Remember The Wiseguys‘ debut album Executive Suite on Wall of Sound way back in ’96? If your answer is No, then you should set about digging out that album this minute; conversely if your answer is Yes, then you should be picking up this album at your earliest convenience. Ancient Astronauts come straight outta Cologne, bringing their tripped out hip-hop beats by way of J Dilla and DJ Shadow before stopping off to dust them in the wonderful and warm European space dust that the likes of Kruder and Dorfmeister seem to permanently live in.
Favouring original instrumentation over straight-ahead programming, it’s fair to say the German duo Kabanjak and Dogu have greater melodic nous than your standard beat-makers and, judging by this record, are unafraid to use their skills. The gorgeous ‘I Came Running’ is a sparkling and soulful introduction to an eclectic album that comes loaded with fat production skills, a frivolous use of reverb and beats that’d nod the head off that bloody dog from the Churchill ad campaign.
It’s a shame that guest vocalists The Pharcyde manage to completely fail to make the most of the massive East Coast jam that is ‘Classic’ rendering the track title blandly ironic. Far more successful is the Raashan Ahmad appearance on the Q-Tip inspired ‘Risin High’ which follows on from the skittering and jazzy drum n’ bass of ‘Dark Green Rod’ which comes complete with an oft repeated “B-boys and girls” sample.
Bypassing the clutch of straight-ahead soul numbers as they neither add or detract from the listening experience of We Are To Answer, the duo spread their wings over the fields of dub-reggae, catching thermals and soaring with Tippa Irie (‘All of the things you do’) and Bajka (‘Surfing the Silvatide‘) leading the joyous ascent. Though the former is undoubtedly more successful in terms of vision and execution, the latter sounds like it could be a lost Bob Marley tune; which is of course no bad thing. ‘Everybody’ demonstrates another of the group’s facets: disco-funk. And this is where the album dices with the danger of transforming into a warped homage to British breaks pioneers, Coldcut, who employed similar tactics on their Let us play album (1997).
Overall then, this cosmic journey back to the golden era of hip-hop falls just wide of the mark, but nevertheless features some grand tunes and flawless production. Look forward to their next release with anticipation.
We Are To Answer is released on June 8th (Eighteenth Street).
You can download their free “Heart of the future” mixtape by clicking here.
Tracklist
01. Beatstalkers Anthem – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
02. MCs Act Like They Don’t Know – KRS-1 (Classic Re-Edits)
03. I Wanna Make You Move – Freddie Cruger feat. Anthony David (Tru Thoughts Recordings)
04. Catatonia – Connie Price & The Keystones feat. Percee P & Wild Child (Ubiquity Records)
05. Edgelactic – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
06. Classic – Ancient Astronauts feat. The Pharcyde (ESL Music/Switchstance Recordings)
07. Insight – Fort Knox 5 feat. Asheru (Fort Knox Recordings)
08. The Roc Boys Get Back – Jay’s Soul Connection (Amsterdam Gangster Music)
09. Funky Furious – DJ Aeon Seven (Modern Funk/Freestyle Records)
10. The Tide Is High – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
11. 7 Nation Army (Grant Phabao Remix) – Nostalgia 77 feat. Alice Russell (Tru Thoughts Recordings)
12. Shine Eye Gal (Chase The Remix) – Michael Rose feat. Shabba Ranks (Like Dat Records)
13. Don’t Worry ’bout Romie – Beenie Man vs. Bob Marley (Jiggy Records)
14. Dukku Dukku (The Beatstalkers Remix) – Keith & Tex feat. Shabba Ranks (Fizzle Recordings)
15. Tequilimba – Barrio Katz (Planet Blend Records)
16. Blowing Up The Spot (Ancient Astronauts Remix) – Fort Knox 5 (Fort Knox Recordings)
17. Everybody – Ancient Astronauts (ESL Music/Switchstance Recordings)
18. The Outsider – Lack Of Afro (Freestyle Records)
19. Caffeine (DJ Format’s Getaway Remix) – The Quartertones (Freestyle Records)
20. Heard It Through The Grapevine – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
21. Keep On Looking (Kenny Dope Remix) – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (Soulplex Recordings)
22. D’azour Cotaz (Ancient Astronauts Remix) – Timewarp Inc. (Timewarp Music)