Ancient Astronauts - Into Bass and Time
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 7 / 4 / 2011

Label:
ESL Records
Format: CD
intro
Ingenious funky-sounding dub on second album from German duo, the Ancient Astronauts
ESL, Eighteenth Street Lounge is the Washington label run by the Thievery Corporation, whose catalogue spans just about the whole spectrum of the Gilles Petersen universe of downbeat, funk, dub and hip hop. The Ancient Astronauts had released an album before on their own Switchstance Recordings, but their second release on the prestigious ESL label certainly raises their profile. 'Into Bass And Time' gently, ever so gently, pounds its way into your lounge. It is loaded with samples from the fruitful era of the 1970s and, with flashes of The Wailers, King Tubby, 'Into Bass And Time', provides a pretty ingenious funky dubshuffle. Various MCs contributed lyrics and vocals, while the Ancient Astronauts, a duo from Cologne, who have the artist names of Dogu and Kabanjak, composed and performed most of it; Kabanjak played the live instruments and Dogu did the DJing. 'Peace In The East' is a very versatile mixture of cello, played by Entropik, and features strutting beats from the tablas of Kiran Gandhi. The next track, 'Calvert Street Rock', is a dub tribute to both the label, located at that street, and to Augustus Pablo with the melodica apparently played by Kabanjak. Somehow, this album feels very West Coast like and shares zilch with Cologne's famous electronica scene. The free flowing collection winds down with from Latanya Akua Naru Olatunji and locals, Phat Old Mamas on 'Bitter Hypnotic'. Bearing in mind their name, the Ancient Astronauts very much want to lift spirits into space and to an extent they do, but earthly pleasures give 'Into Bass And Time' a little extra edge.
Track Listing:-
1 Bass And Time2 Still A Soldier
3 The Shining
4 Impossible
5 Anti Pop Song
6 Don't Stop
7 Worldwide
8 Eternal Searching
9 Peace In The East
10 Calvert Street Rock
11 Give It To You
12 Rocket Science
13 Last Night
14 Bitter Hypnotic
15 Nocturne
most viewed articles
current edition
Pennyblackmusic - Writers and Photographers' Albums of the Year 2024Peter Perrett - In Dreams Begin Responsibilities Interview Part One
Man From Delmonte - Interview
Clive Langer - Interview
Pennyblackmusic - Book of the Year Award 2024
Johnnie Johnstone - Interview
Marianne Faithfull - Reflections
Laura Nyro - Profile
Johny Brown - Corpse Flower
Vinyl Stories - Vinyl 2024
most viewed reviews
current edition
Dorie Jackson - Stupid Says RunRingo Starr - Look Up
Beabadoobee - This is How The World Moves
Pixie Lott - Encino
Dusty Springfield - The BBC Sessions
Unthanks - In Winter
Joan Armatrading - How Did This Happen and What Does It Mean?
Oïmiakon - Comptoir Des Vanites
Rosie Lowe - Lover, Other
Emily Burns - Die Happy
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart