Tassel & Naturel are a pair of French producers, championed by
DJ Cam, whose take on trip-hop soul is so laid-back as to be positively narcoleptic. They lead a loose collection of studio players and are themselves capable of playing a wide variety of instruments -- Alex Tassel appears on trumpet, Fender, and drums, while Guillaume Naturel plays flute, alto, and piano -- and soloing well on them. Unfortunately, the duo are also responsible for the bland, pre-programmed beats, which are barely above elevator quality. "Worldwide," one of the few tracks with a full-time percussionist, makes a favorable impression, but Tassel and Naturel's desultory solos on flügelhorn and alto don't lift the song much higher. The highlight of the record comes at the end with "Ballad for Cam," a septet recording reminiscent of
Miles Davis' mid-'60s work with meditative solos from Tassel on flügelhorn and Loic Rechard on guitar. ~ John Bush