CD reviews

Buraka Som Sistema throw down in the latest Fabric mix, Fabriclive 49

Buraka Som Sistema
Fabriclive 49
(Fabric London)
*8.9*
Goes well with: Radioclit, Basement Jaxx, CSS, M.I.A.

The latest release in their long-running series of electronic mixes, London super-club Fabric brings Portuguese beat masters Buraka Som Sistema to the decks. Weaving together mixes from an obscure genre of electronica known as “kuduro”—think gritty M.I.A. ghettotech meets CSS’s frenetic Brazilian rave music on a mind-blowing acid trip—Buraka Som Sistema create an explosive set that could just as easily cause an at-home listener to break a sweat as it could cause a steamy Lisbon dancehall to burst into flames.

Through 28 thumping, throbbing tracks—including mixes by Dre Skull, Diplo, DJ Riot and several Buraka Som Sistema re-edits—the Portuguese collective whips out an impressive cache of music in a little more than an hour with a dizzying speed and intensity.

Listening to Buraka retrace their musical footsteps through influential European dance music of the last decade, back to their original sound—which was based on analog African techno music—the desire to use the term “world beat” becomes almost unavoidable when categorizing their craft. But such a term doesn’t even come close to describing Buraka’s glitchy, percussion-drenched, synth-laden bleeps and beeps in this mix.

“World rave” might suffice. “Pure, unadulterated, fucking awesome insanity” is probably best. Good luck finding that section in the record store.

—Justin Roberts

Four Tet
There Is Love In You
(Domino)
*8.6*
Goes well with: Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, The Field, Koushik

Specializing in hip-hop and folk-influenced instrumentals with his first three albums, Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) made a bold leap into free-jazz textures and Krautrock grooves in 2005 with Everything Ecstatic. It was a forward-looking electronic album without a built-in demographic, which unfortunately caused it to be overlooked by more niche-oriented listeners.

Five years later, and Hebden is back with another boundary-crossing full-length. This time, however, the focus is on 4/4 house beats and the glory days of late ’90s IDM, which ensures that it caters to beat nerds of all shapes and sizes, from club kids to shut-ins.

Case in point: “Love Cry” takes the Four Tet signature—soulful, tinkering melodies, polyrhythms and spacey ambience—and pumps up the BPMs, contorting a vocal sample until the song becomes a living, breathing psychedelic beast. Elsewhere, he re-imagines Aphex Twin backed by live drummers (“Plastic People”), basks in placid ambient noise (“Reversing”) and nods slowly to the blissful grooves that recall his own past glories (“This Unfolds”).

Electronic music doesn’t get any more immediately gratifying than this. After all, Hebden is the most universally appealing artist of his kind this side of Moby. Not to compare the two, because, well, Moby sucks. But such is the crossover potential of There is Love in You.

—Todd Kroviak

Vampire Weekend
Contra
(XL)
*6.1*
Goes well with: Paul Simon, Princeton, Grizzly Bear

If you thought Vampire Weekend sounded suburban on their first album, just wait until you hear Contra. Now they’re definitely the whitest kids you know.

With their sophomore album, they’ve chosen to showcase their skills rather than their spark. The result is certainly impressive from a musicianship standpoint, but it fails to match the energy and catchiness of the band’s debut. Sure, there are a handful of moments, but besides the fantastic “Cousins,” the songs lack the punk edge of their last offering.

Plus, the dreaded ballad rears its ugly, pale, acne-riddled head. In this case, it’s “Taxi Cab,” which seems out of this band’s—or, more likely, the listeners’—comfort range. Most of the other songs sound so much like Graceland-era Paul Simon that you might think a royalty check should be cut.

It’s not that this disc is awful; it’s just that it’s a step in the wrong direction. Plus, it doesn’t help that their first album was a killer debut. Judging by this release, Vampire Weekend will follow in the footsteps of The Police, who chose to ignore their true strength (energy) in exchange for showing off their chops and getting too serious too fast.

I can already envision Vampire Weekend lead singer Ezra Koenig joining Diddy onstage for some neutered rendition of a future Koenig solo soft-rock hit. Yuck.

—Dryw Keltz