[i:Vibes] Free*Land - Now and Them [Marine Parade]

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Free*Land - Now and Them [Marine Parade]

23:44 - December 10, 2003

by Andy P

Adam Freeland is known to many as the leader of the Nu-Skool Breaks scene and has championed his sound all over the world for years. Adam Freeland decides to make a live band and make an album and also shatters all the notions about him that you might have. Read On for the full review...

Free*Land – Now and Them album Review (Marine Parade)

Adam Freeland decided to create a live band at the start of 2003 and he did just that. Adam explained in an interview with Mixmag that he did not want another boring dj, he wanted an Adam Freeland album. Now about the name of the group, Adam told Mixmag that the * was supposed to represent a “subject to contract type thing. Like we’re free, but read the smallprint because we’re not really free, are we?” (Source:Mixmag August 2003). This is not the type of Adam Freeland release that most people expect. The people that help with album are Frank Xavier of Infusion and Tom Pardy from Evil 9. Most people would expect that Adam Freeland would just give you more of the nu-skool breaks that he is famous for but Adam Freeland decided to change those perceptions and move out musically.

The first song on the album is We Want Your Soul, which uses a Bill Hicks sample to brillant effect. It is more of a social statement in a song because they talk about how mindless we are becoming and how the media is attempting to control us. Somehow the hook of the vocal just makes this song, that much better. If you really like this song, track down the amazing Infusion remix and for people with harder tastes, the Ed Rush and Optical Remix, which is drum’n’bass. The 2nd song is Mind Killer, which has a tremendous hook, with another statement “Fear in the mind killer”. The other thing that I like about this album, is that they are making you think, while listening to an album. It is shocking to see how Adam Freeland is taking tips from Rage Against the Machine in making social statements with great music. Burn the Clock is a guitar driven song that reminds me of Rage Against the Machine. This is truly a song that deserves to be played loud. Song 4 is Big Wednesday, which is a tamer song compared to the first three. This is truly an electronic song that more people would associate with Adam Freeland because it is so layered. I am not quite sure which genre this falls into but basically a nice song. Heel’N’Toe comes next with the rapping by Juice Aleem and Toastie Edwards. Truly a nice song that leads into the short vocal called Physical World. I’m not sure what they are trying to get at with the confusing speech but serves as a nice interlude and I’m sure Freeland is making a point just I’m not sure what. Supernatural Thing is next (which is the next single to be released from this album). It has a 70’s feel to it, with the vocals, which sound so Motown. At this point, you realize how deliberate Adam Freeland was in making this sound so far from everything that you had associated with him. Track 8 is Reality 3D, which sounds like a cool downtempo jazzy track with a cool deep voice running through the track. L.I.F.E is the second last track and it sounds the closest to the Adam Freeland that everyone expects. It ends off with quite nicely with Nowism.. I'm not sure how to put this one into words but the song ends the album quite nicely.

Tracklist of Now and Them

1.We Want Your Soul
2.Mind Killer
3.Burn the Clock
4.Big Wednesday
5.Heel’N’Toe
6.Physical World
7.Supernatural World
8.Reality 3D
9.L.I.F.E
10.Nowism

Conclusion:
This won’t impress the people who expect Adam Freeland just to be Nu-Skool Breaks but for the people looking for something similar to Unkle – Never, Never Land then this is it. Adam Freeland has completely erased all preconceptions of him as just a nu skool breaks deejay. This is also a social statement with some of the songs on the album, just like Unkle’s album. Seems Adam Freeland wants to make stuff like Rage Against The Machine who make great music with social statements about the world and life. Keep it up Adam!

OUT NOW!