Customer Reviews

Don Tiki Adulterated - The Remix Project

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

 

 

Every couple of years we are treated to a new neo-Exotica treasure from Honolulu's Don Tiki. The new album, Adulterated, is a remix project featuring 11 tunes from their first two albums.

Now I'm sure some of you are thinking this is a recipe for disaster (we are all too aware of failed "lounge" remix projects, right?). In this case, Don Tiki have done it the right way.

For the most part, the remixes stay true to the vibe of the original songs, so things are mellow and relaxing and not hyper and kinetic. Some good tracks in this mode are All Quiet Flows the Don, remixed by 8FatFat8, and Close Your Eyes, remixed by A Certain Frank.

Adulterated features three standout tracks, starting with DJ Jimmy B's remix of The Natives Are Restless. Now, we're big fans of the original song but Jimmy B's remix takes it up a notch. Extremely effective remix effects and nice spoken word pieces highlight this mix, along with chanting to die for. Br Cleve contributes a HiNRG "Bongo Congo" mix of Bwana Banana that somehow fits in even though this has a much higher BPM than the rest of the album. Lastly, Clutch Cargo Cult gets a great remix from 8FatFat8 that includes a nice rap by Julio Davis.

Now, things aren't all Mai Tai's for Adulterated. An Occasional Man has a syncopated remix style that I found annoying (honestly, I'm not a fan of the original version either) with several grating effects.

Overall, though, Adulterated delivers a unique brand of Exotica that could be featured in many discos without much notice. Don Tiki have done it again!

As implied by the title, this is a remix of classic Don Tiki sounds, which pay homage to Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman and all the forefathers of exotica. Even repertory tracks have been mixed, reshaped, refined and re-invented by a coterie of top deejays - call it Martin Denny for the millennium - and the tunes take on new sass. Among the delights: "The Other Side of the Moon" by Ursula 1000 of New York, "An Occasional Man" by Keith Kandell of Los Angeles, "Bwana Banana" by Br Cleve's Bongo Congo Mix of Boston, "Polyamore" by Poi Dog Pondering of Chicago and "All Quiet Flows the Don" by 8FatFat8 of Chicago. There's a mix of sultry, intermittent vocals with inventive instrumentals. This is party music that collates a myriad of styles, from exotic jazz to ska, from funk to pop. Light the tiki torches, turn on the lava lamps, haul out the tiki mask and start groovin!'

I just don't think this is all that good. Danceable? One or two songs. Most of the stuff is barely tolerable as background music. Granted, the starting material is not all that exciting, but the DJs struggle to get it up-tempo. The reviews, and the Product Review are way overstated. Need a clue? Look at the resale prices for this album - currently about $3.

Its my own fault really, I didn't listen to the music samples provided. This was suggested by amazon as a "Best Value" added to my purchse of a Pink Martini album. I assumed they would be similar. This album is nothing at all similar to Pink Martini. I wouldn't recommend it as an addition to one of those albums as Amazon is suggesting. its probably a really good album if you like this kind of music, just not my cup o tea.