3 out of 5

Label: Ninebar

Producer: Amon Tobin

See, I always want to like Ninja Tune albums, because they look cool and I like what I read about them, but whenever I actually give the majority of ’em a listen (THE MAJORITY BECAUSE I AM LIKE A MUSIC GOD), they end up being funkier than I generally go for, and… sort of empty.  I know it’s hard to get “feeling” in electronic music, but there’s a fair share of it in my collection that actually makes my brain spin when I’m listening to it.  My booty shakes on it’s own, I don’t need a soundtrack to get it moving.

So although Amon Tobin’s work seemed to poke it’s head into the fringes of my collection – connected to various other artists I enjoy – I stayed away ’cause he’s mostly on Ninja Tune.  FINALLY, I made the plunge at some point – thanks, Taxidermia soundtrack – and was all wacka-wacka-whaaaa because it’s so much darker and more jungle-jazzed up than I would’ve expected from an artist who’s stuck with the label.  Working my way through his history, I get to Cujo, his – I think? – earliest album.  No less polished than his later work, but the different name is fitting, as is the album title.  Because this is more what I would’ve expected from Ninja Tune.  Don’t get me wrong – there are some great beats on this album.  A lot of the tracks start out with a jazz-funk vibe but, alas, they beat off (chuckle) in groovetown and I sorta lose my connection to it.  A lot of Tobin’s work I’ve listened to also works in how it’s paced and sequenced – he seems to have a good ear for how long a song should be to keep you grounded, and where to place his up and downbeat tracks on the album.  “Adventures…” though, just sort of gets blasé after your ear warms up to it.  Tracks wander on for a bit too long, and it just feels like a long album.  If you dig groove, you’ll love this.  If you’re a Tobin collector, you already have this.  If you like his jungle stuff, though…?  Meh…?