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(idm) REVIEW: Laika/almost sleeping - pure 71 CDS

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1998-01-01 01:38Kelsey Damas (idm) REVIEW: Laika/almost sleeping - pure 71 CDS
1998-01-02 00:00lwtcdi Re: (idm) REVIEW: Laika/almost sleeping - pure 71 CDS
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1998-01-01 01:38Kelsey DamasLaika/almost sleeping (too pure) 4 tracks: 1.almost sleeping (edit) 2.prairie dog (remix b
From:
Kelsey Damas
To:
Date:
Wed, 31 Dec 1997 17:38:57 -0800
Subject:
(idm) REVIEW: Laika/almost sleeping - pure 71 CDS
permalink · <3.0.32.19971231173855.006bfa2c@cats-po-1.ucsc.edu>
Laika/almost sleeping (too pure) 4 tracks: 1.almost sleeping (edit) 2.prairie dog (remix by maxwell house) 3.shut off/curl up (remix by cabbage boy) 4.breather (remix by luke vibert) This is my first taste of Laika, as I don't normally buy trip-hop. I live in the sticks where music that doesn't make it to billboard's top 40 or whatever doesn't have a good chance of being on the shelves, so after wading through stacks of unappealing stuff this looked good enough to take home. Track one: uptempo-but-not-fast-synthdrums that recycle the same beat almost the whole way through (it's got a groove though) and breathy female vocals singing about loneliness and the like. My favorite part was the bridge (?) section in between the two verses. Maybe this was because there was no singing, or maybe it was because the beat got played with a little providing variety and a neato acid-like synth thing got added. Overall, very warm harmonically, and despite what it sounds like, I actually liked the vocals. The studio fade-out thing at the end was pretty lame, though (I guess this would be the "edit" part, eh). Track two: slower, laid back feel. Sweeping bass line, clumsy drums, jazzy distorted keyboard. Lyrics reminded me of NIN a little bit: "if i could pull the nerves from my skin I would." Brought back memories of my angst ridden youth :) I think this is the least interesting track here. Remixed by Maxwell House, but it must of been decaf because i'm falling asleep. Track three: Starts out pretty good with a bit of noisy ambience akin to Speedy J "public energy" drums straight out of 'as the bubble expands', but then the pounding bass comes in (and the ambience stops) and is unrelenting for the rest of the track. Reminded me to much of a bass-heavy car stereo to get into this track too much. Much more variety musically than the previous track, and the vocals don't dominate so much. If it weren't for the boom-boom bass I'd like it a lot more. Track four: starts with layering percussion: bongos, snare, that one hand drum thing that the singer of the who is always shaking...to a nice melodic bass line, and near unintelligible vocals. bleepy drum stuff, good beats, playful synth, and excellent rythmic activity that just reeks of luke vibert. My only complaint is that it was predictably 'song structured' (verse, chorus, verse, bridge, whatever) and it was a bit short. Overall: Since I live in the sticks, and this was imported, it was overpriced at 10 bucks american. I don't think that this was good enough (or suited my tastes enough) for me to rush out and buy more Laika, but I'm glad I bought something new (new as in I had never heard Laika and don't have any trip-hop). I'm sorry I can't compare it to anything else in the genre, and it's just my humble opinion, so take it for what it's worth. --------------------------------------------------- ,,,,, -o-o- blah L - k e l s e y http://home.cwnet.com/anagram
1998-01-02 00:00lwtcdi> This is my first taste of Laika, as I don't normally buy trip-hop. Hey, watch out - Laik
From:
lwtcdi
To:
IDM , Kelsey Damas
Date:
Fri, 02 Jan 1998 00:00:06 +0000
Subject:
Re: (idm) REVIEW: Laika/almost sleeping - pure 71 CDS
permalink · <34AC2E06.11FD@lwtcdi.prestel.co.uk>
quoted 1 line This is my first taste of Laika, as I don't normally buy trip-hop.> This is my first taste of Laika, as I don't normally buy trip-hop.
Hey, watch out - Laika were around before trip-hop was even spawned! I have the 12" version of the release you mention, where you don't get an edit but you do get a Grantsby mix (don't worry, you're not missing much, just some standard-ish trip-hop!). Whatever happened to Trip-Hop anyway? I loved the Headz stuff, but no-one seems to be making stuff like that any more, it's all big beat, which means less stratching, faster beats, crappy sirens and needless distortion! Someone, bring back GOOD trip-hop!
quoted 7 lines 2.prairie dog (remix by maxwell house)> 2.prairie dog (remix by maxwell house) > > Track two: slower, laid back feel. Sweeping bass line, clumsy drums, jazzy > distorted keyboard. Lyrics reminded me of NIN a little bit: "if i could > pull the nerves from my skin I would." Brought back memories of my angst > ridden youth :) I think this is the least interesting track here. > Remixed by Maxwell House, but it must of been decaf because i'm falling asleep.
I liked this remix. I also liked the 1st "Maxwell House" LP quite a lot, so that might explain it. Very interesting IMO, and as you would expect this remix is in the same vein. Live muddy downtempo grooves. I agree that there's too much vocal, and this may be a bit too Tori Amos for some people, but I don't mind so much. Overall sounds like the slower Red Snapper stuff with more keyboards. BTW, I've never heard any of the Max Brennan stuff on Holistic, ie Fretless AZM, Universal Being, does anyone know these compare with the Maxwell House stuff, and what I should get hold of next? Is the Maxwell House II LP as good as the first?
quoted 7 lines Track three: Starts out pretty good with a bit of noisy ambience akin> Track three: Starts out pretty good with a bit of noisy ambience akin > to Speedy J "public energy" drums straight out of 'as the bubble expands', > but then the pounding bass comes in (and the ambience stops) and is > unrelenting for the rest of the track. Reminded me to much of a bass-heavy car > stereo to get into this track too much. Much more variety musically than the > previous track, and the vocals don't dominate so much. If it weren't > for the boom-boom bass I'd like it a lot more.
Yeah, it's alright. Very underproduced gritty kind of sound, but layered with cleaner bits too. This remix is better than the other Cabbage Boy I've heard, but not as good as that Buckfunk 12" "In Is In" (not that it's even slight like it, though). It's a little electroey too with distorted handclaps and electronic noise in the background. A kind of icy feel but the vocals and the little synth melodies and moogy noise lift it up a bit.
quoted 6 lines Track four: starts with layering percussion: bongos, snare, that one> Track four: starts with layering percussion: bongos, snare, that one > hand drum thing that the singer of the who is always shaking...to a nice > melodic bass line, and near unintelligible vocals. bleepy drum stuff, good > beats, playful synth, and excellent rythmic activity that just reeks of luke > vibert. My only complaint is that it was predictably 'song structured' > (verse, chorus, verse, bridge, whatever) and it was a bit short.
As usual Vibert comes out on top, but even so this is nothing totally amazing. I like this remix, it kind of reminds me of his version of Ruby's Parrafin, and although, as you say, the rhythms are nice and viberty, I hope his future stuff is a little more inventive. He still hasn't 'beaten' Thobbing Pouch, IMO (mind you, thats a pretty difficult task). This remix, like the Cabbage Boy one, also has a slight electro feel. No real breaks at first, just drum machine snares doubled up, with really nice bits of organ. Again there's lots of vocal used, so beware.
quoted 3 lines Overall: Since I live in the sticks, and this was imported, it was> Overall: Since I live in the sticks, and this was imported, it was > overpriced at 10 bucks american. I don't think that this was good > enough (or suited my tastes enough) for me to rush out and buy more Laika
Yeah, it's fairly solid IMO, but not worth rushing out to buy. It's grown on me lots since I got it though, and is defintely rewarded with repeated listening... Gb. -- "BIG UP YA CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR" from * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * - L@@K WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED iN - ADVENT CRAZY http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/lwtcdi/all/ DAMN JUKEBOX http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/lwtcdi/all/4musjuke.htm * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * X amount of party streamers...