Nightmares On Wax Mind Elevation CD

George Evelyn, the Nightmares on Wax producer who provided the template for 2000-2001's downbeat movement almost a decade before it became the bane of mix album fans, returned just in time with another LP of supremely chilled beats. Unfortunately, though, Mind Elevation isn't the unqualified triumph of Carboot Soul or Smoker's Delight, with Evelyn substituting a couple of vocal tracks for the trance-state trip-hop of his previous work. Admittedly, the acid jazz groover "Date with Destiny" and the breezy dub track "70s 80s" prove that Evelyn is surprisingly proficient at crafting a good production for use under a vocal, combining a bare few elements (like the good acid house producer he is) yet weaving them together well. And he can still stop time merely by repeating the right sample and manipulating the bass (as he does perfectly on "Humble" and "Say-Say"). Still, the NoW blueprint of skeletal productions and a clever eye to detail appears to fail him in several places. The faux classical "Bleu My Mind" doesn't even rise to the level of Classical Chillout, and far too many tracks don't even rise above the quality of fair to middling downbeat. Ironically, the fact that there are so many vocals really saves Mind Elevation from being the first bland record by Nightmares on Wax; as it is, there's something to focus on for those few tracks where the old production genius just doesn't seem to be there anymore. ~ John Bush

Additional personnel includes: Miriam Lamen, Chyna B, Manda, LSK (vocals); Robin Taylor Firth (keyboards).

Recorded at Touchwood, Leeds, England and WBS Studios, Nottingham, England.

Producers: George Evelyn, Robin Taylor Firth, Glyn Poole.

Personnel: LSK (vocals); Eddie Tatton (guitar); Robin Taylor-Firth (keyboards); Hamlet Luton (bass guitar).

Audio Mixers: George Evelyn; Mark Gamble.

Photographer: Rick Guest.

Nightmares On Wax: George Evelyn.

Q (9/02, p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A distinctly jaunty reggae flavor pervades....This friskier, fresher take on his previous fare is especially well-judged..."
Uncut (10/02, p.111) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...a mellifluous blend of loose hip hop grooves and stoned soul shakers."
CMJ (9/2/02) - p.6) - "...When you awake from this nightmare, you'll realize that MIND ELEVATION is really a dream come true..."
Vibe (11/02, p.163) - "...Catchy melodies, organic samples, and occasional vocals give the album a warm human touch..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.75) - Ranked #10 in Mojo's "Best Dance Albums of 2002"
Mojo (Publisher) (10/02, p.100) - "...The cumulative effect is wildly narcotic."
NME (Magazine) (8/31/02, p.29) - 8 out of 10 - "...A pleasure..."