Retrospective (1990 to 2006)

Album Review

Fila Brazillia never sold in the same numbers as some of their companions in the British electronic breaks scene of the '90s, but the reason they stayed under the radar is the same reason their recordings were so good. Unlike the stadium breaks of those who went overground quickly circa 1997, Brazillia kept their music loose and free of gimmicks — in that, they were true siblings to the electronic listening music championed in the '90s by Warp. Retrospective 1990-2006 has 14 examples of what made Fila Brazillia so special, although the fact that it sticks to LP tracks only and fails to include anything from their first EPs makes for a good opportunity untaken. Cobby and McSherry made surprisingly little artistic progression, instead remaining true to a vision of electronically enhanced but drowsy funk that was intelligent and subtle throughout their early career. It's remarkably easy to draw a line from "The Sheriff" (1993) to "Nutty Slack" (2004) that makes it sound as though only a few months had passed, not ten years of electronica evolution.