I could never make a Top 5 list of albums, simply because there are too much beautiful tracks out there. But since it’s 2003 release on Tru Thoughts, “Maps From The Wilderness” by UK native TM Juke has always been one of my definite favorites.
While the frontrunners of the sampled downtempo style like DJ Shadow and Vadim were trying to lift it to a next level through outside crossover experiments, The Man Juke (also known as Alex Cowan or Al Stylus) upped the bar by doing the exact opposite on his debut album. While staying true to the basics of sampling, focusing on the general atmosphere of a track and layering beats, Juke touches the outer regions of the genre by taking a more musical approach to producing.
Where most of the artists mainly focused on cutting a couple of loops and building a mood around them, “Maps Of The Wilderness” consists of tracks that have been carefully crafted from a wide variety of sources put together more as a composition, than just mere simple sequencing. Incorporating played elements like bass or clarinet with recorded bits, TM Juke leaves almost no single bar untouched, not even on the more hip hop oriented tracks featuring MC’s Bread & Water and Rup called “Get It Together” and “Wilderness Kids”.
Dipping further in the Tru Thoughts artist roster Alice Russell (who has released 2 beautiful solo albums featuring production by TM Juke, Quantic and Kushti) joins in on two tracks, most notably on the starting track of the album “Knee Deep” which also features the soothing voice of Jim Oxborough. This song immediately sets the mood for the whole album, being easy, soulful but also with a deep groove.
Deep moods are being explored on the instrumental tracks “Just For A Day (Sunday)”, “Fast Asleep”, “Map Two”, “In The Twilight” and the so-called ‘classic cut’ “Remember 99″. Extensive but subtle drum programming is accompanied by a range of sampled cuts, all put together in intricate compositions that, on the other hand, never lose touch with the original theme of the track.
“Playground Games”, the other track featuring Alice Russell, and “Form To Follow” finish off the diversity of grooves within the album, showing the more funky and lighter side of downtempo.
You can listen to the album on the Tru Thoughts website.
And the video for “Knee Deep”
Other links:
TM Juke’s MySpace
Alice Russell’s MySpace
Quantic’s MySpace
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