The various proponents of the Compost sound have been wandering ever closer to each other for some time now and for a while it seemed a distinct possibility that all would meet in one seamless orgy of coffee-table jazz, never to be seen again. Witness Les Gammas' album-opener 'Whenever', an ambling downbeat jazzer that could be Jazzanova, could be Rainer Truby, Peter Kruder, Beanfield…
However, Les Gammas make up for the indulgence by exercising, as they promise, a fair old spectrum of styles even including a couple of real soulful vocal treats, something that few of their peers have so far achieved.
Particularly strong is 'See The Sun', a track reminiscent of the spiritual vocals of Andy Bey, propelled by beautifully sequenced percussion and warm keys. On 'Love Ultd.', disco strings meet female harmonies and chopped up drums. 'Love To Be' sees them tamper with the now requisite spoken-word format, interspersing verses with abrupt afro-jazz vocals.
Things get more experimental with the paranoid discordance of 'Document A' but return to calm, string-laden soulful waters with the deeply retro 'Don't Waste My Love', the two tracks typical of the way in which the album's unifying sound is stretched through different proportions. 'Exercices De Styles' proves that the Compost sound is maturing to develop acts capable of delivering coherent and exciting albums. It also sets the standard by which Jazzanova's debut will be judged.
