‘The Jackal’ exceeds expectations
by Les Zaczek
freelance Reporter
Soundtracks are rarely good.
Too often they are either collec
tions of hits that we’ve heard a
million times or unreleased and
rejected songs that would have
never made it onto a real album
and were “donated” by artists like
used clothes that you drop off at
Goodwill.
Fortunately, “The Jackal”
soundtrack is neither. This collec
tion stands on its own as a strong
showcase of today’s top techno
and ambient artists, along with
unexpected gems by Primal
Scream and Ani DiFranco.
“Going out of My Head," by
Fatboy Slim, starts the album on
an energetic note. It is a reworked
version of a song by Pete Town
shend of The Who. The mix has a
pounding beat interspersed with
an awesome riff, a faint vocal
sample and strange, stereo
panned synthesizer loops.
Moving on to Prodigy’s “Poi
son,” the pace of the album slows
down a bit and moves into more
hypnotic territory. Judging from
Prodigy’s brilliant full-length al
bum, this song is somewhat of a
letdown, but it’s still miles ahead
of most techno music out there.
A Souxsie and the Banshees’
cover, “Superpredators,” by Mas
sive Attack, is dark and disturb
ing and is guaranteed to give you
nightmares for weeks. Neverthe
less, the song is well executed
and delivers a texture of beats,
distortions and eerie effects.
“Star,” by Primal Scream, is
CD REVIEW
The Jackal
(Soundtrack)
various artists
■ STYLE: Ambient/techno
■ RATING: ★★★★★
one of the few songs on this al
bum that strays from the electron
ic aesthetic and actually has a
hummable melody and clear vo
cals, providing a nice change of
pace.
The remix of Bush’s “Swal
lowed” doesn’t sound anything
like the original song, and that’s
exactly why it’s good.
It was strange to find Ani
DiFranco on this collection, but
after listening to the remix of
“Joyful Girl” it somehow fits. This
is a great song, and the electronic
aspect is so subtle that it doesn’t
detract from Ani’s beautiful voice
and gentle guitar.
Moby delivers a stunning piece
of ambient music on “Shining.”
This song alone makes the whole
record worth buying for any fan.
“It’s Over and Under,” by Dolls
Head, is highly reminiscent of
Garbage, and maybe even better,
complete with a dark melody and
a catchy chorus that gives the col
lection more of a pop angle.
3T, featuring Richard Butler,
gives us “Shineway,” a slower
song that provides breathing
room and a nice melodic inter
lude among the pounding drum
beats.
“Red Tape,” by Agent Prova
teur, is definitely a standout track
and probably the most rocking
song, with an actual guitar riff
that drives the song like a run
away train on a downhill ride.
The Chemical Brothers' remix
of The Charlatans UK’s
“Toothache” obliterates the origi
nal version, leaving no remnants
of the song. In fact, it would be
impossible to tell who the origi
nal artist was if it wasn't printed
on the CD sleeve. Still, The Chem
ical Brothers’ genius remains, and
the song is indeed as good as you
might think.
Closing the album is “Demon’s
Theme” by L.T.J. Bukem, an am
bient piece which sounds very
much like Enigma.
So there you have it: a sound
track that’s actually worth buying.
Although I am not a huge fan of
electronic music, the songs are all
great, and the sheer variety and
volume (16 tracks) make for one
hell of a listen, whether you're
new to the genre or an avid tech
no fan.
Music Showcase
Modest Mouse to roar this weekend at WOW Hall
COURTESY PHOTO
MODEST MOUSE: KWVA’s No. 1 artist this week is Modest Mouse,
a three-piece rock hand that mil bring their brooding, expres
sive vocals to WOWllall on Nov. 22. Admission is $6 at the
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begin at9:30p.m.
KWVA Radio’s Top 10
1 Modest Mouse
The Lonesome Crowed West
2 Stereolab
Dots and Loops
3 The Need
The Need
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Planet of the Wolves
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Revenge is Sweet, and So are You
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Made from Technitium
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8
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W,
ID
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