Mantronix - Mantronix Deluxe Edition

In the mid to late 80s, Mantronix defined the new sound of electro-funk. DJ Kurtis Mantronik and rapper MC Tee used a polyrhythmic style similar to West African log drumming, but instead of acoustic drums, the rhythm would be carried by the combination of electronic drums, synthesizer, vocoder and/or synthesized voice over a bass line completely played on the synth. No samples of James Brown here. This was truly electronic music: sparse, funky and immensely danceable, a homage and simultaneous extension of old-school Hip Hop's electronic template that had started with "Planet Rock" in 1982. The feeling of Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Kraftwerk and Neu all combined in Mantronik's music. It was a neat tie between old-school and new jack, and Mantronix had the field to themselves. Skip ahead more than 20 years; Traffic Entertainment along with Warlock and Sleeping Bag Records, have joined forces to bring you this amazing deluxe reissue, packed to the brim with rare and unreleased tracks. The folks at Traffic have taken the time to dig up the original multi-tracks to provide you with such previously unreleased gems as "Needle to the Groove" (Alternate A Capella), and a capellas for "Get Stupid 'Fresh' Pt. 1" and "Fresh is the Word." In addition, there's two live tracks recorded in 1988, multiple instrumentals, along with the 12" and Dub Versions for "Needle to the Groove" and "Fresh is the Word." This must-have double CD is packaged in a deluxe digipack and includes extensive liner notes. Product Description

An unfairly ignored masterpiece - REMASTERED! (5 stars)

One thing you'll find when discussing the greatest hip-hop producers of all time is that cats seem to forget Kurtis Mantronik's undeniable contributions to hip-hop, especially at the time when Marley Marl was ripping through classics with the Juice Crew. Kurtis would go on to make a slightly larger wave with the 1986 release of Just-Ice's "Back To The Old School", but personally, I find Mantronix "The Album" (labeled here as being slef-titled) to be some of the finest production work I've ever heard. Period. Rapper MC Tee, while not mind-blowing in the least, adds a nice flavor to the mix, and ultimately works well with Mantronik's mind-blowing production. Make no mistake though, Mantronix basically redefined what "electro-funk" was, and is probably too electronic for some of the more hardcore gangsta rap listeners that followed a few years later. Regardless, the beats are extremely clean, well-timed, and exemplifies excellent skill. I really can't think of a producer that does this style more justice than Kurtis.

Remastered reissues don't come any better than this. For longtime fanatics, this is a very warm welcome. The sound is more crisp and clear than ever before. The bonus cuts & unreleased material outweighs the length of the album by far, with 13 extras in all. And this material is also notably excellent. The alternate takes & 12" versions of the classic songs shine, as well as previously unreleased live cuts & a capella's/intrumentals for the DJs. My favorite tracks on the original album are "Bassline", "Needle To The Groove", "Hardcore Hip-Hop" (my favorite) & "Ladies", and really enjoyed the 12" versions of "Fresh Is The Word" & "Needle To The Groove" as well as the club version of "Bassline". The whole package including the artwork & liner notes is very worthwhile. Highly recommended for fans or first-time purchasers. July 28, 2008

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