Speedy J

G Spot (Plus 8/Virgin)
by Joshua Brown

Best known for his remixes of other people’s tracks, Speedy J is a techno artist/DJ who, in trying to move away from the rave scene, has sworn off DJing in clubs. With G Spot, he has achieved what he set out to do, if that is to alienate fans of his danceable trance. This double CD set is without a discernible groove, which doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Soundscapes can be great to chill out to, but his music is kind of jittery in a plodding and drawn-out way. The sonic forms never make a pattern cohesive enough to be appreciated for their simplicity. An analogy can be drawn to sitting in an Earthbound spaceship, surrounded by impressive technology that never does what it’s supposed to, namely, get you off the fucking ground! The ship makes its rumbling noises, tricking the listener for the length of two CDs into believing that something is just about to happen. But nothing ever does, and you just want to get back out into the atmosphere for a breath of fresh air. Hopefully G Spot, whose title is a misnomer, is the sound of Speedy J building a bridge to something better, since the man’s talent isn’t being disputed.