Steve Lawler [Dark Drums - Volume 2]
I played this disc almost a year ago [14th November 2011], and there i expressed my feelings about my first ever listening experience, i felt it was monotonous to a degree, but also an excitement that i was developing into something new, i was excited enough to want to listen to this again, and that time would tell if i would fall in love with the album, well this is my second listen, and i must admit that my feelings have improved for the album, i now see that each track has more variety than i at first thought, also each track is so more entertaining than on first listen, yes it's working!, i'm really delving into new areas of different genres to love, i'm more excited about this disc than i was before, plus i'm more excited about music than i was ever before.
Steve Lawler is an English DJ and Record Producer, he's now roughly 39, he made this disc in 2001, ok not exactly his own music, but using other peoples music as a base to create different mixes from, i like the front cover [photo by Carlos Amoedo], of some shutters on a window, or slats on a door or something, i like the fish eye feel of the whole thing, nice curved lines that are in fact really straight in life, plus the excellent different hues of blue, a really creative choice of a front cover.
The tracks that really affected me this time were 4, 6-8 & 11, yes there's a great sense of individuality that i didn't hear the first time around, now i see all these 'identical twins' as actually separate and different pregnancies, and i feel that the very best tracks are 4 & 11, notice also that i've rubbed some number transfers on the back, as each track is one out, and inadvertently calling the short intro as track one, when really it's tagged into the real first track [called track 2 on this album], and thus really there's only 11 tracks total, so here's a short synopsis of these two tracks.
4 Frankie Carbone - Everybody, the best track on the album as far as i'm concerned, there's a really excellent beat to the whole thing, with a wonderful wood block tapping rhythm, with a bass warble alongside, now that's a great start to the track, yes it's monotonous in certain ways, but that's the whole point, it consistently gets on your good nerves, further along after a few diversions, the main theme returns [3:03+], this time with a stronger beat / rhythm, a lovely moment, and the same happens two minutes later [5:18], wow strong moments of satisfaction, because the whole disc is a mix, means that each track merges and transforms into the next, but even the transition is great.
11 Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend / Foremost Poets - Moonraker, this track starts at 1:02:35 on the YouTube link, with two tracks mixed over each other, while the Robert Owens beat goes on, the Foremost Poets tracks 'announcement' introduces the piece, a mans deep bass voice as a DJ [0:00-2:36], warning people over the intercom 'please do not be alarmed, remain calm...', deep and electronic, slowed down slightly, it's like Barry White slurring away, i love it, he goes on and on, in almost a rhythmic but not rap style, '...the past, the present, the future', the musical rhythm is excellent, using two extremes, one complex deep bass drum, while a simpler treble drum beat over it, after the vocal intro, the music die down to a throbbing bass [2:35-2:58], and then opens out into more complex cymbals [2:58+], the guy naturally seems to know what will musically float your boat, the last half of the track is quite repetitive 'i'll be your friend', almost add infinitum, towards the close a nice trumpet solo comes [7:10-8:21], the ending is nice, the thing closes down into a bubbly bass rhythm solo [9:20-9:45], another disc that i'm falling in love with.
4 Frankie Carbone - Everybody, the best track on the album as far as i'm concerned, there's a really excellent beat to the whole thing, with a wonderful wood block tapping rhythm, with a bass warble alongside, now that's a great start to the track, yes it's monotonous in certain ways, but that's the whole point, it consistently gets on your good nerves, further along after a few diversions, the main theme returns [3:03+], this time with a stronger beat / rhythm, a lovely moment, and the same happens two minutes later [5:18], wow strong moments of satisfaction, because the whole disc is a mix, means that each track merges and transforms into the next, but even the transition is great.
11 Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend / Foremost Poets - Moonraker, this track starts at 1:02:35 on the YouTube link, with two tracks mixed over each other, while the Robert Owens beat goes on, the Foremost Poets tracks 'announcement' introduces the piece, a mans deep bass voice as a DJ [0:00-2:36], warning people over the intercom 'please do not be alarmed, remain calm...', deep and electronic, slowed down slightly, it's like Barry White slurring away, i love it, he goes on and on, in almost a rhythmic but not rap style, '...the past, the present, the future', the musical rhythm is excellent, using two extremes, one complex deep bass drum, while a simpler treble drum beat over it, after the vocal intro, the music die down to a throbbing bass [2:35-2:58], and then opens out into more complex cymbals [2:58+], the guy naturally seems to know what will musically float your boat, the last half of the track is quite repetitive 'i'll be your friend', almost add infinitum, towards the close a nice trumpet solo comes [7:10-8:21], the ending is nice, the thing closes down into a bubbly bass rhythm solo [9:20-9:45], another disc that i'm falling in love with.
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