Killing Puritans

Amazon.com
NYC DJ Armand Van Helden has described his second LP as his "Sex Pistols record." He loads his tracks with a Rollins-like spleen and a raw production that seems to kick against the complacency of Ecstasy culture. Killing Puritans opens with a rant against the corporate machine and moves swiftly to the Scorpions-sampling metal-dance of "Little Black Spiders" and meta-cool of "Breakdancers Call"--jazz solos, B-boy licks, and Fatboy fills. His pace and breadth are fearless--from the Will Smith-ish block party of "Full Moon" (which guest-stars the rapper Common) to the low-end booty of "Hybridz" with its apocalyptic preachers field-recorded in Central Park. The album swells with classics--"Flyaway Love" detonates hellifre over an Ibizan disco-dream while the closer, "Conscience," howls with urban empathy. "Conscience" backs a soaring blues from Wu-Tang's Takeitha with a ferociously ramped-up mix; one could term this song rave's "Inner City Blues." Killing Puritans is an extraordinary, unblushing work. --Amazon.co.uk

Product Description
If last year belonged to disco samples, this year Armand has dug far further back into the crates, unearthing early house music, hip hop, 80s synth pop and yes, even heavy metal for his source material. Applying hip hop's rapping and scratching to house music, he has come up with radical new hybrids likely to resonate through popular music for years to come. "Little Black Spiders" has Armand fighting for your right to party, mashing Euro headbangers The Scorpions into the most danceable heavy metal record ever. "Full Moon" sub poenas currently white hot rapper Common to lay down some rhymes over a class boogie groove that harks back to the Jungle Brothers early hits. "Flyaway Love" is the track for the DJs: pumping dark house just right for those Ibiza sunrises. "Hybridz" sees Armand picking up the mic himself to trade rhymes with his DJ mate Junior Sanchez over a rhythm that's pure New York Sound Factory 1988.

Best of all is first single "Koochy". Perfect pop and headf*ck house rolled into one, this is the epitome of the album's spirit has Armand rapping over clicking electro, scratching and an eardrum-popping sample lifted from Gary Numan's electro pop classic "Cars". Forget everything you've heard from the sample slaya so far: once heard, "Koochie" will drill its way into your brain and become Armand's biggest tune yet. Destined to be for light aeroplane -flying futurists everything Basement Jaxx are to flamenco guitars.

This is the year of Armand Van Helden: prepare to leave your preconceptions at the door when you pick up that flak jacket. This year Van Helden is Armand and Dangerous.

Killing Puritans

Tracks:

Killing Puritans (Intro)
Little Black Spiders
Breakdancers Call
House Boxing
Full Moon
Koochy
Watch Your Back (Headhunters)
Hybridz
Flyaway Love
Swampthang
Conscience

Amazon.com

NYC DJ Armand Van Helden has described his second LP as his "Sex Pistols record." He loads his tracks with a Rollins-like spleen and a raw production that seems to kick against the complacency of Ecstasy culture. Killing Puritans opens with a rant against the corporate machine and moves swiftly to the Scorpions-sampling metal-dance of "Little Black Spiders" and meta-cool of "Breakdancers Call"--jazz solos, B-boy licks, and Fatboy fills. His pace and breadth are fearless--from the Will Smith-ish block party of "Full Moon" (which guest-stars the rapper Common) to the low-end booty of "Hybridz" with its apocalyptic preachers field-recorded in Central Park. The album swells with classics--"Flyaway Love" detonates hellifre over an Ibizan disco-dream while the closer, "Conscience," howls with urban empathy. "Conscience" backs a soaring blues from Wu-Tang's Takeitha with a ferociously ramped-up mix; one could term this song rave's "Inner City Blues." Killing Puritans is an extraordinary, unblushing work. --Amazon.co.uk

Album Description

If last year belonged to disco samples, this year Armand has dug far further back into the crates, unearthing early house music, hip hop, 80s synth pop and yes, even heavy metal for his source material. Applying hip hop's rapping and scratching to house music, he has come up with radical new hybrids likely to resonate through popular music for years to come. "Little Black Spiders" has Armand fighting for your right to party, mashing Euro headbangers The Scorpions into the most danceable heavy metal record ever. "Full Moon" sub poenas currently white hot rapper Common to lay down some rhymes over a class boogie groove that harks back to the Jungle Brothers early hits. "Flyaway Love" is the track for the DJs: pumping dark house just right for those Ibiza sunrises. "Hybridz" sees Armand picking up the mic himself to trade rhymes with his DJ mate Junior Sanchez over a rhythm that's pure New York Sound Factory 1988.

This is the year of Armand Van Helden: prepare to leave your preconceptions at the door when you pick up that flak jacket. This year Van Helden is Armand and Dangerous.

Customer Reviews:

I did like "Necessary Evil" though.......2006-06-10

Whatever scene this is, that scene needs to cuts its tracks in half. I like repetitive music, but only when I can put it in the background. Repetition and sandpaper don't mix and fall into the background.

Strictly for the Urban Masses.......2005-06-15

Notice that the bad reviews for this album come from places in the middle of nowhere. The bottom line is that this type of music is geared strictly for the most modern and progressive urban masses, people in places like New York City and Amsterdam.

That's it; that's the bottom line. And you know what? Armand is a God. Thank God for Armand, and keep doing your thing, kid!

Oh, and this music is NOT "electronica" or "techno" - this is Garage House, which is a totally different scene completely. For those who don't know, Garage House is grimey, highly creative dance music from the underground pens of places like New York City (birthplace of several massive musical movements such as Salsa and Hip Hop) and Western Europe.

For the countless masses who wish to one day call themselves "New Yorkers," getting caught up on this will go a long way toward understanding the culture and lifestyle of the greatest city on the face of the earth.

A classic cd already!.......2003-06-08

Armand Van Helden from NY, onew of my favorite dj's around, made this one back in 2000. Here he mixes diffrent genre's, lots of loops and scratching too which is kind of a trademark for him. I think this album got a little but of everything, and it's great to see those cool sounds recorded on a cd. "Full Moon" is a funky disco sounding song, rapper Common appears on it. "Koochy" is a remake of Gary Numan's "Cars" but with lots of scratching and a robotic voice on it's hook. On "Conscience" we have Tekitha Washington feautured, it's a midtempo song with cool beats same thing with "Little Black Spiders" even if i think these two would have been better instrumental. It's more rock in this one then the previous one though. "Flyaway Love" must be one of the weirdest songs recorded, you get the feeling something is wrong with the cd, but it's not, that's the beauty of it. "Swampthing" got cool beats which are echoing through the record. "House boxing" has to be one of the coolest, funky beats, melodic sound and drums. This man is capable of everything. "Breakdancers Call" is another song includeing a robotoic voice. If you're into dance/electro stuff, well then you should take a look at this. It's one of the coolest cd's around.

Well. . .Was Armand Even Trying?.......2002-11-02

Alright, I would like to start out by saying that this is in fact, my least favorite "Electronic" CD! I cannot believe that I am actually able to rate this item 1 Star!! To sum this up in a very short second, I never give anything less than 2 Stars. Okay, I want to tell everyone that this CD is borderline "Jungle", and if you don't like anything to do with "Jungle", don't get it! I've tried and tried to give this CD a chance, but,

1: I don't like Produced/PA'd albums.
2: this CD is very, very repetative and loopy.
3: No talent, I mean NO talen is shown in this CD.
4: Why do you have to bring "Rap" into "Electronic" music?
5: "Heavy Metal" is great and all, but leave that to Dj Irene!!
6: Armand attempts "Booty House", but turns it into "Jungle".
*7*: To sum it up, whatever Armand was attempting in this album, he failed miserably, and gave "House" a very, very bad name!

All in all. . . . .SAVE YOUR MONEY!

House with a different Twist!!!!!.......2001-01-22

I would have to say that armand mixes up a variety of sounds that come together to make an album that is worth having in the collection. It uses alot of repetitive riffs but in the end it all comes together rather well and it just proves that house can go in various directions. I definetly would recommend this cd for anyone who enjoys a good house tune!!!!!!

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