Quantic An Announcement To Answer

[Tru Thoughts; 2006]

Rating: 3.5/5

Styles: jazz-house, funky breakbeat
Others: Bonobo, Jazzanova, Diesler, Gilles Peterson, Nickodemus

Written and recorded on the go in Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, and Ethiopia, Will "Quantic" Holland's fourth solo album is one for the road. Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, this could be the shortest album ever with Will's good name on it. However, there is definitely enough substance in these nine odd laptop funk tracks to support a case of quality over quantity. As spirited as the first two Quantic albums were, they did tend to lag in spots. Continuing the push to organic exhibited on 2004's Mishaps Happening, An Announcement To Answer is rich and captivating throughout. Collaborative live and self-sampling is the order of the day, creating a fresh, funky breaks album that has the ability to command you to dance, chill, or intensely appreciate at any given time. Despite the diverse African recording locations, two of the Announcement's strongest tracks (album opener "Absence Heard, Presence Felt" and the Ohmega Watts-assisted "Blow Your Horn") contain distinctly Asian elements. Yeah, another track or two would be nice, but what is here still makes up the undisputed best Quantic CD yet released. He has truly grown as an artist. It's a solid pick for Tru Thoughts' 100th release.

1. Absence Heard, Presence Felt
2. An Announcement To Answer
3. Blow Your Horn feat. Ohmega Watts
4. Bomb In A Trumpet Factory
5. Politik Society feat. Noelle Scaggs
6. Meet Me At The Pomegranate Tree
7. Sabor feat. Tempo
8. Ticket To Know Where feat. Ohmega Watts
9. Tell It Like You Mean It