Product Description

Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes are the masterminds behind Death in Vegas. They wrote most of the songs on THE CONTINO SESSIONS and laid down loops, beats and electronics, their tracks augmented by a revolving cast of friends. For the mostpart, the album combines majestic, spacy Britrock a la Spiritualised with the studio techniques of electronica.
The opener, "Dirge", is a near-instrumental that rings electronic variations on an incessant two-chord vamp, in the manner of a modern-day Hawkwind. Several cuts are all-instrumental, leaving Fearless and Holmes to work their subtle magic on harmonically simple but texturally shifting frameworks. A couple of famous guest vocalist pop up--Iggy Pop delivers a taleof murder and mayhem on the ominous, punky "Aisha" and Jesus & Mary Chain's Jim Reid is on hand for "Broken Little Sister", a moody rocker not dissimilar to Reid's previous work. Things close on a celebratory note with the rapturous, elegantly unfolding instrumental "Neptune City".

Track Listing

1. Dirge (Feat. Dot Allison)
2. Soul Auctioneer (Feat. Bobby Gillespie)
3. Death Threat
4. Flying
5. Aisha (Feat. Iggy Pop)
6. Lever Street
7. Aladdin's story
8. Broken Little Sister (Feat. Jim Reid)
9. Neptune City

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40213 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-13
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
From the dizzying, ominous building chords of the opening "Dirge" to the frazzled exorcism of the closing "Neptune City", The Contino Sessions is a tooth-and-nail battle against Richard Fearless' demons. That's the last time any lazy journalist calls Death In Vegas a big beat act. This is the culmination of a long journey from Fearless' inauspicious beginnings--a Chemical Brothers protegé, playing records at the Heavenly Social--but then, The Contino Sessions is infused with a sense of all-conquering, boundless re-invention. Fearless has re-sparked the garage-punk tradition, and he's even enlisted some of junk-rock's old guard to help out. Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie wheezes his way through the smacked-out groove of "Soul Auctioneer", the Jesus & Mary Chain's Jim Reid hisses dirty threats on "Broken Little Sister" and even Iggy Pop shows up to contemplate multiple homicide on "Aisha". Mindless hedonism wearing a little thin? Death In Vegas' bleak rockin' beats end the party with decadent style. --Louis Pattison

From Amazon.com
Richard Fearless has earned his name. Death in Vegas's 1997 debut, Dead Elvis, established him as a defiant DJ, mixing techno with weird dub, rock, and industrial. Despite itself, the disc spawned a hit ("Dirt"), an experience he may have wished to replicate here, though Contino pushes even harder in multiple directions. Many high-profile guests add to the blend of smooth grooves, noisy ambience, and raucous rock rhythms. Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie conjures a laid-back hip-hop posture for "Soul Auctioneer," while Jim Reid makes "Broken Little Sister" sound a lot like his own band, Jesus and Mary Chain. On "Aisha," Iggy Pop's wicked monologue could rival Nick Cave's creep-factor were it not for Fearless's musical playfulness. From gospel choirs and organs to Americana twang, deep bass rumblings to spacey sci-fi sounds, The Contino Sessions is a psychedelic trip with bravery and grit. --Liisa Ladouceur

Customer Reviews

Buy it for track 6
As above - track 6, Lever Street will slowly tear your heart apart, with its poignant chords, that build into the aural equivalent of a broken heart. Hear the sobbing, dig out those pictures of your first, lost love, and wallow in what is a masterpiece. Even if it is only a ninth of the album.....

VIVA LAS FEARLESS
I've said it before and I'll day it again, Richard Fearless is a musical genius and this album is definitive proof of this. In the shadow of the Chemical Brothers and other Big Beat bands, 'Dead Elvis' failed to receive the critical acclaim and exposure that it deserved.

This follow-up is just as innovative but perhaps more mature in its production. 'Lever Street' is the best and most simple track on the album. It's basically a beautiful peice of organ music, which really pushes the boundary of Fearless' talent. The track that follows ('Aladdin's Story') is a chilled out, guitar-laced ditty with a lazy summer bass line. Excellent Stuff!

'Aisha' and the collaboration with Bobby G. are a change in mood and explore the more funky, moody and angry sounds of Fearless's music. Whilst 'Dirge' is an ultimately cool groovy track, 'Flying' is a floating psychedelic journey and impressive guitar hooks run through both tracks. In terms of both technical production and accessibility, this is a truly excellent album and one can't help but anticipate the next Death In Vegas record.

VIVA LAS FEARLESS
I've said it before and I'll day it again, Richard Fearless is a musical genius and this album is definitive proof of this. In the shadow of the Chemical Brothers and other Big Beat bands, 'Dead Elvis' failed to receive the critical acclaim and exposure that it deserved.

This follow-up is just as innovative but perhaps more mature in its production. 'Lever Street' is the best and most simple track on the album. It's basically a beautiful peice of organ music, which really pushes the boundary of Fearless' talent. The track that follows ('Aladdin's Story') is a chilled out, guitar-laced ditty with a lazy summer bass line. Excellent Stuff!

'Aisha' and the collaboration with Bobby G. are a change in mood and explore the more funky, moody and angry sounds of Fearless's music. Whilst 'Dirge' is an ultimately cool groovy track, 'Flying' is a floating psychedelic journey and impressive guitar hooks run through both tracks. In terms of both technical production and accessibility, this is a truly excellent album and one can't help but anticipate the next Death In Vegas record.