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An original
downtempo selection from Vancouver's highly-regarded Nordic Trax imprint.
"Button-Down Beats" includes new material from NT artists Gavin Froome,
Jon Delerious, Scott Findley and Tom Churchill" as well as exclusive
tracks from up and coming producers in Mexico, Finland and Germany.
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Vancouver is know for a few things: it's burgeoning night life, liberal
attitude and some leafy green herb that people have been known to smoke
on occasion. The city is also known for the always-reliable Nordic Trax
label, which has delivered a delightful downtempo CD called "Button-Down
Beats". The artists on this comp most of whom are primarily known
for their house and deep tech grooves, try their hand at the making the
slow and low - and they succeed with flying colors. Highlights include
Tom Churchill's sexy mid-tempo house jam "Whatever Else" and
Quadra's moody "Sexy Beast". DIY's Churchill takes us back to
old school days of acid jazz with "One Eleven," by far one of
the strongest tracks on the album. Our man in Calgary, Jon Delerious,
keeps it simple yet sexy with his trip-hoppy "Desa Vibes." It
will have you dusting off all your old Mo' Wax records in no time. This
is the perfect after-hours chill-out cocktail.
Mark E. Quark, Minty Magazine
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For much of the 14-track Nordic Trax collection "Button-Down Beats",
the vibe is head-nodding downbeat immersed in a hazy downtempo nu-jazz
stew. Vancouver's Gavin Froome lays down a spacious groove in the album-opening
"Fuzz" before LA's Scott Findley follows it up with the equally
sassy, horn-happy "Downtime." Things get a bit dull here and
there, but Germany's Lars Behrenroth kicks it up a notch with snazzy,
percussion-friendly beats on "Marble", before Galapago's Latin
rhythms take over your backside on "Trotando Mondo." "Button-Down
Beats, meanders a bit but its breezy vibes are just too strong to ignore.
Tim Pratt, XLR8R Magazine
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Vancouver's acclaimed House imprint serve up something a little out of
the ordinary with this fresh downbeat compilation. Combining works from
established Nordic Trax artists and others, they've come up with a winner.
Keeping the deepness you've come to expect from the imprint, combined
with slower beats, this album represents a similar vibe to their uptempo
outings. Tom Churchill's "Whatever Else" is a delicate smooth number,
with a melancholic shivering bass, winding keys and a bright synth. Gavin
Froome's "Jang Mo" takes a clean attention-grabbing synth, rastafied vocal
cuts and pure unadulterated keys on a sublime deeper than deep journey.
Lobby's "TJ & Rio" is a blissful keyed mission, where a raw grooving guitar,
chilled kit percussion, indescribably beautiful synth and at peace strings
transport you away. "Deepinit" by Scott Findley rounds things off, courtesy
of uncompromising beats, ice cool keys, organ touches, a solemn horn and
a dubbified bass. Chilled out music with a heart and a soul.
Jon Freer
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Vancouver's reputation as a hotbed of house music is well-deserved and
the center of the scene has long been the Nordic Trax label. This downtempo-oriented
imprint has hit its stride in the international scene lately with excellent
full-length releases from Vancouver's Gavin Froome and Boston's Morgan
Page as well as club plates from everyone from Calgary's Jon Delerious
to Wales, Tom Churchill, whose pumping "Whatever Else" is one
of this 14-track compilation's finest moments. There are many more from
Helsinki's Rebeat's wonky "Spirit" to Vancouver drum 'n'
bassers, Quadra's spooky "Sexy Beast."
***1/2 / 5 Stuart Derdeyn,
Vancouver Province
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From the far reaches of space, in its purest downtempo form, Nordic Trax
delivers a collection of original, albeit newer releases from NT's roster
and beyond. The vibes is sensual and thick with "broken, mid and
downtempo tracks from the likes of Gavin Froome on the uplifting, string
driven "Jang Mo", Vancouver's very own drum'n'bass outfit Quadra
with the moody "Sexy Beast", Bostonian Morgan Page presents
the sublime "What I've Seen" from his NT full length "Drifting
Into View", while Mexican artist Lobby gives up the rhythmic chime
of "TJ and Rio". While many would be quick to disqualify this
as yet another recipe for "chill-out" fine dining, "Button-Down
Beats" is more of a midnight snack than an early breakfast.
Danny
Legare, Capital Magazine
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