Lovebox

01/11/2003 3:00 PM, LAUNCH
Ken Micallef

Commanded by two jazz musicians who jones for deep dance grooves and nutty samples, Groove Armada hit gold with their 1999 Patti Page-infused chill-out classic, "At The River." Four years later, Andy Cato and Tom Findlay apply their techniques to funk, house, and raved-up soul. Using tons o' samples and vocals by Neneh Cherry, Richie Havens, Tim Hutton and Sunshine Anderson, the tracks roll out like some eclectic DJ mix (think Portishead's Andy Smith), but also as a real shot at fusing dance production values with arty U.K. pop. And while there is nothing here as singularly intoxicating as "At The River," a handful of songs offer melodic sustenance almost on par with the duo's freaky sample fascinations. "Groove On" recalls Burt Bacharach with Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny, all 1960's mood and orchestral sweep. "Purple Haze" rambles madly as some mushroom-addled freak grunts over deep fried soul. Soft, shimmering and redolent of a '70s Blaxploitation soundtrack, "Hands Of Time" could be a lost Curtis Mayfield ballad. "Tuning In" crosses many borders, from house to psy-soul to space rock. There are throwaways as well, such as the torturous "The Final Shakedown." As conjurers of sonic otherworlds Groove Armada remain faceless geeks, but their touch is almost as recognizable as that dreamy Patti Page vocal from 1950.