Skalpel
http://www.skalpelsound.com
styles: Polish jazz-hop, downbeat
others: Mr. Scruff, Cinematic Orchestra, Quantic, Bonobo
 Konfusion
Ninja Tune, 2005
rating: 4/5
reviewer: filmore mescalito holmes
I'm not sure if the well-observed sophomore curse applies to
electronic, sample-based genres as well as it does to rock bands, but
a wiser man than I once said assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups
so you might as well just listen to the fuckin' thing already. I can't
see how anyone would think the second album from this Polish
crate-digging duo is not as good as or better than its predecessor.
The differences between Konfusion and the self-titled debut are
minute, really, while there is no confusing these CDs for work by any
other Ninja Tune act. But (and that's a fairly impressive but) because
their first album a year and a half ago was such a high-quality, chill
outing, that's not a bad thing at all. As I'm sure most of us are with
Portishead, Skalpel could make the same album every year and I'd still
buy it. The power and passion of those dusty communist backlash
recordings speak to the spirit of a repressed freedom, freshly
liberated through altruistic jazz by people who knew and lived a time
that forced the meaning of music – a time where, by the words of
George Carlin, it's not so important you know what notes to play as to
why they need to be played. Yet, despite the seriousness of the
originals, Skalpel's music has been and remains its own brand of
unmistakable frosted jazz. "Deep Breath" is a sure highlight, with the
subtle build-up of female vocals joining in at the beginning. It is
certainly Konfusion's catchiest track, but I wish you the best
of luck in trying to figure out those lyrics stoned.
1. Shivers
2. Flying Officer
3. Long Distance Call
4. Hiperbole
5. Deep Breath
6. Konfusion
7. Test Drive
8. Wooden Toy
9. Split
10. Seaweed
 Skalpel
Ninja Tune, 2004
rating: 3.5/5
reviewer: filmore mescalito holmes
From the label that just weeks before brought us the first
instrumental hip-hop outing of Blockhead comes some vocal-less,
atmospheric jazz-hop by way of Polish based DJ duo, Skalpel. I found
the album to be somewhat enchanting often playing out like the
mellower, funky drums and upright bass sections off Herbaliser's
Blow Your Headphones. This has the signature Ninja Tune sound
which I can't get enough of but others may find a bit tiresome given
the ever growing Zen back catalogue and Cinematic Orchestra cutting
the lounge-effects gig years before. But where the C.O. swells a fully
instrumented jam band with light electronic touches, Skalpel treads
the trip-hop pool, creating a dark and creaking ambiance while
experimenting with smoothly transitioned turntablism, at one point
using a short sample of a male droning on "Not Too Bad," which, I was
to discover, was previously used on Dan the Automator's Handsome
Boy Modeling School. Wroclaw natives, Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo
may not aspire to turn the world on its head, but their self-titled
debut is sharply produced, broadly accessible, and completely
inoffensive, which makes it quite handy in a variety of social
situations. This, my friend, is a mood setter designed to instill the
chill and does everything but light the joint for you. So, it's a
trade off; you'll have to light your own joint, but your skull and
those of your friends will neither collapse from boredom nor shatter
from over stimulation. Safety first!
1. High
2. Not Too Bad
3. 1958
4. Together
5. So Far
6. Break In
7. Quiz
8. Asphodel
9. Theme From 'Behind The Curtain'
10. Sculpture
11. 1958 (video)
12. Break In (video)
13. Sculpture (video)
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