Fila Brazillia
(Copyright © 1999-2024 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use)
Old Codes New Chaos (1994), 6/10
Maim That Tune (1995), 6/10
Mess (1996), 6/10
Black Market Gardening (1996), 6/10
Luck Be A Weirdo Tonight (1997), 6/10
Power Clown (1998), 6/10
A Touch Of Cloth (1999) , 6.5/10
Brazilification (2000), 5/10
Another Late Night (2001), 4/10
Jump Leeds (2002), 5/10
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Fila Brazillia is a prolific and confused duo of British DJ's, Steve Cobby and Dave McSherry, that debuted with the album Old Codes New Chaos (Pork, 1994).
Old Codes, Mermaids, Whose Money, Brazilification, Serratia Marcescens, The Sheriff, Feinman, The Light of Jesus, Strange Thoughts, Fila Funk, Pots & Pans, New Chaos,

Maim That Tune (Pork, 1995) refined their fusion of hip hop, drum'n'bass, funk and jazz.
Dave Yang & Steve Yin De-Swish T' Swish, A Zed and Two L's, Leggy, At Home In Space, 6ft Wasp, Slacker, Harmonicas Are Shite, Extract Of Pineal Gland, Subtle Body,

The EP Sycot Motion (Mindfood, 1996)
Blind In One Eye, Pluck Me I'm Ripe, Laying Down the Law on the Lard, Half' N' Half,

Mess (Pork, 1996) features some of their best numbers: the ten-minute ambient raga Soft Music Under Stars, the piano-based Brazilian pop of The Last of the Red Hot Brethren, the jazzy jam On Yer Haunches, the latin anthem Wavy Gravy, the Shaft-like funk music of Big Saddle, the cyclic chill-out music of Space Hearse, the soulful crescendo of Hairy Insides, the hysterical acceleration of Blood, But (as usual) half of the disc is (dancefloor) filler. And even the good tracks hang to very frail pretexts.

Black Market Gardening (Pork, 1996) adds shades of ambient and dub to their cerebral fusion. In particular, flutes embellish Snake Ranger and Xique Xique.
Obrigado, Snake Ranger, Little Dipper, Blubber Plinth, Butter My Mask, Wigs Bifocals and Nurishment, Xique-Xique, Onc Monganni, July 23

The duo is tired on Luck Be A Weirdo Tonight (Pork, 1997), almost a trip-hop album, lounge-music for the drum'n'bass generation.
Lieut. Gingivitis Shit, Billy Goat Groupies, Apehorn Concerto, Hells Rarebit, Her Majesties Hokey Cokey, Rustic Bellyflop, Van Allens Belt, Pollo De Palo, Heat Death of the Universe, Weasel Out the Muck, Do the Hale-Bopp,

Power Clown (Pork, 1998) continues the eclectic excursion in latin (Bovine Funk), funk (Throwing Down A Shape) and noir (Firelanes). Feathery Legs is one of their most entertaining compositions.
Bovine Funk, The New Cannonball, Here Comes Pissy Willy, Throwing Down A Shape, Bumpkin Riots, President Chimp Toe, Firelanes, It Loved To Happen, Little Hands Rouge, Tunstall And Californian Haddock, Feathery Legs, A Wince Of Sumo, The Speewah

A Touch Of Cloth (Tritone, 1999) is imbued with a lazy, languid mood. The catchy and upbeat The Bugs Will Bite is soon obscured by the soft jazz of Ridden Pony. More organic and integrated than previous album, A Touch of Cloth was defined "the epitome of downtempo".
The Bugs Will Bite, Airlock Homes, Ridden Pony, Slow Light, Swann Todd, Snakeskin Bib, XII, Trivia, Pigs Blood and Chalk, Dervish Controller, Leonids, Spores

Brazilification (Kudos, 2000) collects remixes of the previous five years.

A selection of their favorite records is offered on Another Late Night (Azuli, 2001).

Steve Cobb and Dave McSherry add crooner Steve Edwards to the equation on Jump Leeds (TwentyThree, 2002) and the result is the quirky soul and funk of Bumblehaun, We Build Arks, Motown Coppers, while Spill the Beans, DNA, Percival Quintaine, Nightfall, maintain the duo's trademark hold on jolting emotions. Overall, the duo seems to be shifting its attention to the vocals and to the tradition of soul music, and the creative folly of their original crossover is now badly missed.

(Translation by/Tradotto da Davide Carrozza)

I Fila Brazillia sono un duo prolifico e confuso di DJ britannici, Steve Cobby e Dave McSherry, che debuttò con l'album Old Codes New Chaos (Pork, 1994).
Old Codes, Mermaids, Whose Money, Brazilification, Serratia Marcescens, The Sheriff, Feinman, The Light of Jesus, Strange Thoughts, Fila Funk, Pots & Pans, New Chaos,

Maim That Tune (Pork, 1995) perfezionò la loro fusione di hip hop, drum'n'bass, funk e jazz.
Dave Yang & Steve Yin De-Swish T' Swish, A Zed and Two L's, Leggy, At Home In Space, 6ft Wasp, Slacker, Harmonicas Are Shite, Extract Of Pineal Gland, Subtle Body,

L'EP Sycot Motion (Mindfood, 1996)
Blind In One Eye, Pluck Me I'm Ripe, Laying Down the Law on the Lard, Half' N' Half,

Mess (Pork, 1996) contiene alcuni dei loro numeri migliori: il raga ambient di dieci minuti Soft Music Under Stars, il pop brasiliano pianistico di The Last of the Red Hot Brethren, la jam jazzistica On Yer Haunches, l'inno latino Wavy Gravy, il funk alla Shaft di Big Saddle, il chill-out ciclico di Space Hearse, il profondo crescendo di Hairy Insides, l'accelerazione isterica di Blood. Ma (come al solito) metà del disco è formato da riempitivi (da discoteca). E persino le tracce buone sono appese a pretesti fragilissimi.

Black Market Gardening (Pork, 1996) aggiunge echi di ambient e dub alla loro fusione cerebrale. In particolare, i flauti infiorettano Snake Ranger e Xique Xique.
Obrigado, Snake Ranger, Little Dipper, Blubber Plinth, Butter My Mask, Wigs Bifocals and Nurishment, Xique-Xique, Onc Monganni, July 23

Il duo è stanco in Luck Be A Weirdo Tonight (Pork, 1997), quasi un album trip-hop, lounge-music per la generazione drum'n'bass.
Lieut. Gingivitis Shit, Billy Goat Groupies, Apehorn Concerto, Hells Rarebit, Her Majesties Hokey Cokey, Rustic Bellyflop, Van Allens Belt, Pollo De Palo, Heat Death of the Universe, Weasel Out the Muck, Do the Hale-Bopp,

Power Clown (Pork, 1998) continua l'eclettica escursione in latin (Bovine Funk), funk (Throwing Down A Shape) e noir (Firelanes). Feathery Legs è una delle loro composizioni più divertenti.
Bovine Funk, The New Cannonball, Here Comes Pissy Willy, Throwing Down A Shape, Bumpkin Riots, President Chimp Toe, Firelanes, It Loved To Happen, Little Hands Rouge, Tunstall And Californian Haddock, Feathery Legs, A Wince Of Sumo, The Speewah

A Touch Of Cloth (Tritone, 1999) è imbevuto in un'atmosfera tranquilla e languida. L'orecchiabile e positiva The Bugs Will Bite è presto oscurata dal jazz soffice di Ridden Pony. Più organico e integro dell'album precedente, A Touch of Cloth è stato definito "l'epitome del downtempo".
The Bugs Will Bite, Airlock Homes, Ridden Pony, Slow Light, Swann Todd, Snakeskin Bib, XII, Trivia, Pigs Blood and Chalk, Dervish Controller, Leonids, Spores

Brazilification (Kudos, 2000) raccoglie remixes dei cinque anni precedenti.

Una selezione dei loro dischi preferiti è offerta su Another Late Night (Azuli, 2001).

Steve Cobb e Dave McSherry aggiungono il crooner Steve Edwards all'equazione di Jump Leeds (TwentyThree, 2002) e il risultato è l'eccentrico funk-soul di Bumblehaun, We Build Arks, Motown Coppers, mentre Spill the Beans, DNA, Percival Quintaine, Nightfall mostrano le emozioni sobbalzanti caratteristiche del duo. Soprattutto, il duo sembra spostare la propria attenzione alle voci e alla tradizione del soul, e ora si sente molto la mancanza della follia creativa del loro originale crossover.

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