Yellowcake
Hard Trax (Serial Composer Anatomy)
Chipie
“Critique… of the image is the defense of the imagination.” Word to my Italian brother and his illuminating voyage into the netherworld of electronically derived rhythm and melody. This across-the-board album spares no one from the diverse interpretations by Spartiaco Cortesi aka Yellowcake.
Hard Trax is unapologetically un-American. It’s an album that tosses both the safety of convention and preformatting out the proverbial window and bulldozes its way through an uncorrupted program of edgy music designed to rock you free from the everyday world. Just listen to “Spinal Tunnel” and try to avoid the musical torpedo. Equally, the D&B of “Driftless” is another episode in finely-fashioned rhythm that disses and dismisses nonbelievers’ criticisms of a genre that most “music journalists” know little about. To those we can only hope that they will embrace more commercially-attractive forms of industry refuse, and extol the virtues of artists such as Master P or less intelligible and “safe as milk” product.
Furthermore, “Devil’s Got My Soul” gets down with the use of a vocal sample recognizable only to those of the elder class of techno’s alumni. Even so, to the novice it just sounds good. “Soul Sucker” follows suit taking the cue and running interception via a breakbeat saturated with analog and digital enhancement, so deep, so good. A freshman effort such as Yellowcake’s Hard Trax is one that should be met with much critical acclaim and street level interest. Genuine. Chipie Records, 619 Martin Ave., Unit 1,, Rohnert Park, CA 94928; http://worldmusic.com/kkamerica.html
