The album was recorded in the famous Area 51 Studios in Hanover, Germany with producer Tommy Newton. Other names involved in the project were Terry Hoax, Headcrash, and Phillip Boa and it features some top European musicians including Tore Ostby on guitars, Otto Van Alphen on bass and Matthias Liebetruth on drums. Highlights include 'Fire And Rain', 'Nadira' 'Fake' and 'Desire'. So, this worthy and well-crafted release is mostly no-frills, solid rock, with varied lyrics, tons of drive, sonic volume, and that concrete core that scares away all those for whom the expression "If it's too loud, etc etc" still applies. This ain't no playground but it's fun!  

Amersham - Revolving Doors
11 October 1999 Amersham are the Wimbledons of the SA Premier (Rock) League. Many doubted they would survive in the top SA rock division since the release of their debut album, 'Pickled', but survive they have. This they have achieved through a combination of solid rock traditions, consistently fresh songwriting, an inexhaustible dedication to dynamic live performances, and a cheeky sense of humour. As a result, Amersham have accumulated a devoted core of followers and an impressive catalogue of albums. The 14 songs on this mostly "Best Of" compilation are drawn from their previous three studio albums - 'Pickled', 'Wearing Thin' and 'Upside Downside'. They've thrown in three new tracks ('Schizophrenic', 'Drive On', and 'Supermanic') as well as a great live version of one of their crowd-favourites, 'Green Is For Go'.

These 14 songs feature the classic Amersham line-up of Adam Lomas (guitar and vocals), Nathan Waywell (bass and backing vocals), Tim Trotter (drums, percussion and backing vocals), and Marc Bentel (guitars, keyboards, programming, and backing vocals). Marc Bentel has recently left the band and been replaced by his predecessor Sasha Sonnibichler, who can be heard on the 'Pickled' tracks - 'Monkey', 'Birthday', and 'Tinman'. But the Amersham sound remains intact with the band supplying fresh, energetic and varied arrangements to Adam Lomas's wistful and pure-pop vocals. 'Abduction' covers the subject of alien abduction while in the loo, 'Borne Again' is an emotional ballad dealing with the "pseudo-religious aspects of awe-inspiring sex" (truly!), and 'Schizophrenic', the new track, is a radio-friendly pop classic with a killer chorus. So, no relegation fears for the Amersham "Crazy Gang" just yet. 'Revolving Doors' should give their careers a timely boost and will add more convertees to their no-nonsense SA fun-pop sound.  

Just Jinger - Here's To You
27 September 1999 The first Just Jinger album, 'All Comes Round', made an impression on me only because I lent it to my neighbour who played it loud and non-stop until it began to insinuate itself into my brain. Their second release, the five song EP 'Something For Now', wasn't too bad either and between them, these two CDs sold approximately 130,000 copies, making Just Jinger the most successful SA rock band of the decade (ever?). Add to that the fact that the band's line-up has changed a few times and you'll see why this, their second full-length album has caught the interest of all those fans and critics alike. So, 'Here's To You' arrives in a blaze of glory, hype and expectation leaving me feeling a little anxious about reviewing it. I decided to avoid those "Counting Crows copyists" and "Just Art" references and give it a few decent listens before spewing forth, and now I'm even more confused.  While I recognise and respect the effort and skill that went into making this album, it's really not my bag. But after hearing it a few times, I must admit that it has its merits and is certain to please all those who bought and loved the first two albums (and that recent live video).

This is definitely Art Matthew's album and he's stamped his creativity, style and ideas all over it. It's a big, strong and bold album with a crisp and upfront production and intelligent arrangements (kudos to Chris Gelakis!). Not all the songs are winners but as a whole it works well. The title track seems a little iffy until we find out that it's a tribute to South Africa, which makes it a little more relevant. But Art feels that his "soft-loud-soft" method of rock ballad song-writing has worked so far, so why change it. He wrote all these songs, so they tend to sound a little samey (Art imitating life?). But so do all those Pearl Jam albums, which this resembles, so let's not write it off for that reason. The band has crammed 13 tracks into 47 minutes so they've kept it compact and trim. 'Perfect Ground' is a confident opening track followed by 'Here's To You' and the soaring 'All Around'. 'Those Days' is a lovely ballad with some gorgeous guitars lifting the song to epic status. 'Many Things' and 'Truly Faithful' are speedy without being dance-worthy and 'Feeling Loving' and 'No Friend' are no slouches in the head-banging department either. So, after hearing this a few times I'm still not completely convinced either way. But a lot of you are going to buy this, regardless, so you decide. I'm more concerned about my neighbour who just bought the Britney Spears and Lou Bega CDs.

Moses Taiwa Molelekwa – Genes And Spirits
10 September 1999 Much has been written about this shining new star in the SA jazz firmament since this, his second album, was released on the MELT2000 label. Moses Taiwa Molelekwa was born and raised in Tembisa township during the apartheid years but has risen above the despair of those times to lead the new generation of SA jazz musicians into the new Millennium. He is a pianist of immaculate pedigree and skill and has been acclaimed as the exciting successor to established and inspirational figures like Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela. But Moses felt that he preferred to move away from the traditional jazz structures and has attempted to appeal to a wider and more crossover audience, without compromising his roots. This he has done with 'Genes And Spirits', an album that welcomes a variety of African, Cuban, Jamaican and Brazilian influences as well as a selection of quality contributors including the Cameroonian drummer Brice Wassey, the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes, and the remarkable voice of Flora Purim.

'Genes And Spirits' is a ten-track album that finds Moses exploring a range of styles while still underpinning these tracks with his fluent and understated expertise on piano and keyboards. It is an album that maintains a traditional jazz core wrapped up in a seamless selection of contemporary sounds, with all the songs being his own, original compositions. There's the exuberant gait of 'Down Rockey Street', the shimmering drum 'n bass of the autobiographical 'Spirit Of Tembisa', the trip-hoppy vocals by Faith Kekana on the opening track, 'Tsala', and the repetitive simplicity of the title track. And simplicity is the keyword here. Moses Molelekwa was confident that the emotion, skill and effort that went into this album would be enough to elevate it above many of the other current SA jazz albums. He was right; 'Genes And Spirits' rewards repeated listenings with evocative music that will consistently and deeply touch anyone who allows it to.

The Usual – Born In A Storm
30 August 1999 I always liked the casual, unassuming nature of this band's name. It somehow exuded an air of quiet confidence and a complete lack of pretension or hype. The members of the band – James Stewart (vocals), Paul Tizzard (drums), Johan "Yo-Yo" Buys (bass and, er, yo-yos) and Tom Fox (guitars) – always seemed to have a focused vision and unity of purpose. They started cautiously with their first two excellent EPs ('Six Songs From The Inside' and ' Like A Vision') before heading off to Reggie Bowman's Melbourne studios to record the 15 songs that appear on this, their debut full-length album. Originally the plan was to simply rework all the songs on those two EPs and release them as a full album, but, thankfully, the plan was extended and although many of those early tracks appear (in remixed versions) on this album, there is enough new material to make 'Born In A Storm' the wonderful piece of work many had hoped for.

It was Bright Blue who initially pioneered this Cape kwela-pop sound, but it's The Usual who has carried the torch since Bright Blue mostly disappeared. Now it is Tom Fox's understated and seminal guitar sound that provides the link between these two bands, not to mention the fact that Peter Cohen (ex-Bright Blue drummer) is the manager of The Usual. Fox's mbaqanga guitar licks and James Stewart's vocals have always formed the core of The Usual's sound, with Tizzard and Buys's rhythm section consistently providing the dynamic underbed to these songs. It's a simple formula, but one that has consistently produced some of the best SA pop of the decade. You want proof? Just listen to the opening six tracks, as strong a set of pop nuggets as ever kicked off an album. There's the hopeful and sparkling 'When I Look Into Your Eyes' and 'We'll Be Together As One', followed by the slow-burning title track and the slightly tweaked and gentler version of their first single, 'The Shape That I'm In'. 'Crocodile Eyes' and 'It's A Cold World Without You' follow, with the latter being the stand-out choice as the next single after 'Born In A Storm'. The balance of the album is as consistent as this opening salvo, with fresh versions of 'Like A Vision' and 'In My Head' also making their welcome re-appearances later on.

So 'Born In A Storm' has exceeded all expectations, including those of Street Level Studios, the band's faithful and supportive record company who always believed that this jangly SA folk-pop was well worth its tireless efforts. The Usual shared that belief and vision and stayed on its chosen path to the SA musical high ground. The quality, sound and shape of 'Born In A Storm' finds them further down that path than they could ever have imagined.

The Mutant Harmony Trio – Song For Ancestors
16 August 1999 This exciting first album by The Mutant Harmony Trio was licensed from Tequila Records and released on the Nebula BOS label. It was recorded at the Digital Cupboard in Johannesburg during late-1998 and engineered by Ian Osrin. These ten songs are all Greg Georgiades compositions and display his versatility and unique guitar style. Georgiades also demonstrates his mastery of the bouzouki and oud, which is a fretless lute. The cover photo by Alex Bozas goes a long way toward illustrating the sparse and enigmatic feel of these African and Arabic-inspired compositions.

The opening track, 'Brazouki', utilizes the fresh and funky sound of the bouzouki (an instument given a bad rap by the Monty Python team). Marc Duby's cool bass line underpins Georgiades' mastery of this instrument as it does on many of these tracks. On 'Blue Nile', Georgiades displays his skill on the oud with a mellow groove down the famous river. The seven-minute title track is described on the sleeve as "A song of remembrance, a retracing of steps leading from distant archetypal memories to the here and now". This essentially sums up the inspiration behind this debut album. As with Paul Hanmer's 'Trains To Taung' album, Georgiades is looking northwards for the musical ideas which he seamlessly fuses with his contemporary jazz interests on this eclectic and very enjoyable album.

1) Dantai - Operation Lahlela
12 July 1999 Kwaito, as with rap and hip hop, is a musical style that offers a fresh canvas to any artist willing to experiment with beat, melody and samples. It is music that relies on a base of simple rhythms, sparse arrangements and uncomplicated lyrics but still depends on the broad creativity of its writers to constantly take it into new territory. This first album from Dantai is, strictly speaking, a kwaito album although its innovative mixing of this new dance sound with mid-tempo house, rhythm & blues and hip-hop gives it a new and extra dimension. 'Operation Lahlela' is a nine-song EP that runs for almost an hour. Six of these tracks are original compositions and the remaining three include two remixes of 'Dantai' and one of 'Pyjama Jam'.

The album was produced by Terry Pinana, Dantai and David Beukes at the Mama Dance Music Studios in Cape Town and engineered and mixed by David Beukes and Jerry Barnard respectively. The result is a sparkling album brimming with teeth-loosening bass, an assortment of synthesizer effects and solid percussion. All these elements contribute a big, clear and energetic backdrop to Lungu's sweet and confident vocals, which add a complementary lightness to the deeper male vocals of Diggy Bongz and Goggi. The album opens with a killer trio of songs, 'Dantai', 'Pyjama Jam' and 'Living Aint Easy'. 'Dantai' begins deceptively with a single keyboard chord and some scattered marimba sounds before the bass and melody kick in with a vengeance. The three voices swop lead and harmonizing roles throughout the song, giving it a freshness and Fugees-type feel. 'Pyjama Jam' follows a similar pattern with the male voices dominating here. 'Livin' Aint Easy' cools down the mood and works off a lovely piano melody with Lungu's emotional and yearning vocals adding poignancy to what is possibly the best song on this album.
'Kaige', 'Ten Years', and 'Ubzukubhonke' give this album its solid centre before the 'Dantai - Skollie Mix' and instrumental versions of 'Dantai', and 'Pyjama Jam' close off this excellent album. Dantai cite kwaito heavyweights TKZee and BoomShaka as their inspirations; but it is not going to be too long before those roles are reversed.

2) Various Artists - African Jazz Grooves Vol 1
12 July 1999 There may be tons of compilations on the CD shelves at the moment, focusing on the better music coming out of South Africa these days. But this collection, compiled by Luyton Driman on the Meltdown label is possibly one of the best. There are eleven tracks on this album and each one features the strongest songs by the artists involved. Pick of the bunch is pianist Paul Hanmer's 'Chefs Groove' off his wonderful 'Trains To Taung' album. Sipho Gumede contributes the title track off his recent 'Ubuntu' album and Pops Mahomed weighs in with 'The Spirit'.

Two of these artists get to contribute two tracks; Max Lasser is represented by 'Lua Lua' and 'Jumpy', while the bassist Gito Baloi's two tracks, 'Mpfumo Samba' and 'Basic GB' are from his solo albums recorded while Baloi was taking a sabbatical from the band Tananas. Tony Cox's two previous acoustic guitar albums were very well received and here we have 'You Asked For It'. Other artists featured include Landscape Prayers, McCoy Mrubata, and Vusi Khumalo. Besides standing on its own as a worthwhile compilation, 'African Jazz Grooves Vol 1' will definitely ignite fans' interest in many of these artists' own albums.


This and any other SA CD can be ordered online at One World, the best SA CD store on the pla-Net.

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