Pablo Turntable Technology LP The prospect of a double CD sample based 'instrumental' hiphop album either has you salivating already or approaching with fear. For every Endtroducing, surely still the benchmark after 13 years, there's a lot of also-rans that don't stand the test of time or even hold up from initial listen. Entering into this challenging field Glasgows Michael Hunter aka the much-overused Pablo (29 different artists on discogs!?) with his debut album 'Turntable Technology' on techno stalwart Soma Records. Michael's already been releasing under Pablo and his Butch Cassidy Sound System monikers on various other labels including Fenetik and Red Hook for over 10 years, not to mention producing music for CSI and the theme and various incidentals to Grand Theft Auto releases. What Pablo has actually done across this two disc collection is give us an album for different occasions. Disc one is a humourous collection of vocal samples and snippets over a wide-ranging sound of beats, taking in jazz, funk and hiphop. Whilst initially listenable and enjoyable it can get a bit too much on certain tracks. The opening title track 'Turntable Technology' and the latter 'Speed Check' visit often trod ground of setting up a turntable complete with pitch tests. Track 2 'Sing' an Avalanches/Gnarls Barkley sounding upbeat jazz. 'Fairchild' a straight up vocal-less b-boy hammond and horn funk workout would hold its own alongside any of the Breakin' Bread 7"s. Elsewhere on disc one we get a bizarre tale of Pablo's home activities and his quest for a pair of shoes in 'Turn The Page' using storybook samples, initially quite amusing but does grate a bit, all it leaves me wondering is how someone can live in glasgow wearing just sandals, his feet must be freezing! The soon to be re-released on 12, 'The Story Of Sampling' really showcases Michaels skill and attention to detail and digging ability. this is a stunning lyrical cut and paste of who knows how many MCs all spliced and levelled to form a battle rap that actually rhymes. pretty incredible once you listen to it in detail. He never revisits this album highpoint from a technical point of view but you probably wouldn't want a whole album of this style anyway. the remainder of disc one is made up of film/video game sounding scores, chase scenes, atmospheric to a point, but lose their interest over a prolonged timespan. Completing off the album proper is 'High Jazz', a ninja tune style jazz cut and pretty nice indeed If CD1 overdid it to your tastes with the sometimes cloying vocal samples then CD2 alleviates that by offering seven tracks of disc one in their instrumental form alongside 6 new tracks. Pablo leaves the sampler and picks up his Cuatro (Puerto Rican guitar - what, you didn't know?) for 'The Cuatro Track', a brief 1 minute 40 respite, and maybe revisits it on the atmospheric 'Into The Deep Blue'. CD 2 is generally the one you would repeat visit a lot more. without the vocal samples you can hear the quality production and attention to detail, the album is still diversifying enough to interest and none of the tracks go on for long enough to lose your attention, even if the names of some of the extra tracks suggest they come from his work in the disposable world of video game scores. It always seems strange that an album called 'Turntable Technology' is only available on download and CD but such is the way of the world. Still 'Turntable Technology' is a well-worthwhile purchase from a very promising UK producer. Clocking in over both CDs at just 74 minutes you realise why you haven't been bored stupid, a producer who knows his limits and when to cut tracks short seems to be a rarity and is good to see. give the myspace tracks a listen, look out for The Story Of Sampling due out on 12" in the next couple of weeks and check this CD out. - spoon  Related Links: myspace website © ukhh.com 1999 - 2009