Rae & Christian - Sleepwalking

Label: Studio !K7
Catologue Number: !K7096CD
Format: CD
Date: 2000
Style: Breaks / Downtempo / Soul
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

I've only previously encountered Rae and Christian as remixes for the likes of Moby , Lamb and Red Snapper. Their remixes had never really annoyed me or made me stop and catch my breath. They were one of those bands that I would have easily passed up upon, with neither having a negative or positive opinion. Sleepwalking doesn't do anything to change this.

First up the background. Rae and Christian alongside their multiple remixing duties, also run Manchester based record label Grand Central (A label I always remember getting confused with the Beastie Boys Grand Royal records). They have also released one album prior to ‘Sleepwalking’ the highly acclaimed ‘Northern Sulphuric Soul’ an album I had read about but never heard. Rae and Christian consist of DJ Mark Rae and beat merchant and lyricist Steve Christian. Hence explaining their name, shame I always prefer the origins of band names to be a bit more clouded in rumour and half truths.

So down the music on ‘Sleepwalking’ . The first thing that you notice is that the majority of the music on ‘Sleepwalking’ is done in collaboration with a galaxy of guest artists including Hip Hoppers The Pharcyde, Soul legend Bobby Womack and the Portuguese singer Tania Maria. This means that Rae and Christian take a back seat for most of the album steering the production around their collaborators.

This leads to an album which has a very diverse sound, ranging from the soulfully smoking (Rae and Christian’s collaborations with Mr Womack) to the more upbeat work with The Pharcyde. However the bulk of the album works on a very relaxed almost laid backed vibe. Close to the more down tempo work of Massive Attack. The song ‘Not Just Anybody’ could have easily appeared on Protection. Unlike Massive Attack , Rae and Christian’s work lacks the darker side which gives Massive Attack that extra edge.

For me it is the instrumental tracks that really stand out, proving that Rae and Christian are capable of producing interesting music without relying on the presence of other artists. The track ‘Trailing in the wake’ a song lead by a strong drum line and atmospheric sounds and strings. Quiet surprising as it started off as a remix of a Manic Street Preachers song. The other outstanding instrumental is ‘Ready to Roll’ which matches Isaac Hayes style funk with an eerie vocal sample and solid break beats. Creating a Shaft goes wandering through a haunted house kind of vibe.

The album over all leaves me with two over all impressions. The first is a feeling of drifting away from the hustle and bustle of a normal boring working week . The song Val Viver A Vida with it’s Portuguese vocals in particular has my mind transporting itself to Mediterranean beaches and warm summer nights, something necessary on a cold March evening. The second is of that Rae and Christian have let themselves become too heavily lead by their guest artists. Sure use guest vocalists but don’t let their sound dominate your own, especially when you’ve got an obvious talent of your own.

Sleepwalking seems the most apt title for the album as it t works greatly as an album to chill out to. Rae and Christian’s production is also superb, with fantastic layering of rhythm and melody. However the album is a bit too nice for my liking, my preference is for something a little harder and darker. Sleepwalking will appeal to those who like a smooth groove and it has defiantly got a lot more soul than most of the stuff we are fed as being soulful.