Label: Virgin Format: CD,2LP
Sad to say, this self-titled return after all those years in over one and a half decades really isn’t all that interesting; at leats, not as much as it should be, especially considering that the Industrial Funk pioneers have got a legend in the shape of Pharoah Saunders for a couple of tracks. It’s all so easy listening now, by comparison to what the cutting edge of music is really like these days. 23 Skidoo seemed so much more adventurous when everyone and their digital dog weren’t in on the act; they helped create the post-genre musical scene after all, but now…
Well, having said that, opener “Freezeframe” is quite reverberative as a calling card, and “Dirty Lo”, with Ragga toasting from Major and loping beat among the drizzly brass samples and sundry mutterings from the band has a sleazy urban groove going on. But other than that, it’s largely dull, even Mr. Saunders’ sax on “Kendang” and “Dawning”, where he manages to bland out everything in a clich� smokey Jazz Noir manner, much like the accompanying chiming pianos and scurrying drums. As is to be expected from a group who’ve spent their down time from 23 Skiddoo as HipHop producers and remixers in various guises, their percussion arrangement skills are top-notch; but lacking in real innovation either, and track like “Meltdown” drifts off on an easy beat without making much of an impact along the way.
Perfect for advertising repetetively hip consumer products, designer beers or as incidental music for the next time a TV producer needs something exotic for a lifestyle documentary, 23 Skidoo holds very little to surprise apart from its very dearth of adventure. Not actively bad really, just largely mid-range and over-familiar already
-John Palukha-
