With the release of Morphology, the sophomore effort from San Francisco's live dance experience Afro-Mystik, producer, DJ and Om Records boss Chris Smith (a.k.a. DJ Fluid) seems determined to make that push.
Afro-Mystik is party music, but a more complex and varied kind than we're used to hearing. Like his labelmate Mark Farina, Smith uses house only as a reference point. He goes beyond it, exploring a wider variety of rhythms that draws heavily on organic sounds such as Afro-Cuban and Brazilian drum rhythms. Eclectic beats, flutes, wooden wind chimes, ephemeral chants and jazzy strings make up Morphology, perhaps aligning more with jazz than house's single-minded focus on the dance floor.
The vocal tracks, which make up about a third of the album, are more of a mixed bag. Laid-back raps by MC Capital A and spoken word from vocalist Omega vibe nicely to slower, shuffling beats, but the singer's more soulful efforts aren't nearly as interesting. The clean delivery and straight-ahead style feels layered on top of, instead of meshed into, Morphology's multifaceted sound.
But despite some heavy-handed synth lines and the occasionally overwrought studio effect, Smith demonstrates a maturing production talent, delivering a lush and energetic dance floor experience.
