Howard Bernstein made his name with production and engineering credits for Soul II Soul, Bjork, Goldie, Tricky, and Massive Attack. Occasional recordings as Skylab (with Matt Ducasse) and Old Scottish solidified his reputation as a beatsmith to be reckoned with. But Howie B. threw a curveball with 1996's MUSIC FOR BABIES, the first album released under his own name. Instead of the high-tech, sample-laden instrumental hiphop that many expected, BABIES was an aqueous, abstract tribute to the soundworld of his newborn daughter, Chilli.
The title track's fragile piano-plinking ambience--reminiscent of Brian Eno and Harold Budd--is something of a red herring. BABIES has plenty of beats simmering beneath its limpid atmospheres. There's enough rhythmic drive to propel BABIES into the catchall "triphop" category, but the emphasis is on mood, melody, and mixing finesse. Bernstein layers keys and effects to create drowsy, dreamy textures for the hiphop undercurrents of "Cry," "Allergy," and "Here Comes The Tooth." The vibe-and-trumpet spangled "How To Suckie" and "On The Way" are especially masterful feats of studio legerdemain. Subdued yet seductive, BABIES will charm listeners of all ages.