- It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that traces of Martin Denny's exotica blueprint can be found in tracks by contemporary artists such as Bonobo, Quantic, Rainbow Arabia and most recently, Matthew Dear's "Her Fantasy." Yet present day recognition for the New York-born composer's unique arrangements of the late '50s and '60s are rare. Naming their production alias Quiet Village after Denny's watershed album, Joel Martin and Matt "Radio Slave" Edwards have been paying tribute to the deceased American's largely forgotten lounge stylings since '05. Representing a vastly different direction for Edwards, the project first started to turn heads through a rapid succession of singles and bootleg remixes, before the pair released their decent debut album, Silent Movie, in '08 through !K7. After a comprehensive promotional tour, it appeared Martin and Edwards had brought their partnership to an end, but two years later, under the new guise of Maxxi & Zues, they returned on Mark B's International Feel.
Now, continuing as Maxxi & Zues, the pair mark the first long-player on Pyramid Of Mars, the experimental subsidiary channel of Edwards' Rekids imprint, by collating and mixing ten Quiet Village remixes. Too High to Move, named in reference to their watershed track, combines most of the early white labels with a previously unreleased remix of François K's "The Road of Life" and an instrumental version of Mudd's "Speilplatz". Elsewhere, sun baked dub interpretations of tracks by the now defunct Allez Allez, label mate Bubble Club and Bernard Fevre's Black Devil Disco Club provide contrast for more floor-driven lifts from Mark E and Rekid's Toby Tobias. The pair's well-circulated remixes of Massive Attack's "Protection" and Gorrilaz' "Kids with Guns" are conspicuous absentees, presumably down to major label red tape.
Consistent, rich and cinematic, Too High to Move represents more of an immersive film score than an opus brimming with moments of exceptional note. In addition, given the horizontal and understated nature of the material, slightly more emphasis on morphing the tracks into a seamless mix would have benefited the overall listening experience. Too High to Move may not be an essential purchase, but it showcases two obsessive crate-diggers displaying fine craftsmanship.
Tracklist 01. Allez Allez - African Queen (Quiet Village Dub)
02. Mudd - Speilplatz (Quiet Village Unreleased Instrumental Remix)
03. Francois K - The Road Of Life (Quiet Village Unreleased Dub)
04. Ronny & Renzo - Uniqorns (Quiet Village Remix)
05. Luger E-Go - A Trader In Furs (Quiet Village Remix)
06. Mark E & Dragon - Good Times (Quiet Village Remix)
07. Toby Tobias - Dave's Sex Bits (Quiet Village Remix)
08. Grandad Bob - Pictures (Quiet Village Remix)
09. Bubble Club - The Goddess (Quiet Village Remix)
10. Black Devil Disco Club - I Regret The Flower Power (Quiet Village Remix)