Customer Reviews

Fast Asleep

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

 

 

This album was a pleasant surprise. While not as diverse and upbeat as my favorite "Hed Phone Sex", it is nice, relaxed, and diverse - with a good mixture of shorter and longer tracks. While the tracks are relaxing, the album certainly won't make you fall asleep - but it is certainly is good music to read by.

The DVD that comes with this album features about half the tracks and comes with visuals that are at times stunning, at times funny, and overall make it a long trippy experience.

This CD/DVD package is one of my favorite recent purchases. Funki Porcini expands on his trademark jazz/psychedelic/downtempo sound and incorporates some lush ambient atmospheres. The DVD strikes me as something Pink Floyd could have created if they were still in business. It's that good. However, it may not be suitable for your typical no-attention span having American. It's subtle, deep, and patient. I highly recommend this to anyone searching for meaningful music and visuals.

Great music for getting that floaty feeling. Catchy ambient sounds and melodies, using many natural sounding instruments give it a good jazzy groove. Also contains a DVD with what I've heard termed as 'visualisations' for all the songs. They're not exactly videos, but neat little visual snippets with a very spacy, meditative feel. Great public transportation music.

Has the world passed Funki Porcini by? _The Ultimately Empty Million Pounds_ was disappointing, so how will _Fast Asleep_ fare? The throttled samples from his earlier albums are still there in the opening, "What Are You Looking At?", as are the the more ambient tracks, such as "The Big Sea." But the funky part of Funki Porcini is present as well, whether in the "We're Out of Here" interlude or the jazz of "16 Megatons." Porcini seems to be drifting much more on this album, perhaps taking the spirit of "50,000 Ft. Freefall" too much to heart. "The Great Drive By" sort of keeps on going, and "Weow" doesn't quite develop into a full song. But that doesn't mean you can't take pleasure in the short and subtle "Sleepy" or the classical-tinged "Last Night Over Norway." What I miss most, however, is the sense of humor that he had on his first two albums. It makes a brief appearance on "Terminal C3 UK" and the closer "Back Home," but in short supply elsewhere. Ah, well. Maybe this will serve as a wake-up call.

This is a curious bit of music that fits somewhere between ambient and jazzy electronic grooves;think The Orb meets Brian Eno. It is for the most part very enjoyable music that allows you to partake in some other activity as it is not obtrusive. It is perfect music for doing something creative like art or some craft as the music flows through you enriching your activity. Of particular note are the songs "We're out of here" that recalls the spirit of Jimmy Smith on organ and has a nice bluesy-jazz groove that is updated with electronic dance elements, "Sleepy" that is a nice jazzy tune which features a harrowing trumpet blowing a slow meditative Miles Davisesque Bithches Brew feel," 16 Megatons" has an erie feel of futuristic doom with cool foreign vocals added for effect and "Tokyosaka Train" that sounds like a theme for a sci-fi movie taking place on the metro in Japan. All the songs are good heady stuff. The accompanying visuals on the DVD play into the grroves of the CD songs and look like someone's college work for their media class. They are rather esoteric visuals of colors exploding and morphing into surreal images that are as trippy as the music. If you are in the mood to be drawn into an otherworldly musical and visual experience than you will like the videos. Personally I didn't like them that much and refused to be drawn in but rather went about my business and listened and gave an occasional glance; I didn't miss much as it was rather repetitive.If you like electronica-infused-jazz-ambient music than you will enjoy this disc. Recommended for relaxation of the mind.

This album is good all around, but I am particularly amazed by track 6, "The Great Drive By". Smooth and washy....relaxing.