Tourist - St. Germain

After a rather lengthy day spent largely in various pubs in Bath, from 10am in the morning, watching the first British and Irish Lions test in Australia, I eventually found myself in what I was reliably informed to be the only bar open later than 11pm that wasn’t a club by my friend, and host for the weekend, Andrew. It was a fairly quiet affair, it couldn’t have held any more than about thirty people, the drinks selection was limited at best and I can’t even remember the name of it, but seeing as this is a music review, that’s pretty irrelevant anyway. Anyway, some music was playing, and it was lively, and certainly got the old ...  Read the complete review

There is an argument that sampling doesn't constitute musicianship, that the DJ's method of writing is somehow less valid than paper and pencil. It's not such a fashionable belief in these enlightened times, but dance acts can still feel that pressure. Why else all the half-arsed stabs at "proper" composition? The symphonic second disc of Goldie's last outing, say. So, French DJ Ludovic Navarre gets himself a band to work with, and the result is... 'Tourist'. 'Rose Rouge' opens purposefully, a steady pulse of piano and bustling drums, and the horns sashay. But what really brings this track to life is the smoky Blue Note ...  Read the complete review