Recently, lots of D.J.s and producers have been trying to find ways to reclaim some of what the minimalists discarded; Mr. Boratto does it with sleek electronic tracks that sound deceptively simple, sometimes even sentimental.
He went from crooning the protest song "Untold Stories" (from his classic 1995 album, " 'Til Shiloh") to delivering a flurry of wicked lyrics, including some from his new CD, "Too Bad" (Gargamel/Tommy Boy), a pretty good collection of sleek dancehall tracks.
It starts with a digitally processed voice repeating the word "control"; after half a minute a beat comes in, and the strings hit about a minute later, transforming an anxious rock song into a sleek house track.
At WRPI students operate and maintain all the equipment, from the elaborate 1970s phone system — its bizarre tangle of wires takes up a wall in an electrical closet — to the Power Mac G5 and the sleek 24-track mixing board.
There are a few sleek originals, and tracks with Ms. Parlato's words set to music by Mr. Shorter and Mr. Eigsti, among others.
And you can only get so far discussing Delphic and the putative new sound of Manchester without mentioning New Order, whose spirit infuses these 10 sleek and efficient tracks.
But if those producers' trademarks are readily apparent in sleek, club-friendly tracks such as "Take It Easy on Me" and the grinding "Give It 2 U" (with a guest rap by Kendrick Lamar), the album as a whole actually feels more defined by Thicke's personality — his idiosyncratic mix of sexy assurance and brainy quirk — than anything since his debut.
"Celebration" has been described as a sleek dance-oriented track with influences of previous dance singles by Madonna from the early 90s such as, "Vogue" (1990) and "Deeper and Deeper" (1992).
He added that "Kurstin brings the pop sensibility he's flashed with artists like Kelly Clarkson and P!nk, while Sia's presence connects this sleek, shimmering pop track to [her David Guetta collaboration] 'Titanium'".
9. TLC: 'TLC3D' -- (Arista) Its ranks reduced by one-third, TLC rededicates itself to adventurous R & B. The club tracks are sleek and weird; the ballads light and sugary.
