FAITHLESS
- Sunday 8pm (Virgin/EMI) If you got your hands on the release with
the bonus remix CD added, you shouldn’t be disappointed. Though God Is A DJ is
the most noticeable track on the album the other, airplay adaptable are great
emotive journeys of sound and word. Not just your average electronically jumbled
assembly, Faithless proved their unique staying power and knack for a striking
tune with Insomnia. - PB 5 / B FATBOY
SLIM - Sunset (single) This single contains Bird Of Prey with a sample
of Jim Morrison’s voice and melancholic beats. - PB 4 / A FEAR
FACTORY - Obsolete This American powerhouse's hat trick (excluding
their fabulous re-mix albums, of course), follows closely on the work they immortalised
on Demanufacture. The undisputed presence of the distinctive chugging guitar by
Cazares, the pulsating drums of Herrera and the hard/mellow vocals by Bell, is
tied together by producer Fulber (of Frontline Assembly fame) into one explosive
package. With the technological presence noticable, the cyber-metal pigeon-hole
is a bit misleading, yet Fear Factory are definitely at the forefront. A cool
screensaver is included. - PB 5 / A FETISH
Another fine independent release is digitised forever. From the outset you
imagine this band to be something else, what with their innovative individual
silkscreened covers and all. The opening track, Never Enough and closing number,
Farrener serves as fine brackets wrapping up this organic parcel. The former track
sticks in your head like an arrow without making you feel stupid, launching into
the album with high expectations - but this song is a hard act to follow. The
latter epilogue with piano, guitar fidgets and drifting voice leaves you with
a mystic feeling of satisfaction. What you'll find inbetween are 10 tracks of
good, listenable music with intriguing vocals by Michelle Breeze, who some might
think is Delores Amos (of the Cranberries/Tori variety). The quirky, breathless
vibrato shakes can send thrills up some peoples spines while it might also create
chills of annoyance in others. Tracks range from the mild No Time, to the more
direct, harder approach of How Much. At times echoes of an Alanis Morrisette style
creep in, but just short enough to make it feel like some bad deja vu'. Striking
tracks with a local territorial angle pop up with the likes of Blue Blanket, whereas
voice and guitar based songs like PC (acoustic guitar) and Virtual Rizla (bass
guitar) lend a passive yet pensive hand. The production highlights filter through
on tracks such as Heat. At least Fetish are pressing their own mould into a formula
known to many, and...don't expect any bondage gear or shoe licking. -
PB 4 / B FOUR
MINUTE WARNING - Foolproof (Way Cool Records) With so few people supporting
the skatepunk and ska genre in South Africa, it's about time more listeners open
up to this music. Four Minute Warning relies on traditional punk riffing and beats
to sustain the straightforward (but effective) approach. Hailing from PE, they
are one of the few bands with the guts to tackle this type of music which spells
out: youth, party and anarchy. - PB 3 / C FREDA
FRANCIS - Never Been Kissed (BMG) With a new-country feel, this little
newcomer will win many a fan of this genre, especially if they know they can get
to see her live at some stage. A variety of songwriters contributed to her repertoire,
like Clive & Tony Ridgeway and Kupido, while she only wrote one. A few Afrikaans
songs also pop up while it has to end off, inevitably, with a medley. Not too
far from cute, I’m sure more men will check out her CD if she shows a little cleavage,
but I think she might be a little religious. But if Patricia Lewis can do it,
why not? - PB 3 / C |