mo’ better beats

Rip It Up, Issue 217, 1 September 1995, Page 27

mo’ better beats

POOP Wan Too! / , ', J Doop are a Dutch techno outfit who had a novelty hit in Europe last year; Now they’re out -to prove they’re serious. - Various high energy techno mixes, ranging from happy hardcore to your basic.club mix. Nice piano. . (1 JAKI GRAHAM Absolute E-Sensual < UK soulstress Jaki Graham could find the US success she wants with this one. While her vocals are not quite sublime, she is indeed a fine singer, and with the production backing . here, she has four versions that should appeal to the divergent dance music genres. This is the first EP I’ve heard in a long time where the various remixes do all sound different from each other. Depending on your preference, you can '■ choose between the ‘US House -; Mix’, ‘Techno’, ‘Acid’, or (my fav’) the ‘Old School Mix’. Great pop. ' < . (MOLOKO ' : ■ • • .. < A V Where is the What if the What is in Why? J Portishead meet Massive Attack. I was not initially impressed however once I skipped the ‘Radio Edit’ and moved straight to* the ‘Wondervox Extended Mix’, things improved immensely. Whereas the first goes for rambled, lyrics over a slow (almost random) beat, the ‘Wondervox Mix’ features some frenetic' beats

that speed it all up beautifully. Just in case you' haven’t figured out it’s pretty weird : stuff, .they. follow immediately with ‘Party ’ Weirdo’. Interesting.' , < : r ; - DETRIMENTAL Living On The Edge (BMG) ) ? ■'.■•.•■•'.<;•; ■' - X , . Phew, no : wonder'these guys split from Fun-Da-Mental. While it’s all part of the same cloth, these . guys have moved from , hip-hop into ragga ; whilst still retaining the rap. They’ve also thrown in some soft techno beats, to keep (the dancefloor moving, - with a - wailing guitar over the top, and blow me down if doesn’t actually, work. Bizarre indeed! And just in case the : ragga. fans are spewing, they stay true with ‘Countryman’. ; Between both songs, they manage seven different mixes in all. -, <E-7 (TOTAL, featuring NOTORIOUS BIG .' A X Can’t. You See (Tommy Boy) . -x-y Not as good as the. similar pairing of Mary' J Blige and Method Man, but this does nice enough thankyou. Produced by ' Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs for the New Jersey Drive soundtrack, this is a fine slice of R&B rap. Total provide the girlie chorus, and fat man . Notorious BIG gives it some street-wise ghetto credibility.. Stick to the soundtrack album'though; ‘cause this is just, the ‘Clean’ and ‘No Rap’ mixes. .(Trivia note: this was released in the US as Biggie Smalls and Total.) -

f VARIOUS ARTISTS \ I New Jersey Drive Soundtrack Volume Two J Actually, make that The Stuff We Couldn’t Fit on Volume One. Only eight songs and only 30 minutes of music! Still, it’s not bad, and features Naughty By Nature, Biz Markie, Mad Lion, and some we wouldn’t otherwise hear, namely Smif ’n’ Wessun, Jeru the Damaja, and Funkmaster Flex. (The latter is New York’s premier hip-hop DJ, and has surpassed Chuck Chillout on Hot 97.) Since I got a promo copy, I don’t know what they’re charging for this instore — but if it’s full price for a half hour, I’d haggle! VARIOUS ARTISTS Straight From The Streetj This, on the other hand, is the whole nine, and then some. If you didn’t win Lotto, and can only afford one record, then get this. It’s got all the hip-hop hits: TLC’s ‘Creep’, Craig Mack's ‘Flava In Ya Ear’ and ‘Get Down’, Notorious BlG's ‘Big Boppa’, Monica’s ‘Don’t Take It Personal’, and Usher’s ‘Think of You’. There’s also a host of other street jams, ranging from soft to hard, making this album the ideal sounds to be rolling through your neighbourhood with. Cool like dat.

NICK D’ANGELO