Search - Klute :: Casual Bodies

Sensational

William J. Murphy | St. Louis, MO | 09/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Klute, a.k.a. Tom Withers, the man behind a seemingly endless list of stunning 12 inches and remixes on such labels as Certificate 18, Deep Red, Octopus, Partisan, Fresh 86, and Audio Couture, just to name a few, has here produced one of the very finest drum & bass albums ever. Combining elements from the best that the drum & bass underground has to offer with the sounds and sensibilities of Detroit techno, "Casual Bodies" gives an in depth glimpse at his truly awesome talent. From the very beginning, with the astounding "Faceless," he draws you into into a deep, dark, and beautiful soundscape that has never continued to entrance and fascinate me with each listen. Moreover, in sharp contrast to the dull monatony of mainstream "tech step" drum & bass, Klute is completely unaffraid to take his music wherever he wants to take. From the lovely atmospherics of "Talk Luba" to the unequivocal darkness of "Secret Love," he demonstrates clearly his ability to successfully tackle music from all angles. His music is even further distinguished from the supposed "prime movers" in the genre by the originality of virtually every element of his music. While most producers are content to rehash the same boring old breaks and basslines, Klute brings to the fore a truly unique reportoire. Perhaps most important of all is the profound emotional value that Klute instills in each and everyone of his tracks. In every sense, Klute is an artist, and no mere producer. As is true with any music, it is difficult for words to communicate how much I love this album. From its inception, Certificate 18 has openly committed itself to the release of high quality music with a strong emphasis on creativity, experimentation, and innovation. It should be no surprise then that the label has served as Klute's homebase. Despite the fact that this is, technically speaking, a drum & bass album, Klute's talent and vision place him among the small elite of electronic musicians whose music truly transcends any genre. While his music is certainly comparable in many aspects to that of other d&b greats like Photek, it is equally so with such artists as Autechre, Global Communication, and Carl Craig, among many others. In fact it was Carl Craig, in my mind one of the truly great musical figures of the late 20th century, was one of the first notable figures to sing the prases of "Casual Bodies." In all respects I can only say that this is an absolute must have for the drum & bass fan. I would even venture to say that if you cannnot appreciate the brilliance of this album, then you really should not be listening to drum & bass at all."

Dope DnB...Ignore these fools that bought the wrong CD...

R. Dosaj | SF, CA United States | 09/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw the average rating at 3 stars and knew something must be wrong...you got a bunch of fools that bought the wrong artist. This is for fans of DnB...a must own for those that like the deeper darker vein of the genre. Klute is a master...fools better recognize."

Ad nauseum

JENNIFER HOOVER | MANSFIELD, TX USA | 04/17/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Oh my. I got this solely on the strength of a Klute version of "Summer" off Mogwai's _Kicking a Dead Pig_ remix album...man, what a SICK track! Bummer, then, that the creative energy which was in full force on that remix is utterly absent on this full-length. On _Casual Bodies_, Klute delivers seventy-one minutes of mind numbing two-step interspersed with a couple of weak downtempo filler trax. The simple rhythmic structure wouldn't be too bad if Mr. Klute would maybe cut his track times from seven plus minutes each and toss in some decent melodic/harmonic textures instead of the limp, lifeless beeps boops n strings on display here. That said, if you've got a good system, a lot of the stuff Klute does with his basslines is actually pretty impressive. But that by no means warrants a purchase.If you've just gotta get a two-step record, try Spring Heel Jack's _Treader_, which, while it's easily their weakest album, at least makes up for its repetitive beats by tossing some truly oddball timbres over the top."