Customer Reviews

Live in Vienna

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

 

 

The chillout/downtempo/electronic music gurus go live. WOW !

This is a deep album from the MASTERS D&K with an incredible array of talented musicians that make this masterpiece a phenomenal purchase. There is so much music in here that is difficult to describe. There's funky bass (if you're a bass player, you gotta have this CD), strings, horns, insane percussion (unreal), sexy vocals (great talented singers), all beautifully combined with that electronica sound D&K are known for.

World Music? Yes.
Jazz? Yes.
Electronic Downtempo/Chillout? Yes.
Funk? Yes.

Boring? NEVER !

Fact is, that after listening to this you will be wondering if this is the original D&K who put this orchestra together to make these tracks sound so organic or if this is a really talented jazz jam band. This CD is so good, it won't be out of rotation for a very very long time... This is the one live album that makes you wish you'd been there to see it with your own eyes...

UPDATE: After a full year with this CD, I have to upgrade it to a 5-star rating.

I got this on the recommendation of Amazon, who sent me an email telling me of its release. I took a gamble, thinking that if it was no good, I could palm it off as a Christmas present to some drum and bass fanatic.
The truth is, this CD isn't going anywhere in a hurry. From the first track, I heard the bass loud, the drums clear and the rest of the band tight. From then on, it just got better as brass licks and other ostinatos started flying about driving and authoritive percussion and bass lines.
This CD has already earned a spot up there with the Nightmares on Wax and Thievery Corporation collection. The thing that sets this one apart is that it is a fun CD. NOW and T.C are polished, and absolutely brilliant at their game, but this CD really reminds me of what playing music is about. It ain't about getting up in front of thousands of people and showing them how good you are, but it's more about getting together with the intention of going to another place. The musicianship on this CD certainly takes the crowd/listener there, and I would be surprised if the muso's themselves were not moved also. This is truly a brilliant CD if you like music. There's no star of the show, no big name single to draw you in. Track 1 is as good as the middle of the album, and the middle is as good as the end. If you're into groove, trip hop, or just plain good music played with passion, then this CD will not dissapoint you. I for one will look for more of this outfit's work!

Dzihan and Kamien have always drawn comparissons to that "other" Vienna act you may have heard about...Kruder and Dorfmeister. Both crews are mutual fans of each others work and have even remixed tracks for each other. I've always thought the comparissons were a little bit off but here on their first live album, D & K really come into their own. While on their studio albums things can tend to be a little too electronic for a K & D comparisson, on "Live" we see D & K strip things down and present tracks from their last studio album with a full band and even a string section! The results? By stripping back the sounds and creating a more organic feel, D & K's songs sound more alive than ever before! As if this werent enough, for the North American release, D & K have included a bonus disc of tracks from their last album remixed by the likes of Richard Dorfmeister & Rodney Hunter and Howie B as well as a rework by themselves as well. This package is not to be missed if your a fan of smooth nu-jazz and funk. D & K may live up to those K & D comparissons yet!

First off I have to say that I am usually not a big fan of live concert CD's. I am a huge live music fan, but generally I find the energy of a great concert lost in traslation to CD. Not so with this little wonder! I have heard little bits of Dzihan & Kamien on various Six Degrees compilations over the years, but I was wholly unprepared for the absolute monstrosity of the musicians and arrangements on this CD. As a musician I know how difficult it is to achieve tight arrangements and subtle dynamics with a large group of musicians. Apparently I have totally underestimated these guys... D & K are great musicians in their own right and they have assembled the tightest, heaviest, tastiest "orchestra" on the planet. An incredible feat in itself, but to bring their catalog of material to such heights as this is simply astounding. Rhythm, strings, horns, percussion, guitars, DJ, vocals, this band has absolutely no weak links. All these songs are great.. I keep thinking I am going to get sick of this but it's been stuck in the changer for almost six months with no signs of leaving the "A" rotation. I am wearing holes in the carpet dancing to it. I really hope this piece of work doesn't fall through the cracks between the genres that it covers, because it truly transcends mere jazz, trip-hop, electronica, funk, and worldbeat. I am really surprised that this has not completely blown up because it is HUGE. I remain hopeful that we will get some sort of tour out of these guys, for now I will just turn it up and imagine...

I LOVE live efforts and interpretations. I also absolutely love D&K. I do however, love their studio work a bit more. If you are a gourmet of this genre, then you may consider auditioning a Tosca or Fila Brillia album. If, on the other hand, you are more the gourmand, (as I tend to be) or can't seem to live without the entire D&K catalog, then you will love the true live vibe even if the familiar tracks are performed in a formulaic manner by sterile yet talented studio types. I loved that this CD came with the bonus disc, yet three of the six tracks on the bonus disc are remixes of DROPHERE. The Dorfmeister & Hunter remix of Stiff Jazz, however, makes the bonus disc a true jewel.