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FUNKED UP

2117¬Montreal's foremost exponenents of Prince-inspired dirty funk are back with their new album. Critics so far are impressed, Rave Magazine seeing the album as an affirmation of the band's unique style.¬False¬

Middle of the Trail

2101¬Rootsy folkster Ray Lamontagne continues his career as a Radio 2 botherer with his new album. Critics see it as competent but hardly revolutionary, scores coming it at around 6 or 7.¬False¬

Towering achievement?

2098¬There's a very rare 10/10 from The Skinny for the rapper, pianist and producer's album, released to accompany a feature film also written and produced by the maverick Canadian. Such enthusiasm is not shared by the BBC or music OMH, who regard it as interesting but only partially successful.¬True¬
The Architect

Rob Swift

The Architect

Former X-Ecutioner turntablist Rob Swift with an album of genre-mashing samples

Label
Ipecac
Release date
23/02/2010
  1. 8.0 |  The Skinny

    A perfect balance between out’n’out boom-bap swagger and moments of tense terror
    Read Review

  2. 7.0 |  Drowned In Sound

    He’s a master at finding the sweet spot where genres cross-pollinate and blur seamlessly into one another, and he makes it sound effortless, as if Brahms and the Bomb Squad were always destined to jam together
    Read Review

  3. 7.0 |  Pop Matters

    On the whole, The Architect does resemble “theme music” or film scores: mood music more than elaborate constructions
    Read Review

  4. 5.0 |  The Music Fix

    With the bulk of the album made up of short, two minute or less pieces, it's as if he didn't know where to take most of the tracks beyond the initial idea
    Read Review

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Track preview & download

Rob Swift: The Architect

  • Download full album for just £7.99
  • 1. Overture £0.79
  • 2. Introduction £0.79
  • 3. The Architect £0.79
  • 4. Principo featuring Breez Evahflown £0.79
  • 5. Story Of A Man £0.79
  • 6. Sound The Horn £0.79
  • 7. Prelude To The 1st Movement £0.79
  • 8. Rabia - 1st Movement £0.79
  • 9. Rabia - 2nd Movement £0.79
  • 10. Rabia - 3rd Movement £0.79
  • 11. D.R.E.W. £0.79
  • 12. Intermission £0.79
  • 13. Lower Level - 1st Movement £0.79
  • 14. Lower Level - 2nd Movement £0.79
  • 15. Lower Level - 3rd Movement £0.79
  • 16. Spartacus £0.79
  • 17. Sound The Horn (Reprise) £0.79
  • 18. Ultimo Featuring Breez Evahflown £0.79
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Prolific

2120¬These Virginian sludge-rockers find themselves releasing their fifth album in two years, a huge feat by anyone's standards. Critics are unsure whether any degree of quality can be sustained at that rate however, with Tiny Mix Tapes stating that in fleshing out their sound, they have drawn "too much attention to musical aspects [they] never had going for them".¬True¬

Duppy Love

2109¬Critics are falling over themselves to heap praise on this album of dub remixes of classic Roots Manuva tracks. It has managed a very decent showing on our chart, especially given that it is essentially a remix album. It has impressed so much that Culture Deluxe has proclaimed it as "possibly the most perfect reggae album released in the last 30 years". ¬True¬

Back On Top?

2114¬The Manic Street Preachers have had something of a critical rebirth with their last two albums, and that trend looks set to continue with their latest offering. The Line of Best Fit call it a "wonderful album", while The Fly reckon they "are in the form of their life". With only a few reviews in so far, it seems we could have a contender for the higher echelons of our chart.¬True¬

Pain and pleasure

2105¬Can the third of the three Mancunian electro-ish bands which featured in the BBC's Sound of 2010 list emulate the success of their counterparts, Delphic and Everything Everything? The jury's still out so far. NME is a big fan of the duo's 80s-inspired synthpop anthems, but The Guardian is far from convinced, and others find the album stylish but unremarkable. ¬True¬

Compilations & Reissues

They're not in the main chart as they skew things

  1. 8.5

    The Teardrop Explode Kilimanjaro: Deluxe Edition

  2. 8.5

    R.E.M. Fables Of The Reconstruction

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