Laika Come Home

1	Jungle Fresh (19/2000)
2	Strictly Rubbadub (Slow Country)
3	Banana Baby (Tomorrow Comes Today)
4	Monkey Racket (Man Research)
5	De-Punked (Puck)
6	P45 (5/4)
7	Dub 9 (Starshine)
8	Crooked Dub (Soundcheck)
9	Mutant Genious (New Genius)
10	Come Again (Re-Hash)
11	A Fistful of Peanuts (Clint Eastwood)
12	Lil’ Dub Chefin’ (M1A1)

Barnes & Noble

It was only a matter of time before the wildly popular animated pop stars Gorillaz inspired a spin-off, and if you thought Damon Albarn and Dan the Automator's cut 'n' mix cartoon alter egos were arch, wait till you get a load of Space Monkeyz. A trio of primate DJs, the Monkeyz make their debut with a dub-heavy remix project that puts Gorillaz the album on a deep-space trip. Where most remix collections are variegated affairs intending to prove their source materials' malleability over a multitude of genres, Laika Come Home goes in the opposite direction. Weeding out (pun intended) all the extraneous trip-hop, rap, rock, and Latin from the Gorillaz' debut, the Monkeyz -- D-Zire, Dubversive, and Gavya -- fashion a Trenchtown-style dub session, heavy on rattling percussion, brawny bass, and Studio One horns. In true dub spirit, the sources are almost completely unrecognizable -- bits of Albarn's vocals and melodica float here and there, but a track such as "A Fistful of Peanuts," ostensibly a mix of the Gorillaz hit "Clint Eastwood," is little more than a processed drum loop. Guest chatters -- humans such as veteran DJ U-Brown and the Specials frontman Terry Hall, among others -- keep the soundclash vibe on point. There is, of course, an amusing tale about how the celestial simians -- expendable pilots from the early days of space exploration -- have returned to earth looking for their leader, the Soviet cosmonaut dog Laika, but the real story is dub's resurgence, probably the best chance the music's had at the mainstream since Augustus Pablo's Rockers International imprint launched decades ago. And if it takes cartoon apes to get dub justice done, so will it, Jah. (Also available: a limited-edition version housed in a Digipak that contains two hidden tracks plus a mini poster.) Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

The enormous success of Gorillaz' self-titled debut spawned a couple of collections from the animated hip-hop group as a way of satisfying their public until their Svengalis, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and Damon Albarn, could reconvene to deliver new material. G-Sides was a more or less straightforward B-sides collection, while Laika Come Home offered a unique twist on the remix album. Instead of hiring several DJs and artists to remix the group's songs, Albarn and Nakamura had Space Monkeyz, who did a dub version of "Clint Eastwood" as a B-side for that single, rework all of Gorillaz' songs as dub excursions. While the actual identities of the Space Monkeyz are questionable -- gorillaz.com says they are "mutant offspring of the monkey cosmonauts sent into space during the Cold War" -- their remixing skills and dedication to authentic-sounding dub are undeniable. An appropriately laid-back, playful feel permeates Laika Come Home; the album's best moments, such as "19/2000 (Jungle Fresh)," "New Genius (Brother) (Mutant Genius)," and "M1A1 (Lil' Dub Chefin')" explore the dub influences at the root of Gorillaz' sound and offer a fun, fresh take on the songs. In all, while it's not as exciting -- or, arguably, necessary -- as a new Gorillaz album, Laika Come Home is still a more satisfying work than the usual boring and/or unpredictable remix album. Fans awaiting the Gorillaz' next move will be sufficiently entertained by this summery, spacy collection. ~ Heather Pharesgorillaz.com says they are "mutant offspring of the monkey cosmonauts sent into space during the Cold War" -- their remixing skills and dedication to authentic-sounding dub are undeniable. An appropriately laid-back, playful feel permeates Laika Come Home; the album's best moments, such as "19/2000 (Jungle Fresh)," "New Genius (Brother) (Mutant Genius)," and "M1A1 (Lil' Dub Chefin')" explore the dub influences at the root of Gorillaz' sound and offer a fun, fresh take on the songs. In all, while it's not as exciting -- or, arguably, necessary -- as a new Gorillaz album, Laika Come Home is still a more satisfying work than the usual boring and/or unpredictable remix album. Fans awaiting the Gorillaz' next move will be sufficiently entertained by this summery, spacy collection. Heather Phares

Spin Magazine

This is classic dub mixology -- pop reality warped into a string of bass-heavy cosmic cartoons. And for a cartoon pop group, what could be more appropriate? (8) Will Hermes