Customer Reviews

Solex Vs the Hitmeister

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

 

 

i bought this largely out of curiosity - expecting a sort of quirky diversion but not much else. paydirt! if the story about the genesis of solex is true, then ms. esselink has created a more innovative and finely crafted album as a lark than most of the thousands of djs who devote themselves to cut-up tunesmithing full-time can cobble together in a single track. it's concomitantly hypnotic and organic, occasionally frantic, frequently fun, and always brilliant.

i'm not sure i get entertainment weekly's comparison to bjork. ms. esselink's voice isn't the strongest bit here. she coos and mutters insistently over strange frozen vignettes, but her voice never soars exactly. but her voice is perfect for her purposes. she repeats herself like a teletubby in a padded cell as she relates and obsesses over mundane anecdotes and suggestions of subtext. don't try to follow her with the lyric sheet! she'll drive you nuts as she circles back around to the beginning a couple times before working her way slowly to the end of the "story". just ride with her as she skitters off the track and back on again.

and the music matches her issues; she's thickly layered and warped the disparate samples over meaty beats and swarms of chiming percussion until it's appropriately claustrophobic, paranoid, and neurotic but never hostile. what a great way to slowly lose your mind!

Snappy collection of cute pop miniatures, like sketches of a day in life of Solex. And just as I'd think one of them is perhaps a liiitle bit too "sweet" some new interesting detail brings the balance back, be it a less-than-ordinary beat or passage. Somewhat reminiscent of a crossover between Portishead and Bjork, with singing having a kind of "girlie-freshness" (pardon my English, folks) comparable to Kate Pierson of the B-52's. If qualities of "Solex vs. the Hitmeister" were a prevailing standard for the songs they play on most of the FM radio stations in my area, I wouldn't have to hit that frequency button on the radio so often.

This album is FUN - that's the first word that comes to mind. Snappy little beats, clever lyrics, and a rollicking little sample-laden sound that never stops to take a breath. It actually sounds like Solex had fun making it... a minor miracle in itself. (Most musical artists these days sound so world-weary that you wonder why they get out of bed in the morning.) If you can appreciate a bizarre little slice of life from a clever gal who owns a used record store, check it out.

P.S. I wrote Ms. Esselink, who "is" Solex, and she wrote back, politely and charmingly. A musician who answers fan mail - who would of thunk it?

I was fortunate to pick this CD up. I listen to pretty weird stuff and was surprised when I first listened to this CD - it was unlike anything I had heard before. That is why I think Solex gets Bjork comparisons. Both are interesting female artists that are wonderfully bizzare. That's the extent the comparison can go.

Also it is important to note that Solex is nothing like Tricky, Martina Topley Bird, Portishead, Massive Attack, Goldfrapp, DJ Shadow, Theivery Corp, Dot Allison, Laika, Everything But the Girl, Lamb, Morcheeba, etc. If you like those bands you should be intrigued. If you don't you still might be intrigued.

In fact if I had to label this I would call it indie electronica. There are elements of trip hop, jungle and general yummy weirdness.

Her lyrics are funny and I love the way she sings. The CD booklet helps you understand her. Earlier this summer I was listening to this CD on my bus ride to work and I liked that it wasn't that familiar and I think that was when this CD is best.

This is very original music and I love it. If you aren't familiar with eleectronic music I think this might catch you quite off-gaurd. It might be an aquired taste but I still recommend it. However, I highly recommend this CD to someone who wants something different and fun and is open-minded.

Enjoy!

Glorious honking and boinging all over the place. Some bits are quite scary 'cos you think you are surrounded by the things that are boinging.

Solex is able to match samples together in a seemless blend in a way that is ear catching. The songs are fun and interesting, Solex is completely original. [even though she uses sampling] Rooster 91.7fm WKDU, Philadelphia

This comes highly recommended! I haven't been TOTALLY into anew CD on very-first-listen in quite some time then along comes Solex.This one is stunning! Elisabeth Esselink's mellow robotic sex-kitten singing could be compared to Liz Phair, Bjork, Abba, etc. but her voice is as unique as any of these women so the comparisons fall well short of describing her sound. Layer on vaguely portishead-esque beats and grooves and the result is a catchy CD that can get your body movin' but only if you want it to. Well, that's my (inadequate) attempt at describing this mesmerizing music but you really have to hear it to believe it.

Took the gamble on this one after reading about Elisabeth Esselink's Solex gig. And, how could you not get at least entertainment value off each tune having "Solex" somewhere in the title. Kaz and I tried to catch the Detroit show at the Gold Dollar, but she bailed due to sickness or something. Too bad because perhaps it could have saved me a couple of bucks. "One Louder Solex" and "Solex all Licketysplit" are good tunes, but it'd be a stretch to even say this is an acquired taste. Give Solex an A+ for entertainment value but unless you don't tire of listening to fingernails scraping against a chalkboard, listen before you buy.