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
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
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