Released:
Oom Gert Records (No Catalogue Number)

Website:
Dorp

Even in this incarnation of Dorp, it is clear that you are dealing with a quirky, eclectic talent. Pieter Bezuidenhout is the only surviving member from this album in the current line up and it's his handiwork that has ensure the (relative) longevity of the group. Song titles like 'Simon Gothfunkle' and lyrics like 'Your description is the reason for my prescription' from 'Sweet Temptation' are just some examples of the wordsmith qualities of Bezuidenhout, and many more examples abound in later works (an album title of 'Five steps off the Pacemaker' being another example.) This gives the music a humour and a cleverness that sometimes leaves you say 'did I hear right, is that what he sang?' and then chuckling quietly to oneself.

Musically, the songs are spiky, funky tunes that are given a huge injection of Ska by David Poole's bouncing sax playing. The pace changes within most songs, going from manic chorus to slower reflective moments or anguished howling verse, but maintains the interest at all times. Elements of the indigenous come in with some scattered penny whistle sounds, but mostly this is music that is driven by rhythm, given a saxy body, sprinkled with some Cape Coloured 'ay-chukka-lay' sounds and rounded off by some 'ou's in the studio' vocals.

Like indigenous jewellery this is a colourful album, full of beads of wisdom and made of natural ingredients. There are no polished stones here, no rough diamonds, no hidden gems and it is certainly in no way jaded. It's just pure musical energy bouncing around a studio that has been canned is a very flat looking can (or CD to some) and distributed for your listening pleasure.

John Samson, SA Rockdigest, January 2002

All info supplied by John Samson, May 2002