Out of the Boxx

Halfway through the last decade, Wroclaw, Poland produced one of the most interesting acts on an already interesting label when Ninja Tune released the self-titled album from electronic duo Skalpel (and followed it up with their sophomore release Konfusion). Blending the jazz traditions of Poland (which had a strong underground scene during the Soviet occupation of the country) with contemporary electronic sounds, Skalpel produced music that was at once familiar to fans of jazzy downtempo music, but with a distinct flavour that set it apart. The duo dropped off the map since then, but Igor Pudlo has resurfaced under the moniker Igor Boxx and his debut album, Breslau, is the first Ninja Tune release of 2011.

Breslau isn't a big step away from Skalpel and Konfusion, but seems to come from a darker place at times. "Festung" to take one example, has a foreboding tone with its thundering bass and skittery drums. "Fear Of A Red Planet," which follows "Festung" seems considerably lighter in comparison, but still sounds like the music in a chase scene from the POV of the pursued and not the pursuer - it's vaguely sinister and unnerving. Boxx dabbles in funkier tones on "Street Fighting" and "Last Party In Breslau," but even at his most exuberant, there are vague overtones of menace (which may well be an echo of Poland under Russian control). None of this is to say Breslau is not also an enjoyable listen.

Here's the video for "Last Party In Breslau"


Check out album closer "Downfall" below.

Find more artists like Igor Boxx at Myspace Music

Be sure to check out Igor Boxx's Myspace page and artist page on Ninja Tune.

Sweet Soul Music...

When an album comes at you from all corners, maybe that's a sign to get off your ass and write a post about it (for that matter, write about anything - my apologies for taking an extended hiatus from ETTS; been sick, busy with the kid, etc.).

Lost Where I Belong, the debut by UK songstress Andreya Triana has been swirling around me just begging to be written up.

The fine folks at Outside Music sent a review copy, the peeps at Terrorbird sent it digitally, and my new Twitter follower SoulCuts wrote a nice little piece about the album.

When I first hit play on my iPod, I had no idea about the pedigree of the album, just that it was on Ninja Tune. The cover image led me to believe this was one of the label's rare forays outside their comfort zone, but I couldn't be certain until the first notes of "Draw The Stars" featuring a kalimba and Triana's languorous vocals removed any doubt. Suffice it to say, this ain't the Ninja Tune of Coldcut and Amon Tobin, but the label has dabbled in similar sonic waters with Fink (though it's not like Triana is the female Fink...).

Triana gained some prior notoriety for her collaboration with Flying Lotus on "Tea Leaf Dancers," but on Lost Where I Belong, the boards were helmed by label mate Bonobo who brought a subtle touch to this debut album. There are plenty of bells and whistles but nothing - and I mean nothing - overshadows Triana's voice on these nine numbers. Even on the busiest of tunes ("A Town Called Obsolete") Triana is at the center of the mix with a fat bassline rumbling underneath while the band and echoing chorus flit about on the periphery.

There's a reason Bonobo has exercised restraint on the production of this album and it is simply that Triana's voice needs no embellishment. It's a haunting and soulful instrument that hints at deep sadness on songs like "Darker Than Blue" but also conveys strength and resilience on "Far Closer" (one of the real standouts). Even if her debut didn't suggest a very bright future for a solo career, Triana's services would no doubt be in great demand as a guest vocalist.

Though I for one hope we hear more of Triana's own compositions if they meet the standard she's set on her debut.

Check out the video for the aforementioned "A Town Called Obsolete"


And be sure to check out Andreya's artist page and Myspace.

Thanks for reading, now start listening...

D is for Dragons...

Until very late last year, if you'd asked me who the Dragons were, my automatic (and only) answer would have been the professional baseball team in Nagoya, Japan - the Chunichi Dragons. But thanks to DJ Food and the fine folks at Ninja Tune, the Dragons I think of instantly now are Dennis, Daryl and Doug Dragon (and yes, that is their actual last name - how cool is that?!).

The brothers' album Blue Forces Intelligence (or BFI) was recorded at the close of the sixties and then shopped around to labels who - bewilderingly - passed on it. One track, "Food For My Soul," appeared on the soundtrack to a seventies surf film, which is where it came to the attention of DJ Food, who contacted Dennis Dragon to include it in a mix and casually asked if there was more where it came from. A little bit of searching yielded the master tapes (high school buddy/recording engineer Donn Landee had them kicking around) and when the Ninja Tune 'suits' heard the trippy combination of psych-rock and surf-soul the brothers had recorded, they flipped. Understandably, since I too flipped when I reviewed it for Stylus in the Dec./Jan. issue (which is still, briefly, available in Winnipeg).

The trio came by their talents honestly - their father Carmen was a symphony conductor and Hollywood arranger, and their mother was a singer. On the record the brothers used keyboards, vibes, layered vocals and studio trickery to amazing effect - inspired in part by "The Doors and others [who] were freaking us out with their hypnotic sounds," writes Dennis.

All three played as part of the Beach Boys' backing band in the seventies before they moved on to their individual pursuits - which brings me to the strangest piece of this puzzle: Daryl Dragon is THE CAPTAIN from Captain & Tenille!

Here's Daryl Dragon, a few years after recording BFI, with his and Toni Tenille's version of Muskrat Love, featuring people dressed as muskrats.


And here is
The Dragons' myspace page
Captain & Tenille's website.

Thanks for reading, now start listening...