DOM
SERVINI @ Wah Wah 45
Balkan Express (Panoptikum
Remix) - The RTB Big Band - Bloody amazing music from Zeljko's
excellent Cosmic Sounds label. Balkan Express was introduced to the
masses a couple of years ago via a CS Lp of the same name, and comes as
part of the much anticipated CS remix project, with the Panoptikum
remix coming from Austria's Les Gammas outfit (cheers Tom)!! Eastern
European jazz meets Millenial 2-step jazz in a right royal mash up!
Essential.
CURL CURL aka Phil Broekmann @ Compost Records
First CD album to make me
having fun cooking my dinner!! Great Stuff!! (favourite track: Gak Sato
remix)
DUSTY GROOVE AMERICA
Classic European
jazz --
remixed! For the past few years, the Cosmic Sounds label has been doing
an excellent job of uncovering older European jazz recordings --
particularly Eastern European ones -- and their compilations of rare
jazz tracks have been some of our favorites in recent years. This set
does a good job of showing the bridge between those older tracks and
some of the newer grooves coming out of the British, German, and
Italian scenes -- as it features a host of great DJs remixing those
older classics, handling the work with a lot of respect for the
originals, but also updating the grooves and rhythm patterns for a
modern dancefloor. In addition, the Cosmic Sounds label has also been
presenting some newer artists of their own, and tracks by a few of
those artists are also included in the remixery of the album!
CHRIS
VULTURE
I'm a bit of a late starter
with Cosmic Sounds, as Zeljko Kerleta has been releasing a mix of
super-obscure Iron Curtain vintage jazz and modern cut and paste jazzy
beats since 1999, but this newly released celebratory double LP of
re-workings drawn from the back catalogue has really brought me up to
speed in the most entertaining way. Throughout you can tell that this
label has quality written all over it's output, and more.an arty
sophistication of sorts, but not at all aloof. This album is choc-full
of cuts to grace percussion-infected dance floors everywhere and is
never, ever self- indulgent. A lot of this gear is seriously good-time
dance music, but also is stuff that will enrich your lug'oles at the
same time. Bargain! So, what of the tracks themselves: The Nicola Conte
live arrangement of American Jazz Flute and sax players 'Way in Blues'
kicks things off nicely, laying the cards on the table for the parts of
this LP that choose to play fast and loose with the 60's jazz cuts;
seriously sweet piano and vibes laced with Latin percussion and scat
singing. It's smooth and utterly authentic; although only small
elements of the track are of any actual vintage, you would swear blind
this was the genuine article. That shows some master craftsmanship from
its creator, right enough. This theme is carried on for the next track,
Ennio Styles' remix of SHQ's 'Cuban Chant'. The piano jazz mutates
progressively into a more modern beast as crunching beats and squidgy
synth take up the slack and ride the tune for all its worth until we
are bang up to date. Magic stuff! Then for the first time we get a
glimpse of the modern side of the Cosmic Sounds catalogue; several high
class remixes of Arkestra One cuts; The animals' friend Johnny Morris
guides us through some mutant disco on 'Filling it with Song', twiddled
around by Panoptikum; Gak Sato serves up 'I Really Want You' with
driving insistence, and if I'm not mistaken grabs an achingly beautiful
strings phrase from the Janko Nilovic LP that was kindly slipped in
along with this album. This is perhaps my fave track-its almost
hypnotic. The other one to capture my attention above the pack was the
closing Belgrade Sound System remix of Coxless Pair's 'Contemplation';
I'm a bit of a sucker for the kind of scary beats dished up by the
likes of Third Eye Foundation y'see, and this does the trick just as
effectively- massive drums kick hell out of a single skwonking horn
parp with dub set to maximum.oh yes, this is the stuff all right! D'ya
get the impression that I really enjoyed this LP? You'd be right.a
righteous celebration of the goodness served up from a label that both
strives to progress with its new moves and diligently protects the
legacy of the masters of Eastern European jazz at one and the same
time.without doubt this LP is a concise illustration of those high
standards and long may they continue, 'cos I'll be with them from here
on in.
THEVIBES.NET, Italy
Click here for the ITALIAN
REVIEW
MARK
'XANGO' / 'Satelliet', Holland
Great, great, great stuff! My
mom will thank me for playing these ones. 3rd of March it was album of
the week on our 'Satelliet' - radioshow and we'll be playing it a lot
more, I'm sure. Some very strong elasticism between the 1960's/1970's
and our present time. Cosmic Sounds is making us very happy here in
Groningen. Personal favourite - I prefer doing the dishes while playing
this one, Curly - is the Crate Soul brothers - opinion on Arkestra One.
But the bunnies out here love to rock their bums to the Ennio Styles -
treatment most.
RAW DEAL
@ Groove Sanctuary
"I really love Mr. Nicola
Conte's remix. Bloody hell, can't this man do no wrong? Me likes Eddy
& Dus's funk run down, groove on!"
STRAIGHT NO CHASER spring 2003 / by
Andy Thomas
Whilst Zeljko
Kerleta's @Balkan
Express@ compilation opened our ears to the breadth and quality of
Yugoslavian jazz during the Sixties and Seventies, his Cosmic Sounds
label has also been responsible for pushing the new sounds of Serbia.
This project from the London based, Belgrade jazz obsessive, covers
both bases with reworkings from the some of those producers who have
championed the label. The album opens in fine style with Nocola Conte
adding his cinematic jazz touch to Jerome Richardson's 'Way In Blues'
befor Ennio Styles prescient update of Karel Velebny & SHQ's
version of 'Cubano Chant'. Other high points include Panoptikum's
analogue heavy mix of RTB Big Band's 'Balkan Express', Kerleta's own
mix of Dusko Gojkovic's 'Quo Vadis Samba' and the wonderfullly entitled
Belgradeyard Sound System and their free jazz meets dub mix of Coxless
Pair's 'Contemplation'.
STRAIGHT
NO CHASER spring 2003 / by
Dom Servini
ARKESTRA ONE - SEU
PARAISO
(CRATE SOUL BROTHER REMIX)
Hungary's answer to the Krey twins, Igor and Stephanovs, from Budapest
use their guerilla tactics to soil this sweet, innocent ditty from the
very sultry Arkestra One. The result is a filthy, bass heavy percussive
workout that's highly reccomended.
SUEFO,
Hungary
Click here for the HUNGARIAN
REVIEW
FREEFALL BY DAVID BASSIN
Check Freefall's the best of 2003
B-92
Check B-92's the best of 2003
JON FREER
Label founder
Zeljko Kerleta
shows the world what his remarkable Cosmic Sounds imprint is all about,
with a European wide selection of reinterpretations. Bridging that gap
between live freeform Jazz and the so-called nu- jazz and electronic
underground, the quality of material is second to none. Zelijko himself
retools Dusko Gojkovic's "Quo Samba" to produce an excited buoyant
version, with an enchanting secretive trumpet and flugelhorn duet,
tuneful probing vocals, a mellow pulsating bass and defined set in ways
percussion. Arkestra One's blindingly beautiful "I Really Want You"
gets an equally stunning overhaul from Gak Sato, where smile inducing
yearning vocals, magical delightful keys, expanding exposed percussion
and elegant heart-felt strings combine. The Crate Soul Brothers also
retouch an Arkestra One track; this time "Seu Paraiso gets a makeover
courtesy of a manipulative 2-stepped crazy bass, loving vibe-keys,
morose whimpering strings and broken down breaks. Coxless Pair's
"Contemplation" gets dubbified overhaul from The Belgradeyard
Soundsystem, with thinking strings, timeless creaking brass, bottomless
atmospherics laden bass and instinctive stop-start percussion. A
winning set of universally applicable remixes.
MARK
TURNER aka DJ Rocky Rococo @
Jazzadelica
Yippee! I think this is
just
what was needed to draw more attention to the label. Great selection of
remixers! My favorite tracks are the SHQ remix by Ennio Styles, and the
Arkestra One remixes by Gak Sato and Crate Soul Brothers. But I really
like all the tracks.
DJ MARCIA
CARR @ Talkingmusic Production
Collectively, it's a great
selection of jazzed out vibes with some nice drum and bass touches and
even the subtle House injections truly work on the induvidual tracks. I
really am diggin' "Balkan Express" - it's got a Repercussions, Brand
New Heavy and late Roy Ayers retro electro vibes vibe. "Way In Blues"
is simply fabulous! Ennio Styles's "Cubano Chant" took me back to the
sounds of Horace Silver's Acid Pots and Pills lp (I think that's it not
got it to hand). That midway funky drum and bongo freestyle session
rocks well with the chants. The kind of broken jazz beats cum jazz
fusion ingrediants on the Eddy & Duss remix of "Filling It With
Song" are sulbime for a frreaky dance floor work out. A well put
together compilation and an equally cutting set of remixes merging the
source of jazz that was yesterday, camouflaged perfectly to some soul
redeemed concocted flavours and remade for the dance floors of now.
Essential 5/5
MARK TURNER aka Rocky Rococo @
Jazzadelica
Top-flight remixers
tackle the
Cosmic Sounds back catalog with unanimous success. Personal favorites
include "Cubano Chant" as remixed by Ennio Styles, plus some Arkestra
One reworks from Gak Sato and Crate Soul Brothers. Volume 2 coming
soon!
GROOVE
DISTRIBUTION
The best of the brilliant
COSMIC SOUNDS label, whose catalog most clearly draws the link between
70's jazz fusion and nu-jazz/broken beat..
DJ MARY
FLAVORS, Canada
This compilation is full
of
life, the remixes are an aural delight! All artists on this label is
worth an encore!!!!!!
ILYA RASSKAZOV, Russia
Click here for review in RUSSIAN
PICCADILLY
RECORDS
The Cosmic Sounds archive
of
rare / obscure Eastern European / Balkans jazz gets remixed by some
cool nu-jazz heads. Includes Eddy & Dus, Nicola Conte, Ennio
Styles, Panopticum (Les Gammas) on the mix, providing everything from
latin-jazz to broken beats, nu-jazz and easy samba grooves. The best
release yet from Cosmic Sounds.
JAZZWISE,
May 2003, page 58
Over the last few years, Cosmic
Sounds has been building a tasty catalogue of, mainly, Eastern European
jazz and fusion. This just takes it one stage further. Production
values are necessarily strong and the whole package echoes with taste.
There are some real floor burners here and that's where this album will
surely come into it's own. Adding Colin Hopkins on piano and synth
transforms SHQ's 'Cubano Chant' and if it swung before this version
will leave crowds footsore and weary. Same goes for Panoptikum's
'fusion remix' of the RTB Big Band's 'Balkan Express' and Nicola
Conte's bass heavy, pounding take on Jerome Richardson's 'Way In
Blues'. But it's the three Arkestra One (aka Matthew Timoney) tracks
that really lift this album. Any connection with Sun Ra is in name
only. This is some really funky, ambient, techno shit and 'I Really
Want You' thumps with bass and Nina Miranda's (?) vocals float across
the surface. If anything, 'Seu Paraiso' is better yet with a mix of
sounds from Spanish guitar to clave-like electronic percussion and a
coffee'n'cream vocal from Miranda. Good stuff that will shift a good
few units, as they say. (DUNCAN HEINING)
夜更けにジャジーな気分に酔いたい
文字通り、コズミック＆
スペイシーなジャズ（東欧）の
リミックス集。今宵はアダルトな
ムードにドップリ浸って、
ワイン片手に過ごしたい、
なんて人はコレ！
闇がいっそう濃く深くなります。
ニコラ・コンテ、ガクSATO参加。
ヨーロピアン･ジャズ･ビーツ最新型コン
ピ!!!
須永さん直系の大スイセン盤!!ダスコ･
ゴイコヴィッチなど東欧ジャズ･リイシューやアーケストラ･ワンのリリースでお馴染みUKジャズ･レーベル、コズミック・サウンズからのリミックス･アル
バム!!
まずジェロム・リチャードソンのニコラ・コンテREMIXは、ラテン・タッチのスキャット＆
ヴァイブがお洒落に舞うモダン・ジャズREMIX当然の最高作!!ところがこの場合、SHQ"CUBANO
CHANT"のエンニオ・スタイルREMIXがもっとももっとヤバかった!!オリジナルのラテン風味を活かしつつ、パーカッシヴなアフロ・キューバン・
ジャズ・ビーツへと仕上げた須永さん直系今時ジャズ・ファンは絶対チェックのお仕事!他にもガク・サトウなども参加した全8曲、隙なしのクール・ジャズ・
サウンド最新型!!
ED, Whurrier, California, U.S.A.
i,m basically a guitar guy, but do i love this album!!! i just got this album this morning,and i,m on my fourth listening in a row. this cd will really re-arrange your brain cells!!!! most excellent and ultra cool!!!
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