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Music reviews
Chill out/ambient reviews
Flow Records in Portugal is out with the debut album by Red Seal. Charles McGougan is the main man behind this project, with Cheshire Cat and A. Joseph on vocals, plus several musicians on various instruments. They released a CD single and a few tracks on various compilations on Flying Rhino Records, before it went bankrupt. They got well known for they chilled vibes, where they mix psychedelic chill out music with reggae, hip hop, jazz etc. I have seen them live once, at Sola Luna 2001 in Greece, at the chill out stage. It was pretty nice listening to while laying in the sun, but in my opinion there was a bit too much vocals in their tracks.
Red Seal "Black Ops" Flow Records 2004 (FLR0411CD)
1. In A Di Battle
2. Forces Of Creation
3. Knowing All Clear
4. Machine Gun Tommy
5. Cool Down
6. Facts Not Fiction
7. Back One Day
8. Behold I Come As One
9. Voices From Beyond
10. Vibrations Dub (Forces Edit)
11. Supernatural
12. Zorushka
I don’t know why, but it seems like Red Seal is actually the only hip hop band, if you can call it that, which is accepted in the psychedelic scene. The first track has some pure reggae vocals and chilled dubby beats. You also get some jazzy vibes. You probably have to enjoy reggae music to like this one. In my opinion, a refreshing change from all the usual chill out music I listen to. Track 2 is better. More chilled and experimental. We get the dubby vibe in this one too, but not as nagging vocals. There is also some relaxing trumpet in there. One of my favourite tracks on this album. Track 3 is much more funky. You get more reggae singing than rapping, and it has a nice float of instruments. Track 4 goes more chilled. Totally smoked out reggae vibes, with some chilled flute among vocals and other instruments. Track 5 is the classic Cool Down track, which was released on Flying Rhino Records a few years ago. Definitely my favourite track by Red Seal. Beautiful piano, vocals and totally relaxed vibes. Track 6 has a lot of trumpet, vocals and a very slow vibe. Almost boring if you ask me, but it can be relaxing at times. Track 7 is a beautiful track. The vocals are of course there, some trumpet and relaxed guitar. Not much beats at all, just a nice float of instruments and vocals. For sure a track that can make you sleepy. Nice one.
Track 8 goes to an experimental jazzy vibe again. Dubby beats, relaxing trumpet and reggae inspired vocals. A bit boring track in my ears. Track 9 goes another direction. It starts with some vinyl scratching, before we get a mix of weird psychedelic sounds and a down tempo beat, stumping slowly through the track. Here we get less vocals, but more sounds. Quite different from most of the other tracks by Red Seal. Track 10 goes back to a smoked out dubby vibe again. Slow and deep dub. This one will for sure fit the taste of dub lovers out there. There are not much vocals in it either. Track 11 is another classic Red Seal track we have heard before, called Supernatural. Relaxing vocals and deep bass. One of the best tracks they have made in my opinion. The last track we get on this album, has surprisingly some vocals by the world music singer Irina Mikhailova, originally from Russia, now living in the USA. She has got awards for her world music, but is also well known in our scene, after singing with Medicine Drum, Kaya Project, Aba Structure, Toires etc. This is a beautiful dreamy track, just floating all the way through. A beautiful finish on this album.
It’s nice to see that Red Seal finally released their album. If you are open minded and want to try out some vocals in your chill for a change, you should probably check out this album. If you have the Red Seal tracks already released on Flying Rhino Records, you have the best ones, but you get a couple of nice tunes in this one too.
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
