There's a lot of drum and bass that is dark and apocalyptic. There's also a lot that is really fast and impossible to dance comfortably to. Then there is Aphrodite and the whole Urban Takeover sound. Accessible, light, and fun, this is drum and bass for the rest of us.
Even when he's trying to be dark, e.g. on "Style from the Dark Side OE99," Aphrodite keeps an eye on humor and pop. The track before, "Rincing Quince (slider mix)," is a kick-ass interpretation of The Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By." There are smooth, expansive washes of sound on the beautiful "Spice (even spicier)," and seriously dope sample manipulation on "Listen to the Rythmn." Indeed, samples are consistently used to great effect on this record. Aphrodite uses a distinctive bass sound, as well. A bass line is normally part of the percussive underpinning to a song, and the genius of drum and bass (and much of dance music in general) is to push the bass to the foreground. This is especially the case with Aphrodite's music, where the bass takes the lead. On most of these tracks the minor players, e.g. samples, keyboards, and beats, set the scene before the bass makes its grand entrance.
I suspect that many of the drum and bass heads out there don't care for Aphrodite. Perhaps this music is too poppy, too accessible, or perhaps it's just too formulaic. The last charge may be warranted. Many of the tracks start with a bass-less introduction followed by a build, culminating in a new or additional beat and a thick, thundering bass line. It's a winning formula, though, and after several weeks of listening I haven't grown tired of this record. There is something, however, that bothers me about this disc. It starts with an "interlude." Shouldn't that be a "prelude"? It made me think for a moment that I'd missed something. Anyway, we can forgive Aphrodite the mistake.
If you like Aphrodite, check out:
Various Artists Takeover Bid: Round One
DJ DB Shades of Technology
Dimitri From Paris A Night At The Playboy Mansion
Kruder and Dorfmeister DJ Kicks
DJ Raymond Roker Altered States of Drum and Bass, Vol. 1
Various Artists Old School vs. New School
