| Time fi Akshan (Akshan, 2004) The ambitious Akshan (pronounced "action"), a DJ of Jamaican descent out of the Washington, DC area, is determined to make his name known, as he expresses on "Akshan (The Next Big Thing)". While it's up to the audience to determine if he indeed is "the next big thing," Akshan takes great strides in making it a reality. This includes a hot sound, a slick look, high-rate production values, and professional packaging and design. Time fi Akshan (the first half, at least) features the type of R&B-accentuated, party dancehall that has driven recent successes by Wayne Wonder and Kevin Lyttle. This sound may be a bit too stylized for some tastes (particularly the familiar remakes of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" ["Heaven's Door"] and Sade's "Sweetest Taboo" ["That's O.K."]), but there's little doubt that it works well on cuts like "Ohh Well", the title track, "Black Woman", "A Try", and "He-Man" (You have to give props to anyone who can make a song referencing the Masters of the Universe work.). Akshan's sometimes chatting, sometimes singing vocals have a likeable charisma, something approaching Shinehead's melodic, old-school flow. About halfway through the album, Akshan shifts modes abruptly -- perhaps too much so, as it feels a bit like two albums fused into one. Starting with the tranquil, acoustic interlude "Ras Palo Overstanding", he becomes more serene and rootsy. The quality of the material, however, is still solid. The biggest standout on the album, in fact, is the resounding roots-flavored jam "Jah Mek Yah", a proud statement of the DJ's Jamaican heritage. Tracks 17 through 19 are bonus, unnamed rootsy tunes recorded live in Blacksburg, Virginia (thus explaining the drunken "yee-haws"). Track 17 is a swaying lovers number, while 18 and 19 are more cultural in tone, and all are genuinely hot. Hopefully, they're not merely part of his live show and will be committed to studio recordings at some point. Overall, Time fi Akshan may not "take reggae to the next level," as the liner notes claim, but it's still an impressive package boasting the quality of more renowned reggae labels. Check it out at akshanmusic.com. |
| Track Listing 1. Time fi Akshan 2. Stay Hatin' 3. Ohh Well 4. He-Man 5. A Try 6. You Don't Know 7. Black Woman (Things You Do) 8. Babygirl 9. That's O.K. featuring Tai Tsholofello 10. Tek Off You Clothes 11. Akshan (The Next Big Thing) 12. Ras Palo Overstanding 13. Heaven's Door 14. Jah Mek Yah 15. Clive (So Alone) 16. Thank You Jah [Outro] 17-19: Bonus Tracks [Live] |
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