All Played Out

There are 13 tracks of dubwise splendour that gracefully move through moods, styles and tempos on this sophomore International Observer release - get to it.

Always one of the most supportive and simpatico artists to the Round Trip Mars mission Tom Bailey aka International Observer presents his own kind of problem. Whenever it came time to choose a track for the Sideways compilations the choice of stunners available from the I.O. live canon made selecting just a single slice almost impossible. The solution is this - 13 tracks of dubwise splendour that gracefully moves through moods, styles and tempos.

Riding a haunting piano riff reminiscent of 'Bank Robber' era Clash, "Leaf Mold" commences with the cuckoo's call and initiates the album with the kind of offer you simply can not refuse. It may well be '2 o'clock in MombassaS' but it's woofer worrying times all over when "Welcome" hits its stride and announces its entrance as it 'takes a load off' with a bassline of seismic proportions and snatched giggles deep within the mix. Written especially for an outdoor show in central Auckland that was cancelled due to inclement weather "Freyburg Place Mat" is a strident power-steppers cut that comes with musical thunderbolts but also deserves its very own rhythm shower. Previously one of the standouts on the 'Sideways Too' compilation the 2-Step tinged skippy shapes of "2 Steps At A Time Sweet Jesus" signal an opportunity to shake a leg and trainspotters! Yes, it is a different mix (as are all of the previously released cuts!) Who let the pigs out? Don't ask us, but there's a pronounced porcine presence permeating amongst the stereophonically sizzling pan-demonious up-tempo rhythms of "Seedsavers Dub" (which was especially put together for the Auckland G.E. Free March). Don't argue - get your snout out of the gene pool and into this tonal trough.

Definitely amongst the favouritest of all live I.O. favourites "Vale Bengali" is a tabla thumping, mellow fellow but a spice invader none-the-less; yes, indeed - so many scorchers and we're barely half way through. Like 'Vale', "London Dub" was selected by Richard Dorfmeister showing top-shelf taste, for his 'A Different Drummer Selection'. This scorcher of a track (written 'pining for the Northern Line' according to Tom) kicked up a worldwide fuss when it was issued on vinyl on the 'Seen' EP and rightly so, it's straight out moideration. Moving down the moody-ometer the majestic "(The More) We Know" is the last of the previously peeped items, before the album heads into its third-phase meltdown and cracking conclusion.

"Hip Hop's Final" is a typical International Observer tune in as much as, on first plays it appeals and draws you in - no doubt, but it is only after repeated dosages that it fully reveals its multi-layered magic, melodic masterstokes and mind boggling minutiae; like the infomercial says it just keeps getting better!! The transition through to the gentle doof, and 'doff of the cap' in the dancefloor direction of "Low Light Meter" is pretty special in our book too; this one was composed especially to perform at dusk for the Big Chill at Larmer Tree, UK and a duskier delicacy you couldn't wish to find. Breezing through on a big-ass bed of plump horns, sizzling keyboard skanks and hefty drums that seem to be careering towards implosion at one point "Dirty Harry" is the first track to be released to radio and you'd best believe the clip is fully loaded on this infectious joint. Another cut that bears titular reference to the location it was assembled for is the epic "War Memorial Museum Peace" which is perhaps the slowest burner on the whole album and leads into the final shout on the headset hammering, mobile melodies of "Cellphone Dub", a track that you may not have heard the last of - because we've got plans and ulterior motives yet to be revealed for this one.

We like to pass ourselves off as having an air of sophisticated élan up here at the Round Trip Mars Simplex in Cape Carnivorous, but behind closed doors we are frothing like peeps possessed at the prospect of unleashing this sophomore International Observer release 'All Played Out' - get to it.