SLAVIC DUB
“Balkan Beat Box”
Balkan Beat Box
JDUB
It’s increasingly obvious with the rising popularity of former underground artists such as M.I.A. and Gogol Bordello that the cultural tide is changing. And Balkan Beat Box is yet another sign of this trend.
Israeli-born Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskrat are the minds behind this patched-together sonic masterpiece (available Sept. 20). The rooster cries, and the singers coo. The horns wail, and the rhythm section nails everything down. “Balkan Beat Box” is like an Eastern Bloc party turned to 11 at 4:30 a.m. – only live and with musicians hailing from Turkey, Israel, Morocco, Bulgaria and Spain. Muskrat, who collaborated with Bloc-punks Gogol Bordello on “J.U.F.,” ditches the gutter-punk stylings in favor of Arabic influences and Balkan percussive blasts – to surprisingly listenable results.
– Ricardo Baca
SHOEGAZER
“Team Sleep”
Team Sleep
Maverick
No one would accuse Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno of being soft. His band, an act synonymous with crushingly precise guitars and pummeling polyrhythms, is often cited as an influence on the cadre of Korn/Limp Bizkit soundalikes.
But in his new vehicle, Team Sleep, Moreno explores a more restrained aesthetic, eschewing numetal for chiming jangle-pop and shoegazer rock. Composed of Moreno, turntablist DJ Crook and guitarist Todd Wilkinson, the project features such indie-friendly guest stars as Melissa Auf Der Mar (Hole), Mary Timony (Helium) and Mike Patton (Faith No More).
The mixed results speak more to Moreno’s eclectic vision than any failure on the contributors’ parts. Instrumental tracks (“Delorian,” “Staring at the Queen”) work splendidly; when vocals enter the mix it’s a crapshoot. Singer Rob Crow (Pinback) is the strongest guest on the album, elevating mediocre songs like “Princeton Review” to punchy math-rock gems. But when Moreno tries the soft-and-sensitive vibe with his own vocals it falls flat – or worse, out of key. It’s hard not to admire the nuance with which Moreno tries to imbue Team Sleep. It’s just disappointing that he fails.
– John Wenzel
