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got the new photek album "solaris" today. in my opinion a bit of a letdown. i admit to being biased however. the only other photek i've heard is "ni-ten-ichi-ryu"-- which is one of my favorite 12"s. the new album, IMO, eschews any attempt at true originality, in favor of trying to innovate simply by departing from the sound we have come to expect from photek. in other words, don't expect a lot of drum and bass here. "terminus" and "junk" are forgettable down beat/trip hop pieces. "glamourama" is an interesting tune, however. imagine something in the minimal acid vein with a sampled female voice saying something (sounds like "amore" in an inviting bedroom tone). the interesting thing is that track 3 segues into track 4, another acid stomper with the token male singer crooing "if that don't make you happy, I don't know", as though we were listening to r. parkes, DJ. yeah, there is a lot of male/female diva stuff going on here, and alot of bland good looking style breaks. "infinity" is more of a return to form, but it sounds like photek apeing source direct to me. i hesitate to imply photek has lost it, but the album doesn't break any new ground, except in departing from the sound photek helped define. g. - gweinstock@hws.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

--- gweinstock@HWS.EDU wrote:

quoted 4 lines got the new photek album "solaris" today. in my

> got the new photek album "solaris" today. in my > opinion a bit of a letdown. i admit to being biased > however. the only other photek i've heard is "ni- > ten-ichi-ryu"-- which is one of my favorite 12"s.

I agree that the new album doesn't sound nearly as brilliant as Modus Operandi, but it's a pretty good lp. There are only 2 tunes I don't care for at all, the rest is pretty good. I was having a discussion with someone regarding the change in direction on Solaris. It was my friend's speculation that Photek made the album a lot more diverse to hit different audiences. It was his opinion that Photek probably did this because he didn't want to get dropped from Virgin. I am expecting the one to that will thrill and delight will be the forthcoming album from Photek Productions. It's to be released this fall on four pack vinyl "Subzero LP" in the form of Something Else (Bleeps Tune) / Special Forces (Photek Remix) / Worldwide - Peshay / Decoy - Digital / Prologue - Spirit / Tex - Digital / Tuesday - Special Forces / Vision - Digital and Spirit / Freeway - Special Forces.

quoted 5 lines the new album, IMO, eschews any attempt at true

> the new album, IMO, eschews any attempt at true > originality, in favor of trying to innovate simply > by departing from the sound we have come to expect > from photek. in other words, don't expect a lot of > drum and bass here.

There are only 2 drum n bass tunes on the album (if I remember correctly). You may or may not recall that Photek has always done different style of music other than drum n bass. He has numerous trip hop tunes out there, and has some nice techno ones. Photek - Traenon ep on Op Art has some great non dnb tune. I was playing the Special Forces tune off of Headz 2 one night, and someone commented they really like that "house tune". They were surprised to learn it was Photek.

quoted 2 lines "terminus" and "junk" are forgettable down beat/trip

> "terminus" and "junk" are forgettable down beat/trip > hop pieces.

Terminus and DNA are really good tunes.

quoted 11 lines "glamourama" is an interesting tune, however.

> "glamourama" is an interesting tune, however. > imagine something in the minimal acid vein with a > sampled female voice saying something (sounds like > "amore" in an inviting bedroom tone). the > interesting thing is that track 3 segues into track > 4, another acid stomper with the token male singer > crooing "if that don't make you happy, I don't > know", as though we were listening to r. parkes, > DJ. yeah, there is a lot of male/female diva stuff > going on here, and alot of bland good looking style > breaks.

Two of those vocal tunes did not sound good at all. Those were the only 2 on the album that I question. Everything else sound pretty cool. It's no Hidden Camera Ep or anything, but it sounds like a pretty good album.

quoted 2 lines "infinity" is more of a return to form, but it

> "infinity" is more of a return to form, but it > sounds like photek apeing source direct to me.

Strange people always say Source Direct is copying Photek. Well not anymore...

quoted 3 lines i hesitate to imply photek has lost it, but the

> i hesitate to imply photek has lost it, but the > album doesn't break any new ground, except in > departing from the sound photek helped define.

It's too early to see. Let's wait until Sub Zero comes out. Don't worry you have a lot of killer old Photek to buy! Photek - North American dates Fri. Sept. 22: Turbo - Toronto, Canada Tue. Sept. 26: Centro-Fly - New York, NY Wed. Sept. 27: Red Jacket - Dallas, TX Thu. Sept. 28: Club 6 - San Francisco, CA Fri. Sept. 29: Fais Do Do - Los Angeles, CA Sat. Sept. 30: Fais Do Do - Los Angeles, CA Mon. Oct. 2: Sonar - Vancouver, Canada Tue. Oct. 3: Baltic Room - Seattle, WA __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I think, in reading my original post, that I jumped the gun a bit. let me go back and requalify a bit of what I said (since I really _can't_ speak much about photek, having only a minimal knowledge of his body of work).

quoted 7 lines the rest is pretty good. I was having a discussion

> the rest is pretty good. I was having a discussion > with someone regarding the change in direction on > Solaris. It was my friend's speculation that Photek > made the album a lot more diverse to hit different > audiences. It was his opinion that Photek probably > did this because he didn't want to get dropped from > Virgin.

this may very well be true, although in my opinion, that would be precisely the reason to want to get dropped from virgin (if they don't want him expressing himself creatively). however, I was under the impression that this was on astralwerks?

quoted 2 lines I am expecting the one to that will thrill and delight

> I am expecting the one to that will thrill and delight > will be the forthcoming album from Photek Productions.

(...) absolutely, in total agreement here.

quoted 4 lines "terminus" and "junk" are forgettable down beat/trip

> > "terminus" and "junk" are forgettable down beat/trip > > hop pieces. > > Terminus and DNA are really good tunes.

yes, that criticism was too harsh. I'll give them another listen. also, you disliked the two acid house tunes, which have actually begun to grow on me. YMMV

quoted 2 lines Don't worry you have a lot of killer old Photek to

> Don't worry you have a lot of killer old Photek to > buy!

on this topic, can anyone recommend some essential photek to purchase? g. - gweinstock@hws.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org