What Are You Listening To Right Now? -New thread, new rules. Please read them. - Page 2646

Afterlife | Simplicity Two Thousand

Afterlife became giants of the downtempo and Ibiza scenes as Steven Miller signed with Hed Kandi and released the album Simplicity at the tail end of 1999. Miller had already established a name for himself at Ibiza with his Café Del Mar exploits, but Afterlife raised the bar, largely due to the glorious singing voice of partner Rachel Lloyd and guest vocalist Hermione. In October of 2000, Hed Kandi issued this package: a deluxe box containing the original album, a whole slew of remixes, and a few new tunes to boot. For Ibiza this would be perfect for a trip for the beach, but it serves the listener(s) better in the late-night hours where the breeze is right, the wine is chilled, and the lights are low. Sweet sugar vocals and a deep, throbbing bass with pervasive jazzy overtones define the overall sound of the two discs put together. The effect is very smooth, sensual, and funky. For variety there is a bit of atmospheric drum'n'bass tossed in, but it's just a passing notion. The most notable tracks are the remix of "Dub in Ya Mind;" "Glide;" "Cry;" and "Deeper -- Into Places;" -- either version. Try to get a picture of Sade with 4Hero in your mind and you have this one down. Heart music, love music, intimate music; this is truly in the "for lovers only" category.

Emancipator Dusk to Dawn

Dusk to Dawn is a journey of spine tingling tracks, where Emancipator a.k.a. Doug Appling and Violinist Ilya Goldberg blur the lines of hip-hop, rock and trip-hop with rhythms that ignite the soul. Over the past years, the Portland, OR based electronic producer has gained a cult following across the globe with his euphoric melodies, crip layering and seductive drum patterns. Emancipator did not disappoint on his latest full-length.  Dusk to Dawn is another mix of airy ethereal trip-hop music that lets you smile your day away.

Tor Drum Therapy

Drum Therapy is the Trip-Hop debut album from Canadian producer Tor. It combines layers of downtempo melodic beats, organic instrumentation, and the unmistakable sounds of dusty samples. For the album, Tor mined everything from 60’s Italian film scores and long-lost Turkish psych records, to Celtic folk hymns, exotic eastern instruments and deep south gospel. He also played many of the non-sampled elements himself, and treated the sounds to give them the warmth & texture he had always wanted the album to have.

Reviews edited from: Lori Records and allmusic.com :)