Nightmares on Wax - Thought So (2008)

Thought So... is a bit of a travelogue for Nightmares on Wax, consisting of tracks
recorded in locales ranging from Leeds to Ibiza - and definitely many places in
between. Utilizing an intriguing studio named Camper Van Somewhere (as in,
"Recorded on the..."), George Evelyn and Robin Taylor-Firth keep their productions
painfully sparse, par for the course in the NoW catalog. Sometimes they're a
little too sparse, specifically the first few tracks, where listeners might get the
feeling they're trapped back in 1996 when a naked breakbeat and an occasional
effect or sample were the only things necessary for an innovative production. By
the time they get to "Bringin It," however, it's clear that Evelyn and
Taylor-Firth haven't lost their touch for finding grooves that transcend terms like
lazy and instead achieve superlatives like effortless. There are a few additional
moments of greatness ("Moretime" is a clear highlight), but also a few more
tracks on the opposite side - they may make for great background listening, but
seem to require altered states to get through while focusing on the music.

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