Howie B vs Casino Royale - 'Not In The Face' (Fabric) Released 29/09/08

Before the days of Mark Ronson and Dangermouse, Howie B had 'em queuing at his door with a taste for his born ruffian beatz and gritty electronic production. A pioneer of trip-hop and big beat, there was Bjork, Tricky, U2, Brian Eno, Sly & Robbie, Goldie and Sinead O'Connor. Sadly, the milk has soured on evidence of this affair. Even his solo endeavors found Howie B full of vigour and inspiration, at his best on albums such as the abstract-pastiche of 'Snatch' and the earthier, mysterious 'Folk'. Off-kilter and full of tangential surprises, at times hot-assed groovy. Casino Royale, however, are cited as one of Italy's best kept secrets (what of Nicola Conte), and are a 5-piece troupe blending rock, ska and funk with some d 'n' b that B fell for doing production work as the band supported U2 in Italy. Wysch guysh!!! Howie B worked on production for the 2006's retrospective 'Reale', taking in 20 years of the band's career and catered for a mainly Italiano market. B found there's different ways to go about this - an electronic way, and 'Not In The Face' was the spin-off.

This one ain't so much got it going down. It's already down, prostrate. 'Not In The Face' is characterised by turgid beats and boring, listless loops where no amount of dubbery trickery can disguise its' hollowness. Often as engaging as watching a cat chew on grass, it's a mainly stripped-down affair of minimal loops with vocal parts non-sensical and brief, as on 'Easy Tranquillo' with its' "Easy...pyschic" and warbly bass, 'Milano Double Standard' with "Yeah, no, well...I can't get no" floating over an oligarch bass, and a dub-vocal suspends itself over the slow groove of 'In My Soul Kingdom'. 'Prova', however, can barey get off its' arse to find anything to add to the rhythm

It's not all dire. 'Quello Che Ti Do' taps out lightly over a nocturnal dub, and there's a kernel of dub bass funkiness to be found under the sack of 'E' Gia' Domani'. 'Plastico Mistico' alerts the listener with its' Twilight Zone-style sample and squeaks and splutters before finding a groove and sax, as 'Protect Me' taps out a tin-pot ryhthm sandwiching a gritty b-line and dub-piano to wake us mercifully. 'Royale'sound' meanwhile sounds like B has found his muse in the shape of a sexy scratch and sniff toon with a cracking low-down bass groove as Casino Royale lay on some ranty vocal. One all too brief and invigorating moment. By the time the mildly peppy 'Tutto' closes, the album will be lucky to be doing its' rotatey thing on most players.

A doped affair that's as warm as a drip-wet ghost of a nightclub. This is one for the ketamine kidz. Okay it's not B's album, but it seems he's imagining sounds that aren't there and filling in the spaces with electro-splutters and splurges. It ain't an obvious album, more an interior, skull-bound dubnobasshandsoffmyheadphonesman. More a muzak album for hip supermarts really. I'm off to watch dough rise!