Brooks
You, Me & Us
Mantis
British producer Andrew Brooks, along with Atjazz, forms the backbone of insurgent label, Mantis Recordings, and one listen to You, Me & Us will tell you why. Brooks has placed himself firmly in between a myriad of genres with his intriguing vision and quirky peccadilloes. Avoiding stereotype and refusing to fall into the rut of monotonous, droning beats, the man has crafted a delectable album that can satisfy many tastes. A smoothness layers each track, and an idiosyncratic muse nibbles at the heel of the entire project. Sometimes, the atavist in him shines through, as in the electro-retro “Mastermix,” which flings you headlong back to mid-‘80s R&B (but in a good way). He can craft a deep groove that chills the bones (like in “Clix”). You can just see the impish grin as he takes the spaghetti Bond coolness of Herbert running mate Dani Siciliano’s ice maiden vocals and blip-bleep abstracts them with ruthless cool. And the woman simply shines on the title track.
You, Me & Us is a wonderful disc – one in a long line of fantastic electronica that has come along this year. Brooks definitely shines in the icy breeze he has created.
Mantis Recordings: http://www.mantis-recordings.com
