Leftfield
Rhythm and Stealth

THE REVIEW

What a great decade the '90s were! I realize that many of the bands I loved most (and have reviewed) have roots precisely in those mythical 10 pre-millennium years, and Leftfield shine among them like few others...
I don’t know how long I have been waiting in vain for a new "ear-splitting" album from them (and I don’t think I’m the only one), but better few and good as they say, although I don't believe anything terrible could ever come from these two Brits.

Paul Daley (previously a member of A Man Called Adam and then the Brand New Heavies) and Neil Barnes masterfully blend the soul of the early American House scene with the burgeoning techno trend of the '90s to create wonderful IDM sounds...

Their first album Leftism remains a milestone in the genre, but this Rhythm and Stealth is more than a worthy successor... a fusion of club/dance and progressive/house that keeps you glued from start to finish, one of those albums worth every cent spent on it, a real gem for devotees and a great discovery for newcomers... very catchy and stylish like every production of theirs.

The choice of tracks is very varied, starting with the "rap-infused" Dusted which opens the journey moving on to the pounding and driving rhythm of Phat Planet to reach the "song of a poor man" which in turn slows down the previous rush and expands the spaces...
Double Flash quietly picks up the dance trot while El Cid is a stunning downtempo that melts the soul as if it were wax, but we are only halfway through the CD and already with our souls lost in an ethereal limbo.
It’s the turn of Africa Shoxx, the album's single which was also made into a stunning video, where Africa clashes with "the West", where melody and lyrics live in perfect symbiosis bringing the listener to the opening of Dub Gussett, a track that literally makes the brain travel backward...
There is still time for Swords, another gem of the album, a track for which, I believe, the title already suggests everything ;), 6/8 War which proceeds like an amphetamine-fueled limp and Rino's Prayer which concludes this epic album.

I assure you that a small reference was necessary for every single track of this magnificent CD characterized by great originality and strong personality; a "must-have" that needs to be listened to and listened to again... then when you really can’t get enough, you’ll go looking for everything about them online (I strongly recommend the two Essential Mix, one from '94, one from 2000, relating respectively to Leftism and Rhythm and Stealth, plus the live Breezeblock ;)... Byez!

P.S: the rating is 4+/5