IDM Mailing Archive

On 6 Mar 1997 18:09 -0500 (-1000), Adam Bender wrote to me:

quoted 3 lines I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos

> I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos > on last week's Amp. Is the rest of their stuff similar? > Also, what CJ Bolland CDs besides "The Analogue Theatre" are good?

Of CJ Bolland's three albums, I found "The Analogue Theatre" to be his weakest. "The 4th Sign" was Bolland's debut, a very fast and hard record mastering breakbeats and zippy 4/4 techno to beautiful proportions. His followup, "The Electronic Highway" (a collection of unreleased and rare material) is a little more intelligent in it's construction, fumbling around in more speedy breaks, with a beautiful excursion in drum'n bass as well. It's got its flaws (the album was put together quite hastily in an attempt to complete his contract with R&S, and get the hell out) but tracks like "The Tower of Naphtali" and such are really beautiful. Both are worth tracking down. One other note, I found the production (with the exception of "Obsidion") on The Analogue Theatre to be quite bland and muddled. His previous albums were sharp as a needle, and it struck me with curiosity, just what happened? onnow: v/a "mysteries of creation" (axiom) Lame Thread Prevention in Effect: Aaron Michelson --------------------------------------------------------------------- aw-teck'r (autechre) "Everything you Know is Wrong" For reviews, interviews, art & trash http://www.on-it.net/~aaron/ aaron@defiant.on-it.net

The Analogue Theatre is *not* good. I found it disappointingly typical, with simplistic repetitive beats, out-of-the-can samples, cheap synths. I expected so much more because Sugar is Sweeter seemed refreshingly different at the time. I don't even like that one anymore because it sounds just like Firestarter now. CJ Bolland has a "DJ Kicks" mix cd which might be good because it's mostly not his own music. Speaking of Firestarter, the Villiage Voice has a review of U2's Pop this week. They call it "Where the Chords have no Change", and, even better, "The Unforgettable Firestarter". Ha! -Chris Fahey

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

> -----Original Message----- > From: idm-owner@hyperreal.com [SMTP:idm-owner@hyperreal.com] On Behalf > Of Adam Bender > Sent: Thursday, March 06, 1997 6:09 PM > To: idm@hyperreal.com > Subject: (idm) Vapourspace, Juno Reactor > > > I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos > on last week's Amp. Is the rest of their stuff similar? > Also, what CJ Bolland CDs besides "The Analogue Theatre" are good? > > Thanks, > > Adam

quoted 3 lines I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos

> > I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos > > on last week's Amp. Is the rest of their stuff similar? > > Also, what CJ Bolland CDs besides "The Analogue Theatre" are good?

Seems the Juno Reactor and CJ Bolland questions have been answered, so to the Vapourspace... Vapourspace was/is Mark Gage who also has recorded under other names, one of which is Cusp another of which, I believe, may have been Microset Morning (?). A contentious quote of times past from the NME ran "Mark Gage is the American equivalent of the Aphex Twin" (NOT my words). "Themes from Vapourspace" was a well reviewed album that spawned a dance floor hit with 'Gravitational Arch of 10'. Cusp was a slightly more dance floor obtuse project which released some fine 12 inches on Probe. I do recall seeing some more recent Mark Gage releases than these (possibly the video you saw?) but being completely honest, though I still enjoy the stuff of his I've bought in the past, I kinda lost interest in tracking his current stuff down... Maybe someone could let me know if I missed anything that I shouldn't have? Rubyjune.

On Thu, 6 Mar 1997, Iain H. wrote:

quoted 4 lines I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos

> > > I was most impressed with the Vapourspace and Juno Reactor videos > > > on last week's Amp. Is the rest of their stuff similar? > > > Also, what CJ Bolland CDs besides "The Analogue Theatre" are good? >

The Analogue Theatre was listed as one of the top 20 albums of 1996 by Mixmag Magazine. I think it was #7. Havent's heard it, but obviously opinions differ. Must admit, though, some of their other choices weren't too bad.