Search - Projections :: Between Here & Now

DJ Magazine

11/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"People who know their stuff expect a certain quality from Chicago-based Guidance Recordings. For fans of deeper-sounding house music Guidance is the label that's always top on the check list. Since starting in the mid-nineties it's earned itself the kind of reputation that's synonymous with quality. It's a rep that money simply can't buy because, as with this outing by LA duo Simon James and Danny Hastie, the music speaks for itself.
As Projections this is James' and Hastie's first album and, in keeping with the vibe of the imprint, what you get here is an immaculately produced, svelte collection of tracks that is remarkable not least because it's actually their debut. Smooth, jazzy piano, live guitar and lazy, soothing vocals are underpinned by a gentle 4/4 beat on 'Backbone' (check the reprise of this added as a bonus at the end of the album) setting the mood for this album. It's laid-back music. The kind of thing you could play at any time of day to just wind down or simmer under.
Their hip hop sensibilities contribute to the album, nurtured from a past spent playing in reggae-funk bands Orgone, Sounds From The Ward and Loa Rhythm and supporting and touring with Pharcyde and Styles of Beyond. On 'Inner City Sides' these influences bubble to the surface. Broken beats, jazzy melodies, funk-fuelled guitar, percussion and a soulful male vocal take you cruising along Sunset Boulevard, sun-roof down, wind in your hair. All twelve pieces on this album have been written, produced and in most cases played-in and sung by themselves, with a little help from friends. Stewart Killen handles percussion on 'Inner City Sides' while on spanish-vocalled 'Escaping Sao Paulo', the hip hop beats, brooding bassline and cinematic melody are accompanied by percussion from Joachim Eckberg. 'The Nutcracker' and 'Half Pint' will also appeal to fans who appreciate a hip hop beat but this is hip hop for lazy days. It's Joachim Eckberg's percussion that gnaws gently over the soft, broken beats of 'Luminate' and 'Luminate 2', both tracks that shimmer and glow, with the added sheen of crystal clear production. Heart-jerking vocals from 'Mai Doi Todd' on 'Luminate' add to the live cello, drums and percussion that make this beautiful song literally float out of the speakers. The gentle groove of 'Stillness In Me' is another song that levitates; a slow-funk jam with an airy female vocal and a beautiful melody. Meanwhile the moving strings, eerie piano and sparse hip hop beats on interlude 'Dangerous Blues' add a pinch of bitter-sweet seasoning to this
lush, organic-sounding debut.
Anyone looking for a soul-soothing, winter-warmer should buy this album and watch out for this pair when they emerge with some new music next year."

Music from the Gods

trevor | Asheville, NC USA | 05/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The cleanest production quality I've heard in years!! It sounds so good on a big, club system, and you don't even have to touch the EQ. Aside from the amazing technical aspects of this album, the music is a perfect blend of deep house, funk, vocals, downtempo, chill out and lounge. These guys have 'raised the bar' exponentially. I bought this album twice--vinyl and cd! You will be blown away. . .every single song is better than most music out there."

More to it than it first seems

Michael Reband | Chicago | 04/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If i could five-star a single track, Backbone would get six--one of the greatest simple piano hooks (not in either sample!) since Mr. Scruff's "How Sweet It Is," which I can only find on Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz 2. I diverge.



With a few exceptions, the tracks are long and may at first seem repetitive. But they have well developed, laid back grooves on top of meticulously placed drums. My only advice is make no judgement based on the first track--it doesn't seem like it belongs at all, with its pulsing brainwash feeling."