40winks - sound puzzle cd review from beyondjazz.net 40 Winks are back! The Antwerp-based duo, Weedy & Padmo, crafted a second full album of laidback instrumental, sample galore hip-hip sounds released on Merck Records (in the US label’s final year of life). For those non-native speakers who didn’t already know: ‘to take 40 winks’ means as much as taking a catnap or more broadly, to relax. Well, easy-going loops, jazzy interludes, amusing samples (that seem to come straight out of vintage b&w movies and comedy records) make up for the perfect soundtrack for your daily siesta. People familiar with their sound know what to expect. It’s largely in line with their – independently (2003) and later Japan only (2005) released - debut album ‘More Than Loops’. So in case you’re one of the happy few who could score a copy of that first album, the sound might have lost some of it adventurousness by now. Nonetheless, productions are quality and the trademark string of interludes make this album a very pleasant story-like listen from start to finish, with tracks like ‘For The Traveller’, ‘Planet Anvers’, ‘Mind Lost’, ‘One Button’ standing out. The beautiful ‘Melancholia’ comes free as a bonus CD-track, while a 12” sampler, holding a very good selection, will hit the stores soon. All in all, as a first proper world wide release, ‘Sound Puzzle’ certainly is a dope record deserving your attention. -Hans 40winks - sound puzzle cd review from boomkat.com As Merck’s close draws ever close (we’re sure this is the longest swansong in recording history) they appear to have managed to rope in some fresh blood to bolster their already bursting catalogue. 40 Winks are a Belgian lounge-hop duo and ‘Sound Puzzle’ is their entrée into all things Merck, yet no sooner than the first crisp, crackling beat has freed itself from the compact disc, it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to fit right in. Merck always had a soft spot for hip-hop, and ‘Sound Puzzle’ sees the label go all out in both design and sound. In fact I think this is the most obviously hip-hop album the label has put out, and certainly doesn’t have the idm leaning of Machine Drum or his many copyists. Instead we have a record which reads like a narrative, with full tracks interspersed with the classic hip-hop interlude, and while it might at times sound dangerously close to a Ninja Tune also-ran circa 1998, it keeps the attention throughout. The duo’s lounge leanings are evident from the off, but instead of going all-out coffeetable, there’s a subtle leaning towards the credible end of lounge music – smoky European bars, crackling home movies and girls with knitted scarves… you know what I’m talking about! If you want something to accompany a good cigar and a learn French cassette, I think you’ve found your soundtrack… smooth, baby.

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