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| "He's bleeding-edge" announced the recording, "and using the latest in techno-minimalist beats. You're going to have to be very prepared, MG". “Two can play that game”, I thought as the TinyVoices message self-destructed. “I'm going to have to review Deepchild's latest album using the latest technology going”. Q duly emerged from Carphone Warehouse waving a Palm Treo 650 with Microsoft Office installed on it. |
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So here I sit again on the TinyVoices yacht, this time moored in Montenegro with a device slightly larger than a packet of cigarettes (and a pencil sharpener to enable my fingers to tap the tiny keys) writing my latest review.
Lifetime is the fourth studio album from Australian tech wiz-kid Rick Bull (aka Deepchild), who has been championed in the UK by Gilles Peterson, amongst others.
Album-opener 'Mutual Sigh' is a promising start, with jumpy beats and a scrapbook collection of samples and vocals. Unfortunately, the album never quite maintains the same heights after this. The only other tracks of mention are 'Always and Forever', and 'Reconnect’. The latter is the closest the album comes to offering something you might actually dance (well, sway slowly) to, with its electro slap-bass, jazz flute, and gritty Steven Hawking vs Barry White vocals.
Many of the other tracks on Lifetime sound a bit too close to someone unsuccessfully searching for a station on a shortwave radio to be particularly enjoyable.
On occasion, I wasn't entirely sure whether the stuttering micro-rhythms I was listening to were intentional, or just Q's phone crashing on me as I tried to save my review as a Word document. But that's not really Deepchild's fault, and I don’t know why I mentioned it.
As it currently stands, I don't think this album has much scope beyond being background music in a trendy continental bar. If Deepchild wants to reach a wider (but no less chin-stroking) audience, he should listen to Waiwan's 'Distraction' and Jimmy Edgar's 'Color Strip' for a master class in how jittery electronica should be done.
There's no denying that Deepchild is highly proficient at what he does, namely producing 'the future is now' hi-tech beats. But what's really missing for me in every single track on this album is a bit of variety. Once you’ve heard the first 30 seconds of a track, you can pretty much guess the rest. If only he tried experimenting a bit more, even just by merging the beat or melody from one track into another track, things might get a bit more interesting.
If he takes my advice, I think that rather than being an ok album, his next has the potential to be a great one. |
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| Michael Goldrei - 5/10 |
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Name:
evan b
| Date:
05/10/06 | Reply
super-fresh and incredibly progressive album - I was absolutely stunned, to be honest! No wonder he's received an Australian Dance Music Award nomination this year. Breathtaking work! Congrats on something a bit special deepchild!
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Name:
rick
| Date:
05/10/06 | Reply
I don't usually get into electronic music, but this really turned my head. Weird sounds, but really dancable too - and (I know it sounds cheesy) but my girlfriend just adores this one too. Constant repeat, and a slow deep burner. Tops.
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Name:
michelle
| Date:
05/10/06 | Reply
A great album! So unique, deep and contemporary. A classic.
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Name:
Ben
| Date:
05/10/06 | Reply
Wow. Never heard anything like of it come from Australia.
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Name:
breanne
| Date:
05/10/06 | Reply
A really sexy album from an incredible talent. Definately worth checking out.
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Name:
Will
| Date:
05/10/06 | Reply
In case it wasn't blindingly obvious, all of the above comments were left by the same person. Either that, or five people using the same computer and switching in the Deepchild-self-love hotseat every 3 minutes. A computer also coincidentally located in Sydney, Australia.
Surely this amounts to some sort of internet-comment-based ononism? You filthy boy, you should be ashamed of yourself.
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