Death by Chocolate

AMG Review of Death by Chocolate

Dean Carlson
All Music Guide

De-Phazz's third album is another off-color mixture of Heidelberg-based lounge jazz, and its lazy breakbeats, rip-hop strings, and idly soulful singers are the least willfully ironic out there. The Latin touches are sprawling yet snug, like Beatless or Fila Brazillia by way of Air. Even better are the eggae-jazz experiments that pop out from time to time, as if to remind you that chillout collectives, even German ones, still know how to be sobered and eclectic. But it also can't seem to get around the idea that comedic late-night music is a tough, rubber-nosed beast to tame. Like Bent on a bad day, "Heartfixer" is an unfortunately upbeat clod-ock take on downtempo cheek, and "Trash Box" is even worse. Nothing groundbreaking, all said, just braver than Zero 7.