From: "Kent Williams" <cadsi.com!kent@elvis.cadsi.com>
Subject: REVIEW: Mindflower - Human Mesh Dance
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 11:28:33 -0600
Human Mesh Dance Instinct EX 303 2
Nerve Crystal 3:15
Hyaline 7:54
Soft System 7:33
Wet Moon 6:45 If you care about these things, save
Skyflower 7:22 this message, as the track timings aren't
Infinity 5:37 on the package.
Music of the Spheres 7:23
Satellites (ring the sky) 4:52
Giant Clouds 6:01
Deep Phase 4:57
Sparkle 2:58
Birth of a Perfect Planet 8:17
My CD player sez total 73:01
Today's review is brought to you by the word "Floaty" and the number
808. Human Mesh Dance (aka Taylor 808), net denizen, NE Raves poster
child, and all around nice guy is back with a new ambient long player.
Last year's Hyaline was a Hyalight of ambience -- melodic, meditative
and well crafted.
Mindflower is not groundbreaking material -- echoes of the
Irresistable Force's brand of giddy fun, and Aphex Twin's edgier fun
abound. Birdsong and running water samples crop up. So if there
is a 'mainstream' to ambient music, Mindflower floats in it.
These are carefully constructed tracks, with plenty of texture and
harmonic motion, but they don't rip my head off. The very best music
occasionally takes an unexpected right turn off a cliff and gives you
a new perspective. I don't hear anything hear that has that effect on
me.
Which isn't to say I don't like this disc. I do -- I've given it
heavy rotation this week. Inasmuch that ambient music has
conventions, T808 has followed them and come up with something almost
stately and mannered in the genre. What I'd like to hear is the next
step, and I hope T808 is up to the challenge.
Track by Track
Nerve Crystal -- reminds me of mixmaster morris mostly beatless, floating
around long sustained minor third flute chord. Reverbed vocal samples
Hyaline -- some leisurely beats here, nice repeating arpeggios. Gets
a groove going, lazy back beats right in the pocket.
Soft System -- A little like Nerve Crystal -- drone chord, this time
a tritone (diminished fifth) Shimmery patches drift in and out. Subtle
tabla rhythm. Then an odd little toy piano loop to finish out.
Wet Moon -- loose, minor mode thing based on triplets, disjoint bass line
that fades in and out.
Skyflower -- subtle rhythmic workout. Very airy sparse synths come in
and out.
Infinity -- this is almost house-y, in a subtle, tripped out way. "Sweet
Dreams" indeed.
Music of the Spheres -- shades of Aphex Twin. Twitchy 808 hi hat line
under a pleasant little loop. In comes the fat bass. Would fit right
in on Selected Ambient Works I. I'm not accusing him of plagarism; I
actually like this better than a lot of recent Aphex Twin work.
Satellites (Ring the sky) -- We're moving on from SAW I to SAW II.
Pretty, slow synth washes. Little interludes of sampled weirdness.
Giant Clouds -- hip hop beats under a flute loop. Sounds of crickets.
I especially like the last minute or so where the drum loop drops in
and out.
Deep Phase -- Bring on the 808. A repeated 4 8th note pattern
dominates.
Sparkle -- A nice bit of goofy loops that interlock and seem to follow
a pulse rather than a fixed 4 beat measure.
Birth of a perfect planet -- Running water, beatless washes, and then
the jungle drums kick in.
--
Kent Williams -- kent@gilligan.cadsi.com
Look in the mail header for all sorts of vital information about me.
NANCY!! Why is everything RED?!