Search - Mark Farina :: Air Farina

Scrambled eggs and funky fries

Russell E. Scott | Austin, TX | 11/08/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"You've seen those TV ads where a spirited group of ultra cool, fashionably hip, beautiful, young mixed singles descend on and commandeer an out-of-service subway coach for their private indulgences, especially the downing of some trendy alcoholic beverage that promises more than just kicks. Well, Air Farina is sorta' like that, but more the real deal. This supposed party of parties takes place on a "destined to anywhere" jetliner cruise captained by none other than the original funkmeister himself - Mark Farina. The CD digipak artwork even resembles one of those folded, laminated universal flyers that instruct emergency procedures stuck in the back pouch of every seat on the plane. Concerning this on-hands emergency, how do you get all these musical styles - Chicago house, West coast funk, Mediterranean chill, Latin jazz, domestic downtempo, and East coast hip-hop working together without sounding novice or trial by error? In answer, Mark Farina has penned all original material for one of the most funkified, smooth move musical liberations as his first solo album. Air Farina strays all over the place, but simultaneously remains steady on. Snippets of banter between air traffic controllers, pilots, and stewardess garble act as natural break beats between tracks. All the best elements from the Mushroom Jazz, San Francisco Sessions, and Connect albums are present. Amongst his crew assisting your listening pleasure: Lance Desardi, Sean Hayes, Kaskade, and People Under The Stairs keep the album form being too one dimensional. The groove is almost hypnotic. The material sticks without really realizing why. The execution and mixing is flawless. I don't know if this is the best thing he's ever done, but I like it more with each play. If the album suffers in any aspect it's that Farina leans to heavy on his DJ skills to make up for any obvious inadequate songwriting capabilities. Next time out, he might do well too hook up with a proven partner in that department, otherwise.........sky pilot speaking loud and clear, roger wilco, over and out."

Rebels on the Dance Floor...

Catherine Sullivan | Los Angeles, CA | 03/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"***The Amazon samples & reviews don't do this album justice!!***. I absolutely HAD to know the info on this song when I heard those lyrics/ song on KCRW, so I basically paid $50 (pledge drive) for that info but in return I got the CD/ membership... anyways... Track 9 alone was worth $50. I was stunned when I put this into the CD player for a spin, expecting something similar to track 9, it was kinda like the intro parts of the "Lauryn Hill- Miseducation" album. I thought LESS misc BS/talking, more MUSIC, but this isn't a CD you can skip through. In the 2 weeks I've owned it, I've listened to the CD over 20x! In my mind it ranks up there with Groove Armada, Gabin, Zero 7 & Telepopmusik, but falls short of St. Germain/ Thievery Corp. (everything does). It is a great/ avante guarde pick; there is a subtle/ 'intellectual' humor most people don't get (just look at the bad reviews), excellent mixed/ groove tracks and an overwhelming theme that always seems to make me smile. I LOVE listening to this CD. (-No, this isn't a very technical review, I know, but since music the closest thing to tangible emotion, and it consistently makes me dance & laught at the same time for weeks, that's gotta be worth $15+)."

Expected A Little More

Catherine Sullivan | 06/07/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Mark Farina and I have all of his cds except for one: Seasons. (Hoping Amazon will get this one SOON). Any way, this is one that you either love or just don't feel. Judging from the reviews I've read, this is a correct statement. I don't mind the 'talking' or any of his soundbites. In fact, those were the very things that drew me to Mark in the first place. On this particular cd, it just didn't click for me. Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it."