takin' it back (Update)...
5
By kakeinc
Mark has never let down, and isn't about to start now. This mix takes it back to his pre-OM days. Melodic Parties for those of you that can remember Mark in the 90's. The tracks are silky and soulful, with bass that pleases.
Let there be HOUSE!!!
(Update)***Mark has been layin' down melodic, silky, jumpin', dance moves since way back. To me, the MJs are more his experimental side. House is his always has been, never wont be, Jack yo HOUSE...body movin' kinda beats.
Let there be HOUSE!!!
Sf to Chicago
5
By Bluesixdelta
Mark is consistently holding it down. And this album is no different. See him live if you haven't! It will change your life!
More solid beats from Farina, but fewer shrooms in there
5
By cassius987
I think if you are looking for Mushroom Jazz 8 going into this record you aren't going to be 100% satisfied. It certainly has the mellow-yet-trippy Farina touch, but it is definitely more like his live work and the Great Lakes Audio podcast that he gives away for free. (In fact you will spot more than a handful of the same tracks and samples here.) This record is a nice if predictable departure from the cerebral, "mental voyage" elements of the Mushroom Jazz series. It is still basically house for smart people but it's more beholden to the "bumpin' and jumpin'" ethos than the MJs tend to be (re: Vol. 1). I feel like a big standout is the great vocal performance on "What Goes Up", which is well complemented by the moody mix. It is nice to see Mark Farina continue to evolve as a DJ and put out not only an ever more solid library of beats and textures but also to see him put roots down in more than just a couple of styles. More evidence that he is a prolific artist. The only thing I don't really get is the "context" of the greenhouse construction audio, it doesn't have the same grabbing effect as, say, the interviews of musicians or air pilot training tapes he has used previously.
One thing that wasn't clear to me up front… to get the true Mark Farina experience you have to listen to the continuous mix. Listening to the tracks separately in order leaves plenty of jarring gaps but the continuous mix is the singular experience most of us would expect. I wish the continuous mix were the FIRST track--I'm not sure who is buying this for the individual songs anyway.
