Chinese Man is a French trio at its core that prioritizes dub, ragga and hip-hop, but that’s just the box out of which they burst. With their eclectic cinematic tastes, they manage to create a new kind of showcase—beat making as three-ring circus with go-go dancers, Arab orchestras and old-time preaching.
With its full-length debut Racing with the Sun, Chinese Man raised the curtain on an old-time vaudeville extravaganza with cool beats. The dramatic re-purposing of Ella Jenkins’ call and response spiritual may have been the main feature, but like any good variety show, it didn’t let up for a moment, rolling out singers, comedians, tumblers, magicians and a short serial for the amusement and edification of its captivated audience. Chinese Man is a French trio at its core that prioritizes dub, ragga and hip-hop, but that’s just the box out of which they burst. With their eclectic cinematic tastes, they manage to create a new kind of showcase—beat making as three-ring circus with go-go dancers, Arab orchestras and old-time preaching.
Most of Chines Man’s members and original guest artists come from all over the map; the most famous is probably the producer, Sodi, musical director for both Fela and Femi Kuti. Racing with the Sun is so packed that a remix seems to push its luck, risking ending up as mere background for a slew of guest rappers and doing the original, international cast the disservice of turning the material parochial. In fact, its remixers obliterate the original version of “Get Up,” robbing it entirely of its charm. Rap is a natural element in beat context, it’s just unfortunate your reviewer doesn’t care for rap and mainly wants them to sit down because they’re blocking the view.
Happily, there are many flashes of brilliance. Femi Kuti takes “Saudade” by the arm and guides it through a smokey jazz club with his fiery saxophone, right after the brassy dub of “One Past” by the OBF Sound System. Deluxe’s reworking of the title track is snappy, in contrast to the hard-times plaint on which it is based. Praise Jah for the Iration Stepper’s conscious version of the same song. The Scratch Bandits Crew does a great job of deconstructing “Down” and putting it back together pleasantly askew. Tha Trickaz begin their remix of the wonderful album single “Miss Chan” promisingly, but the coquettish Madame Butterfly vocals eventually wilt under the pressure of over-active males. On the other hand, DJ Suv’s dubstep remix of “In My Room” balances the grizzled blaxploitation-plundered original with a welcome feminine touch. And the award for best overall performance of the evening goes to DJ Simbad’s closing “Libra Priest Suite,” which holds the New York City minimalism template up to Africa to show how perfectly they match.
Remix with the Sun is available on Chinese Man. Buy at Juno, Amazon or iTunes.
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