Review: Brighton Treats compilations by Rob Luis

Various Artists
BRIGHTON TREATS WITH JAMAICAN BEATS
Compiled and Mixed by Robert Luis
[Mieven]

Various Artists
BRIGHTON TREATS WITH POPPED BEATS
Compiled and Mixed by Robert Luis
[Mieven]

The heads among you will be wondering why on earth I'm "reviewing" a pair of compilation albums that not only came out more than five years ago, but also in such small quantities (allegedly only 400 copies of each!) most everyone on the planet has little hope of procuring a copy. Not that I'm advocating illegal downloading or file-sharing, but I'm sure if you try hard enough you'll track these two gems down. The rewards are well worth the efforts, regardless of any legal wrangles which may ensue. Tru Thoughts label-founder Robert Luis butters up both selections with a fine array of music from his own label, among a deft selection of tunes from across the spectrum.

Brighton Treats With Jamaican Beats sees Luis lay out a chilled selection on disc one with a bunch of rare reggae tunes and downtempo grooves, while on disc two he throws down a tougher blend of hip hop, drum and bass, reggae and dancehall. This is all top shelf material, covering Junior Murvin, Byron Lee, The Upsetters, Papa Levi, Nina Simone, The Specials, Ghostface Killah, Butch Cassidy Soundsystem, El Michels Affair, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Emanon, Pete Rock, Lily Allen, Digitek, Lightning Head, Quantic, PD Syndicate, Stylo - and many more besides.

Brighton Treats With Popped Beats takes a different tack altogether, with Luis assembling a massive collection of covers, mixes, remixes, originals and rarities that have tickled the British Top 40 at some point over the last decades. It's a broad, sweeping selection that sees the underground collide headfirst with pop music, and with the likes of N*E*R*D, Breaks Co-Op, Olive, Radiohead, Christina Aguilera, Aretha Franklin, Zero 7, Eminem, Portishead, The Wild Bunch, Texas, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, John Legend, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and plenty more on board, this is one of the greater guilty pleasures in my record collection.

4 stars from 5 (both compilations)

Check out my review of Tru Thoughts Shapes 11.01, also compiled by Robert Luis.

Review: Tru Thoughts 'Shapes 11.01' Compiled by Robert Luis

Various Artists
SHAPES 11.01
Compiled by Robert Luis
[Tru Thoughts]

Throwing shapes. Making shapes. Whatever. For me, the word 'Shapes' will forever be associated with semi-regular lable compilations from Brighton-based independent Tru Thoughts. For the past wee while they've been putting out often double-disc (and recently on vinyl, too!) selections of tunes old and new; and 2011 is no different, with co-owner Robert Luis again compiling a bespoke collection reflecting the label's eclectic musical vision. Brand new signings (Mark de Clive-Lowe, Anchorsong, Benji Boko) nestle alongside old hands (Quantic, Kinny, Hint), plus all sorts of other goodies, including previously unreleased tracks (which are actually quite good, not just outtakes), new remixes and guest appearances from Aloe Blacc, Bembe Segue, Tawiah, Skream and Mark Pritchard. Shapes 11.01 is divided into two discs, and disc one is the clear winner in terms of sheer "listenability". Standouts include Lanu (aka Bamboos' main-man Lance Fergsuon) and Megan Washington's quirky Roosevelt Blues; Belleruche's classy, stripped-back dancefloor-pleaser Northern Girls; the effortless soulful pop of Lost Baggage, from Kinny (currently working with De La Soul on their next single); Portada Del Mar, my faourite track from the Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno album Dog With A Rope - plus Dr Dre re-interpreted cumbia-style with Nuthin' But A 'G' Thing given a radical rework by Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo. All of this alongside the hazy glitch of Anchorsong's Plum Rain and the thrust and impetus of Hidden Orchestra's duelling drummers on Dust; while, elsewhere, Tawiah teams up with Maddslinky for the future funk twist of Hiding Place, Tenor Fly adds toasting style vocals to Smerins Anti-Social Club's mad reggae version of the Dr Who theme, and Anthony Mills and Freddie Cruger's hit-and-miss Wildcookie collab contributes one of their better tracks with Serious Drug. Even if it purports to be more mellow, CD1 really is an absolute belter of a selection. Standouts on disc two feature Bembe Segue and Nia Andrews adding funky, gritty prettiness to Push (itself one of Mark de Clive-Lowe's most complete pieces of tough future funk from his recent Renegades album); a trip back to Lanu's self-titled debut album for Tru Thoughts with the funky breakbeat of Mother Earth, featuring Quantic (guitar) and Aloe Blacc (vocals); J Boogie adding a little club-flavoured beat-spice to Quantic and His Combo Barbaro's already fetching Un Canto A Mi Tierra; electro-styled bleep-funk courtesy of Beta Hector and their Jupiter Mission - which sounds exactly as the title suggests; a mad mash up of glam synth funk and dubstep with glitch-tech via dancehall on speed, thanks to Be Electric, from the also appropriately monikered Randomer; and Maddslinky and Skream seriously upping the wobble-factor with 50 Shades Of Peng. Disc two, while inarguably fresh and exciting, is perhaps just a little too ambitious and varied in its musical spread to consistently please these ears - but that could be splitting hairs. Either way, the "future music" found - particularly on the second disc - on Shapes 11.01 brings not just freshness and excitement, but also a certain sense of balance, to what is ultimately yet another compelling collection showcasing one of the most thrilling independent music labels ever to really give a shit.

4 stars from 5

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