Wagon Christ
Tally Ho!
[Astralwerks]
Rating: 7.9
Luke Vibert is a crazy motherfucker. Occasionally, he records under his
birthname; otherwise, he's known as Plug or, in this case, the much goofier
Wagon Christ. Hailing from Cornwall, England, a young Vibert created some
strange and eclectic music with friends before relocating to London in the
mid-1990s. And that's not surprising, considering the extremely musically
diverse pieces on his third full- length under the Wagon Christ moniker,
Tally Ho!
Actually, the term "musically diverse" doesn't quite cut it; this record's
all over the place. One minute, you're exploring strange new worlds ("Crazy
Disco Party"), the next you're seeking out new life and new civilizations
("Memory Towel"). Before you know it, this guy'll be going where no man
has gone before.
Don't take him too seriously, though. While the wacked- out, funky drum-n-bass
found on the album's title cut and songs like "Workout," the light- speed
breakbeat fest "Rendleshack," and the ethereal getdown "Shimmering Haze"
may at times seem as straight- minded as anything by his Astralwerks contemporaries,
Vibert's downright gross sex talk on "Juicy Luke Vibert" and goofy- assed
samples and corny music on "Lovely" should loosen up even the most pompous
jungle fan.
Tally Ho! also boasts some more laid- back grooves, which actually
seem to be his forte. "My Organ In Your Face" lays down a Trouble Funk-
style go-go beat, while messing around with chimes and-- you guessed it--
organs. The best example of this, though, is displayed on the album's
standout, "Piano Playa Hata." The track is five minutes of awesome
easy- listening piano samples backed by a firm hip-hop beat and held
together with a bass groove so sticky that no amount of kleenex could
ever wipe it up.
As far as Astralwerks stuff goes, this record's way off the mark; this
is the type of stuff you'd expect more from Ninja Tune. It's got groove,
love, and a sense of humor-- things you'll never hear mixed over them
Block Rockin' Beats. So... how about that Wagon Christ?
-Ryan Schreiber
"Crazy Disco Party"
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