Schlachthofbronx

The first best thing about this album is the band's name, which translates as "Slaughterhouse Bronx." The second best thing is the fact that these guys are apparently the foremost exponents of a dance music subgenre called Munich bass. Just think about the existence of something called Munich bass, and let it make you happy for a moment. Then cue up the disc and be surprised by how much it sounds like a three-way mashup between soca, Bavarian oompah band music, and baile funk. It's actually not that bassy, at least not in the sense that Miami bass tends to be -- the funkiness is more complex at the top end of the spectrum, where snappy, chilly snares and multiple layers of horns and accordions wind around each other; at times (notably the brilliant "Di Finga," featuring Doubla J) the music sounds like Kraftwerk on vacation in Trinidad; at other times the robotic beats and faintly creepy spoken word samples ("Du bist aggro/Wir sind ghetto"...right) combine to create a sound that is unlike anything else you've ever heard. Other highlights include the cut-up reggae DJ on "We Run This," the straight-up club pop anthem "Too High," and the utterly brilliant "Belly Full of Pills.""Arschboss" is recommended strictly to non-German speakers. ~ Rick Anderson