A Passion for Life is refreshingly what it says on the box. I found the album uplifting, a smile spreading across my face with each track. Genuinely good for the soul, funk, dub, dance, trance and ambient! Peter's passion for life is not only the title of this album but evident in the varied musical influences (some that broadened my own musical horizons), the lyrics and the energy the whole experience brings - a great title that I shall reach for on numerous occasions.
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Man, what a wicked mix of just about every type of music you can get your hands on. This guy wants to try his hand at everything, and that's just what he does in Passion for life. You've got the funk, you've got the blues, you've got the dance, you've got the mellow stuff to chillax to, you've got the world music, and it's all done by one guy with a really spacey vibe and trippy beats. There's so many occasions to play this album to and it's all really skilful and original. You just get such a feel good atmosphere from it all, definitely one of my best discoveries of the year.
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I’ll be honest, when I first sat down and listened to this CD I wasn’t too impressed as I wrongly assumed it was another one of the plethora of dance albums with basic beats and little imagination behind it. I was only interested at first because of the mention of the show Dubplate Drama on his website, but when I discovered that there was very little in the way of any grimy beats on Passion for Life you can imagine why I was a little disappointed at the beginning. By the end however, it was a completely different story. Passion for Life took me on a journey, any way you look at it. I can honestly say that I haven’t heard one single album that incorporates so many different cultures and vibes into the music, not to mention genres themselves. From listening to the rich variety of music it became very obvious just how well travelled this man is. The finesse with which he manages to pool all of his experiences into this collection and express it in part through the lyrics, but mainly through the rich diversity of the music itself speaks volumes. Passion for Life kick starts with Buxton’s vocals echoing, ‘Dearly Beloved, let us play.’ The earthy tones and funky pace is kept up throughout the first half of the album, taking you on an exploration of the blues, Moroccan music, more chilled William Orbit-style moods and playful rhythms, gradually progressing into a very meditative relaxing portion of the album, truly expressing the beauty of some of the simple pleasures in the world whilst still encapsulating various aspects of music around the globe. The Indian melodies of Nanda Devi were particularly soothing, whilst the Aussie beats and didgeridoos of Yadag smacked of the Aboriginal band The Web. However diverse and eclectic this album may be, Buxton manages to skilfully tie it all together with his electronic sounds and samples and with his appreciation and gratitude of all that the world has to offer. This album would be perfect for anyone who wants to get down to the funky beats of tracks like I Funked It Up Again, or just relax and let the calming airs wash away the meaningless troubles of your day. It just goes to show how wrong first impressions can be.
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I dunno about you but I get fed up with short albums with a couple of killer tracks and a bunch of fillers.
Peter's album has 15 tracks, no two of which are the same.
He's gone on his own musical journey, trying on so many genres for size, a mood for any occasion.
My faves are Secret Pleasure Dream (er-hum!), I Funked It Up (cos who doesn't?) and Meeting in the Desert for its authentic sounding tribal vibes.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of variety accompanied by a low velvety voice!
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