Abakus - Reworks Vol. I & II

[Trance2MoveU]

 

 

 

Artist: Abakus
Title: Reworks Volume I & II
Label: Modus Recordings
Date: August, 2011

Vol. 1

1. California Sunshine
2. Igmatik
3. Night Walker
4. Lux Boutique
5. Under The Stars Pt. 1

Vol. 2

1. Lux Boutique (Greg Hunter Remix)
2. Cruise Control (Bluetech Remix)
3. Beyond the Fields (Jong Remix)
4. Igmatik (Tripswitch Remix)
5. Wasted Feeling (Solar Fields Remix)



Good God it is f*cking hot out here. I think I saw the thermometer hit 100 degrees Celsius. This is my wife's plant that I have somehow managed to keep alive for the better part of 5 years.



I moved it outside a few weeks ago because it wasn't getting enough sun. Now look at it. Pitiful. I don't claim to be able to speak with animals or plants; hell I can just barely hold it together speaking to people without wanting to punch them in the face. But here's how I imagine it would go if my plant could talk to me.

Plant: Jesus F*cking Christ, what the hell are you doing to me!?! You left me out here during a tornado! A Tornado!! Look at my leaves! At least get me some water you uncaring bastard!

Me: I just watered you yesterday.

Plant: So what motherf*cker, did you just have one drink yesterday? Why'd you move me out here anyway? Look, just take me back inside. It's cooler in there...I can't take this heat.

Me: No.

Plant: CMONNN!!!!!!! The f*cking ants are eating me alive and you tied me to a stake in the blazing sun like I was Jesus, show a little compassion!!

Me: No.

Plant: I'll suck your dick....

Me: What did you just say?

Plant: I'll...I'll suck...your...dick...

Me: How is that even possible? You don't even have a...No! No, you know what...this conversation is over!
*closes door*

Plant: Cmon, shoot one right in the pot! It'll be the best one you ever had....you limp dicked asshole.


"Go ahead George...light it up."



Abakus is Russel Davies son of Dave Davies founder of the Kinks. Wow, he took a left turn at his father's music didn't he? Actually he didn't, because daddy makes music with him in the ambient/progressive rock genre. His style is a little all over the place. Equally fluent in downtempo and ambient, he can also craft some electro and progressive type stuff. As a matter of fact he has a side project called Cinnamon Chasers which does exactly that. First album That Much Closer to the Sun was really good and his second wasn't bad either. Prisms (his third) continued his mish mash of styles, but I felt it was his weakest effort. He has a new album called Futurism Pt. 1 that came out this year, but this pair of digital EP's came out first.

Reworks Vol. 1 are his own remixes of some of his older tracks and Vol. 2 are done by other artists. You might know some of them.

Vol. I

The original California Sunshine was a mellow downtempo magic carpet ride where there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but the new one sees the bpm's get raised with an 80's synthpop feel. The chants are still there and the beat is good, so he seemed to do a remix right.

Igmatik- Probably my favorite track by Abakus. It had it all. Funk, groove, mystery...just a smooth piece of music. The newer version sports a fatter bass, big beats and funky rhythms. And there's some Miami Vice appeal as well for old bastards like me. Jan Hammer might be upset you stole his keytar, but you know...f*ck him.

Nightwalker is another of his smooth, dubby brand of electro tracks that has a real lounge component. Like it could've been played in a smoky jazz club. Gone is the quiet funk of the original with another nod to a more synth riff based type of track. Noisier, synthier, and more anger by Jan Hammer.

"I don't care...Black people can do a lot of things, but even they cannot make the keytar cool."

Lux Boutique was a soft ambient track with glitchy tendencies. Mellow for sure. Well, he electro synthed the crap out of the remix with enough autotune that makes Kanye blush. It's happy and reminds me of Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani and generic rapper.

Under the Stars Part 1 was from an Ep of the same name and it was a dreamy type of ambient floating with a trance background. Like all the tracks before in this first volume it seems shinier with a heavier electro influence. If you told me it was an instrumental by the Thompson Twins or Erasure I wouldn't slap the taste out of your momma's mouth.

"What did the five fingers say to the face?"

Vol. II

Lux Boutique (Greg Hunter Remix)- Slowest. Track. Ever. This is music heroin addicts use to overdose. Where the world is flying by, but your perception is in super slo mo.

 

 

 

Arizona State University takes its admittance qualifications seriously, believing it's never to young to start preparing.

Cruise Control (Bluetech Remix)- Never heard the original. Another slow (not suicidal) dubby tune that combines the warm beach vibe with sun shinning through icicles without melting them. It's got some wobble and seems to freeze time. Let's just say that if I still got high, you would be able to find me by the trail of empty Dorito bags.

Beyond The Fields (Jong Remix)- Another track that I haven't heard, but this is a smooth and happy electro tune. Sunny and warm it goes down like an afternoon at the beach. Floaty and comforting.

Igmatik- Brennan. Nick Brennan. Responsible for the most epic of the remixes on this series of Reworks, it has huge scope. Layers of running synths fly you to outer space as deep dubby bass rumbles on the bottom end. Massively soothing it's like when my kid releases the string of balloons he was holding. There is no crying...you just watch it go. Bee Yoo Tee Full.

"We'll uh...we'll just tell your mother she got kidnapped by some Mexicans."
"Dad, that's racist."
"It is? Shaddup...want some ice cream?"


Wasted Feeling (Solar Fields Remix)- Not to be outdone Mr. Magnus gives you a 10 minute track that combines the boredom of staring at a wall with the excitement of wasting time. Sorry Magnus, you have the midas touch, but would it kill you to give me something to focus on? As it stands, you have given me the soundtrack to me coming out of the bathroom.



So that's what you get with these two Reworks. A mixed bag really, but there is plenty of variety so points scored. Most of the tracks are good with the Tripswitch remix being spectacular. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to ah...water the plants. One plant in particular is gonna get so f*cking wet...



Beatport - Reworks Vol. I

Beatport - Reworks Vol. II

Mdk

[Trance2MoveU]

No views? None? Am I being boycotted?

 

Mdk

[Rotwang]

No views? None? Am I being boycotted?

 

Nope, it's just the shitty forum software. View counts are updated either when a new reply appears, or every few hours, or never. I've even seen a view count go down.

[Jon Cocco]

What? I didn't know they released anything since 2004's That Much Closer To The Sun I just found a new 2013 Abakus album called Silent Geometry, really good below. Google also brought me here.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc7vDtQ8Qso