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cdr|m's
.:: a klangwerk release ..................................................::.
artist :: brooks
release :: you, me & us
year :: 2002
genre :: lo-fi
label :: mantis recordings
website :: http://www.mantis-recordings.com
ripper :: soulfiction
date :: 30-aug-2002
quality :: 192kbps/44,1khz
source :: compact disc
.::.......................................................................::.
01 you, me & us 5:34
02 mastermix 3:01
03 colour me bad 6:45
04 wandering 5:10
05 mr. nuts 0:58
06 dripping gold 4:40
07 i dont usually do this, but 5:06
08 cix 8:54
09 you see 7:16
10 g-bash 2:17
11 no fire 4:17
12 love's song (repeat and fade) 7:05
playtime :: 01h 01m 03s
.::.......................................................................::.
at 16 brooks released his first track "electric dance machine on
the diy discs album 2922 days. he met diy through the midlands
free party / nottingham club scene. brooks was no dirty crusty
however, donÆt think of dreadlocks and dogs on ketamine. having
said that, there were always were plenty of dogs on ketamine at
such parties. ignoring the pasta rastaÆs and instead concentrating
on the music brooks gained more from these parties than dirty
trainers and a comedown. soon he got busy in the studio with a
definite agenda in mind.
following the release of "pink cigarettes and "clix, mantis
approached brooks for an album. they knew they could expect
something different, but the resulting lp is beyond anything
anybody could have hoped for. "you, me & us will undoubtedly go
down as one of this years most ambitious debuts. like all great
albums "you, me & us wears its influences on its sleeve without
ever veering into tribute territory (well, apart from the glaring
exception of the track "mastermix, a shameless homage to the
genius of shep pettibone).
far from the sweet, loving sentiment you might imagine from a
track entitled "you, me & us" instead the song deals with
obsession, idolisation and self-mutilation. brooks explains "i get
obsessed with people and single them out above all others, so much
so that i compare myself to them, want to become them. "you, me
and us" is about such a relationship where thebobsession manifests
itself to worrying consequences. the track was cobwritten with
dani siciliano (herbert), as the song progresses we learn that
through plastic surgery, you, me and us become the same person.
the oldperson gets put "under the knife and under the stairs. grim
stuff indeed. this is followed by "mastermix," where the young
brooks is out on a saturday night and preoccupied only with eating
sushi, drinking wine, feeling horny and smoking blow.
it is exactly this contrast of dark and light, humour and
darkness, youth and experience which makes "you, me & us" such a
rewarding listening experience. brooks explains his musical style
succinctly as
"electromeetsorganicinadirtybasementclubwithwineandnibblesprovided"
elsewhere brooks takes on the sounds of his favourite producers
and makes them very much his own. "mr nuts" is reminiscent of the
jerkins groove from brandyÆs "what about us. "g bash sounds like a
passage from david byrne and brian enoÆs "my life in the bush of
ghosts". "i donÆt usually do this but has moments detroit
strangeness and is the perfect precursor to "clix:. "wandering"
also co written with dani siciliano sounds like it originated in
the darker corners of nashville. lord only knows where "dripping
in goldö came from. sounding like the ra band jamming with daft
punk it is the lyrical centrepiece of the album.
the first single to be taken from the album is "colour me badö, a
love song in technicolour that succeeds in coupling original
production with meaningful (if ever so slightly cynical) lyrics.
"you, me & usö is an impressive debut of 12 original tracks
recorded at mantis recordingsÆ branch studio over the last 10
months. with it brooks has succeeded in writing an album that is
both musical and exploratory. a real breath of fresh air you might
say.
.::.......................................................................::.
greetings :: sb, qdp, sour, dps, it, rac, dh, sfe, hbz, igr and mgc
.::.......................................................................::.