Cohesion

Danny Demierre's Flytronix changes pace a bit on Cohesion. The label change should be the first hint — this one is on Far Out and not Moving Shadow. Employing his trademark drum'n'bass m.o. but not restricting himself to it, Demierre offers traces of Latin funk and dub in the mix on the opener, "Heavy Traffic." There is also a beautiful Brazilian feel to "Lava," featuring the amazing Patricia Vesparo on vocals. The track features a wonderfully pastoral break, acid jazz tropes, and even Brazilian folk chants followed by naked jazz sampling on "Play Monk." Other vocalists make welcome appearances, too, such as Jubilent on "All That I Know," Niki King on "Tonight," and Tina Grace on "Amor E Vida." The jazzy vibe continues on "Backatcha," with its noir-ish swing, and gets downright exotic on "Parting Shot," with its laid-back samba chorus samples. There are also two hip-hop cuts in this set — "Scibin' On tha Edge" and "Reachout" — that add to rather than detract from the quark strangeness of Cohesion. For those who crave the deep drum'n'bass explorations that are showcased on his Moving Shadow sides, there is "Zig Zag" and "Reload." Those approaching this with an open mind will not be disappointed, despite the wide array of styles and approaches here. Flytronix's ramblings are not schizophrenic at all, and this set is a fine illustration of how ambition and restlessness can be channeled into, yes, cohesion.