Dido, sister of Rollo (Armstrong), one-third of the Faithless masterminds (along with Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz), has previously contributed vocals to the first two Faithless albums. She returns on the ethereal song “One Step Too Far,” on their new album Outrospective (Arista). While Faithless has a devoted and growing following, perhaps Dido will have the Midas touch, and Faithless will strike gold (or platinum even). They certainly deserve it with this album. All of Faithless’s trademark sounds and styles are present and accounted for. Dance tracks such as “We Come 1,” “Machines R Us,” and “Tarantula,” rank among their finest. Of course Faithless’s unique way with a ballad is also in evidence on the cuts “Not Enuff Love” and “Crazy English Summer.” However, the revved up rhythms of “Muhammed Ali,” the most distinctive song on the disc, float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
Can’t get enough of the filtered retro disco of Daft Punk and don’t want to wait so long between releases? May I recommend Rhythm Masters’ Disconnect Your Head (Tommy Boy), an equally filtered disc of original tunes by a duo that has clearly mastered rhythm. Like Celeda recently did, the Rhythm Masters take the listener to “The Underground” (on the opening track) and never bother coming up for air until the last track. With sound samples from a variety of sources and a house heartbeat at its center, this album is more than just a diversion, as you can hear on the standout tracks “Cocaine,” “Speed Of Light,” “Disco 2000,” “Heavy Soul,” “The Ghetto,” and, of course, “Don’t F*** With My Filter.” Consider your hunt for a new “house” to be over.
The filtered action continues on Filtered; The Best of Filtered Dance (Tommy Boy). Too young to have lived through the heyday of disco? Fear not, this 15-track, single-disc compilation assembled by Robbie Rivera uses modern sounds to recreate the dance-floor circa 1978. Beginning with the contemporary retro disco sound of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You,” which was one of the first new dance music tracks to incorporate the “wind tunnel atmospherics” that have come to be known as “filtered dance music,” and are celebrated on this collection. Think of it as a screen door on the front door to the house (music). Blissful and joyous, tracks such as “Must Be The Music” (Joey Negro), “Get Up” (Chris The Greek), “Sing It Back” (Moloko), and Funkstar Deluxe’s “Sun Is Shining,” which like the Stardust cut, made an impact at the Winter Music Conference before becoming national hits, allow you to revel in nostalgia while remaining on the cutting edge.