The highlights of
DJ Vadim's 2002 LP
U.S.S.R.: The Art of Listening were the collaborations with rapper Yarah Bravo, whose style was one of the most original ever heard from a female rapper. (Even better, unlike most original-sounding female rappers, she didn't sound like she was grasping for a way to sound different from the men.) Three years later came word of the pair's collaboration in the trio
One Self, whose album Children of Possibility arrived on Ninja Tune in September 2005. Along for the ride is male rapper Blu Rm 13, who disappointingly appears on more tracks, including a few where Bravo squeezes in a verse only after Blu Rm gets his. For
Vadim, following a series of solo records, it's clear he relishes being only one member of a group; his productions here (plus work on bass and keys) are much more adventurous and challenging than previous records. Only a few elements comprise most tracks, but it's clear they've been chosen thoughtfully to create excellent material. True to form, the highlights of the record are two of the tracks featuring Bravo and not Blu Rm -- the stretching "Over Expose" (with a nice flute solo by
Finn Peters) and the intensely groovy "Bluebird." ~ John Bush