IDM Mailing Archive

WE are fantastic. They are DJ lloop (formerly just Loop?) DJ Olive and once11. I guess they used to be qualified as illbient, and I think they are NYC based. I've seen them live on the Frying Pan, and they're on the Crooklyn Dub Consortium disks, so I assume they are NYC. Who knows? Anyway, I've evangelized about them before on this list. They're music is basically a strong, heavy dub foundation upon which layers of d&b, ambient/illbient, etc. are built up. The stuff is very rich, in many ways like the orb, only with more muscles. Bigger muscles too. More "ChikaBHHHOOOooommmmssssshikashika!" than "PLinK pLoNk! BoinK", if you know what I mean. They have a new album out on Asphodel called "As Is" which kicks ass and is more d&b heavy than their older stuff. I am listening to it right now! They are on another comp called "Incursions in Illbient", and they have a track on Crooklyn Dub Consortium vol1 which I think is one of the heaviest, most elegantly simple dub tracks I've ever heard. If they are opening for the orb, I'll see you at that show! -CF

quoted 15 lines -----Original Message-----

> -----Original Message----- > From: idm-owner@hyperreal.com [SMTP:idm-owner@hyperreal.com] On Behalf > Of Iain Newton > Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 1997 5:47 PM > To: IDM > Subject: (idm) we? > > we? > i just noticed that WE are opening for the orb in nyc and i wondered > if anyone > could shed some light on who they are, what they've done, etc. - hope > someone > can help > > iain

On April 10 you wrote "Who are WE? They are opening for the Orb in NY . . . " We are a trio on Asphodel that are composed of DJ Olive, Lloop, and Once 11--three DJs who are also industrial designers. They've been In NY since at least 1992. They are part of this loose art collective called lalalandia and used to, with some other people, throw Ambient/performance art parties in empty warehouses in Williamsburg. They have a new album out called "as is." I think it is a strong showing, especially for the NY experimental electronica scene, which tends to be more talk than walk. It's an amalgam of breakbeats, some lyrical sweeps, and that ever-present "illbient," which is basically a nice packaging word for ambient + dirty dub. Julie

JTaraska@aol.com wrote:

quoted 7 lines They have a new album out called "as is." I think it is a strong showing,

> They have a new album out called "as is." I think it is a strong showing, > especially for the NY experimental electronica scene, which tends to be more > talk than walk. It's an amalgam of breakbeats, some lyrical sweeps, and that > ever-present "illbient," which is basically a nice packaging word for ambient > + dirty dub. > > Julie

I'll second that. Pretty accomplished sounding. I had no background going into it, and I'll venture to say that the use of voice and pregnant pauses is top-notch. Plus it's asphodel-domestic-cheap! 7/10 and climbing... mj

Can somebody briefly tell me what they know about We and a little discography would be appreciated too. I just bought their album As Is (found it used and since I saw them mentioned often, thought I try it - I am truly amazed, delightfully surprised)

Well, I know this won't suffice for the true spotters on the list, but this is what i know off the top of my head. check www.multipolyomni.com and www.asphodel.com for more info. they have an info list, but it rarely sends out any info. We aka multipolyomni=Olive, Lloop, Once11 I really love As Is, one of my top albums of last year. It flows amazingly well, and somehow manages to be arty without being pretentious at all. Of all the "illbient" arty wank in NYC, We is one of the few groups which is able to really put it all together and make it work. Illbient pays a lot of lip service to throwing together music from all over the world, high and low culture, into one stew. Usually, it sounds like muck. On As is, We is able to move from great jungle, to triphop, to world music samples, to really arty experimentation, with a real beauty and coherence that I haven't heard in many other albums. You can dance to it, you can chill to it, you can appreciate the individual song or the entire album... It just works on so many levels — if you sneer at DJ Spooky's liner note theorizing, you'll be happy when you hear what We does with backwards samples or notes bouncing between speakers — it's art that is effective in execution as it is in conception. They're also graphic/industrial designers, who have done a lot of art installations as well, which may explain a lot of the arty elements in their music. I've heard they've done a lot of multimedia art as part of their live shows... They're on Incusions in Illbient (Asphodel), and Crooklyn Dub Consortium compilations, doing stuff more dubby/noisy than on As Is. They also do a lot of remixes... I know they've remixed Tipsy for Asphodel, I've seen a Medeor something like that, out on Asphodel. I think Olive has also collaborated on Liminal Lounge (Knitting factory Works), which I haven't heard. Conclusion.... BUY AS IS.... Out Sam hope aol doesn't fuck up the formatting on this. apologies in advance