Ancient Astronauts - Into Bass and Time

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 7 / 4 / 2011

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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 Time
2 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

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