Innovation...captured in flight...from experimental electronic to jazzy on “The Melody” (purchase/download) , garage, quasarish techno breakbeat and spacey disco, culminating in this release from of one of dance music’s famous groundbreakers. Those are a lot of titles to hold down and thereby many Sessions must the motor city’s Carl Craig have been involved in, in order to be able to bless us with this double album collection. Craig is one of these guys who I’m not afraid to admit I have heard, but never knew it was him or never heard within my party clique.
The songs
Movement is constant within these beats featuring “interesting” cover remixes of songs by various artists from the Junior Boys “Like A Child” to Francesco Tristano; Faze Action to X-Press 2’s “Kill 100” (purchase/download) which is a curious title for a jam whose hook says “I feel love, I feel love” and nevertheless is my preferred jam of both discs. Otherwise, in general it is pumpin and oft dreamy double dynamite. On the other tip, his assorted “ “Reconstructeds”, “never released befores”, remixes and new hit material is good as an in-the-mix interlude, or to set up a particular mood on the dancefloor or maybe at a fashion show. As a straight-up listen it can get slightly monotonous unless used as a background for, if you are like, cleaning up around the house, so watch out for possible droning especially on CD One. Sessions has two identities, with CD Two being the most fierce and amenable to cup-caking.
Watch your language
Planning on radio play? Be sure to edit over or out the ferocious f-bomb in an almost melancholic, deep alien voice at the end of the first track, “Angel” (purchase/download) on CD two. It is otherwise a sexy, courting techno track in the mode of a downtempo Jungle brothers mix. So if you ever wanted to be involved in some “sessions” (maybe it is a studio fantasy), with a true leader, then this is your chance be you a purveyor or participant in the scene. Throw on your headphones, find a place to close your eyes without endangering your safety, like maybe the running trail or gym...and move your body!
Overall
The production alone is clean and excellent here, while the tracks seem to want to take us on a journey. So forget the half-steppin’ next time; this time gets three-and-a-half emotion-straddling stars.
Release on !k7 Records - February 26,2008
