"A Go Go," the trio's 1998 signature club hit, which appears here, ushered in an international wave of artists releasing dance-floor songs inspired by the bombastic beats and swing of Brazilian music. While most groups would find it hard to resist the easy cash-in of recording a whole album in this style, the Trio didn't and instead took its time putting together its first full-length. Elevator Music competently tackles a more world-wise blend of sounds, from fiery flamenco (the intense "Jaleo," sung by Spanish vocalist Concha Buika) to funk and soul (the saucy and spacey bounce of "Satisfaction" and the sex-you-down vibes of "Lover Uncovered," respectively).
The album's boldest highlight appears right in the middle of the set with "Make a Move," a collaboration with Nigerian-born and New York-based singer Wunmi. Borrowing the Afrobeat style pioneered by Wunmi's countrymen Fela Kuti and Fela's son Femi, the song rides some big horns and even bigger tribal drums into a sweat-inducing jam with an inspirational hook: "Make a move/ Don't live for tomorrow/ If only could would should/ Becomes another sad story." Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Muzak will loosen its stranglehold on elevators, grocery stores, and shopping malls anytime soon, but at least Trüby Trio offers a fertile, imaginative getaway to dream about the possibilities. -- Tamara Palmer
