MUSIC REVIEWS

NIGO
Ape Sounds
(Toy's Factory/Mo Wax)

When I first heard that Nigo, the mastermind behind the independent Japanese clothing label A Bathing Ape, was going to make a record, the idea sounded like an "interesting experiment" at best and a recipe for disaster at worst. But Nigo knows some talented DJs and musicians, and with Ape Sounds he's managed to pull off the improbable: a Various Artists collection that serves an ace.

From Hong Kong-flavored hip hop and Latin disco to neat pop-rock ditties and slacker keyboard jazz, laidback dub, and soul, Ape Sounds takes us on a museum tour of '90s sounds and points us squarely towards the genre-hopping eclecticism that we'll only be hearing more of in the future.

While Nigo doesn't play music himself, he's always had an ear for great tunes and a cool, eclectic variety of styles and sounds. His ideas are as fresh and original as the clothes he designs. Ape Sounds, the first such experiment under the clothing label, may have Nigo's stamp on it, but the album wouldn't have been possible without a little help from his friends.

Co-produced with Tokyo DJ Kudo, who is largely responsible for translating Nigo's concepts into reality in the studio, Ape Sounds has got tracks written and performed by such luminaries as Money Mark, Ben Lee, James Lavelle, Cornelius, Blankey Jet City, Boze and Takagi Kan (Natural Calamity, Major Force, etc.).

The album starts off strong with the aptly-titled "Kung-Fu," a broth full of Chinese musical cliches that work beautifully with the heavy, abstract hip hop beats and Japanese and English rap. When the track closes with a traditional Chinese gong, the appetite has really been whetted with excitement. Segueing into Money Mark's keyboardy "Simple Song," one of two standout tracks by the so-called Fourth Beastie Boy (Mark Nishita), was a brilliant choice.

We get what we expect with Ben Lee's "Free Diving," a solid, well-crafted pop-rock burner full of the tunesmithery we've come to expect. The pace picks again near the end with seminal Japanese hip hop scenester and musical provacateur Takagi Kan, here suppplying vocals and lyrics on a spacey punk-rockabilly fireball.

Ape Sounds covers a lot of territory. With songs all over the musical map, Nigo needed the collaborative efforts of the all the artists tied up neatly with one theme and a deft producer's hand, supplied by Kudo. To their credit, Nigo and Kudo penned the lyrics or music for every tune on this album with the exception of Cornelius' (Keigo Oyamada) track, "Monster." The result is, as a famous Seattle grunger used to say, "very ape!" 7/10
-Ivan

Swingset - "Young Armstrong"