IDM TIMES V 1.11
Irresistible Force: Underground
Rising High/Instinct EX 256-2
137 6:07 Underground (Atonal Mix)
125 6:19 Flow Motion
126 4:14 War and Peace Live
137 7:49 Underground (Ambient Mix)
125 8:57 Space Is The Place (Instrumental Mix)
For a while it seemed that Instinct Records was doomed to be looked
upon unfavorably by me as "that crap new york label with moby and all
those praga khan offshoots." However, they seem to be wising up -
witness their licensing of two Rising High products - "Flying High"
and "Underground" by Irresistible Force. "Flying High" has already
been done to death, so let's take a look at "Underground"...
"Underground (atonal mix)" reminds me rather appropriately of
Underground Resistance: sparse, lean 909 thumping away as some mad
synthetics fly around the edges. Good track, but not stylistically
indicative of the rest of the EP. The other four tracks are all much
more recognizable as the dreamy bubbly ambience we've come to know
from "Flying High." Excellent stuff, too, mercifully devoid of both
Terence McKenna and motivational cassette samples. I've always loved
"Space Is The Place" and longed for a vocal-less version (sorry, but
Frazier Clarke is half as intelligent and ten times as annoying as
Gary Clail) - well, I got my wish, and a domestic price to boot!
Thumbs up.
William S. Burroughs: Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales
Island 162-535 003-2
0:23 Interlude 1
92 4:30 Spare Ass Annie
0:20 Interlude 2
103 2:22 The Last Words Of Dutch Schultz
0:17 Interlude 3
2:05 Mildred Pierce Reporting
85 2:45 Dr. Benway Operates
85 2:13 Warning To Young Couples
75 6:18 Did I Ever Tell You About The Man That Taught His Asshole To Talk?
1:02 Last Words With Ras I. Zulu
83 3:32 A One God Universe
0:36 Interlude 4
82 15:54 The Junky's Christmas
104 4:41 Words Of Advice For Young People
0:47 Last Words With Michael Franti
This isn't really dance music in any modern sense of the word,
although the tracks with BPM listings do have thumping hip hop
grooves. However, it definitely *is* intelligent and I think it might
appeal to some of the more adventurous subscribers. This disc is a
mix of William S. Burroughs reading some of his more famous selections
while The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy provide musical backing.
And what a good marriage this is: Burroughs gravelly drawl always
reminded me of the old time jazz hipsters, and the Heroes' grungy
jazz-hop is the perfect backdrop for Burroughs tales of insanity in
the modern world. Veering between black humor and nauseating images
of urban hell, with a healthy dose of irony thrown in, the words
create just as much of a mental picture as the music does. A marriage
in the truest sense of the word, and a far more artistically
successful collaboration than the Terence McKenna/Spacetime Continuum
release. So to thee I say, buy now - but don't listen on an empty
stomach...
Prototype 909: Acid Technology
Sonic SNC 2028-2
145 6:34 Empty Space
145 6:22 Pulsation
155 15:27 Prototype [end at 104 BPM]
133 5:19 Radiac
151 6:27 Mindform (cortex)
148 5:11 Hex
3:47 THIS, is acid
145 6:27 Acid Technology
The burning question is: why would a group named Prototype 909 have a
picture of a 303 on the cover of their record?
If I read the liner notes correctly, this was done entirely using old
Roland DIN-sync equipment rather than MIDI, which means they limited
themselves to a few old synths and drum machines. Unfortunately, it
shows in the music. Repetitive, acid tweaky sounds and minimal drum
machines. Kinda like Hardfloor only without the amazing climaxes.
Also, since they were limiting themselves to the built-in sequencers,
the songs don't really go anywhere. It's just boom boom boom around a
simple idea, build it up for way too long and then fade out. Maybe it
would work on a dancefloor if you mixed it in to something else for a
few minutes, but listening to this entire disc on its own will
definitely drive you insane (in a bad way). Must be an East Coast
kinda thing.
The Future Sound Of London: Cascade
Virgin VSCDT 1478
129 7:22 Part 1
129 9:38 Part 2
4:24 Part 3
134 4:39 Part 4
137 6:12 Part 5
130 4:16 Shortform
Ohmyfuckinggod. 3 million out of ten.
(Well, what did you expect!?)