IDM Mailing Archive

I KNEW IT! I had always suspected this, but I was never able to find solid proof. But yesterday, I happened across a cassette in the bargain bin in my local worthless record store... An album from the Shamen, 1991, called 'Drop'. As soon as I heard the first moments of the first song, I wanted to do just that....DROP the sucker in the garbage. This is the worst crap I have ever heard. And it isnt even provacative...It is just plain lame. The Shamen are frauds! The started out as hack pop musicians and just got lucky. I dont know who told them to try pseudo-techno but whoever it was deserves all the credit. The drop album is the sorriest excuse for music I have heard since someone forced me to listen to Chris n Cosey. What a nightmare! I am still in horrors over the absolute mediocrity of this music, and I do not think I will recover soon I am currently destroying these old Shamen CDs and i urge you all to do the same. They are truly the Milli Vanillis of the genre. Irritably yours, Jasonosaj And plese dont send back any of that touchy feely growth in their style biz until youve heard this album. ____________________________________________________________________________ J a s o n A. H u t t o | a l p h a b e t @ w s n e t . c o m Owner - Sole Employee - Janitor | http :/ / www . wsnet . com / ~ alphabet Alphabet Publishing & Design | Home of : Brother Alphabet's Evergrowing 2167 Campbell Road - Suite B | List Of Bad Ads Montgomery, AL 3 6 1 1 1 | -> Check it out if you loathe your T.V.!

Not necessarily. Will Sin had his head screwed on straight for the first release of "En-Tact" which, if you're lucky enough to find it, hasn't been raked over by Colin and Mr. C. The remix singles from this first year, 1991 were brilliant as well. The Meat Beat remix of Hyperreal was so damn good that the group themselves would rather play that live rather than their own "updated" version. Will Sin's genius is apparent on his version of "Purple Sky" (on which single, I can't remember). When Will Sin drowned, all hope for the Shamen drowned with him. I asked Colin at a concert if he prefered the original "En-Tact" to the later release of "En-Tact" (which sucks). "It's fucking brilliant," came the reply. I got the feeling that Will Sin and Colin didn't always see eye to eye. Note: I think I have a spare orginal "En-Tact" *somewhere* if anyone is interested.

Hiho, On Tue, 25 Jun 1996, Alphabet Design wrote:

quoted 8 lines I KNEW IT!

> I KNEW IT! > > I had always suspected this, but I was never able to find solid proof. > > An album from the Shamen, 1991, called 'Drop'. > As soon as I heard the first moments of the first song, I wanted to do > just that....DROP the sucker in the garbage. This is the worst crap I > have ever heard. And it isnt even provacative...It is just plain lame.

I know... their old stuff is really "lame" (as you call it)... no wonder that they had to try something different.

quoted 3 lines The Shamen are frauds! The started out as hack pop musicians and just got

> The Shamen are frauds! The started out as hack pop musicians and just got > lucky. I dont know who told them to try pseudo-techno but whoever it was > deserves all the credit.

hmmmm... I don't know... everybody can change.... and develop... so that lame "Drop" album is ok for me... just as Underworld was a rock-pop band once.... unfortunately THE SHAMEN went the wrong way. I still think that "En-Tact" is a good album and "Progen" is a great Rave-Song.... they lost me with their "Boss Drum" CD.

quoted 4 lines I am still in horrors over the absolute mediocrity of this music,

> > I am still in horrors over the absolute mediocrity of this music, > and I do not think I will recover soon I am currently destroying these > old Shamen CDs and i urge you all to do the same.

keep "progen"! It's a classic!

quoted 1 line They are truly the Milli Vanillis of the genre.

> They are truly the Milli Vanillis of the genre.

no... now you are going to far.... Milli Vanilli were fakes as we all know and THE SHAMEN sang themselfs and they were cool life. I saw them in 1990 and it was a good live act. take care, harald +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | visions and sounds from the wicked world of electronic dance music | | WWW -> http://rave.city.de/wicked | | a servive of http://www.music.city.de and Touch-Net | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+

At 12:17 PM 6/25/96, Pete Ashdown wrote:

quoted 3 lines Not necessarily. Will Sin had his head screwed on straight for the first

>Not necessarily. Will Sin had his head screwed on straight for the first >release of "En-Tact" which, if you're lucky enough to find it, hasn't been >raked over by Colin and Mr. C.

this thread made me go back and relisten to all that old stuff i've got lying around... What's Going Down is pretty useless, from an IDM standpoint, being mostly indie-guitar-rock stuff with drum machine beats. Some nice tunes if you can overcome indie-phobia momentarily (i still can... BUT FOR HOW LONG???) In Gorbachev We Trust i liked a lot in its day but it hasn't aged that well. "mdmazing" - is that supposed to be a lyric? ouch. Jesus Loves Amerika will always have a spot in my heart though. PHORWARD is actually my favorite Shamen disc. It has some great instrumental dance stuff with electro beats and acid 303 squiggles. The pop songs aren't even too bad. Import En-Tact. I do not share Ashdown's enthusiasm for this one, actually. The only thing on it that i *really* dig is the super-long "Evil Is Even" (criminally butchered for the domestic, no doubt). At least the domestic En-Tact has remixes by William Orbit, Renegade Soundwave, and Meat Beat Manifesto all in one easy to handle package (oh, and Orbital, if you're into those dudes). However, neither of these discs are that special. At this point, they were beginning the quick slide into horribleness that was really pounded home with Boss Drum. I once managed to remix that entire album into a six minute track that was mostly listenable. I think Chris Hilker got to hear it before I wiped the master tape. I will never voluntarily listen to anything from post-Entact Shamen. speaking of old farts... the new Severed Heads disc is great for anybody with a sense of humor about dance music... -- Name: Jon Email: jsd@cyborganic.com Web: http://www.cyborganic.com/bass-kittens/