Search - Arling & Cameron :: Sound Shopping

Extremely 'gezellig'... A&C best album re-released

Sander Kessels | amsterdam, nh Netherlands | 04/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album was really released in 1998. After that, this dutch duo Arling & Cameron had their break-through with the succesful 'Music for imaginary films' in 2000 so their previous released albums were suddenly in the picture. Not this one though... Why? There were simply no more copies available and the few that had one charished this cd hidden in their collection as pieces of ART. The package of this cd is one of the best I have ever seen... I hope this re-release will have the same pop-out 3D sculptures done by Joost Swarte as featured in the 'special sculpture edition'. Joost Swarte is known as one of the worlds best illustrators-designers (he even designed a theatre) and on the original package he is honoured as a member of the band: Arling-Cameron-Swarte. Soundshopping can be described as the most 'dutch' cd of A&C. You can hear this cd is made with fun and friends like Fay Lovsky... very 'gezellig' (a dutch word that can't be translated very well... something like cosy). This loungy, happy mood is extremely addictive. The first track, Fun Shopping, brings you right into Amsterdam, the sounds of walking and a bicyclebell. From the bike you'll jump on the back of a horse in the outstanding track 'cowboy ska', a troika with whips, horses and a dark voice... Another remarkable track is 'Tokyo Taxi Robot'... again a song that combines real-life sounds (beepbeep) within the music... the monotone way of singing... this could have been a Kraftwerk-classic, but it's Arling & Cameron... The album concludes with three remixes of songs that you've already heard, I'm afraid, but don't worry, you'll hardly notice it. On the whole, this album is probably the best medicine you can give to someone who's having a hard time. It'll turn grumpy old men into happy dancing girls... At the end of the cd such a girl says after some silence ' het was echt cool!' And so it is."

"Sound Shopping" is truly the perfect title

K. Kenner | Brooklyn, NY | 04/23/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Another fun release by the Dutch Duo. Very unique sounds, everything from horse neighs, to eating chips, to taxi horns...they've included it all and oddly enough, it works. "Bad Dream" is a catchy lil' tune that I liked immediately (and Liesbeth Esselink of Solex contributes vocals so that's cool). I can't decide if "Cowboy Ska" is really good or really annoying, but if nothing else, it's creative (horse neighing and such), but my favorite of all tracks is "Tokyo Taxi Robot" because it's just plain COOL. It reminds me of "Rubber Car" by Enon, but not near as dark and gothic-like. To sum it all up, this LP will make you want to dance so if you like dancing, go for it."