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Description
GDRL-602
Mar 20, 2001
USD $9.99
Out of Stock, Out of Print
3xLP CD
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Troublemakers - Doubts and Convictions
Guidance Recordings in association with the Hi-Fidelity Lounge series proudly present the release of "Doubts and Convictions" the groundbreaking debut album from the Troublemakers. The Marseille based trio consisting of Fred Berthet, Arnaud Taillefer and DJ Oil are the latest in the long line of talented and genre defying bands to emerge from the ever fertile French electronic scene. Brought together by their shared appreciation for 60's and 70's jazz, funk and film soundtracks, the Troublemakers spent nearly two years in the studio translating the vibes, energy and attitude of this era into a modern musical context. The fruits of their labor are manifested on this stunning long player for Guidance. "Doubts and Convictions" is a thought provoking montage of soulful electronic rhythms brought to life by funky jazz horns, exquisite guitar arrangements, warm fender rhodes vibes, vibrant percussion splashes and colorful cinematic interludes. The result is a captivating concept album that infuses trip hop, house, jazz, funk, soul, afro and bossa beats with a healthy dose of French film noir attitude.The boys start the proceedings off with a bang on the opening cut "Street Preacher". Revolutionary spoken work samples and dramatic strings give way to a hypnotic afro flavored percussion groove fueled by crisp breakbeats, sinister bass, muted "Sun Ra" style horn squelches and a lovely acoustic guitar breakdown that provide a welcome calm before the storm. Keep on Keepin On ! They build the vibe nicely on "Too Old to Die" an ultra groovy retro funk excursion. Swinging drums, warm bubbly fender rhodes vibes, an infectious bass line and moody orchestral strings that make you think you're in a dark dingy bar in Harlem listening to an oldie but a goodie on the jukebox. Next up is "Noces Africaines/Sampler Symphony". An ominous interlude showcasing some strange, metronomic afro-flavored electro beats sets the stage for "Sampler Symophony" four minutes of dark spooky strings, sparse drums and lovely acoustic guitar meanderings for your listening pleasure. Melodic and melancholic, just what the doctor ordered! On "Get Misunderstood" dark fusion jazz melodies and dramatic French film dialogue pave the way for this stunning orchestral be bop groove highlighted by ethereal soul drenched vocal pleadings reminiscent of the great Nina Simone. Very chic, very cinematic, very dramatic, very souful , very French!
Ater indulging their cinematic film score roots for a hot minute, the Troublemakers get back to the business of making beats on " Electrorlodge". This is without a doubt the high point of the album. Seven plus minutes of spacious future funk grooves oozing with aptmosphere and ambiance. Swinging mechanical drum vibes, a bubbling bass line, warm liquid synths, trippy effects and a catchy vocal hook combine to move your mind and your behind.. Trip hop hooray! . They keep up the trip hop pressure on "Patique Universalle" a sexy, sublime and melodious jazz funk groove. A relentless funky drum break, warm melodic organ vibes, swirling surround sound effects, and sensual French female vocal samples provide just the right vibe . The dubbed out drama continues with "Chez Roger Boite Funk". Dark, spacious mechanized lounge vibes made moist by analogue synth squelches, loose funk drums, bubbling keyboards and hollow hypnotic bass. An unstoppable future funk exercise that builds into a frenzy before breaking down and building right back up again. The lads provide a little comic relief on "Hum Hum" a hilarious bit of 60's style dioalogue characterized by all the camp lingo, witty banter and sexual innuendothat made this period so groovy! The "Groove is back" is a straight-up retro funk attack that takes all the elements that made 60's lounge music irresitible chops em up in a sampler adds some more witty dialogue and crowd noises to the mix and voila!! instant 21st century lounge vibes guaranteed to go down smoother than a mango martini. Groovy baby! The boys end the journey on a very fitting note with "Black City" a dark pulsating late night jazz ride. Crisp swinging drums, a deliciously sinister bass line, spine tingling piano solos, ominous strings and spooky spoken samples courtesy of a certain Mr. Dinero will have u begging for more. Dark and lovely cinematic dub noir ambiance courtesy of the Troublemakers.
| a1 |
Noces Africaines |
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| a2 |
Awake |
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| b1 |
Electrorloge |
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| c1 |
Black City |
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| c2 |
Get Misunderstood |
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| d1 |
Chez Roger Boité Funk |
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| d2 |
Too Old To Die |
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| e1 |
Street Preacher |
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| e2 |
Groover Is Back |
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| f1 |
Fatigue Universelle |
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| f2 |
Hum Hum |
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Reviews
Magazine Reviews
I usually hate French music but this isn't quite French music. I mean, I am not afraid of a little Daft Punk or a quaff of Air, but I won't be requesting it anytime soon. Following in the downtempo/funk/dub/Shaolin-madness of Thievery Corp., K & D and a slew of other sweet candied acts now spinning the sugar, the Troublemakers debut swaggers to a beat unto the Gods of slack. I just want to sit back and sip my latte! No complaint, especially since it's released on Guidance, and actually claims to be only the second full length album on the label, a fact my electronic brethren say "Just might be true." Anyhow the folks at Guidance know a thing or two about good music and this extra seal of approval makes the sale for me. I could cite a few tracks that stick out, or explain the vibe on particular song left on my brain, but the fact is, like most music that falls in to this quasi style of dub, you just have to sit back, listen to it as if it's background music to life, and spark the chronic. Sweet sensi is only going to punctuate this laid back collection of peeps. (you know, those soft, sugary bunnies you suck down every easter?) Peeps, baby.
The Din - Ja Love
Apr 29, 2001
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"Sensitivity is always in French music," explains Troublemakers' Lionel Corsini. "The 'French Touch' is an invention of the journalists. It's been this way for a long time." An ultrasonic combination of lead-footed beats, taut strings and disco drones championed by the likes of Air, Rinocerose and St. Germain - all an accidental creation of rabid journalists? I feel better about myself already. But Corsini, Arnaud Taillefer and Fred Berthet have more in common with David Holmes and Thievery Corporation than with compatriots Alex Gopher and Mirwais. Their debut full length, Doubts and Convictions drums up images of clandestine double agents, comely lawmen and full-bodied Derringer toting vixens. "We like movies from la nouvelle vague and '70s american b-movies," says Corsini. "Scorcese, Truffaut and Godard all directly influenced our album." Add Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner and Marvin Gay, whose Trouble Man score spawned the bands name sake - to that list and you've got Troublemakers' vibe in a nutshell. Three years ago Berthet - a 10 year veteran of the Parisian club circuit with a penchant for new wave and electro - found himself teaching a class on sample-based music in the South of France. Two students, Taillefer and Corsini, soon paired with thier teacher, and began crafting tunes laced with bubbling bass lines and jazzed-up rhythms. Though th opener, "Street Preacher," could easily work its way in to a house music set, most of Doubts and convictions is smoked through with lounge style atmospherics. "Our album is 50 percent samples and 50 percent live," says Corsini, "but we want to eliminate samples in the future. We sample because we don't have enough money to work in a studio with real musician." Samples or no samples, Troublemakers album has a fair amount of kitschy authenticity to it. Tracks like "Awake" and the erotically playful "Hum hum" are very reminiscent of compositions by Bernard Hermann (Vertigo) and Michel Legrand (The Thomas Crown Affair.) But the orchestrations never become to extravagant and the vocal samples are used sparingly. "We would really like to work with some rappers and spoken word artists," Corsini suggests. "Perhaps go to Maruecos to work with some live musicians, but the next album is for the future." If this is the case then this throwback trio will be making a b-line for the 80s any day now.
Lotus Magazine - Interview by Richard Thomas
Mar 28, 2001
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Who? Marseilles, France-based trio who met in 1998 and bonded over '60s and '70s funk, jazz and movie soundtracks. Sounds like: The aforementioned influences melded with hip hop, house, jungle and dub. How is it? While some might expect a weak imitation of their famous countrymen, Air, the results are surprisingly fresh and funky, buoyed by live instruments and solid arrangements. Kindred spirits: Air, Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man, Thievery Corporation.
Alternative Press
Apr 28, 2001
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The Troublemakers (a.k.a. Fred Berthet, Arnaud Taillefer and DJ Oil) first got in to the studio in 1998 and things almost immediately came together. Their common interest in jazz, funk, and '60's and 70's soundtracks was to be the starting point for the trio's production outfit. Crafted beautifully from throughout, Doubts & Convictions is one of the best Guidance full lengths to date. Fusing the aforementioned influences along with some French-styled porn music, this album somehow manages to keep it together entirely. As a whole the album is a great concept project, and should probably be judged as such-but there are definitely a couple of standouts that are a bit better than the rest. The best of those is the album's seventh track entitled "Fatigue Memorabilia" - simply brilliant, and frankly this should be the first single from the album.
BPM - Rick Salzer
Apr 28, 2001
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This debut LP by the Marseille-based trio of Arnaud Taillefer, Fred Berthet and DJ Oil is testament to the genre-hopping world we now live in. An ambitious mix of African and Latin funk, jazz and electronica, it also exemplifies the cultural potential of France's new dilemma - it's a country struggling with the burden of too much history and tradition, but it finds itself alarmingly nonwhite and nonimperial. Doubts and Convictions betrays both a weakness for orchestral grandeur and a liberal plundering of pop culture. Taillefer in fact, goes so far as to thank among others, William Burroughs, the Beatles, James Brown and Stravinsky in his liner notes. It's hard to deny the influences even if we shudder at the pomposity. With its trendy vocal samples, funk-ridden bass lines and infectious beats, "Electrorloge" epitomizes the band's sound but it's also the most predictable track, and others go much further toward showing the music's breadth. The relentless and repetitive bass, keys and saxophone blares of "Too Old To Die," for example, contrast against the prettily glistening strings of "Awake." "Get Misunderstood," all bluesy vocals, soaring strings an and jazzy snare beats sound like Nina Simone on E, while "Chez Roger Boite Funk" is a densely layered but easygoing romp of blipping synths and wah-ing guitars. Often the proceedings are so facile as to seem blandly effortless, but it's only late in the album that they really start to show - the clever beats on "Black City" do not quite make up for the cheaply noirish lyrics, for example. This record is clearly the product of obsessive people who live with sound equipment and lots of old records. Wearing it's healthily multiculti convictions and intents on its sleeve, Doubts and Convictions is an impeccably compiled studio work that's unsurprising but will take us comfortably from dark clubs to summer deck parties.
Time Out New York - Kok Kian Goh
Apr 28, 2001
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Ever see a live band break out in to a funky jam? Usually the drummer starts off with a snare drum tatter, then the bass comes in, then guitar, and horns to complete the set. Now do you remember? That sudden break from the set is the essence of the Troublemakers, who take a relaxed approach to loungecore but it's better suited for a quiet gathering of one time rabblerousers than psuedo-Parisians anyone sipping cosmo. Which is kinda odd considering this is a french band. Anyways, it's dance music for those who love the sound of a slinky live bass and a cracking drum beat, lively jazz for all those who can dig it. There are some spacey air-like lapses in the tracks, which lightens up the at-times-seriousness of the jams. Don't snap your fingers along to it, but let out a little woo! every once in a while.
Mixer - Patricia DeLuca
Mar 1, 2001
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Record of the month - honors go to a new full-length release by the Troublemakers titled Doubts and Convictions (Guidance). You've most likely never heard of them before, but the French trio blends the influences as diverse as '70's funk, modern day trip-hop and classic film scores to create a sound that's timeless and chic. Don't let the French disco house clones fool you, this country's got more to offer than filtered loops and flares!
Meanstreet
Jan 28, 2001
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Taking it's name from the Marvin Gaye-soundtracked film Trouble Man, this Marseilles based trio came together with a collective love of '60s and '70s jazz, funk and movie soundtracks. The result is a treasure chest of music, brimming with jazz horns, vibrant guitar work, funky percussion, all threaded thoughtfully with cinematic interludes. For a debut, Doubts is nothing short of superb, garnering a steady spot on the top of the pile.
City Magazine
Jul 28, 2001
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OK, back in the mid-90s there was a cataclysmic explosion that killed the Beastie Boys. They were reincarnated and formed the Troublemakers and continued in the direction of their instrumental musical stylings a la Check Your Head/Ill Communication. They mixed it up a bit and added in some sampling and loops and kept it highly groovable. So yeah, not a true story but it could have happened, save The Beastie Boys are still alive and well today. I do however have a true story for you. One day here in the Slap office, I had The In Sound From Way Out (a collection of Beastie Boys' instrumental stuff) playing, and I also had Doubts & Convictions in the CD player and it started playing right after the In Sound ended. Somebody who had never heard either album thought it was all the same album. I don't know how I could come up with a better review than that, so I thought I better tell you. I sort of wish I had something else to draw a comparision to, but there was never really any other music outfit that succesfully fused funk, with accoustic guitar, congas or anything like that as well as the B-Boys did, well, not until now, anyway,
Slap - Tim Au Gratin
Jul 28, 2001
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Like many artists inspired by the ambience of the hi-fi lounge sound, Frenchman Fred Berthet, Arnaud Taillefer and DJ Oil were drawn together by a collective adoration of '60s era jazz, '70s era funk and dramatic film noir soundtracks. All of these influences are impossible to miss on Doubts & Convictions, the trio's debut full length (and, surprisingly, only the third album released on Chicago's reverend Guidance label). But the Troublemakers resist the classic ambiance of the old school with a modern artistic panache, injecting just enough hip-hop, house, soul and bossa in to the mix to create a distinctive collection of sultry, cinematic tunes that should appeal to devotees of of-the-moment downtempo grooves. Tracks such as "Noces Africaines," "Street Preacher" and "Fatigue Universelle" breathe with swelling ambiance driven by symphonic flourishe, funk inflections, and crisp jazz instrumentation. While the subdued house hues of "Electrorloge" add warmth to the haunting character of it's mysterious noir musicality. Overall, Doubts & Convictions is like the long-lost soundtrack to a '70s Spy Drama where our hero restores justice to the streets, gets the girl, and does so with out ever breaking a sweat or losing his ultra-cool.
CMJ New Music Report
Apr 28, 2001
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The best dance music is often derived from good chemistry. Troublemakers are a Parisian groove trio who cook up heavy doses of sound by layering the genius of three multi-instrumentalists. DJ Oil, Fred Berthet, and Arnaud Taillefer first bonded in Marseille's Friche Belle over a fondness for old-school funk and soul records and cinematic scores. Although the Troublemakers mix the compounds of obvious ingredients, the result is seductive and unpredictable. "Too Old to Die" reincarnates sinister jazz-funk moods of the '70s with a movie soundtrack sensibility. Think Miles Davis' Agartha braided with Stevie Wonder's Talking Book and Air's score for the Virgin Suicides. "Black City" emits dark bass grooves reminiscent of Sly Stone's There's a Riot Goin On over downtempo beats. Comparisons aside, Troublemakers deconstruct the elements of various music structures and end up creating a sound that can be identified as it's own. The band's obvious respect for both roots and innovation results in an alchemical success. Pop it: If you dig sexy mood music. Drop it if you're too young to understand the genius of Paul's Boutique.
MC2 http://www.mc2mag.com - Eric Shea
Jan 28, 2002
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The ramblings of a man on the street about what's wrong with the world today are slowly met by a gradual humming that leads in to a punch of soulful horns and thus begins "Street Preacher." That opening track is just a touch of what's in store with in the French trio's debut effort, and at no point does the record ease up and make the way for filler material. After spending nearly two years in the studio piecing together this stunning blend of jazz, funk and soothing beats, it seems the Troublemakers decided not to settle for anything less than near perfection. The can hit you with something such as "Get Misunderstood" that's filled with an ultra slinky groove and highlighted with a lush string sample, then come back again the very next track with a pulsating beat that underlines "Electrorloge." The album finishes as strongly as it starts with "Black City," a Herbalizer-esque cut wrapped around a taxi-driver sample with a lazy hip hop beat accompanied by a saloon like piano. However they chose to approach a track, the end results are always head-nodding and undeniably beautiful. Doubts and Convictions is also nicely tied together with blends of dialoque from French films, along with art work that is fitting for a soundtrack, giving the record a movie-score atmosphere - although it would be difficult to creat a film worthy enough to have such sensational cuts as this to accompany it's script. Doubts & Convictions is a near flawless release that most bands would drool over to have as a third or fourth offering, let alone their debut.
Exclaim! - Noel Dix
Jun 28, 2001
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Marseilles, an industrial city where a multi-racial and cultural mix often results in violent clashes, a breeding ground for the second largest Hip-hop community in the world, provides the background from which the Troublemakers emanate. Yet this trio managed to come together brilliantly, securing a spot for themselves on the international downtempo scene, away from the "French Touch" of Air and those who followed in the wake of their success. The cinematic influences of DJ Shadow's abstract Hip-Hop construction is the primary influence of "Doubts and Convictions", but it is a more musical album, with a touch of Blue Note Lounge Jazz, a few ambient textures, and the exotic sensuality of African and Brazilian vibes. The music is laid-back, groovy, and easy to get into, but much like the place it comes from, there are flaring tensions and deeply rooted emotions, making it one of the edgiest releases in the world of Downtempo.
Book LA - http://www.bookla.com
Jan 16, 2002
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The second of two Guidance records, this French trio composed of Arnaud Taillefer, Fred Berthet and DJ Oil actually recorded "Doubts and Convictions" in 2000 and Guidance decided to hold on to the record in to the new year before releasing it (its release coincided with Guidance's new distribution deal with Caroline Records). A gentle, R&B tug in the direction of early Air; thoroughly suave, completely cool, and inescapably French. Call it a stylish invocation of native Latin, French and African musics, funneled through a go-go dancing filter and the hand of John Barry.
New City Chicago - Dave Chamberlain
Dec 3, 2001
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Set the Troublemakers spinning, pull up a Martini and slide yourself in to that red velvet lounge suite. Mellow and rhythmic, this is electronica with soul and a hip-attitude. Punctuated by jazz and funk inspired interludes, the sound of The Troublemakers is what would happen if Lamb met Air, and they both got a little funky. Taking the mood of avante garde film soundtracks of the 60' and 70's the tracks all have a serious dose of cinematographic atmosphere, giving the sound a depth that makes you wonder if this album is trying to seduce you. A smooth mix of beats, tripped up by soul, funk, jazz, afro and even a lick of bossa nova, this selection of tracks captures the vibe of the film noir genre, and translates it in to a modern musical context. In doing this The Troublemakers have avoided sounding 'retro' and created a distinct sound that is difficult to define beyond the trip-hop genre. The album was two years in the making, and this thoughtful attention to detail is something not lost on the ears that listen to this album. The overall sound is unified, yet no two tracks sound the same, and each track is a worthy inconclusion. In short, Doubts and Convictions, the debut album from French trio, The Troublemakers is one seriously stylish offering, leaving me no doubts only the conviction, that I'm ready to be seduced.
Car Magazine - Miss Akira
Nov 14, 2001
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This French band may have been brought together by a shared appreciation of 60's and 70's jazz film soundtracks, but don't hold them against them, for Troublemakers transcend the predictability and blandness those influences often engender. There is a pleasing toughness in their beats, and even when the music relaxes a little (as on 'Get Misunderstood') the mood is dark and claustrophobic (less lounge then cellar music). 'Hum Hum', the most frothy offering on 'Doubts and Convictions', soundtracks an embarrassingly restrained phone call, which serves to add even more to the alluring constrained feel of the album. Then when the sample from taxi driver rolls out on Black City it consolidates the conviction that this is an album which is somewhat like a David Lynch movie - on the surface is the public and acceptable face (trip hop/lounge), but scratch it and just below lies all the corruption and darkness you can imagine. 'Doubts and Convictions' is an excellent album, which reveals Troublemakers to sit alongside the ever consistent Thievery Corporation as one of the few acts who manage to give "trip-hop" a good name.
The Scene
Nov 14, 2001
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Scoring high-speed chase scenes through imaginary cities with low-strung funk and spy grooves, this French trio's debut is the latest in Guidance's Hi-Fidelity Lounge series. Upon first glanc at the cinematic Ocean's 11-style photo montage on the cover, one might easily believe they've found a long lost funk masterpiece, the sort beatmined by Premier or Rae and Christian. This is no old school artifact, though. It's the real deal, an original album full of heavyweight grooves and instant down tempo classics. The debut LP from Marseille musicians Fred Berthet, Arnaud Taillefer, and DJ Oil is filled with the off-the-wall spoken word samples from sources both obscure (Hum Hum's humorous double entendres) and familiar (a well placed Travis Bickle monologue in Black City), blending Herbie and Stevie-inspired groove foundations with down- and mid-tempo shakers and nodders. Check the liner note thank-yous for a few influence clues: Ennio Morricone, Igor Stravinsky, Jean-Luc Godard, Antonin Artaud, James Brown, even spoken word activists The Last Poets.
URB Magazine - Joe Rice
Nov 14, 2001
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Troublemakers are three Marseilles-based musicians who fuse an eclectic range of electro-acoustic influences on this, their debut and rather stunning LP. Brought together through their shared love of 60s and 70s jazz and movies soundtracks, their music is littered with a wide range of generic styles and musical references. Imagine the personalities of Jean Jacques Perry, Fela Kuti, Serge Gainsbourgh and Jean Luc Godard hanging in the studio and this is a good indication of the Troublemakers' widescreen cinematic vision that oozes French sophistication in the same vein as St Germain or Air. Fusing Rhodes keyboards, saxophones, guitar licks, and lush strings together with studio-based tricknology, tracks like "Street Preacher", "Hum Hum" "Black City" and "Chez Roger Boite Funk" drive forward what sounds like an imaginary filmscore; while Afro beat, house and jazz influences together with hip hop grooves and dialogue from films like "Taxi Driver" create an album full of potent, evocative funk.
Burn It Blue.com-Jibo
Nov 14, 2001
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You should all be familiar with this scenario by now. Several suave and sophisticated (we presume) French gentlemen, le samplers, le instruments, and le result......a full blown cinematic ear journey. If you think Kid Loco and Snooze you're in the zone, he'll you could even go for the obvious K & D and Thievery comparisons but in all honesty, that would be selling these guys a little short. For sure "Electrologue" rides a Tosca-esque groove and "Chez Roger Boite Funk" will rock lateral lounges from here to Washington DC but there's not a dash of Chardonay sipping new age James Last trippery to be found on this mighty Guidance Recordings release. Even the free saxy squawl on opener "Street Preacher" fails to disturb the mood of fine funky grooves, soild structures and enterprising musical and found sound probing. Like a bunch of your favorite Ninja Tune moments wrapped into one slow burning music treat "Doubts and Convictions" has got the legs for your ears....and I've got a nose for these things!
Fixx-Stinky Jim
Nov 14, 2001
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Bei ihrer nchsten Reise nach Chicago, wo ihre Plattenfirma residiert, wollen die Troublemakers endlich in ein Archiv gehen und nach alten Filmen stbern. Denn die drei Musiker aus Marseille lieben alte, schmalzige oder dramatische Hollywood-Musik, aber in ihrer Heimatstadt sei die schwer zu finden oder unbezahlbar. Auch wenn die Troublemakers daher keine originalen Musikfetzen in die Stcke einbauen konnten, klingt ihr gerade erschienenes Debt-Album "Doubts and Convictions" (Guidance/Efa) wie der Soundtrack fr einen - modernen - Film noir: elektronische Rhythmen, dazu mal ppige Streicherarrangements, mal Samples von Jazz-Hrnern. "Electro Funk" nennen die Troublemakers ihre Musik. Natrlich wird auf dem Album auch gerappt, denn Marseille ist schlielich die Zentrale des franzsischen HipHop.
www.spiegel.de
Nov 14, 2001
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French music is so often pigeon holed as either Air or Daft Punk, but look at everything else-Phoenix, Laurent Garnier, Edith Piaf......these three boys from Marseille are straight up alternative electronic hip hoppy, sexy groovy jazzsters with an Aftican outlook. Very unabrasive backdrop music. They have a mind expanding film noir attitude and rip off the best reused Wise type classic acid jazz samples. Its brillantly produced, smooth without being squeeky clean, essentially instrumental but general good vibe spreading smoochy la musique.
DJ Magazine-Kristy Allen
Nov 14, 2001
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The latest miners of '70s sounds are the three members of this Marseille-based group who quote Stevie Wonder and James Brown in a noir tribute to hip Americana. Previewed by a vinyl EP and an appearance on Guidance's Hi-Fidelity Lounge Volume 2 compilation, the Troublemakers' sleek, jazzy funk exists within the moody framework of 70s soundtracks like Taxi Driver, whose famous monologue by Robert DeNiro is (a little bit) quoted in the closing "Black City." The Troublemakers musically prowl the streets of urban America, looking for funky grooves to match revolutionary quotes ("Too Old To Die") and lounging arrangements to back the blues of sampled guest Nina Simone ("Misunderstood").
TANDEM NEWS (TORONTO) - MARCH 2, 2001
Nov 14, 2001
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J'ai t trs surpris quand j'ai reu cette galette. Un groupe franais sur Guidance et en plus ce n'est pas du House! Bon, d'accord, Guidance met parfois sur le march autre chose que du House de la plus haute qualit et je ne veux pas dire qu'ils mettent parfois sur le march du House de qualit douteuse! mais je ne m'attendais pas a. Troublemakers, ce sont trois Franais (Arnaud Taillefer, Fred Berthet et DJ Oil) qui font dans le Lounge Jazz/TripHop/AcidJazz trs sampladelic et on sent bien qu'ils sont franais certains moments surtout sur Get Misunderstood avec son extrait de dialogue de film (un Goddard, je crois) adoptant trs volontiers l'orchestration romantique la Michel Legrand ou Ennio Morricone. Les autres pices remarquer, mentionnons Electrorloge, Fatigue Universelle, Chez Roger, Bote Funk, Street Preacher et Black City avec son extrait de monologue de Taxi Driver (All the animals come out at night... Some day a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets) et son breakdown digne de DJ Shadow.
http://www.canoe.qc.ca/TempoMusiqueRacines/racinesindahouse.html
Nov 14, 2001
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The French Revolution in dance music has not yet run its course. This, the debut from Marseille trio Troublemakers. is closer to the easy listening air school than the party time Daft Punk faction: yet it probably has more in common with the vogueish cinematic grooves created by America's Thievery Corporation " or Austria's Kruder and Dorfmeister than any of their compatriots.
Mojo Magazine-Album of the Month
Nov 14, 2001
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just how "super tranquille" are the lives of Marseille-based trio Fred Berthet, Arnaud Taillefer and DJ Oil ? Stupendously so on the evidence of this album. Its impossible to imagine these guys doing anything so mundane as using a Hoover. Air crossed with the Thievery Corporation is tthe PR blurb and for once, its not far off. "Doubts and Convictions" is a gorgeous montage of cocksure electronica, elegant funk licks and John Barry strings. Deftly flowing cuts like "Too Old to Die" and "Black City" are everything the last St.Germain album promised and more.And of course its all put together with that supreme (and supremely irratating) French flair. Say it through clenched teeth, but this is lounge music from Heaven.
Troublemakers "Doubts and Convictions"-Ned Denny
Nov 14, 2001
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The debut long player from Marseille production trio Fred Berthet, Arnaud Tallefair and Dj Oil is an accomplished affair. Though the street preacher intro and the Travis Bickle comments that trawl the sprawling string of "Black City" act as ominous parentheses for an album, like DJ Food's Kaleidoscope, the material isn't all doom and gloom with the it's two years in the studio showing in the nuances and subtleties of the production. Lively percussion and cinematic orchestration really define the LP and though neither are too far away - both are used across a breadth of styles-stretching from the occasional disco strikes that break through the sonar of "Hum Hum" and the bossa breaks of "Fatigue Universelle." For this listener, however, it's "Get Misunderstood" which really stands out, it's French conversation and confused rhythm section making for a tense intro before stretching out to a full string accompaniment. A three-dimensional listening experience.
XLR8R Magazine - Kingsley Marshall
Nov 14, 2001
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French-fried funking from new Marseille trio. Zut alors! Troublemakers may not be one of Guidance's heavy hitters (yet), but what they lack in name recognition they more than make up for in audio artistry. Like fellow labelmates Nu Spirit Helsinki, they're accomplished musos and/or lab manipulators, allowing "Doubts & Conviction" to roam freely throughout some funky, cinematic marshlands. Thus "Too Old To Die" comes on like an outtake from "Pusherman" while "Awake" hangs forlornly in its own suspense and "Hum Hum" slips into something slinky for an evening of quiet debauchery before "Groover Is Back" puts the pedal firmly to the groove machine metal. There's no need to doubt this lot's funk credentials, that's for sure.
Muzik Magazine-Cal Gibson
Nov 14, 2001
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Guest Reviews
excellente!
furryman
Jan 25, 2002
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Superior downbeat grooves in an age where we are deluged by "chill" this and that. This is the real deal. Keep it comin'!
Mr Wackbeatz
Nov 14, 2001
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Le meilleur de ce que la scène française électronique peut apporter. Encore une bonne surprise de la part des Troublemakers et on pourrait crier Encore! Encore! http://www.bluedolphin.fr.st/
BlueDolphin
Nov 14, 2001
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wow
suelymanische
Nov 14, 2001
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Great style! chek out the kruder and Dorfmeister version of Electrorloge the pick of this album.
MULTIKULTI
Nov 14, 2001
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We all know TROUBLEMAKERS rock, the only Trouble is- I wish we licensed this first !!!
Tymex!(V2 Music)
Nov 14, 2001
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very chill lounge with some funky electronic distortion they definatly have a style that me and my boys dig but also the girls they bring a 70's funk and all around concept behind all of there tracks which almost makes it as if a story is being told taking you from a definatly body movin' time to a drunkin depression ( which almost every party kid goes through at sometime in there life. All of this is done very smooth the mixes take u to a electronic feel all with the dico back bone if this is a lounge release then I'll take a Martini shaken not stirred...or something. S4H
spencer 4 higher
Nov 14, 2001
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"Trs belle surprise de dbut d'anne, l'album Doubts & Convictions va devenir invitable pour tous ceux qui recherche particulirement du trip-hop instrumental. Troublemakers nous livre ici de fabuleux morceaux de beats calmes, parcourus par des sons groovy, jazzy ou des beats un peu plus lancs avec des samples de guitare, batterie... Certaines pistes sont idales en fond sonore (Black City...) et d'autres agrable pour bouger sa tte dans tous les sens. (Street Preacher...), a couter d'urgence." -http://www.trip-hop.net/
Thibaut
Nov 14, 2001
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Bravo pour cet album ... Get misunderstood est fabuleux : je l'écoute presque chaque jour ! Bien plus qu'un "morceau musical", c'est un véritable manifeste ! Special thanks: mister Fred Berthet
Jess
Nov 14, 2001
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Really impressed by this album, from the deep parisian groove to the sunny funky Marseille! Well done....
stef
Nov 14, 2001
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C'EST DE LA BALLE !! -downtempo from the south!!!
THE KNOCKHEADZ
Nov 14, 2001
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"Doubts and Convictions" is a exciting album and an interesting follow-up to the Hi-Fidelity Lounge series (which I really like!). Soothing yet strangely uneasy... I'm looking forward to the release. This album prooves that there is more to french electronics than disco house! Hope to hear more of this kind from Guidance in the future!
DJ Mikkel
Nov 14, 2001
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Sans aucun doutes et beaucoup de convictions.
stanislas
Nov 14, 2001
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I love the samples, I love the cut that's on Hi:Fidelity Lounge v2. Where can I buy this record???
transpo72
Nov 14, 2001
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Nicley!!
funkster
Nov 14, 2001
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This album is a distillation of all the good musical ideas of the last 40 years! It's got substance; it's got style; it's undefinable, indescribable, and in it's own subtle ways, it moves me. Keep up the excellent work!
secretpath
Nov 14, 2001
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Seriously good, marshmallow in my ears!! Play it loud, Share the mood with others, and watch them start to move with the vibe, wow what was that? they asked.
the frenchman
Nov 14, 2001
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de la balle francaise
Arno
Nov 14, 2001
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Hmmmm, als ich diese CD zum ersten Mal gehrt habe, war ich vllig von den Socken!!! Ich hoffe das sie endlich zum Verkauf freigegeben.
Joker23
Nov 14, 2001
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A record of intense swing, soul & ellegance. A light in modern music. When a Hi Fidelity Jazz sessions? Paul Hunter with Erik Truffaz among others. Just an idea ...
Pedro
Nov 14, 2001
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One of the best album of the year.
steven
Nov 14, 2001
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Wow! One serious album. An eclectic array of sounds fusing breaks, beats, jazz and funk into a cinematic journey of the 60's & 70's today.
Mango Kwok
Nov 14, 2001
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