About.com Rating



This D & B release makes for an excellent album that never gets boring. Although there are hardly any vocals or crossover-styled expeditions, Klute's newest release "The Emperor's New Clothes" finds many ways to entertain. It features a broad array of sounds, beats, and surprisingly well-crafted melodies. He definitely succeeded in keeping up the high quality standard he set in his former "No One's Listening Anymore." This one should come highly recommended for every lover of good electronic music, and it is too good to be listened to only by drum 'n bass fans!


Tom Withers, aka producer Klute, produced the original 24 tracks spread over two discs, with the first dedicated exclusively to drum 'n bass numbers, the second to techno and some downtempo material. The American version, however, contains only 20 tracks – all of Disc One but not the complete Disc Two – only four of its numbers survived. Instead, two previously released 12" singles and two new numbers are bundled in. Even though the genre differentiation originally maintained on the British version is gone, any basic listener will still be able to enjoy this as an introduction for those who couldn't afford Klute's imports.

DISC 1: The revised set focuses on the drum' n bass side of things, which seems to be Klute's forte, capturing his musical prowess, from such exquisitely dreamy numbers as "Property Is Theft" and "Freedom Come" to the new quasi-romantic "The Struggle," dark pieces like "Shirtless," and the punky "Toiler" & "Learning Curve." My other favorite tracks included "We Control the Vertical," "Never Never," "Revolution," and "Outside."

DISC 2: The rest of the techno tracks – "Pissed Jeans," "Sold Out," and "There Is a Point" – show Klute's more experimental side, with bouncy melodies and bubbly rhythms as well as some spacier atmospheres and swirling synths. One of the more fantastic songs in terms of melody is "Only Memory Is a Good One," truly amazing. Additionally, solid tracks included "174 BPM," a nice slow track, and "Hell Hath No Fury," an absolutely remarkable musical journey. Then we get to hear two newer excellent tracks to wrap up this excursion. Jungle sounds emerge from "Why We Fight," which kicks off brightly and then dramatically shifts toward an aggressive stance via the assaultive rhythm and a threatening melody. "Escape Let Go" represents a contrast - a bright and breezy number becomes emphasized by a light rhythm and illuminated by a cinematic melody.

Overall, Klute's latest release is the type of drum 'n bass album that bridges the gap between genres enough to keep any listener interested in what the scene has to offer. It didn't turn me off like the repetitive style D 'n B can sometimes.

Posted January 15, 2007