December 29, 2014

Artifacts "The Ultimate" (The Source, 1997)


The Artifacts (El Da Sensei & Tame One) came with their 2nd single "The Ultimate" in 1997 for their sophomore album "That's Them" on Big Beat Records. With production from Baby Paul and Showbiz, "The Ultimate" got a look in The Source, which said: "After blessing their small but loyal listenership last year with the haunting chimes of "Art Of Facts," the Brick duo return again from the wrong side of the tracks of New Jerusalem with a slice of back-in-the-days bravado, laced with contemporary agitation. Randomly featured on the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink High School High soundtrack, "The Ultimate's" old-school style chorus and par-for-the-course boasts were solidly supported by the hillbilly wails and guitar stabs on Beatminer Baby Paul's original version." 


"D.I.T.C. fugitive Showbiz's overhaul, however, reinvigorates the exercise with the aggression of a physical education coach. Show's expertly arrange regiment of moog loops, handclaps, and scratches from Dana Dane's "Nightmares" provokes Tame One and El Da Sensei into kicking more personal, stronger, new lyrics." Even all these years later, reading the writer from The Source say "small but loyal listenership" still kinda irks me. Right about the remix though, the track still goes! Much respect to El and Tame, listen to "The Ultimate" and get back into the mood of music back in 1997.