Fila Brazillia - Classic or Dud

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this duo from Hull (I think) have released eight albums (plus a remix compilation, plus a 'Late Night with...' plus a record under the guise of Heights Of Abraham) - they are brilliant plunderers with a wry yet subtle sense of humour though they are pretty much rooted in spaced out noodle-jazz skunkfunk, but they prove that doesnt have to be a bad thing either...they also have some of the best track titles in history e.g. 'Half Man Half Granary Thornax'

'Power Clown' (for the inlay booklet of cute little comic strips alone) or 'Maim That Tune' is the album to Search I guess - its been said if you hear one FB album you've heard them all but each one contains a couple of real gems so to negate all but one would be unfair...a 'best of' would go something like this for me:

'Fila Funk', 'Pots & Pans', all of 'Maim That Tune' album, 'Soft Music Under Stars', 'Blood', 'Obrigado', 'Wigs, Bi-Focals & Nourishment', 'Her Majesties Hokey-Cokey', 'Weasel Out The Muck', 'Here Comes Pissy Willy', 'Throwing Down A Shape', 'Turnstall & Californian Haddock', 'Feather Legs', 'The Speewah', 'Pigsblood & Chalk', 'DNA'

if you like Mr Scruff in any capacity you should adore Fila Braz basically

so i say Classic

what you say?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 13 December 2002 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

can't *believe* you didn't say 'big saddle' off
'mess'. classic-o. yeah quite Scruff aren't they ?
saw them at 'new bands tent' at glasto 2002. ace they were.
funny too. always thought 'old codes...' was the
classic lp to search...?

― piscesboy, Friday, 13 December 2002 17:52 (twenty-three years ago)

'old codes' is their first but i didnt find it as interesting as their later stuff, tho its more breezy, balearic and fond of some acid-house connotations...kinda like A Man Called Adam, The Beloved etc. but without the vocals

'Mess' is the album i least know but i'm sure you're right about 'Big Saddle' - i used to play 'Mess' at work a lot but i always forgot which album i was listening to or which track was on. this is partly because i bought all the albums at the same time which is dodgy, especially when you have to admit they all have the same feel, vibe and general sound

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 13 December 2002 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Definitly one of the best purveyors of that style.

― tigerclawskank, Monday, 16 December 2002 10:24 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

their new album "dicks" is their best in a looooong time.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

also, i can't believe this thread only has four posts?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh God. Do they have a new album?? I MUST check it out.

I went through a phase a few years ago when I just fell in love with them, bought a few of their CD's. Wasn't so keen on the whole 'remixing other people's stuff' idea, but other than that, they really had something special going on.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 8 April 2005 04:34 (twenty-one years ago)

how does 'dicks' compare to 'a touch of cloth'? that was the last one i really liked...

― heywood jablomi (heywood), Friday, 8 April 2005 06:12 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah they're classic i say. something about the lose hazy slackness of it appeals. that said i haven't heard anything since 1997!

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 8 April 2005 08:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"dicks" is 23 tracks, not many over 3 minutes. no male-diva vocals to make you feel a little uncomfortable listening to (if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable).

very varied and interesting throughout.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 10:12 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002T8DPI.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic up to the first 2CD remix package. Basically most of the Pork stuff is good but you don't need it all. Old Codes, Mess and Black Market are great. Don't forget Solid Doctor though. Worth picking up the 2disc set called...Oh Shit I Forgot The Name!

― biznotic, Friday, 8 April 2005 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

what's Solid Doctor? the Heights Of Abraham thing?

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Solid Doctor is Steve Cobby, one half of Fila Brazilla

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Solid+Doctor,+The

How About Some Ether and Beats Means High are both very good.

― biznotic, Friday, 8 April 2005 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

baby mammoth!

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

all that pork stuff is OOP, is it not?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"it's a small world" anecdote:

I was driving these 2 English guys around, who were in town to observe my friend at work (they all work for the same intl company). A Blue States album was on my stereo, which got us talking about similar music. I mentioned Fila and one of the guys said "you've heard of them?!?" and proceeded to explain that one of the guys in Fila (can't remember which) is the FATHER of their co-worker. At least that's what I think they said. Is that really possible? I never woulda thought either one of them would be old enough to have a kid of working age. I do know for sure these guys were from Hull.

― ()ops (()()ps), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

so does "dicks" have *any* singing? that's why I didn't pick up their last one. touch of cloth is also the last album of theirs I liked.

― ()ops (()()ps), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

there is NO SINGING on "dicks"

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:36 (twenty-one years ago)

hooray!

― ()ops (()()ps), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

i just came across fabric 18: baby mammoth, beige, and solid doctor...

is this good?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean if they had, I dunno, Al Green or Horace Andy singing on it I'd be all over that shit, but downtempo producers tend to have crap taste when it comes to singing

xpost haven't heard of that. new comp or old one?

― ()ops (()()ps), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.fabriclondon.com/label.artist.album.fabric.php?artist=babymammothbeigesoliddoctor&release=fab18/bab

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

I love me some Fila Brazillia, and can't belive they don't get more respect here. Power Clown is what turned me on. Jump Leads is sweet too. I think they are simply the best at the moody-electro-funk thing. But having said that, I'm suprised with the amount of experimentation they do that there isn't more variety of style across their releases.

I also am curious: do they ever perform live? (as an act, not as DJ's).

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Friday, 27 May 2005 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw them live at Leeds festival in 2000 and they weren't bad. Know they played Glastonbury in 2002 as well but gigs are VERY rare.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 27 May 2005 07:55 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

aw FFS you people?
Steve Cobby needs e new season ticket. Premier league.
Maim That Tune!

― Fer Ark, Monday, 28 July 2008 22:41 (seventeen years ago)

Nick a zed and 2 Ls you punk rock scum

― Fer Ark, Monday, 28 July 2008 22:43 (seventeen years ago)

nine years pass...

New Steve Cobby album is on Spotify today.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5Deud0VHoeNTiSE2q7amx0

It's pretty good so far. In the 9yrs since this thread has been updated, he's done a couple solo LPs & some remixes. Definitely maintains some of the qualities of Fila, but is updated and different enough to not just sound like late 90s lounge.

https://stevecobby.bandcamp.com/album/hemidemisemiquaver

― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 27 October 2017 22:13 (eight years ago)

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