this splendid release a few more times now...
Serge
Enough about me, let's talk about Okapi for a while because it's definitely worth it. This Italian turntablist and producer has brought us something we just can't resist. By blending a number of highly danceable 'down-tempo' musical styles he has created one of our soundtracks for this summer. Hip-hop, dub and a range of electronics are being mixed into a highly enjoyable album that sometimes reminds me of acts like Gonjasufi, The Gaslamp Killer and The Herbaliser. So you get the idea now, it's time to start some serious head-nodding.
The quality of this album proves that it's not really a surprise that Okapi collaborated with people like Mike Patton and Peter Brotzmann and with bands like Zu, along with his own groups, Metaxu and Dogon. We're dealing with an experienced producer who knows a little something about musical history and is not afraid to incorporate some these elements. There's almost crooner-like vocals, ranging back to the twenties in the opening song. There's a touch of funk, 'island music' and dubstep, all pressed into one song, 'Bad Bee'.
Title track 'Pruffoli' shows a dark dub atmosphere like Scorn could have made, mixed with some roots reggae. This mix is extremely warm tempered an surely brings a smile on my face. In 'Monastic Bingo' there's even a hint of drum & bass. This song also reminds me of Funki Porcini and even a bit of bands like Tortoise or Kreidler, at least in terms of the overall 'chill' feel. Of course ambient never is far away and it's always supported by smooth rhythms and percussion.
So here we have it, another review with a lot of big names thrown in to give you an idea of what this album sounds like. However, aside from all these influences, I feel that this is a very personal and quite unique album, created with a lot of pleasure and enthousiasm. To be honest, the whole review was written before I even reached 'Sheep News' and that only happens when an album truly inspires the reviewer. This reviewer is quietly going to enjoy the rest of this splendid release a few more times now...
Serge