Lemon Jelly: "lemonjelly.ky" (****½)

Light-hearted, romantic and sunny

A compilation of three Lemon Jelly EPs on one disc full of love and massive beats. In my opinion the concept is similar to Wagon Christ's "Tally Ho!" with its melodic hooks, spine-tingling beats and rhythms and eccentric samples. Lemon Jelly is, however, slightly more conservative in their use of strange samples and is more harmony-driven amongst the beats. And let me tell you, I love this album. Unreservedly. Hearing music like this makes me love all of electronic music so much more.

"Nervous Tension" says a lot about what this album is about. This album will bring you into a good mood and relieve that bad, bad 'nervous tension' that, among other things, 'causes you to be less efficient at work'. The entire album does not have much in the way of depth, but even more in the way instant pleasure with the beats and upbeat melodies. "A Tune For Jack" is somewhat similar with "Nice Weather For Ducks" from Lost Horizons with its infinitely joyous atmosphere and absurd samples. It's a little crazy and a lot fun.

This album is very intelligent, it just chooses to be naive and silly for fun. A self-ironic way of writing really is the only way to get an album like this to work. It may sound contradictory, but while you cannot take this album seriously lest you will not be able to enjoy it fully, you need to take it seriously in order to not reduce it into a joke, which it is certainly not. It's just some innocent fun in the sun. The two things I tend to love most in my music - beats & basses and melodies & harmony blend in an impressive manner in this album. The only thing you won't find on this album is melancholy, and that is indeed best left for other artists to explore for Lemon Jelly does such a wonderful job with groove.

Most of this review also applies to "Lost Horizons". The records are similar in style, but both remain fresh and unique. You will definitely want to get both of them. The only downside to both albums is the digipack in which they are packaged. It's part of the unique strangeness that is characteristic of Lemon Jelly that you may have a little trouble finding the actual CD from the case at first, which isn't a problem per se (except that I'm yet to find a tracklisting on "Lost Horizons", which is a bad thing). But the downside I'm talking about is that the cases are of non-standard size and will not fit into your CD towers/racks. Not to worry though, these records will find a place in your heart all the same.

TOP TRACKS: A Tune For Jack, His Majesty King Raam, The Staunton Lick, Kneel Before Your God, Come

Tracklist In The Bath Nervous Tension A Tune For Jack [Sample] His Majesty King Raam [Sample] The Staunton Lick Homage To Patagonia Kneel Before Your God Page One Come

Impotent Fury 2000

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Review by Saboteur

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