Xen Cuts
Various Artists
General
| Oct 2000
Reviews
The Dead Kenny-Gs
Reviewed 2003-02-25
Reviewed 2003-02-25
Xen Cuts
Unreleased, live, rare, and otherwise interesting tracks from Ninja Tune. This compilation celebrates the London based label started by the duo Coldcut ten years ago. Disc one tends to hip hop/turntablism/breakbeat, and disc two is more electronica/atmospheric/futuristic lounge stuff. It all shows why Ninja Tune is one of the best labels out there. Every track is good, many are great, and some are amazing, play all (watch for FCCs on disc 1). Recommended tracks: CD1: 13, 14, 1-3, 5, 6, 8-12; CD2: 3, 4, 5, 10, 2, 6-8.
Disc 1
1 (1:03) *Intro mix
2 (4:45) *Syncopated hip hop (FCC, several 'fuck's and 'shit's)
3 (3:21) *Mellow, jazzy loop hip hop
4 (5:00) Hip hop, familiar loop (FCC 'fuck')
5 (5:00) *Hip hop, up-tempo with dark samples (FCC 'fuck')
6 (4:33) *Fuzzy synthesizer bass over beat-abstract, repetitive
7 (3:12) Hip hop
8 (4:25) *Samples and beat,
9 (4:22) *Amon Tobin dark beats male vocal hip hop
10 (4:53) *Female spoken rap, dissing chauvinist hip hop
11 (5:17) *Mellow flowing groove, drums and synthesizer
12 (4:04) *Turntablism, lots of spoken samples with Chinese violin loop
13 (5:08) **Turntablist collage, spoken samples
14 (4:35) **Crowd noise, soul jazz organ--funky as hell
15 (5:05) *Hip hop, funky loop
16 (4:06) Hip hop (FCC 'fuck')
17 (4:07) Dreamy, slightly annoying intro, Medium beat electronica
18 (5:15) Down-tempo electronica, odd samples
Disc 2 Review on Back ‡
Disc 2
1 (1:44) Medley/collage of Ninja Tune songs
2 (4:18) *Copshow groove
3 (6:36) **Big dark bass
4 (4:23) **Latin Funk with blazing Snowboy organ. Baile, motherfucker!!!
5 (5:21) **Slow exotic orchestral and mid-eastern
6 (5:28) *Very complicated interlocking rhythm, jazzy medium-tempo
7 (7:36) *Fem wordless vocal
8 (5:32) *Slow, horns and drums, stylized film noir soundtrack
9 (6:30) Down-tempo tweeky electronic sounds
10 (8:28) **Ken Nordine word jazz illustrated with beats by DJ Food
11 (8:20) Slower syncopated electronica
12 (4:34) Wide, flowing and orchestral
13 (4:21) Horns, fem vocals, soul/disco flavor
14 (4:00) Down-tempo, flowing
Tom Purcell, October 2000
Unreleased, live, rare, and otherwise interesting tracks from Ninja Tune. This compilation celebrates the London based label started by the duo Coldcut ten years ago. Disc one tends to hip hop/turntablism/breakbeat, and disc two is more electronica/atmospheric/futuristic lounge stuff. It all shows why Ninja Tune is one of the best labels out there. Every track is good, many are great, and some are amazing, play all (watch for FCCs on disc 1). Recommended tracks: CD1: 13, 14, 1-3, 5, 6, 8-12; CD2: 3, 4, 5, 10, 2, 6-8.
Disc 1
1 (1:03) *Intro mix
2 (4:45) *Syncopated hip hop (FCC, several 'fuck's and 'shit's)
3 (3:21) *Mellow, jazzy loop hip hop
4 (5:00) Hip hop, familiar loop (FCC 'fuck')
5 (5:00) *Hip hop, up-tempo with dark samples (FCC 'fuck')
6 (4:33) *Fuzzy synthesizer bass over beat-abstract, repetitive
7 (3:12) Hip hop
8 (4:25) *Samples and beat,
9 (4:22) *Amon Tobin dark beats male vocal hip hop
10 (4:53) *Female spoken rap, dissing chauvinist hip hop
11 (5:17) *Mellow flowing groove, drums and synthesizer
12 (4:04) *Turntablism, lots of spoken samples with Chinese violin loop
13 (5:08) **Turntablist collage, spoken samples
14 (4:35) **Crowd noise, soul jazz organ--funky as hell
15 (5:05) *Hip hop, funky loop
16 (4:06) Hip hop (FCC 'fuck')
17 (4:07) Dreamy, slightly annoying intro, Medium beat electronica
18 (5:15) Down-tempo electronica, odd samples
Disc 2 Review on Back ‡
Disc 2
1 (1:44) Medley/collage of Ninja Tune songs
2 (4:18) *Copshow groove
3 (6:36) **Big dark bass
4 (4:23) **Latin Funk with blazing Snowboy organ. Baile, motherfucker!!!
5 (5:21) **Slow exotic orchestral and mid-eastern
6 (5:28) *Very complicated interlocking rhythm, jazzy medium-tempo
7 (7:36) *Fem wordless vocal
8 (5:32) *Slow, horns and drums, stylized film noir soundtrack
9 (6:30) Down-tempo tweeky electronic sounds
10 (8:28) **Ken Nordine word jazz illustrated with beats by DJ Food
11 (8:20) Slower syncopated electronica
12 (4:34) Wide, flowing and orchestral
13 (4:21) Horns, fem vocals, soul/disco flavor
14 (4:00) Down-tempo, flowing
Tom Purcell, October 2000
Recent airplay
Ug
Some Songs Without Words — Oct 16, 2023
Rhythm & Blues Angus Steakhs
Trip Over Zero — Jul 14, 2005
Give It Up
Selectronica — Apr 03, 2005
2 Tha Left
Selectronica — Mar 07, 2005
I Hear the Drummer
Dancing in Outer Space: Halloween MADNESS — Oct 31, 2004
Down & to the Left
Trip Over Zero — Aug 16, 2004
Track listing
| 1. | The Xen to One Ratio | ||
| 2. | Showtime | ||
| 3. | 2 Tha Left | ||
| 4. | Qms | ||
| 5. | 8PT Agenda | ||
| 6. | Ug | ||
| 7. | Memories | ||
| 8. | Rhythm & Blues Angus Steakhs | ||
| 9. | Saboteur | ||
| 10. | Your Revolution | ||
| 11. | Nepalese Bliss | ||
| 12. | Emperors Main Course | ||
| 13. | Give It Up | ||
| 14. | Hip Hop Barrio | ||
| 15. | Blue Flames | ||
| 16. | Night Night Theme | ||
| 17. | I Hear the Drummer | ||
| 18. | Ninjah (We Are Ninga) | ||
| 19. | The Joy of X | ||
| 20. | The 10TH Victim | ||
| 21. | Soul Pride | ||
| 22. | Los Locos Cubanos | ||
| 23. | Down & to the Left | ||
| 24. | My Life's in These Bottles | ||
| 25. | Original Sins | ||
| 26. | Restless | ||
| 27. | Build a Church with Your Fr. | ||
| 28. | The Ageing Young Rebel | ||
| 29. | Quicksilver Loom | ||
| 30. | Big Sea | ||
| 31. | Arcane | ||
| 32. | Big Amoeba Sound |