Burnt Friedman and the Nu Dub Players
Just Landed
~scape
Burnt (real name Bernd) offers up a short album of what I call “white-collar” dub. Dub with all of the rough edges sanded off, and only the faintest ghost of anything recalling soul left far behind. While Just Landed is nowhere near the sterility of Chain Reaction or Pole (~scape is Stephan Betke’s label), this CD has a very clean, German feel to it. You’ve heard it too in To Rococo Rot, Kriedler, Tarwater, etc.
Burnt Friedman has a far more “rootsy” feel than any of the above referenced. The bass is low and mellow and is accompanied by some fine drumming. Warbly, watery synths venture in occasionally, and find their way around the well-integrated samples. There is no doubt that Burnt can occasionally get funky, though. “Railway Place, Melbourne” features drums that wouldn’t be out of place on a Weather Report album.
Just Landed is long enough to be satisfying, but short enough (36 minutes) to keep the overall standard of tracks high.
~scape, Zehdenicker str. 14, 10119, Berlin, Germany ; pole@scape-music.de
