Customer Reviews

Supersound

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With hip hop beats that spiral out of control, some deep fuzz bass that will shake the fillings loose in your teeth and a batch of compositions that sound completely unique and fresh from one another these 3 production geeks have created one of the most eccletic and diverse albums of the year. Originally released in Finland before U.S. domestic release Pepe Deluxe have managed to churn out a 2001 hip grabbag of sorts that shines. With sprinkles of old 45 scratches and smoke filled upright bass riffs makes you wonder how vast and expansive these guys' record collection really is. There is something for everyone here that is the super sound of Pepe Deluxe. A mix of of Big Beat, Electro, acid jazz and rump shakin dance floor epics geared to make you listen and learn where the new skool of sound is heading. Straight outta Finland!

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V/A Dope on Plastic series DJ Shadow David Holmes

I rarely take the time to write (only if something is absolutely exceptional, or something completely disappointing). Emperor Norton is just one of those labels that you rarely go wrong trusting. I found this release by accident, surfing other Emperor Norton releases after falling for the Logan's Sanctuary release. This album has it all - big, satisfying beats with imagination. There is not a single track on here that isn't amazing. I love the creative use of "Love Hangover" in "The Beat Experience." For the extreme bass-heads out there, you will go nuts over "Thru the Motion" and "Super Sound."

I just caught the Finnish DJ's this past Friday night at First Avenue here in Minneapolis. The live show was great - imaginative spinning from a duo who obviously have a deep record collection and a knack for hearing an insatiable hook.

BUY THIS CD!

Pepe Deluxe craft beautiful hip hop inspired fusion with a touch of big beat and a dash of European electronica. I love hearing Europeans' interpretations of traditionally American music. Hip Hop has remained a very localized style of music, having been only touched upon by foreign musicians (i.e. mc solaar, dj krush for example). Pepe Deluxe, a trio of producers/DJs, are very much in touch with hip hop culture. Maybe TOO in touch at some points! Really, the skills are undeniably incredible, and the musicianship is top notch. DJ Slow, one of the three, is a European DMC champion and an amazing one at that! A track of his was featured on part 2 of the "Return of the DJ" series on Bomb Hip Hop Records. I highly recommend this album to hip hop purists and club goers alike. Its THAT good.

Pepe Deluxe's new CD is eclectic mood music for 21st century bon vivants and bohemians. The music from the Buddy Lee jeans commercial (the go-carts) is here. Hard to believe these guys are Finnish. Soulful, bluesy music to groove to. Buy this and show your friends you're a true music connoisseur

A wonderful mishmash of sounds. Bizarre Walter Pidgeon voice overs float in and out of dense electronica. Vincent Price reads from some obscure and seemingly incoherent script as melodies and synthesized weirdness pour out of the background. Here, Disco is fused with trance and then becomes something very unique and alluring. There are touches of Eno and Byrnes collaboration of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts album, which by the way was the first to incorporate the truly "found sounds" concept of song structure. This work was of it's time in the art world back in the late seventies, as this music is to the CPU driven 3D creationists of the 00's. It's altered reality from the first track to the last, but don't be afraid, it's safe, it's cozy and it's way cool.

Awww Yeah!...I came across this band's cd while I was working at my college's radio station.This band makes some wonderful pop music,staying away from the glam and over-produced sounds of today's "top" pop culture acts.More importantly,as I have said twice now,this group is a band and not some choreographed fluff,so you can really hear the musicianship and songwriting depth contained in Friend I Once Had.For starters,the vocalist,Karolina Komstedt,has a wonderful voice.Second,I absolutely love the band duo's quaint range of emotional lyricism.They really do create some beautiful songs.

'Spending Sundays in your apartment / is like a holy day for me,' Karolina sings on "Holiday"-- a song flooded with imagery of trying to combat loneliness while only really having one person to sort of turn to for company,which becomes the brief period for a languid holiday,before the coming anxieties of the week,take their toll again.On "The End of The Affair," Karolina bluntly acknowledges a break-up,singing 'I found / I can replace you / yes I found / your just a habit that I can get rid of.' What a way to phrase the end of a relationship!"Better Days" is beautifully done,with just a backing acoustic guitar,a snyth-keyboard,and of course,Karolina's longing vocal inflections.The soft acoustic aura of this song is so compelling because it emotionally moves you.When Karolina sings,'You think I just need someone / but I need you / just a moment every day / and I can't see it changing', my heart beats along in agreement."Missing You" is a slightly up-tempo dance song,probably somewhat encapsulating the sound of the current Sweeden dance/club scene.Club 8 is not afraid of experimenting a little,and that proves to be very beneficial to the listener.

And there are many..many..many other cool pop songs on this album.This is one of the best albums of all-time.At least,that is how I feel about it,even though it has gotten an "underground-inde" type of treatment and not too many people have become familiar with the band.

You must buy this album,and then go put it on for your friends and see them get the same chills and smiles that you got,when you heard Club 8's album for the first time!This album is also a great mood setter OR...lol....mood relaxer (you'll see what I mean,after you finish listening through it).I'll sometimes listen to it in the evenings and just lay back and zone out.

Come to think of it,I do that with a lot of my records,tapes,and cds!! :-)

Not many bands or music collaborations make it to my ear and stay there but Pepe Deluxe just has the sound for it.

The Finnish group makes such a beautiful and special sound performance and the sound is just screaming to be put in a movie.

This is one of the best CDs you can have in your life, it's timeless and you'll never get bored.

By the way, also check out the aussie formation Avalanches, their sound is also extraordinary good.

I first heard this album after falling in love with "Beatitude", and I must say I was somewhat dissapointed. It's not a bad album, but it sounds simple and timid when compared with their subsequent work. Perhaps it was more interesting when it came out a few years ago. When I hear it today, however, there's nothing that stands out. The music just begs to be talked over and falls into the background as with so much other anonymous downtempo electronica.
For my money, "Beatitude" is much more intriguing and dynamic music.

Who knew that the Finns could be so funky? SUPER SOUND, the debut by Pepe Deluxe, gets the party going and doesn't really let up with the samplitude. The aching vocal snippet from Nina Simone on "Woman in Blue" manages to be both upbeat and slightly sad. The beats seem to be larger than life, but they never overshadow the songs themselves. Listen to how they complement the soporific voice on "The Beat Experience" or the faux-Western cutting and scratching of "The Ride." There's a definite sense of play on this album. Who else would give Delta blues the beatdown on the amazing "Everybody Pass Me By"? The range on the album is impressive as well: the dark and nightmarish "Thru the Motion" is followed by the tender and melancholy "La Femme" (another standout). And if "Maddaddy" doesn't make you want to go out and buy records, something's wrong. And the final track, Sonorous Star's languorous remix of "Woman in Black" which goes a more pensive route. While the rest of the album is pure party funk (and great party funk at that), the last track lets you cool your heels some.

I was driving through Philly on a friday afternoon in August, scanning the radio..... Yep, that's the first time I had ever heard Pepe Deluxe, just in case you were wondering. Lots of fun road trippin, groove monkey sound. Interesting and worth adding to your cd collection.