Kosheen Album: “Resist [UK Bonus Tracks]”

Who says Kosheen has to be hardcore? Being a DJ I had heard, owned and spun their tracks "Empty Skies", "Hide U" and "Catch" almost a year before they were ever released in the States. Needless to say, as they charted high in the UK they were a "best kept secret" here. But no more.

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Anyways, all in all, the albums hot. I listen to it all the time. I do skip around alot, and my favorite tracks, "Hide U", "Empty Skies", "Resist", "Gone", and "Pride" should please even some of the most hardcore of Drum and Bass fans.

This album is an obvious attempt by Kosheen to 'cross-over' but, hey, not everyone wants to be unknown and poor forever. Get it if you like Ben Watt's production for Everything But the Girl, Nelle Hooper's work on the early Bjork albums or Roni Size's work for Break Beat Era.

If you have never heard Kosheen, then you are missing out on one of Britian's finest drum-n-bass and dance groups. Sian's vocals throughout the album are superb. The classic 'Hide U' will make you get up and move. As others have said Kosheen produces music that goes straight to your legs. I could go on and on about each track on the album, but the CD really must be listened to. I would say the styles of music range from drum-n-bass to a Massive Attack or Portished sound. I only own the UK version, which has the house mix of Hide U on it (US version replaces that with Playing Games). I don't know if the US version has the Hide U video on it or not, but the UK one does. One problem with the UK version is the CD won't read correctly in computer CD drives, making the video on the disc worthless. For more reviews check out www.amazon.co.uk and search for Kosheen.

Kosheen (the guys of which also work as Decoder & Substance) has a produced a stunningly flawless listening experience with their first album. Reviewers need not remind you that Kosheen is not Portsihead or Hooverphonic (great bands in their own right) ... why would we want them to be? Kosheen is Kosheen and I wouldn't want it any other way. I find the music and lyrics haunting and beautiful, with not a single bland track on the album. I don't have to tell you how rare that is. I PROUDLY place Kosheen on my shelf next to Portishead, Zero 7, Morcheeba, Olive, Faithless, Thievery Corp, etc ... I highly recommend 'Resist' if you like any of these acts, but encourage you to listen for their unique, personal qualities ... and Sian Evan's broad range of emotion and delivery. Also ... check out KOKOPELLI, their second album, thus far only available as an import, but well worth it as a second interpretation of their sound; different approach yet just as beautiful.

After hearing "Hide U" a couple of years ago, I must confess I wasn't really tempted to listen to the rest of the CD. But then a friend told me she was curious after listening to a bunch of breath-taking remixes from DJs like Satoshi ("Hungry", check it out if you have the chance). So I got it from Amazon as a gift for her, and of course I could't resist giving it a try. OMG I was shocked since the very first time I played it.

It has a blend of different genres, so don't waste your time trying to figure out whether it's D&B or not. Just enjoy it! Each song has astonishing vocals which cannot be compared to any other singer (ok, some songs may remind you of EBTG but that's it!) Needless to say, I got a copy for myself and I'll get Kokopelli wishing it is as good as this =)

I bought this album for one song "Hide U" and got the best treat to myself in a long time. I adore this album and almost all of its contents. I am pretty fond of "Hungry", "Empty Skies", "Cover" and "Harder". He voice is great and the diversity of the songs (not to mention her range) makes the this album a real gem for Drum & Bass fans as well as anyone needing a break from your run of the mill dance music.