Browse by Label: EXCEPTIONAL (UK)

Artist:	ISHII, KEN
Title:	Flatspin
Label:	EXCEPTIONAL (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EX 103CD

"Not many Japanese musicians have made it big outside their own country, but in this is as in so many things Ken Ishii is the exception to the rule. His first album, Jelly Tones, released in 1995 brought his name to the mass public both in Europe and Japan. Another two albums Metal Blue America and Sleeping Madness earned him even more respect and established him as one of the select few Japanese artists with a place on the international stage. Flatspin will undoubtedly take his impressive reputation a stage further. Originally conceived as a soundtrack to a Japanese equivalent of James Bond, it sees him pushing boundaries again whilst delivering what is his most accessible album yet. The new album includes the recent single 'Slapdash', described in the press as 'a compulsive throb of neon bright swirls'. On the other hand, stand out track 'Iceblink' is expected to be the new single, on the album it appears as an instrumental and as a full vocal, supplied beautifully by Inner City vocalist Paris Grey. All in all. Flatspin shows Ken on top form yet again."

Artist:	BELTRAN, JOHN
Title:	Americano
Label:	EXCEPTIONAL (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EX 201CD

"The legendary John Beltran returns after a lengthy pause with his best album yet. John makes music influenced by his attitudes towards life and listening habits plus tace elements of dancefloor experiences both past and present. So far he's produced four LP's and earned himself rave reviews and a cult following amongst those ready to look for something beyond the dance within so called dance music culture, although the beats, breaks and bass of the floor usually bubble up through his tracks no matter how reflective they might initially seem. The new album Americano opens with the sultry blues of 'Dreamin', where deep jazzy keys are supported by a low slung groove. This is followed by the recent single 'Caboclo' - a more uptempo number that still manages to sound dream like. 'Siesta Key' should unlock the door to anyone's quiet inner sanctum, its long drawn out textures help strip tension out of the listener. 'Bossalude' sees John updating the traditional bossa sound with deft electronic processing and flourishes. 'Soul Sketching' drips Detroit soul (both the old and new varieties) with its warm keyboard intro. The pace of the track is delivered by a drum n bass break whilst live keys hang and fill the spaces between the beats. 'Watercolour Dreams' releases the pressure, with its lilting keyboards lapping away any tension. 'Expecting Rain' continues the aqueous theme; the treated vocals become the chant of a medicine man incanting for the life supporting liquid. The impact of September 11th is still reverberating through the American psyche, and on 'A Better Place' one can hear John's tribute to the victims and survivors of the tragedy. The album closes with the sweet lullaby refrain of 'Dreamin'."

Artist:	YOKOTA, SUSUMU
Title:	Sound Of Sky
Label:	EXCEPTIONAL (UK)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	EX 202LP

Double LP version. "Susumu Yokota is one of those artists who cannot be pinned down to one genre or style. Last year he released different projects that expertly covered experimental electronica, deep house and a garage album all to great critical acclaim from respective specialist and mainstream press. On this, his second album for Exceptional, he is focusing on deep, jazz oriented house music, along the lines of Joe Clausell and Osunlade. 'Nothing Time' is a tribute to those days without responsibilities and pressures, relax and soak up the vibes of this glorious breakbeat based house track. 'Three Ripple' ups the rhythmic ante with a greater emphasis on the kick, accented by rising keyboard wails. Susumu's musicality is clearly apparent on 'Crash Marble', where he manipulates a blues groove into crunchy house beats, similar to St Germain, but with a bit more dirt. The gorgeous ambient interlude of 'Wind Wave' is based around a heavily effected and treated keyboard line. The album's title track melds a fat kick and a bassline with jazzy keys, and an infectious chant. The addition of sax on top is the final coup de grace. 'King of Darkness' must be an ironic title -- it probably won't work for the 'Dark Drums' fans out there. The main motif is a lilting piano supported by a house rhythm section. 'Form and Idea' lets the listener relax back and observe the gestation of a musical theme, imitating the excitement of the arrival of a novel thought and the peaceful delight of a problem solved. 'Right to be Free' is a low slung groove helping an understated vocal come through. It marries a righteous take on house with some of the production sensibilities of the Cologne sound. Expect to hear 'Make Peace' on deep dancefloors near you soon, it has a truly cavernous kick drum. The album closes with the downtempo breaks of 'Sky and Diamond' -- its deep reverb winds the proceeds off perfectly. Yet again Susumu Yokota has demonstrated his mastery of another musical genre but kept his trademark respect for space and depth through fine attention to production details like his sensual use of reverb."

Artist:	ISHII, KEN
Title:	Future In Light
Label:	EXCEPTIONAL (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	EX 302CD

"Ken Ishii is one of the most innovative and forward thinking artists to emerged from Japan in the last decade. Hovering between techno based textures and subdued sonic bliss, Ken Ishii is clearly aiming for musical enchantment of a different kind. Having assimilated a wide array of influences (Yellow Magic Orchestra, DAF, Kraftwerk, Nitzer Ebb, Derrick May) he manages to make them come alive in a context that surpasses all comparison, mutating the very concept of techno itself. Ken Ishii has proved once again that he is at the forefront of internationally known electronic music composers and DJs without limiting his musical pedigree."

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