Fhonic - Brakez

Published Wednesday 25th April 2007
Fhonic - Brakez
Fhonic - Brakez

STYLE: Dance/Electronic
RATING 5 5 5 5 5
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 22456-12303
LABEL: Base 9 0022
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Greg Inglis

This is the debut LP from a South African underground dance producer, originally released in 2001. Since there are few details on the CD sleeve we know little except that the few lyrical snatches come courtesy of MC Enodna and scratches are provided by a certain DJ Episode. The music contained within is best categorised as break beat though there are elements of hip-hop and old skool rave through the use of distinctive vintage synths. Echoes of Jurassic 5 style socially conscious lyrics combine with serious deck action to produce the noteworthy "They Don't Know" which works much better than the breaks-meets-hip-hop soup that is "Strange Era". "Ring Out" and "Like" are prime examples of tracks which start out promising but develop little over the course of their duration, leaving you reaching for the fast forward button of your chosen music player. Overall this feels like a decent stab at producing an original record though it ends up sounding rather dated in places. Whilst this may well appeal to fans of the genre there is too much filler and not enough killer to tempt the more casual music fan.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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