Maim That Tune [Import]

Fila Brazillia | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 2, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Twentythree
• ASIN: B00005K3VB
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,749 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Dave Yang and Steve Yin De-Swish T' Swish

2. A Zed and Two L's

3. Leggy

4. At Home in Space

5. 6ft Wasp

6. Slacker

7. Harmonicas Are Shite

8. Extract of Pineal Gland

9. Subtle Body

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still the best example of their downtempo style, May 29, 2000

By 

Richard Diaz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maim That Tune (Audio CD)

It's hard to explain why this style e of music is called electronica in the first place, the only resemblance being the looped, rhythmic structure of the songs and the lack of brass instruments to call it jazz or singer to call it trip-hop. Labeling their music is equally as hard, it's been called chill out swing, downbeat, mellow jazz-funk, etc. So I'll let you label them and just describe their sound: Jazz guitar and looped, funky drums and bass, with a mixture of various instrumental snippets or samples on top. Sublime funk without the stoner vibe of most chill out music or instrumental hip hop.

The record itself? This was made in 1995 while still on the Pork Recordings label; in 2000 the two men from Hull, England formed their own label for subsequent releases. Now with seven albums to their name, this still stands as their most consistent and focused effort.

The tracks have their typically absurd names- "Extract of Pineal Gland" for example- and have extended lengths of seven to eleven minutes to keep you in a groove. Everything has a muffled or hushed sound to it and a mid-tempo speed, but despite these common elements the pieces have enough variety to hold your interest. Track 1 is almost a jam but keeps the heat down. "A Zed and Two L's" features soft Native American chanting, some tight drums and a nice crystalline melody. "At Home In Space" lulls you in with it's soft sounds before changing gears with funky drums and hand clapping. "6ft Wasp" has guitar feedback and a bit of breakbeat that underscores a Dennis Miller-style rant against marketing. Now at track 6 they try a little jazz-trance, slowly building up layers of loops and repetition into a crafty little piece. "Extract of Pineal Gland" is real lazy funk with prominent bass and even a few guitar notes (even though that instrument is So last century).

This is not a great album, though it is very good. You can find better albums of this sort out there in mixed CD form (such as Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ Kicks) but you won't find a better collection of originally produced material. Fila Brazilla themselves have not been able to repeat the challenge of subtle, yet engaging, material heard here. So for setting a standard six years ago, this gets five stars.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FEED YOUR HEAD  Excellent, diverse downtempo grooves, March 20, 2000

By 

"timmmip" (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maim That Tune (Audio CD)

I recently picked up the Fila Brazillia album "Maim That Tune" (a great play on words) based solely on the fact that almost everytime I bought a CD on Amazon, Fila's name would show up as one of those CDs that other customers bought in addition. So after a bit of investigation and reading customer reviews, i decided to go with Maim without hearing any of it, trusting my instincts as a music journalist and rabid fan of electronic music. I'm glad i took a chance. Fila Brazillia are highly underrated, and that's from only hearing one CD. I can't wait to pick up the rest of the group's catalog. And for an album that was released almost five years ago, "Maim" was definitely ahead of its time because it doesn't seem dated at all - a rarity in much of electronic music. For anyone who's a fan of Kruder & Dorfmeister, Thievery Corp., Nightmares On Wax, and similar downtempo music - as well as people who are open-minded about music - this is a great way to discover some amazing stuff. I definitely recommend gathering your "accessories" to "enhance" the listening experience, though it's not a requirement. "Maim" is all over the place, veering wildly from uptempo dancey tracks (don't be fooled by the name - not a whole lot of Latin sounds) to languid chill-out vibes. If you're looking for the latest four-on-the-floor techno groove, look elsewhere. Mature, excellent music for mature, excellent people.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Fila Album, November 30, 1999

By 

Charlotte Nation (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maim That Tune (Audio CD)

This is FB's second album after New Codes, Old Chaos and for me, it is one of the most beautifully crafted albums I have ever experienced. From the very start the sounds cocoon you in their warmth and take you on a journey.This may sound like New Age dribble but it is the only way that I can describe it. Jazzy cords reverberate and repeat creating a slow trance-like effect as soothing "dubby" basslines perfectly complemented by ingenius percussion drive the tunes along. The late great Bill Hicks's tirade against the advertising world is used to great effect in the middle of the album just before Fila Brazilia kick in with a folk-trance barnstormer. Starsky and Hutch era pure funk pumps up in later tunes, bubbling beneath the surface of exotica. Don't expect anything fast, hard or intricate-just look forward to the fact that their brilliance lies in an uncomplicated arrangement that seems to calm the mind while funkin you up.