Half a throne

Ah, the late Nineties… The years when the level of eclecticism in elcectronic music was as high as it gets. Downbeat was the thing, and it was happily flavored with all kinds of other musical styles. Sometimes on one album – like this one. King Kooba – a bassist and a DJ – found their happiness in trying all kinds of angles. Their project could easily switch from Downbeat to Drum’n’Bass to R’n’B and even something like Deep House, and apply different amounts of Jazz to all of it. Can be a virtue – or a reason for King Kooba never really taking off big time. Somehow it never felt coherent.

Which is sad, because his album offers a lot of quality material. There’s large amounts of creativity and style, and it’s well produced. A good number of tracks that don’t lose charm after several rounds of listening. “Enter The Throne Room” did find its way into my DJ bag lots of times, and it didn’t just stay there waiting to be played.

Two good sides

“California Suite” got a lot of plays, a really slick track for an elegant evening at the bar. Relaxed beats, classy use of strings, the clever integration of an a capella by Esther Phillips – nothing to complain about. Or “Koobesq”. A piece that could have just as well come from benchmark producers Thievery Corporation, featuring a convincing performance by vocalist Melissa Heathcote.

You might also enjoy “Single Malt”, sitting in a good place between Lounge and Drum’n’Bass. Maybe the attempt to produce coolness is a little too obvious – but then, the whole Downbeat genre was created with that intention in mind.

“Spectra In C Minor” is further expanding the range of styles, speeding things up without losing the relaxed attitude, a simple yet effective bass line, solid work on the drum parts – this could have come from the likes of Red Snapper.

Two not so good sides

Theoretically – if “Enter The Throne Room” had kept the material to one LP and not filled two, it probably would have been an excellent album. Would have. Things start to become complicated on side three. “Terminal X” is a dark mixture of restrained Drum’n’Bass and something like Jazz. It sounds like something that would work nicely in a live set – but on this album it isn’t much more than an exercise. An attempt.

The “Pugwash Beats” take us to abstract Hip Hop spheres, and we begin to understand the problem of this album: with every new track, a new box is opened, and instead of marveling at the many facets of “Enter The Throne Room” we increasingly suspect a lack of concept. Even the slick production of Simon Richmond a.k.a. Palm Skin Productions doesn’t change that.

Half a good album

Side four reinforces this impression with some hectic Drum’n’Bass on “Fraternity” and “Catscratch”. Track after track you keep wondering how that really cool and competent downtempo project could turn into such a trying D’n’B exercise.

In the end you’re sitting there a little confused, and aggravated by these relentless beats, and even while they are still beating you already know that this second vinyl will probably not leave the sleeve again. But the first one is really good. The one that gets it a place in the DJ bag for the evening at the bar. Half throne room.

Release for review:
KING KOOBA – ENTER THE THRONE ROOM – SECOND SKIN – SKINLP005

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