Customer Reviews

Birdy Nam Nam

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

 

 

Somewhere between Aphex Twin and Sesame Street, between bubbly and unnerving, resides this extremely off-kilter, inventive marriage of sound that's part jazz, part lounge, part hip-hop. For a quartet of French DJs who readily admit they haven't yet learned how to play instruments or read music, this turntablism experiment comes across as brilliantly polished (no instruments were used while making the album, just other records). Even when confronted with tracks like "L'interlude de qualite," in which a contemplative flute accompanies what sounds like amplified field recordings of arachnids molting -- and "Rainstorming," which pairs a slacker groove with scary bipolar whispers -- the album never seems deliberately quirky. This is Bjork's turf; J Dilla's "Donuts" with broader horizons, Avalanches with a thicker resume. The glue that holds Nam Nam all together are the infectious, fluid beats underlying all the cut-and-paste layers, particularly strong on the polyrhythmic skin-burrowing ambi-prog morsel, "Migration." Look for Nam Nam to get even more inventive on future releases when the DJs teach themselves how to play instruments and begin sampling themselves.

Amazing. A revolution in turntabalism. I have never heard such creativity. If your into this kind of music, I suggest buying this, I was very pleased.

I don't have much to say that hasn't been said in the other 5 star reviews, but I felt that I should give this a 5 star rating in hopes of convincing more people to listen to Birdy Nam Nam. You'll be glad you did!

the french turntablism scene is something to keep an eye on folks. With crews like Birdy Nam Nam, C2C, Scratch Science, and a ton of others, the country has much to offer the genre. the first real example is the self titled lp, Birdy Nam Nam. Every song highlights a different production style and implementation of an array of different sounds and instruments. From beginning to end, this album is perfect. Do not expect your traditional tablist crew, scratch sentence filled, heavy scratch solo filled, hip hop sounding songs. This cd is an exploration in all things possible with the turntable / mixer combination. Much like Ricci Rucker's "FUGA" and Mike Boo's "Dunhill Drone Committee" and their joint venture "Sketch Book", this cd is more proof that dj's aren't dj's anymore. they're musicians with an endless catalog of sounds to choose from. Amazing. Simply Amazing.

When it comes to sheer skill using a mixer and turntable, these guys are the greatest I've ever seen. Their signature tonal scratching technique, fast crossfader flanger, and choice rhythms make them some of the most creative and awesome artists in the genre. On a personal note, the DVD that comes with this album is the real prize-winner, offering up a glimpse into their techniques and one of their best tracks (one they only play live), "Violins".

You won't be disappointed with this album.