Nickodemus

Endangered Species

BY Kevin JonesPublished Feb 14, 2007

New York DJ/producer Nickodemus, one of the masterminds behind the successful Turntables On The Hudson club series eventually captured on disc a few years back, attempts to catalogue the divergent sounds of a city in constant flux with his debut opus, Endangered Species. The record kicks off with the bottom-heavy Latin sway of "Mi Swing es Tropical,” as the producer teams up with current progressive soul golden boy Quantic to get that rhythm just right and provide some authentic sounds behind singer Tempo’s festive chants before the dance floor opens up to the smasher "Funky In The Middle.” Some true school funk flavour follows with "Give The Drummer Some,” before things take a decidedly Middle Eastern turn through the disc’s middle section with a series of hypnotic flutes and floating foreign voices setting the tone. Queens native Apani B. makes sure that hip-hop’s represented in the mix on "The Spirits Within,” while the sounds of Africa, dub reggae and the down-tempo vibe of "Mystery Of Life” complete this globally stylistic journey. At times, the dance rhythm/global groove formula does play a little lame and cliché, though it’s entirely in keeping with the established ESL/Thievery Corp sound. That said, the sheer variety of musical influences here, no matter how cursory, is commendable.
(ESL)

Latest Coverage