Search - Aphrodite, Gavin King :: Aphrodite Recordings

Aphrodite blisters my soul.

Faustine McNamara-Guggenheim | Bilbao, Spain | 11/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a young girl growing up in suburban Rotterdam, the sounds of the street; New Beat, Gothcore, Death House, and Southern Rock, were permanently imprinted onto my developing and impressionable mind. As a teenager, I worked in a dance club in downtown Rotterdam called Das Boofenhaus, where I sold fresh waffles and vinyl clothing accessories to the clubgoers. It was at Das Boofenhaus where I first came into contact with Aphrodite one fateful night. I had ingested many substances that night and was about to lose consciousness behind the counter of my wafflestand when a hand reached over the cash register and ripped the wig off my head. I tried to blow my rave whistle in protest, but I couldn't catch my breath; the beat was too strong. As the strobe lights flickered, I saw a human form waving my wig in the air on the other side of the counter. Was it Aphrodite? I beseeched him to give me my wig back, and he obliged by tossing it over the counter and into a vat of waffle batter. I snatched it up quickly and put it back on; waffle batter was dripping down my already mascara-stained face. "APHRODITE!" I screamed. But he was gone... This CD rips my consciousness back to that moment and causes me much pain and ecstasy. My emotions remain unresolved. I will forever love Aphrodite. My husband Seb has forbidden me to play this CD in our home. I must listen to it in secret."

The King of the BASS

Jason Robey | Silver Spring, MD USA | 04/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For some odd reason I didn't really like Aphrodite's eponymous release when I first listened to it. I bought it because I loved Aphrodite's remix of the Jungle Brothers song "Jungle Brother" on "MTV's Amp 2" (a damn good disc; recommended.) To be honest, I'm not sure what the heck I was thinking. This one's a burner and it just gets better every time I hear it. I get that just-bought-a-new-CD-and-it's-slammin' feeling almost every time I spin this.Now, as the electronic dance community is well aware, most big name DJ's aren't very prolific producers, if they produce at all. So when you say you're into DJ X, you're really saying that you like the way he mixes and you dig his track selections. The DJ (almost) never has anything to do with the production of the actual sounds that you're listening to. (We all know this, but I'm trying to make a point.) Which brings me to my point (see?): the tracks on "Aphrodite" are ALL original! Aphrodite produced every sound you hear on this amazing CD (except for the samples, but nice sample choices!)Almost every track is a party. If I had to choose my favorite track, I'd say "Style From The Dark Side '99." But honestly, it's way too hard to choose favorites with such a superb collection of music. This will remind you of Fatboy Slim in that it's very funky and upbeat. Aphrodite wants you to get on the dancefloor and freak. If I heard this type of music at a club (which I never have), a team of oxen wouldn't be able to drag me from the dancefloor. (Well, maybe I'm wrong about the oxen - 'dey pretty strong.)They call Aphrodite the "King of the Beats," which I have no objection to, but I think a more accurate title would be "King of the Bass." The bass on these tracks is like Jello pudding - real smooth, soopah tasty, and it even makes your stomach feel good.Each track follows a basic formula. A given track will start off relatively spare - a drum sequence, a sample or two - then the pace starts to quicken as electronics are added with just a hint of that amazing bass that will surface later in the track. More sounds are mixed in, swirled together, joined, released... At times, depending on how involved I become, it can be almost maddening waiting for that bass to kick in. I mean that in a good AND bad way, because to me the track really hasn't started until the bass arrives - sometimes it takes too long (I can be impatient about these things.) But damn, when it does, the whole thing ignites and begins cooking and it's just bliss. My favorite, "Style From The Dark Side '99," is a good example of this.Unfortunately, there are a couple of tracks that are majorly flawed. For instance, the samples on "Spice (Even Spicier)" are way too annoying. Too bad, because the bassline is one of the best on the whole album and the jazz is a nice addition. Another flaw: as I mentioned, sometimes it takes forever for the bass to kick in. It's entertaining to hear Aphrodite build a track, and this really shows off how talented he is, but sometimes it's a little much and breaks the flow. Also, I'm baffled that other reviewers of this album liked "Summer Breeze," even went so far as to call it their favorite track. In my opinion, it's the worst track on the album. It reminds me of some of the sellout trash that Roni Size has been dropping recently. And lastly, there's the occasional too-much-of-the-same factor that plagues every DJ mix I've ever heard; this isn't necessarily an indictment, just an observation.Although I have some minor issues with some of the album, on the whole I think it's damn great. There really isn't anything out there that sounds quite like this (that I've heard.) Thus it receives my highest recommendation. All you drum 'n' bass heads: if you're open to, or searching for, d'n'b that's upbeat and funky then you NEED this! I'd also recommend this to fans of Fatboy Slim; although it's a different style, the overarching philosophies of these two artists are very similar (i.e., that's the move-the-crowd-and-have-fun philosophy.) Everyone else, I dunno, just listen to the samples: You like? You buy."

King of beats and improv

Jolene M. Williams | USA | 12/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Highlights:
The first track I really like on this album is the first track on the album, which is one of three interludes, also known as "Tower Tronic". It is a very relaxing instrumental, and it captures the spirit of Enya in a drum and bass rhythm. It makes for an interesting introduction, and it is probably my favorite track on the album.The second track I really like is called Spice. it doesn't have very many lyrics, but I like the few it does have. I like the repeated and sporadic whispering of the word "spice". This track is my favorite track that isn't an interlude. It has a magical sort of quality to it.The last favorite of mine is called Woman That Rolls. It has a very good beat, and it is hella catchy. I like the sound clip that he mixes in the song where he says "I need a woman that rolls with my arrangement". What first time listeners might think/experience:
Most people have never heard or even heard of drums and bass/jungle. What it is is techno sounds with the sounds of a drum kit and a heavy beat, with a lot of emphasis placed on the beat. Instrumentation is more important than lyrics are in the genre. The songs are usually either completely instrumental or there isn't much to the lyrics, which often are something that is repeated and remixed into the song over and over, often in different ways.An unexperienced listener would probably say that this guy stuck a bunch of musical tracks in some sort of imaginary sound blender, put the lid on, turned on the blender, and then, suddenly, ripped the cover off.. The resulting sound would be an Aphrodite track. Yes, that is what it sounds like on the surface... Everything seems sporadic, varying, unplanned.. but you may realize that it sounds professional.. it sounds alright.. It doesn't sound like a total piece of S#!T.. at all.. It is beautiful and great.. It's because he knows what he is doing..For experienced listeners:
Simply to say, this guy is the master of improvisation. He knows all the rules.. he follows them.. yet, to your ears, it sounds like he's breaking rules, because there is so much going on. I've noticed one important feature. AT LEAST ONE beat/melody at a given remains constant. It may be hard to notice at times, but it is always true. The reason it is so hard to notice is because there are up to around 5 other tracks being played that are varying at a given time... What is weird and special about Aphrodite is that even in the variations there is much consistency.. if you listen closely enough you can tell that there was a lot of planning, practice, and preparation involved in this guy's work. I given Gavin a lot of credit because he knows his improv.. he obviously had musical training and education... Not only that, but he makes something so consistent seem so varying.. so inconsistent... he's really good at fooling people's ears.. especially someone who doesn't listen closely.That's about all. Happy listening."