Stacey Pullen Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Stacey Pullen's contribution to the Fabric series of mix CDs came roughly eight years after his last mix: his 1996 contribution to the DJ Kicks series. Eight years is a long time for fans to wait, especially when the DJ at hand is as highly regarded as Pullen, so Fabric 14 arrived as somewhat of a godsend. Pullen may not be the most prolific DJ when it comes to commercially released mix CDs, but his in-person DJing is always a sound journey to behold, one not to be missed if provided with the opportunity. He's known to spin for hours on end, especially at home in Detroit, and in doing so, he often covers a lot of ground, albeit steadily. Though Fabric 14 only runs the length of a single disc, a total of 14 tracks, it's sequenced much like Pullen's typical DJ sets -- it steadily builds and builds at a driving pace, occasionally coming to a brief apex or downturn before steadily building and building again. Pullen begins Fabric 14 simply enough with the light tribal tech-house of Cutlab's "Spacey Bongo" and starts moving forward from there. He shifts gears with each successive track, but it's not until about 20 minutes into the mix, when he drops Pure Science's "Get It Back," that he finally shifts into overdrive. It's a dizzying moment, and one that you don't want to end. But end it does as Pullen cools down the mix with Peace Division's "Beatz in Peacez 03," which features a dreamy spoken word segment that comes as a bit of a surprise in the context of this mostly vocal-less tech-house mix. The next highlight comes a few tracks later when Pullen makes a sharp left turn into Moodymann's "Music People" and lets it play out for six and a half minutes of standout uproariousness. The track is a Moodymann classic, and there's a good chance Pullen is putting it down for Detroit here. He can only go downhill from such a peak, and indeed he does, segueing into the sparse tribalism of Men With Sticks' "3rd Eye" and steadily building back up the intensity over the next few tracks. It all culminates when Pullen drops his penultimate track, Dave Angel's "Catch 2," which again features a tribal sense of rhythm, albeit one that is as banging as this mix gets. It's a teeth-clenching, heart-racing five minutes, for sure, and then comes the release, Solid Groove's "Flookin'," a nice, calm finale that is highlighted by some flute, which sounds totally alien within such a context, precisely its charm. Throughout Fabric 14, Pullen never drifts far away from tech-house, and the result is a mix that progresses naturally and seamlessly, characterized not by its idiosyncrasies but rather by its ups and downs. Clearly Pullen has a master's touch, and you can't help but wish that he'd release these such mix CDs more often. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Today Is the Tomorrow You Were Promised Yesterday'
Release Date 3/27/2001
Tracks 17
Label EMI
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After nearly two years of promises, rumors, and several record labels, Detroit techno stalwart Stacey Pullen finally released his first proper studio album. Those who know Pullen from his dynamic DJ sets or his high-pressure dancefloor releases under the names Black Flag, Kosmic Messenger, or Silent Phase could have expected this album to throb with dancefloor workouts. Instead, Pullen presented a collection of gridwork electronics infused with an ample helping of '70s funk. Tracks like "Powershot" layer Herbie Hancock-esque synth flourished with raw analog sweeps, while "Tiznit" moves with a wah bass that would make Bootsy Collins jealous. While Pullen doesn't exactly add much to techno's sound arsenal, this record stands out for its total disregard for the austere recording qualifications of most Detroit artists. The composition may be intricate, but the recording is brazen in its tone and somewhat harsh in its execution. Today Is the Tomorrow You Were Promised Yesterday falls into an interesting place halfway between headphone-listening and the dancefloor. At times, this lack of compartmentalization can make listening uncomfortable, but for those who seek challenge over complacency, it's definitely a work worth investigating. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Part of the German label Studio !K7's DJ series, Stacey Pullen's DJ-Kicks gives one a sense of the kind of mix the second-generation Detroit techno artist might create at one of his many international club appearances. As with other DJs in the series, Pullen took a live studio mix and cleaned it up with some digital editing. The resulting sound is in the compact yet warm-sounding techno vein Pullen favors (a style formed in response to the colder, primitive-sounding mixes of techno originator and mentor Derrick May). Pullen expertly blends original material (under aliases like Kosmic Messenger and Silent Phase) with a variety of contemporary cuts by the likes of Cristian Vogel, Acid Jesus, and Kenny Larkin and in the process produces a seamless mélange of acid house, garage, disco, and, of course, techno. Pullen ignores the vogue for tribal, drum'n'bass, and trance sounds, instead creating a focused and innovative marriage of Giorgio Moroder's expansive disco sound and Kraftwerk's machine music. One of just a few releases from Pullen in the last decade and certainly essential for techno fans. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide
