This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
In his day job, David Narcizo keeps the beat for eccentric songstress Kristin Hersh. On this solo outing, he adds a touch of melody and harmony to his rhythm. And a touch of madness to his methodology.
Castle of Crime’s eight tracks are spacious, sample-drive experiments — less actual songs than soundscapes in the manner of, say, DJ Shadow — that explore everything from contemporary trip-hop to traditional Japanese and Indian melodies. For those keeping score, Hersh and ex-Belly bassist Tom Gorman each surface on one track here. Ultimately though, these 35 minutes of meditative mood music are Narcizo’s baby. He’s got rhythm, he’s got music — who could ask for anything more?
