2000 Nude Recordings, catalogue number Nude CD001. Made in Canada. Recorded at Lola's Paradise Studios. Stereo Deluxe.
Review:
As downtempo goes, Jaffa's debut Elevator is light and airy in the
extreme. Instead of urban paranoia or meditations on fashion, Jaffa opts for
warm, rounded keyboard textures and punchy midtempo beats. The title track
glides by on fat Hammond organ chords, samples of children playing, and crisp
drum programming, the perfect soundtrack for a sunny day in the park. The title
of “Sneakin'” could refer to the fact that the beat was filched from Massive
Attack's “Blue Lines,” but it's more likely a reference to the
beat's original home – “Sneakin' in the Back” by saxophonist Tom
Scott – since Jaffa uses the groove in a context closer to acid jazz than
hip-hop. The inclusion of a vocal version of “Sneakin',” with the words from
the standard “God Bless the Child” added, was a mistake, as was the
“Cookie Puss”-style phone prank that dominates “Star 67,” ruining an
otherwise interesting track. These gaffes aside, Elevator makes for pleasant, if
somewhat inconsequential, listen.
All Music Guide – Mark Richardson