Kuba - Bringing It All Back Home

[Trance2MoveU]

Artist: Kuba
Title: Bringing It All Back Home
Label: Chillcode Music
Date: November 2009


1. Monk Dust
2. Wheres Fragga
3. A Shoe String (Spaff Mix feat. Shaky)
4. They all went to a party
5. The sky you are (feat. Tiago Coimbra)
6. It keeps us down to size (feat. Michele Adamson)
7. Mushroom Daddy in Dub (feat. Charlie Shuttler)
8. Make me Water
9. Keep Walking (feat. Michele Adamson)
10. Bringin it all back home
11. Maria from Huddersfield
12. Tangerine World


Kuba is Laurence Harvey and this is his fourth full length album. This is a guy that doesn't get boxed into any one specific genre. He is a downtempo artist, but just as easily floats from ambient to dub to world. He uses real instruments to weave them seamlessly with his electronics. His last album "How The Future Sounded" was very good, but his album before that "Through A Lense" was incredible. Chillcode Music (formerly Chillcode Records) has released his last three as well as efforts by Human Blue and Entheogenic. They have been rather quiet lately so let's see what they have in store. The cover is a smooth bit of afternoon sun, showcasing a guitar in front of a bird's wing.

What I like about his tracks is that they are short. I mentioned this when I reviewed the Duca album "After Dark", that they are short enough to keep the mind interested without becoming a listening burden due to great length. And with the way he jumps from genre to genre, anticipation is always high. Right off the bat,"Monk Dust" is a smooth breakbeat journey with a chanting monk in the beginning. This gives me the feeling of being on the beach in late afternoon with the wind blowing. Groovy. Gently plucked guitar strings over a tabla allow me to remain introspective in "Where's Fragga." I find the bass a little too overwhelming on this one, but that is being nitpicky.

I don't care for the speaking/singing over the nice reggae piano in "A Shoe String" as it ruins the flow that the previous two tracks generated. It's mellow and the music backing it is nice, but it just isn't my taste. "The Sky You Are" is a pleasant track with a guitar backing a flute melody leading me back to happier times. Michele Adamson lends her voice (I suppose that is her) to the breakbeat "It Keeps Us Down To Size." Her voice floats over the irregular percussive beat, and sounds a little like Enya would. Out of nowhere comes "Make Me Water" and it seems like Vibrasphere joined the party. This is the only upbeat track on the disc, but it maintains that sun kissed afternoon flow.

This album is a nice walk on a sunny beach by yourself. It is smooth and mellow, allowing your mind to wander playfully. Boundaries are crossed without looking back and makes the whole disc seem like a full package. The real instruments (true to form) fit in very nicely with the assorted psychedelia more in an enhancing role. Even the vocals are dreamy never jarring you awake from your reverie. Very enjoyable.


Psyshop

Mdk