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From: PAUL JARVIS <paul.jarvis@bbsrc.ac.uk>
To: idm@hyperreal.com
Subject: EM:T
WOT NO REVIEWS.
Thought I'd try and fill the empty void of reviewlessness with some brief
descriptions of some records I've been spending my money on just recently.
GAS0095 - EM:T0095 (T:ME RECORDS)
---------------------------------
I was recently tempted to spend some money on this by its low price tag
(9 quid) and interesting looking sleeve. And I'm very pleased I did I can
tell you. It's good, although don't expect to have your socks blown off.
Think Global Communication on one of their more beafy excursions and
you're half way there - only this has a slightly different, darker more
electronic feel, only every bit as mellow. Certainly listening music for
quiet evenings a la WARP'S AI stuff. Unfortunately there are a couple of
duffers on here, like track 1 (Expts. on Live Electricity) for instance
and two dreadful mirror-image, BDP-style bolts which sound like the idm
equivalent of a human fart - but program these out and you've got a great
record worthy of many a listen. Buy it - it's worth 9 pounds.
WOOB1194 - EM:T1194 (T:ME RECORDS)
-----------------------------------
Suitably chuffed with my first EM:T excursion, GAS, I went out and
picked up this for slightly more than 9 quid (about 12). Now while this
is certainly of the same genre as GAS (namely ambient listening music)
it sounds quite different to an attuned idm ear. The album kicks off with
ethno-ambient epic "On Earth" which lasts for about 40 minutes and
changes gradually from phase to phase throughout its course - Banco De
Gaia much mellowed out springs to mind. Track two develops into a Global
Communication-style, singing-monks, pseudo-vocal affair which is
very evocative. The piece de resistance here though is "Wuub" - can't
describe it except to say it's totally amazing and worth buying the album
for alone. To sum up - excellent ambience, generally better than GAS, and
definitely worth the money.
VARIOUS - EM:T2295 (T:ME RECORDS)
---------------------------------
This has come out just recently and I haven't had that much chance to
listen to it yet. However, from the few listens I have given it there are
one or two things I can say. The opening track from Symmetrics is excellent
(and there's an album from them coming up soon apparently), track 2 is
psychiatrist Celia Green (?) from Oxford reading from one of her books
over a mellow backing track (it's ok I s'pose), Scanner are here sounding
very much like they normally do, Woob are here sounding very much like
they're playing "real" instruments this time (good stuff though and a
new album coming up from them soon) and so are Gas with quite a tidy
tune. All in all, not as good as the two above mentioned artist albums
but good enough if you're suitably into the style of music.
There - that's my lot. I've never heard mention of the EM:T releases
anywhere before so I thought I'd share my experieneces with you and
hopefully kick start a few more of you into doing reviews.
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