Customer Reviews

Mu

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

 

 

To all established Jah Wobble fans; ignore the first review. I doubt that reviewer actually knows what music in chill rooms at raves sounds like, for that does not describe any Jah Wobble music that I know! Overall, this is a great disc. Along a similar vein to other Jah Wobble CDs; some songs are better than others, but overall great as relaxing yet interesting and uplifting background music. The lyrics are of a spiritual nature as is also typical for Jah Wobble. Perhaps the pace is faster than what most people call "ambient" but I still wouldn't call it fast! If, like me, you normally listen to faster paced music of any type this will seem ambient to you! And his very pleasant British accent lyrics are always a PLUS, not a negative!

So, for established Jah Wobble fans, I would recommend this CD - nothing unexpected here, just good ol' dubby Jah Wobble.

For those new to his music, the first reviewer is right in that this is not like that really really really ambient Brian Eno type stuff. I might recommend this to, perhaps, fans of music such as Dagda, Delerium, Oceania... stuff like that. It's like a relaxing sort of worldbeat-dub kinda stuff. (And you should definitely enjoy hearing British accents, because it is certainly prominent here!)

I find this disc just a wee bit patchy compared to previous outings. However the 10 minute opus - Buddha of Compassion - ranks in my top 10 best ever tracks. It really is a sublime piece of music and almost has a transformative effect on me. Its one of those tracks that you never want to end.

As a long time fan of Jah Wobble I had to counter other reveiws here. This is great return to form and while not as up tempo as previous Invaders of the Heart releases, it has much of the same strengths and variety of influences. Viking Funeral is the song I need to hear daily! This disc is great example of the ever expanding sound of modern dub!

Following dangerously close on the heels of the anthology "I could have been a contender" showcasing the vast body of Jah Wobble's previous work, "Mu" doesn't land with a thud but with a mighty splash. Jah Wobble, one of the most enigmatic characters that contemporary arts have produced, and his old partner in crime, Mark Lusardi, set out to do some serious renovation to the sorry state that seems to have befallen most of the popular music genres.

While the opener "Viking Funeral" is kind of a slow beginning, "Universal Dub" with its deep growling, gyroscopic bass and the angelic voice of an (unknown) Indian singer sets a first highlight, and is my personal favourite of this album. "Samsara", "Mu", and "Buddha of Compassion" all have a deep spiritual bend, infused by lyrics and incantations recited in various tongues. This has been done before, but here it's not mere window dressing advertising a better world if only we all would be nicer to each other.

It goes way deeper, with "Samsara" bringing to the fore the dark messages of Buddhist (and Hindu) philosophies, the illusion of being caught in the ever-returning cycles of life, while "Buddha of Compassion" prevails with a lighter, more soothing mood and tempo, embracing a positive feel. "Softwear" combines the physical with the spiritual world so straightforwardly that physicists might want to take notes in their search for a unifying force (but the spoken words may not be for everyone). Both "Kojak Dub" and "New Mexico Dub" draw their inspiration from one too many 70's TV show and western, but they take off bravely, propelled by the heavy bass of JW and very expert flute and guitar work of various guest musicians. Only "Love comes/Love goes" seems kind of unhinged and homeless to me. "Into the Light" is a truly accomplished introspective conclusion - I cannot help but feel that it's the central, comforting hearth of this album.

Thanks to the talents of Mark Lusardi, the bass is heavy and omnipresent, but without undoing the well-woven fabric and layered structure of the pieces. Clive Bell and Jean-Pierre Rasle, two Deep Space/English Roots Band regulars, as well as trumpeter Harry Beckett make strong contributions and help to generate a very genuine and flexible "live" feel to this studio production. My only, albeit small, gripe is that some of the vocals appeared to be borrowed from recordings - perhaps the prospect of having a studio filled to the roof with singers of varied cultural origin (as on the earlier "Take me to god") laid too heavy on the creative minds (and budget) this time. All said, "Mu" stands out as a musical and philosophical masterpiece - genuinely recommended.

This album is pretty much the same as elevator music except the vocals were added (including his own on a couple of numbers).
It seems like the guy might have hit a creative wall a long time ago....I'd say since umbra sumus. His music became very formulaic - repetitive groovy-dubby bass line, some electronic drums and a few notes put thru echo effects.
It actually sounds ok (and I would even be interested in hearing an album if someone described it to me like that), except it is the same thing on last 10 albums or so.
I really used to like his music. I first heard w/out judgement and at the time I thought it was the coolest thing ever (which it was). "Take me to god" and "spinner" were great AND different. Same with "heaven and earth" and a couple of those poetry/music albums. Light programme and Umbra Sumus are a set of good music as well, and again I could listen to those and say, ok, now he is trying to do something different....but then came deep space and the rest of that stuff (moon..., beach...., larfgely live...., passage...) and it all sounded like one (and boring) track.
Molam dub and shout at the devil were some highlights from his later output, but the newer set (fly, elevator and this) is again, some boring repetitive stuff devoid of any kind of personality.

So, I guess as far the specific review of this album goes - it is not bad, but it is most certainly not treading any new waters. Just some ok background chill out set, which to me is a dissappointment.

Do yourself a favor and listen to samples of most of the tracks before deciding whether to get this album. I didn't--I simply went on the word of a print reviewer who compared this to the ambient music of Brian Eno, one of my favorite artists. However, unlike Eno's soundscapes, most songs here have heavy beats with fast tempos and Cockney-accented lyrics. Not something I expected when I went to buy "ambient" music. Despite feeling misled, I gave this dub record a chance with a few listens and still find the music unoriginally repetitive and the lyrics trite, even silly. Like I said, it's not my ambient, but if you hang out in chill rooms at raves, it may be yours.