Asif Khan Inc.

I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat – The Brighton Port Authority

Lesser mortals find even one lifetime way too long for accomplishment. Then there are those at the other end of the spectrum who would probably find multiple lifetimes too short for fulfilling the creative urges which lie within them. And then there are still those who assume the mantle of multiple personalities to do justice to each tangent of their existence, a category under which Norman Cook falls. Now in case that name didn’t sound familiar, Fatboy Slim is something that should hit home with a BIG beat! Apart from his solo act, this big beat proponent also tends to use a lot of his spare time fooling around with all sorts of musicians – most are just present to have random fun at his Brighton residence facing the waterfront. Random fun in their case, however, equals to some seriously deep throttled music. And since there was a loose agglomeration of musically collaborative talent, it was but apt to name them after their port of residence – thus the BPA. For those bought up on a ‘We’ve Come a Long Way Baby’ diet, this album is definitely going to be a surprise, and a mindboggling one at that. Collaboration being the bottomline here, each track features an artiste whose style is asymmetric with the next, resulting in a work which is as diverse as the Poles – extremes yes, but bound together by a tight magnetic force. Be it the opening track ‘He’s Frank’ with the deep voice of Iggy Pop, ravaged by abuse, yet resonant on electro pop guitar tunes, or the soft spoken word of Emmy on ‘Seattle’ based on programmed sparse drum beats and a lulling keyboard background, this album excites and soothes at the same time. And if you feel there is some fun lacking, just hold on till ‘Toe Jam’ featuring Talking Heads’ legendary David Byrne with the rapping skills of Dizzee Rascal (now who would have thought of this!). The verdict is out, and this is a rollercoaster boat ride into discovering an unseen side of this musical genius.