Customer Reviews

The Life and Times of Phoebus Brumal

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

 

 

The Fila's are some sort of a mircale. It's hard to comprehend where those mega-producers get their ideas from - I mean they throw their stuff at the masses as if it's lying in their backyard. Yet every release is full of twists and turns that sound fresh and new and in a way unheard before. 'Pheobus' is another masterpiece...

...although it had to grow on me. At first I expected it to be a bit laid back. Well, although it's definitely downbeat it's not dozy a la K&D. Hanging out somewhere, resting your limbs, listening to some meditative beats - forget it! This album will have you on your feet flippin' away! Especially the first third of the album is devoted to fat drums and screaming guitars with 'Blowhole' being some sort of a climax. After that it goes into smoother waters...

My personal favourites are the pieces with blaring brass (namely 'Thatched Neon' and the ambient smasher 'Uberboff'). 'Madam Levefre' is one of the funkiest pieces of music I've heard this year.

Aynway, a great album. Again. Buy!

Just when you think these guys are at the top of their game musically, the amazing duo of Fila Brazillia comes out with a new group of original sounding tracks that surpass their previous releases. "The Life and Times of Phoebus Brumal" sounds like nothing else FB has done, offering the listener a vast array of organic funk, breakbeat, rock, house and yeeees even...(cringing)...rap--albeit the tolerable kind. I can't actually grasp the album concept just yet, but I'm satisfied in knowing that I have another CD from FB that I can enjoy over and over again, discovering something different each time I listen. Stand out tracks to me without a doubt are: "Romantic Adventure", "Madme Le Fevre", "Blowhole" and "In the Kingdom of Sound"...although each track is amazing in its own right. Highly Recommended!!!

The effort and ideas that went into this album are apllaudable, but many songs just seem a little too random in terms of the elements they bring in. I bought this cd for its fusion of jazzy melodies and a foot-tapping beat similar to St. Germain in "you won't let me rock". The group does phenomenally in the jazzy songs and organic jams but also likes to break it down into new-school electronica or rap (Papa V. sounds like someone I hear in Thievery Corporation)with lots of changes and effects.

Fila Brazillia, the downtempo machine that never stop churning, presents their 9th studio album, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PHOEBUS BRUMAL. I don't know how they manage such tight quality control after so long, but they do it. The melodies are kept tight, and the beats are solid. The strict house beat "Platinum Spider" gives way to the loose and funky breaks of "Underpuppy." These tracks have much shorter track times, which makes them seem both to move faster and to be underdeveloped. Certainly, after the magnificence of JUMP LEADS, there's some edge taken off, but the deep throbs and harpsichord of "Thatched Neon" that lead into some horny jazz or the country-western soul thump of "You Won't Let Me Rock" help recapture the strength. "La Boulangerie Digitale" is as close to pure techno as they've ever come; "Boca Raton" keeps the tech feel, but lightens it some. Though Djinji Brown makes an appearance, his involvement is thankfully kept to a minimum. The final track, "Kingdom of Sound," suffers from his lackluster skills. A mar in an otherwise wonderful album and another change of direction from the Fila boys.

If this is the first Fila Brazilla CD you plan to purchase, PLEASE STOP and redirect your attention to earlier works (most notably "Touch Of Cloth"). Indeed I can't help but feel this album continues a trend started with the release of "Another Late Night" and continued through "Jump Leads". I long for the clever and classic sounds found on their many earlier albums and found myself cringing several times while listening to this cd. Having said that, there are 3 or 4 songs in the middle of the cd that I either liked, or feel might eventually grow on me. Sadly, 4 songs doesn't quite make a complete album. Here's to the old days!