Track Listing

1. Mind Eye
2. Say-Say
3. Thinking Of Omara
4. Date With Destiny
5. Bleu My Mind
6. Enviroment
7. Soul Ho
8. Humble
9. 70s 80s
10. Know My Name
11. BBH
12. Mirrorball
13. Thoughts

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25667 in Music
• Released on: 2002-09-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Mind Elevation, the fourth album from Leeds-born DJ/producer and hemp hedonist George Evelyn, is another welcome hit of chilled beats, entrancing melodies and soothing soul-drenched vocals. While persevering with the use of live instrumentation, first introduced on 1999's Carboot Soul, Evelyn--a one-time judge of Amsterdam's High Times Cannabis Cup--has fortunately not sacrificed any of the dreamy ambience and looped samples that made 1995's Smokers Delight such essential post-club listening. He has though finally abandoned "Nights Interlude", an interpretation of Quincy Jones' "Summer In The City", that traditionally opened all prior Nightmares on Wax (NOW) albums. In its place lies "Mind Eye", a languorous spiralling instrumental groove that sets the pace way down low and stirs an entrancing breezy summer vibe that drifts throughout the album. Alongside the cool mix of mellow hip-hop, soulful r'n'b, and ambling ambient effects, comes the lilting if occasionally overstretched vocal talents of Chyne B. "Got To Know My Name", the most upbeat NOW track to date, sees her joyously waxing lyrical over an impossibly funky, retro-soul melody. Sadly her other contributions such as the r'n'b-lite "Date with Destiny" prove disappointing. But with the majority of the album bringing the feel of a joyous sun-drenched afternoon to your speakers, you can sit back and rest assured that Mind Elevation really does do what it says on the tin.--Christopher Barrett

CD Description
Fourth album from influential trip-hop pioneers, arguably Warp Records' flagship act. Moving away from the blunted instrumental hip-hop of classic albums such as 'Carboot Soul' and 'Smokers Delight', this new collection is more eclectic and experimental, with a large 60s soul influence. Includes the single 'Know My Name'.

Customer Reviews

Still intrigued!
Nightmares on Wax have always produced a sound that intrigues me. Whilst usually found in the dance section of music shops, I've found them in hip hop before(!) and I love the way the soul, jazz and dub shine through making NOW a truly unique listening experience.
Mind Elevation is a pleasing offering to follow on from their last album Car Boot Soul. Some of the tracks are spot on, and it's undoubtedly that NOW vibe, even though Mind Elevation is definitely different to, and a progression from, Car Boot Soul (unsurprisingly!)
As ever NOW can be listened to in so many environments - it's a great album to listen to on a personal stereo with enough going on to keep your interest, terrific played when you just wanna chill, and yet still great to do just as it's title suggests -elevate the mind and really lift the spirit!
I loved 'Thinking of Omara', '70s, 80's', 'Environment' and in a more mainstream sounding way, 'Know My Name'. The slight reservation I have on this album that has led to me rating 4 stars and not 5, is that when the music is on form it really is an experience, but there are a few tracks (Date with Destiny in particular) where I was left feeling it didn't quite live up to NOW. That's quite gutting when the potential is seriously there.
Having said that, it's one of the best albums I've purchased this year, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Nightmares on Wax have certainly still got my intrigue and interest for some time to come.

Good, but spoilt by vocals!
Get rid of the pop vocals, stick with the instrumentals!

Elevating
Nightmares on Wax mingles chillout and funk in "Mind Elevation" the fourth official album by this one-man electronic band. As expected, it's blissed and tripped out, with plenty of inventive little flourishes to keep things interesting. The only problem is that it seems to be working too hard to please.

It opens with the terminally mellow "Mind's Eye," a smoothly sweet instrumental that might make you want to make daisy chains and smoke weed. Yep, it really is that chilled-out, even as chillout electronica goes. It's followed by a string of tripped-out, funk-edged songs, which are as sunny and meandering as a summer day.

Things take a sharp turn on "Date With Destiny," where the melody is reined into a more typical pop song, as Chyne B sings about how "time's on your side." She appears on a couple of other songs, the hip-hop "Environment" and the bassline-heavy "Know My Name." She sounds great in the first song, but after awhile her voice grows grating, and the "un-chill" music is alienating.

Fortunately, in the cuts between these songs, Nightmares on Wax (aka George Evelyn) sticks to what it does best: liquid, sunshiny electronic-funk. In these, Evelyn sounds right in his element, whether blending R&B beats with ambient sounds in "Humble," or the chillout techno of "Bleu My Mind." Basically, whenever the music and not the voice is the focus, things go well.

Nightmares on Wax first debuted as a duo, and then shrank to a one-man band, as it incorporated jazz, hip-hop and trip-hop into its sound. And "Mind Elevation" pretty much gives the people what they want and expect: Funky downtempo. This particular one goes a bit more on the side of funk and R&B, while still keeping a foot in the ethereal chillout.

The flaw of "Mind Elevation"? Trying to do too much. It strives to include a stronger dose of soul-funk, while adding in dub, downtempo, stoner electronica, R&B, and a handful of other influences. As a result, it feels like "Mind Elevation" lacks a central "sound," and is trying to cover all the bases and make everyone satisfied. Taken on a song-by-song basis, it fortunately manages to still be pretty strong.

Despite that lack of internal cohesion., the scattered "Mind Elevation" is still an enchanting mixture of beautiful downtempo and funk-R&B beats. A must-listen for fans of inventive chillout.