Customer Reviews

Artantica

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For UDS fans, this is a solid disc. Very influenced by JunkieXL; trip hoppy, drum n bass clips, and even a straight up hip hop jam!

They may never catch on in America, but thats OK, we've got Kid Rock...maybe I'll move to Amsterdam.

A polished, mature effort from UDS. Here, we find the band at the height of their powers, especially with DNA back on turntables. They're hitting on all cylinders with this one. Every song is perfectly crafted. Creativity, variety, inspiration, craftsmanship ... everything you could have wanted from them. And it all comes together as a cohesive whole. As it turns out, they broke up after this album. A great loss for the musical world. But you couldn't have asked for a better album to go out on. And "Music Entertainent" is a perfect final song. Their five album legacy is incredible. They'll be very fondly remembered.

I have been a UDS fan since Mental Floss came out--and I was evil enough to convince my little brother he was so sick with the flu he couldn't go to the show and should let me go instead. Sorry, Daan, that was not so nice.

Their show rocked, BTW, and the big surprise is that the Squad, after 11 years and 3 break-ups (am I counting correctly?), still rock. It is no credit to the music industry that their tunes and execution are still unmatched--you can keep your Rage Against the Machine and all their clones, I'll take the Squad over them anytime. Artantica features the original line-up; the Squad was always a versatile and volatile band, their fights and arguments all over the newspaper and the stage, but on this one they seem to have all their differences worked out. And the Squad sort of lives on--I just read, on DJ DNA's website (well, he's now called DJ Donotask), that another DNA/Rudeboy collaboration (The League of Extra-ordinary Gentlemen) is alive and kicking on the European stages.

Of course, not all the tracks are classics (and "Craftmatic Adjustable Girl" can't touch "Hitchhike Heidi," which already wasn't very good), but when they get it together, when the Rudeboy really has something to say (on "Ghost Called Loneliness" or "Q &A's On An O.D.," for instance), there is no stopping them. I am especially fond of the drums here; especially the double-time drumtracks on "Hard-Headed Headstrong" and "Q &A's" are fantastic. Like all UDS albums, Artantica sounds awesome--great mix, great clarity: it's absolutely necessary to have simplicity and transparency in this up-tempo, nervous kind of music.

The long and short of it is that the Squad have not mellowed out, and that this is not a rehashing of earlier stuff, it's rejuvenation--the lyrics are still blistering, the drums inciting, the bass rocks hard, and try find me a more creative guitar player than Tres Manos (OK--let's give props to Jean-Marie Aerts here, from whom he's learned a lot). The UDS is back, or was back, for a while; let's hope they'll be back again. Respect, to all the bands from the Low Countries who never really made it overseas--the Claw Boys Claw, TC Matic, the Trockener Kecks--but especially to the UDS, for sticking with it.

urban dance squad has taken awhile to release another album since there last but it was worth the wait. these songs are some what remanesent of there late 80s works and quite good at that. the techno/hiphop-rockers deliver phat beats to bang your head to or just get down on the dance floor. i recomened this album to any fan of the previous four albums, u wont be disapointed.

This is one of Urban Dance Squad's best albums. Mental Gloss is still definetly their very best, but this one captures the spirit and energy of their earlier work. It's too bad UDS never caught on in the states like the Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine, but this album is extremely well done.