William Orbit: Pieces In A Modern Style (WEA)
Orbit's star is shining at the moment, thanks to his stellar production work on Madonna's Ray Of Light, so it's no surprise that WEA is eager to showcase its boy wonder to the world at large. There's some confusion as to when these tracks were actually recorded, but there's a timeless feel to Orbit's electro-takes on Satie, Ravel, Vivaldi, Handel and Gorecki. When popsters tamper with classical music, the result is usually naff, viz Switched On Bach, but Pieces In A Modern Style is refreshingly restrained, sampling the originals and then painting in some tasteful electronic sounds. If you're expecting to hear classical melodies fused to phat techno beats, this album will certainly disappoint, but if you're looking for some highbrow chill-out sounds, then this will certainly raise the tone of any club.
Kevin Courtney
Kelis: Kaleidoscope (Virgin)
Who the hell is Kelis, I hear you ask, and I'm going to tell you right now. She's a 20-year-old native of Harlem who's been signed to Virgin Records, and her music could be described loosely as space-age urban r&b. Tough, ricocheting hip-hop beats and city sound effects lay the street-level foundation on tracks such as Caught Out There, but the swirly electronic bleeps on Mars often send the music into silly sci-fi territory. The album is meant to be a kaleidoscope of styles, from the tough rap edge of Ghetto Children to the drum'n'bass flavours of Get Along With You, but the overall impression is that Kelis is running around the r&b playground like a kid with a bunch of new toys. What is consistent is Kelis's mature voice, a ghetto brat cousin of Mariah and Whitney.
Kevin Courtney