Schematic, 2001
An awful lot of nice compilations have been released recently. The latest from Schematic is House of Distraction. Dino Felipe starts things off with a watery, chimey drum and bass track that never really gains momentum. Luckily Jake Mandell saves the day with “Nihon Sanzen,” a nice smattering of rattling beats and melodic chimes. Crank up the volume on this one. Freeform’s “Play Takeshi’s Mud Dauber” is even nicer, with a lovely melody and churning groove.
Other high points include tasty “Phase Inv.2” by Phoenecia, which sounds like it could have come from Speedy J’s Public Energy No. 1 LP, and “Rude Workout of Devine (First Set)” by Radio Boy with its catchy, subtle melody.
Overall, House of Distraction is a good buy. There’s a few tracks that succumb to the cold, mechanical abstraction that Schematic fell prey to on Ischemic Folks, but there’s also lots of funky, interestingly noisy pieces that make a careful listen worthwhile.