Customer Reviews

Muzikizum

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

 

 

Muzikizum delivers a small but perfectly formed 10 tracks, including three club smashes with a guaranteed fourth on the way. It's a coherent collection of thumping drums, cool collaborations and soul-stirring keyboard work.
Opening with the heavenly house of the still essential, palindromic title imperiously on its way with a future `Danny Tenaglia' end of nighter called `Supasong' mood music in the true sense of the word, before the ubiquitous, David Byrne-sung `Lazy' yawns as wide as Rocky's waistband. `Lazy' is a classic radio-friendly, pop crossover record.
As well as Byrne's art-funk yelps, X-Press 2 also employ the weathered croon of Yello's Dieter Meier, best known before now for the oft-sampled `Bostich' and for repeatedly going "Chicken Tikka!" on `The Race'.
Equally impressive is presence vocalist Steve Edwards, whose Byron Stingily-style warble makes `Call That Love' an obvious future single, and an introduction to the sound of classic house for a generation weaned on progressive.
Also board is the apocalyptic boom and clatter of `Smoke Machine', which concentrates a decade spent traipsing around sweatboxes with disco-dirty sneakers at five in the morning into a sonic mugging. If you can resist the bass surge that signals the end of track's intro, maybe dance music isn't for you after all...
Expressive, explosive, and occasionally experimental (but not too much) `Muzikizum' is the kind of album house heads have been screaming out for. We all know from hearing the singles out that it works in the clubs, but this isn't just music that `sound great on a big system'.

Who is X-Press 2, you ask? A group of three British DJs (Ashley Beedle, Rocky, and Diesel) who as of late have been tearing up dance floors with their many international hits ('Muzikizum', 'Lazy', 'Smoke Machine', and 'AC/DC') and six-turntable live performances. X-Press 2's records are hugely popular in Ibiza and have grabbed the attention of such high-profile DJs as Pete Tong and New York's Junior Vasquez.

Though not as original nor as creative as fellow House-mates Basement Jaxx, X-Press 2 have still managed to accomplish a classy album of their own, filled with funky rhythmic beats, sleek synth-lines, and hypnotic effects. Their influence hails closely to deeper, more sophisticated House music. It's music you'd expect to be hearing if you were dining at a fancy and upbeat nightclub.

>> 5 stars for a highly anticipated album that delivers. If X-Press 2's goal was to get you up off your feet and dance, then they did a good job.

- the enlightened one

X-Press 2's full-length CD is an homage to the dancefloor period. It is music meant for the enjoyment of nightclubbers as they party through the night, moving from one dancefloor to the next, and one club to another. The collection starts with the title track, "Muzikizum", a recent Ibiza favorite, and a delicious tribal-house affair with bursts of classic Detroit-style synths all over! "Supasong" is a tribute to classic techno-pop of the early 80's. Then comes the standout and first vocal track of the collection: "Lazy" which recently topped the Billboard dance chart, featuring the unmistakably unique David Byrne (only two other male rockers have this velvety, curvoisier-smooth quality: Bryan Ferry in the 70s and Elvis Presley in the 60s). And talk about the perfect vocal for a house track entitled "Lazy" (Mr Byrne's "lazy" drawl is reminiscent of Amanda Lear's interpretation of "From Here To Eternity)! And the hits keep on rolling: "Smoke Machine", a reference to, what else, the smoke machines in clubs, was an anthem to the euphoria of all-night raves with its gushing sound effects (similar to Tim Deluxe's "Anthem"). If "Supasong" was a tribute to Krafwerk, then "I Want You Back" is a tribute to Yello complete with Dieter Meier on vocals. The final vocal gem of the collection, "Call That Love," is a tribute to Blaze, complete with nu-soul inflections over a jazzy disco-house track and a fierce vocal by Steve Edwards. X-Press 2 have shown that they are fine dance music producers: matching the perfect vocal with the perfect track, and always keeping all ears on the dancefloor.

This album was so hyped up in the UK the week or so before its release. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy through a buddy that works at a radio station in York. Have to admit that I was pretty disappointed with the album as a whole.
Three of the ten tracks feature guest vocalists including the legendary David Byrne from Talking Heads. David Byrne's contribution with "Lazy" is really the only great track on the album. The others are very average except "I Want You Back" feat. Dieter Meier which is a big dud in my opinion.

3/5 stars.

I give this cd two stars for two decent tracks, and that is being generous. These guys should have stuck to releasing the occasional single. ... Why buy this retro rehash when you can still find the originals they are trying so hard to emulate? Please check out L.F.O.'s "Frequencies", or 808 States' "Utd. State 90" before spending your hard earned cash on this one.

JUST GET THE CD. IT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF BABY!!!

This cd commits the single sin for which there is no forgiveness in music. . . it's BORING!