Mehliana - Taming The Dragon
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2014-05-12
Reviewed 2014-05-12
MEHLDAU, BRAD & MARK GIULIANA : Mehliana – Taming the Dragon
Nonesuch, 2014
ELECTRONIC JAZZ – Here’s a surprising but highly successful duo outing. Mehldau has been a top name on acoustic piano for nearly 20 years, but here we find him mostly on Fender Rhodes and synths, bubbling away beside drummer Giuliana. The music is informed by modern jazz, drum ‘n’ bass, prog-rock… there’s even some neo-beatnik spoken word. Think of Marco Benevento mixed with Tangerine Dream, Thelonious Moog, and a touch of Herbie Hancock. Terrific stuff.
All good. Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11
1. 6:43 – multiple FCCs: describing a dream against drone and trippy funk
2. 5:41 – nice! perky electric piano reverb, staccato beat, layered synths
3. 5:45 – dark synth growls, bubbling Rhodes clusters, drums roam & scatter
4. 5:24 – mellow steampunk-robot piano/synth ballad, spoken word near end
5. 7:34 – relaxed Rhodes climbs over trippy drone, Amelia Earhart speech
6. 6:18 – calm yet funky, laid back keyboard has almost a video-game sound
7. 5:02 – quietly upbeat over cool drums, gets totally proggy in second half
8. 7:53 – teasing synth, hard drumbeat poke at Serge Gainsbourg samples
9. 5:42 – insistent, churning, with Rhodes & synths riding high and rising
10. 5:53 – sassy funk glide: coy Rhodes, goofy synths, strutting drums
11. 4:59 – catchy, dreamy, happy: melody snakes around quick drums
12. 4:58 – relaxed, drifting stroll: Rhodes has a bit of a bluesy feel
[ Fo ] - 12 May 2014
Nonesuch, 2014
ELECTRONIC JAZZ – Here’s a surprising but highly successful duo outing. Mehldau has been a top name on acoustic piano for nearly 20 years, but here we find him mostly on Fender Rhodes and synths, bubbling away beside drummer Giuliana. The music is informed by modern jazz, drum ‘n’ bass, prog-rock… there’s even some neo-beatnik spoken word. Think of Marco Benevento mixed with Tangerine Dream, Thelonious Moog, and a touch of Herbie Hancock. Terrific stuff.
All good. Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11
1. 6:43 – multiple FCCs: describing a dream against drone and trippy funk
2. 5:41 – nice! perky electric piano reverb, staccato beat, layered synths
3. 5:45 – dark synth growls, bubbling Rhodes clusters, drums roam & scatter
4. 5:24 – mellow steampunk-robot piano/synth ballad, spoken word near end
5. 7:34 – relaxed Rhodes climbs over trippy drone, Amelia Earhart speech
6. 6:18 – calm yet funky, laid back keyboard has almost a video-game sound
7. 5:02 – quietly upbeat over cool drums, gets totally proggy in second half
8. 7:53 – teasing synth, hard drumbeat poke at Serge Gainsbourg samples
9. 5:42 – insistent, churning, with Rhodes & synths riding high and rising
10. 5:53 – sassy funk glide: coy Rhodes, goofy synths, strutting drums
11. 4:59 – catchy, dreamy, happy: melody snakes around quick drums
12. 4:58 – relaxed, drifting stroll: Rhodes has a bit of a bluesy feel
[ Fo ] - 12 May 2014
Recent airplay
Gainsbourg
Music Casserole — Jul 05, 2014
Luxe
Rebop — Jul 04, 2014
Swimming
Rebop — Jun 19, 2014
Luxe
Box of Chocolates (Sub) — Jun 14, 2014
Swimming
No Cover, No Minimum — Jun 13, 2014
Luxe
No Cover, No Minimum — Jun 06, 2014
Charting
2014-05-16 — 2014-07-18
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jul 6 | 2 |
| Jun 22 | 1 |
| Jun 15 | 2 |
| Jun 8 | 2 |
| Jun 1 | 3 |
| May 25 | 1 |
| May 18 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Taming The Dragon | ||
| 2. | Luxe | ||
| 3. | You Can't Go Back Now | ||
| 4. | The Dreamer | ||
| 5. | Elegy For Amelia E. | ||
| 6. | Sleeping Giant | ||
| 7. | Hungry Ghost | ||
| 8. | Gainsbourg | ||
| 9. | Just Call Me Nige | ||
| 10. | Sassyassed Sassafrass | ||
| 11. | Swimming | ||
| 12. | London Gloaming |