at a glance...

Hometown: West Yorkshire, England
Year Formed: 1989

Members:
George Evelyn -production, electronics, songwriting
Sara Winton -vocals
Robin Taylor-Firth -keyboards, etc.
Chris Dawkins -guitar

Bands in the family :
Soul City Rockers, Jimi Tenor, Sabres of Paradise, Two Lone Swordsmen, James Lavelle

Notes:
Lumped into post-acid's so-called bleep techno scene along with 808 State and LFO, Nightmares on Wax were early pioneers of the mix-and-match aesthetic that would drive British dance music in the mid-'90s. Taking in breakbeat and electro as well as more ravey influences, their debut LP A Word of Science, released in 1991, is still considered a classic of British dance music. Evelyn resurfaced without his partner Kevin Harper on Mo' Wax's now-legendary Headz compilation in 1994, and released the surprisingly downbeat Smoker's Delight LP in 1995. That album showcased Evelyn's long-standing hip-hop and soul predilections, but unfortunately fell behind the curve of the trip-hop movement and was largely ignored by fans lapping up the Bristol sound. After another lengthy delay, Evelyn and NOW emerged with Carboot Soul, a richer, more satisfying record that more than justified the group's staying power.

They just don't make 'em like this anymore. You could scan the Billboard R&B charts for months and never find a single song with the warm, soulful glow that positively envelopes this record. Yet here it is, straight outta Leeds, courtesy of ex-rave icons Nightmares on Wax, a timeless, instrumental antidote to the grotesque wailing of Mariah, Dru Hill and the like.

Taking their cue from the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Gamble and Huff and Rakim, Nightmares on Wax come off like the sunny flipside to Massive Attack's brooding, icy trip-hop. Like the Massive Crew, Evelyn has a sharp ear for a sample as well as a genuine talent for funky arranging. Chris Dawkins' guitars do a call-and-response with Jimi Tenor's insistent horn stabs on "EaseJimi," while the lush soulscape of "Morse" feels like falling into a bag of feathers. Sara Winton's voice is likewise used with restraint, and on "Survival" she sounds like the Stax soul sisters of yesteryear. Imagine Erykah Badu produced by Organized Noise and King Tubby, and you're almost there.

Evelyn has always claimed to be a beathead, and the drums here snap and kick with the requisite force. But while so many hip-hop producers set the urgency controls on "plod," Evelyn vacuums up their discarded ideas and uses them to breathe life into even his most stubbornly downtempo tracks. Less a smoker's delight than a universal soul token, Carboot Soul is a truly welcome return from a group that records far too little. Hurry back.