Covert Movements

Supa-charged
by: tom reiter

Looking for some cool dub/chill riddim's? Look no further. 60 Channels has an interesting blend of dub, electronica, and drum n' bass, and maintains a very cool front from start to finish. As the title suggests, Covert Movements has a hidden agenda, at least it feels that way. There's a balance between the tension in the music and the calmness of the vocals, giving the impression that the listener should take notice and be alert, that something is lurking behind the scenes.

Even though Covert Movements lacks any real lyric content, in this case less is better. Not that the lyrics that are interspersed here and there are bad, heavy lyric content just wouldn't fit this style of music and would diminsh the feel of the album. Without really listening to the lyrics you still get the feeling that there's a message about life, our Earth, and how we and nature are all tied together. That life is beautiful, and that it is of utter importance we take strives to protect it.

Whether or not 60 Channels actually has some sort of political/environmental agenda one really can't be sure. But there is definitely some cool stuff on this album. "Riddim Supastar" gets the tone set, vibrant and dark at the same time. Later on we are treated to a marriage of dub and synths akin to Crystal Method a la Vegas with "Beyond the Chemical Domain". "Counter Evolution" makes you wonder...should we counter evolution to avoid our downfall, or are we in a current state of counter evolution? Or both?

There is the occasional borer, unfortunately, as well. "Once Inna Life" fails to impress, as well as the title track "Covert Movements ". But there is more than enough interesting stuff going on here to easily look past these two track as if they didn't exist.

Covert Movements isn't the type of album you'd throw in for a party, but if you're seeking to entertain your mind, it will do the trick. 30-Mar-2004 7:29 PM