説明
Loft/Garage系名作アルバムが正規復刻！
Laurin RinderとW. Michael Lewisによる『Seven Deadly Sins』は、シンセサイザーを駆使したアトモスフェリックなスペース・ディスコの傑作であり、アメリカン・ディスコの歴史における最重要アルバムのひとつに数えられる。1970年代中期から後期、Rinder & LewisはEl Coco、Saint Tropez、Le Pamplemousse（The Jones Girlsがヴォーカル参加）、In Search Of Orchestraなど数々のスタジオ・プロジェクトでロサンゼルス・ディスコの音を定義してきた。
本作は7曲構成のほぼインストゥルメンタル・コンセプト・アルバムで、それぞれ「七つの大罪」をテーマにしている。モーグ・シンセや官能的なシンセの層がクラブ対応のリズムの上で響き渡り、罪を祝福するかのようなアプローチも、アンダーグラウンド・クラブでの支持を集めた理由のひとつだ。
冒頭の“Lust”は7分に及ぶ壮大なシンセ・ジャーニー。Loft/Garageのクラシックともいえるこのトラックは、多彩なメロディが滑らかな中テンポのビートに乗り、時代を超えて今もなおフレッシュな響きを放つ。続く“Sloth”はタイトルから想像できないほど力強く、ユーロ・ディスコ的な躍動感とインストゥルメンタルの迫力が際立つ。
“Gluttony”は宇宙的でドライヴィングなプロト・テクノの香りを持つトラックで、暗めのシンセベースとギターやホーンのメロディが組み合わさることで、クラブのフロアで求められるグルーヴを完璧に演出する。B面の“Pride”はジャズ・ファンク寄りの軽快なナンバーで、ハモンドやクラヴィネット、ホーン・セクションが心地よく鳴り響く。左フィールドのヴォーカルを用いた“Envy”は、アシッド・シンセのニュアンスやファンキーなギターが加わり、ディスコの躍動感をさらに引き立てる。
“Anger”はアフリカン・パーカッションとアフロビートの要素を取り入れたダークなプロト・テクノ／ハウス・トラックで、Carl CraigやLaurent GarnierのTres Dementedプロジェクトでもサンプリングされるなどクラブ史に残る名演。アルバムの最後を飾る“Covetousness”はジャズ・ファンクを基盤にシンセドラムを駆使したドライヴィング・トラックで締めくくる。
Rinder & Lewisは当時、ほぼスタジオに住むように制作活動を行い、3つのプロジェクトを同時進行で進めるほどの多作ぶりだったという。Be Withによる今回のヴァイナル復刻は、エンジニアSimon Franciscoによる丁寧なリマスタリングとオランダRecord Industryでの高水準プレスにより、当時のエネルギーと精緻さを余すところなく再現している。オリジナル・アートワークも忠実に再現されており、見つめすぎると思わず引き込まれてしまうほどだ。
A1. Lust
A2. Sloth
A3. Gluttony
B1. Pride
B2. Envy (Animal Fire)
B3. Anger
B4. Covetousness
Laurin Rinder & W. Michael Lewis's Seven Deadly Sins is a hugely influential, synth-powered, atmospheric space-disco masterpiece. It's arguably the best American Disco LP ever made. It's certainly one of the most important albums in the history of dance music. And, like its innovative producers, it's absolute genius.
During the mid to late seventies the production team of Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis helped to define the Disco sound that was coming out of Los Angeles with studio projects such as El Coco, Saint Tropez, Le Pamplemousse (with vocals from The Jones Girls), In Search Of Orchestra and many others.
Like all of their work, Seven Deadly Sins comprises beautifully arranged and incredibly well produced deep disco that is revered by aficionados. A seven track, largely instrumental concept album covering each of the sins, it was recorded for AVI in 1977. It's a brilliantly conceived, groove-fuelled album that layers moogy keys and druggy synths over club-ready rhythms. The idea that this record is celebrating rather than condemning the sins is said to be another factor that made the record a big one in the underground clubs.
Opening sin “Lust” is an intense, swelling, seven minute blockbuster synth journey. An ethereal Loft/Garage classic, it's a sprawling, brooding slice of epic dancefloor dynamite that remains a firm favourite of discerning disco heads like Harvey. So ahead of its time, it still sounds ridiculously fresh today, drifting through a multitude of melodies over a smooth, lightly percussive mid-tempo beat. A slow-mo sexy killer.
Up next, the sprightly-manic “Sloth” is nothing like its title. A driving, swaggering instrumental incorporating the same Euro-disco elements as our Daft Parisian friends did a few decades on, it's certainly not for the faint-hearted.
A clear highlight, the cosmic, throbbing proto-techno of “Gluttony” gets things firmly back on track. Pure industrial vibes with dark synth bass punctuated by uplifting melodic sequences that brilliantly utilise guitar and horns, is this the sound of Wax! Trax being born? You won't be able to get enough of this.
Opening up the B-Side, “Pride” is a breezy slice of classic late seventies jazz/funk with deft Hammond and clavinet grooves and expansive horn sections. It's absolutely fantastic. The wicked leftfield vocal cut “Envy” provides more disco pump with squelchy acid synth flourishes, funky guitar and neck-snapping percussive breaks.
The dark proto-techno/house cut “Anger” is a fully on top tour de force of drums. With heavy African percussion throughout and a short Afrobeat section towards the end, it was sampled by Carl Craig and Laurent Garnier for their Tres Demented project and was also a massive Ron Hardy / Music Box favourite. The album is rounded out by the hard-grooving “Covetousness”, another driving jazz-funk workout par excellence with liberal use of the syndrum.
As Laurin Rinder recalled in an interview with Dream Chimney, the duo essentially lived in the studio: “we really had cots, beds and the whole thing, we were just pumpin’ them out. 7 days a week, 3 different projects at the same time. I played drums on everything but had to play a little differently. I had to ask the engineer ‘What’s the name of this group?‘”.
Evidently, their prolific output was the result of a crazy cocaine-fuelled production schedule: “The amount of coke we did, to do all this, you can’t even imagine. $300 a day. I had to have plastic inserts in my nose so I could do more.” Looking at the frankly terrifying cover, you'd have never known!
Be With is beyond delighted to present the first ever legit vinyl reissue of Seven Deadly Sins, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francisco to ensure it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The unforgettable cover artwork has been reproduced here at Be With - dare you stare back at it for too long?
