MoodyMann - an appreciation

Buick6

too punk to drunk
OK. I've come to the conclusion that MoodyMann, like Public enemy, is an IMPORTANT modern act, and like PE, has never made a really bad album. (In fact I'd put MM in the post PE canon for important 'black' music, just after UR )

SURE, his albums are hideously inconsistent, and I'm picking 'FOREVERNEVERMORE' as his masterpiece.

It's interesting as he is one of the only true HOUSE artists that has released 5 odd albums of original material as opposed to lazy DJ mixes and the like that so many other 'phonies' have done (Carl Cox, Derrick May, Danny Tanaglia, Barry Humphries, heck I'll even throw in Herbert and Recloose) and part of the reason why dance music went into such a funk - they're producers who make 'singles' as opposed to 'bodies of work'.

In fact Moody has put out more and better albums in his own right than Brit-House 'pop/electronica' acts like Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx and even Daft Punk.

As I mentioned in the 2nd paragraph his albums fluctuate in consistency, and his work can sometimes veer into the most horrendously bland acid-jazz realms and that Kenny G sax he often uses is really hard to take.

BUT, I always seem to find at least 4 absolutely sublime killer traxx on each of his albums, which begs for a defintive 'best of' to prove the bloke has an artistic and groundbreaking relevance, especially in regards to the whole 'Detroit Tech', that has been sorely overlooked , me thinks.
 
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Andy K

"______"
Mahogany Brown (occasionally brilliant), Silence in the Secret Garden (fatiguing) and Black Mahogani II (flat-out poor) have their problems. That said, he does have the album thing down. No other producer I've heard has fit together stray tracks as if they were puzzle pieces like him (especially on Forevernevermore and Black Mahogani). PE has come to mind more than once when listening to the albums -- all the self-references, elements shifted in and out of context, sly sequencing and sample work.
 

DigitalDjigit

Honky Tonk Woman
But his albums (or at least Silent Introduction and Black Mahogani) are just collections of singles. True, they flow together pretty well but I do not think they were concieved as albums from the start. What's wrong with singles? Dance music has always been a singles genre.

Anyway, I really dig Moodymann. His sampling is really great and often I cannot tell where it ends and his own work begins. He has quite a range too, from jazz to deep house to machine jack music. Moodymann stands above 99% of dance artists. Here, here.
 

blunt

shot by both sides
Kenny Dixon Jnr is, indeed, the man, and has been for some time now.

"Black Mahogony" and, in particular, "The Thief That Stole My Sad Days" are 2 of my all-time-favourite-tunes-of-all-time. And I still rate "Silent Introduction", which no one else has name-checked yet; it's easily on a parr with the next 2 LPs. With the exception of "Runaway" tho, I've found his output of late to be pretty lazy.

I've always liked the way his tunes have a kind of "live" sound, like they've been recorded in a speakeasy somewhere. So I'd long wanted to check him live...

Did anyone else here catch either of his gigs at the Jazz Cafe in London?

I'd been gagging to catch him live ever since "Silent Introduction" dropped - can it really be 8 years now? - so it was perhaps inevitable that the real event be a disappointment. In the end, I think the main problem was one of labelling. If I'd seen an ad for a Mahogani Music night I'd have still gone along, but I would have enjoyed the ride a lot more. As it was, you couldn't help but be disappointed by the measly 3 tunes that Kenny Dixon could be bothered to play himself (all from Black Mahogani II, all pretty lacklustre). That said, Roberta Sweed's extended set of old standards was pure magic.

The real revelation to me was how funny the guy was, tho. He came out with a massive fake belly and an unbuttoned shirt with lounge-singer ruffles - essentially, he was acting out the emcee personality that you'll hear introducing his records from time-to-time. It was certainly very different from the reclusive, cripplingly-shy performer I'd been reading about for the last 10 years.

So, yes: come back soon, Kenny - but do try and make an effort next time :)
 
G

grosun

Guest
blunt said:
Kenny Dixon Jnr is, indeed, the man, and has been for some time now.

"Black Mahogony" and, in particular, "The Thief That Stole My Sad Days" are 2 of my all-time-favourite-tunes-of-all-time. And I still rate "Silent Introduction", which no one else has name-checked yet; it's easily on a parr with the next 2 LPs.

Wo, definitely... "Silent Introduction" absolutely rules... as does "Black Mahogany". Seconded in list of all-time-favourite-tunes, along with "Dem Young Sconies" which has to be one of the finest acid house records made since the original wave. Great, great record.

Shame about the lite jazzy direction he sems to be taking more & more these days tho', but hey.. so long as he keeps cranking out a few decent grooves, I'll stay faithful.
 

Buick6

too punk to drunk
He's still yet to come to Australia....

But it's interesting how he appeals to the concrete/pomo/modernist 'lectronica' typrs, the acid -jazz shiny-happy-peepz and to some degree the manstream-corporate-House-holiday type who are actually acid-jazzies with better dress sense.
 

Andy K

"______"
But his albums (or at least Silent Introduction and Black Mahogani) are just collections of singles. True, they flow together pretty well but I do not think they were concieved as albums from the start. What's wrong with singles? Dance music has always been a singles genre.

They're all essentially collections, BMII excepted, with a few then-new things interspersed. BM and Forevernevermore especially flow so well that they sound as if they were conceived as albums. (And, of course, I have no problem with singles at all.) Dixon clearly takes cues from albums that can be taken as a single piece, as well as having singles that can be pulled from them. (Marvin Gaye's I Want You comes immediately to mind.)

It was certainly very different from the reclusive, cripplingly-shy performer I'd been reading about for the last 10 years.

He can be extremely affable, whether DJ'ing or doing live PA. (I wish his DJ set from the first DEMF was still online. That would kill off any preconceived notion.) He's not one to do interviews, so his actions (playing behind a sheet) and rare comments (the ones in Silent Introduction) often get put under a microscope. (See also: Steve Albini is an asshole, Luke Haines has no sense of humor.)
 

AshRa

Well-known member
Buick6 said:
BUT, I always seem to find at least 4 absolutely sublime killer traxx on each of his albums, which begs for a defintive 'best of' to prove the bloke has an artistic and groundbreaking relevance, especially in regards to the whole 'Detroit Tech', that has been sorely overlooked , me thinks.

Won't "Silent Introduction" do as his 'best of'?

Every single MM record (except for KDJ 1 & 2) up to now has been a joy (and there's only a handful of people who I can truly say that about) - I always get nervous that he will lose his magic but there's two new ones out this week though, so fingers crossed that they're goodies!

PS Don't diss NJB's sax playing, you should check out Pandamonium records and you won't be calling her Kenny G any more!

PPS I recently went to see the 'Mahogani Revue' in Manchester which was fun, but the venue just didn't seem right for it unfortunately... MM's grandma was lovely to chat with though! :D
 

BareBones

wheezy
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alex

Do not read this.
in love with his latest release, but that's abotu all i know about him, thanks for this thread!!
 

grizzleb

Well-known member
Used to bore the hell out of my emo mates when I was like 13/14 by putting on moodymann or theo parrish (which I was dead into at the time) albums when we were sitting getting stoned. Only realised after they had banned me from using the CD player that I wasnt educating them, they actually preferred 'H-I-M' (uurgh).

Forevernevermore is 100% killer. The tune that samples 808 State is so baddass. The fm conga sound rocks it. Don't you want my love is maybe my favourite house track ever. Disco house anyway. I prefer the vinyl version that I first heard, without all the preacher bits.

Fatiguing is exactly the word I'd use for Secret in the Silent Garden, one or two tunes that are good, but it's nowhere near his other albums. Black Mahogani and Mahogany Brown being my favourites after 'nevermore.
 

Krasner

Well-known member
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Richard Carnage

Well-known member
All hail to Kenny. People complain about the jazziness of the new stuff (as well as quite a few single sided releases), but I quite like that aspect of it. The two mini-LPs really do flow very well, and both Technologystolemyvinyle and I'd Rather Be Lonely are such lush groovers.

Anyone get their hands on a copy of this recently? Simple but effective KDJ edits of Fly Lo, Q-Tip and Dwele.

http://www.discogs.com/Kenny-Dixon-Jr-Private-Collection-2/release/1750619

I picked up two, only to find out that one of them is warped. Need to get that under some glass in the summer and get it on eBay/Discogs.
 

Leo

Well-known member
wow...his cds were somewhat common finds in the used bins but just checked amazon and most are now going for $35-85, some up to $120! thankfully, itunes has "fornevermore" and "BM," tho.

last year's "det.riot '67" was kinda cool, what's not to like about "freeki mutha F cker"?
 

Client Eastwood

Well-known member
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This always make me think of Leftfield's Afro Left. Not the same but similar in terms of the bass. No access to youtube etc to compare at the moment so its just from how I can remember what they sound like in my head.
 
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Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
It's all about i can't kick this feeling when it hits

Possibly the best house track ever made.

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