If you're looking to get into D&B, just buy TPower & work your way down
the list. Of course comps are good for getting a taste of a large number
of artists to zero in on who you like. Just so you know, I can't stand
D&B with divas, toasting, too much reggae (not enough dub), or cheesy
pianos. Here's my take:
TPower - the most IDMish of the bunch. "Synthesis" track on the new "Police
State" single would pass for IDM with most people on this list. Also check out
"Self-Evident Truth of the Intuitive Mind". This is the CD that made me
realize that D&B is the leading edge in electronic music. NO divas on TPower,
but an occasional Bladerunner, THX1138, Bugs Bunny, or Noam Chomsky sample.
A Guy Called Gerald - Gerald Simpson may have been responsible for the
industrial sound of 808State's "Newbuild", judging from some of the harder
tracks on this one. Warning: a few divas, and a few guys singing, one on an
outright R&B track (but the best, least formulaic R&B I've heard in years).
This album is all over the place, but very, very good. Also check out his
"Everglades Mix" of the Orb's "Oxbow Lakes".
Spring Heel Jack - no divas, very sample-based, very smoove on the new "68
Million Shades..." album. Very, very good, recommended for the IDM set.
Still looking for "There Are Strings" album - features lots of string sounds,
I've been told. They wrote "Walking Wounded" with Everything But The
Girl, and have an excellent track on "Macro Dub Infection".
4Hero/Jacob's Optical Stairway/Tek9/NuEra - Mark & Dego seem to be the most
prolific dudes on the D&B scene. They occasionally use a diva, sometimes as a
sample, sometimes in a weird crossover attempt. I'd say JOS is the most IDM
friendly. Tek9's "Not What You Think It Is" lives up to its name. Disc 1 is
Trip-Hop, Disc 2 is D&B. My guess is that when they landed the R&S deal, they
decided to release their alternative D&B as JOS, their more straightforward
D&B as 4Hero, and their Trip-Hop as Tek9. Tek9's D&B disc is a fascinating
exhumation of the history of Hardcore/Jungle/D&B (one track features a
furiously sped up "Funky Drummer" sample!) Scary. NuEra is supposed to be
more Detroit style Techno, but I haven't heard it yet. 4Hero's "Parallel
Universe" is also quite good, especially the track with a sample that
says "We could go and terraform Mars...which is a shame, because we
really need to terraform Earth". They also have a track on Macro Dub
Infection.
Subtropic - proves that D&B can be done in America. A little more industrial
sounding. No divas, really, but stuff like a sample of "No pain, baby no gain"
repeating over & over. IDM city.
LTJ Bukem - "Logical Progression" is very smmoove. The mix CD is well done,
though he drags some shit out too longg. Looking for more.
Squarepusher - I've been ignoring this guy because he's on Rephlex. Maybe now
that he's on Warp I'll buy something.
Photek - I've heard one track, but his name pops up alot. I'll buy more.
Plug - waiting for Plugs 1 & 2 on CD, man.
Everything But The Girl - more genre bending than Goldie by far. Sure to piss
off the purist, but fuck the purists who'd keep the genre from mutating into the
next big thing. Ben Watt is doing more to get D&B played in the heart of
America than anyone on the planet. I saw 20,000 pretty normal people sit through
45 minutes of D&B. Maybe someday I'll hear D&B on the radio or TV. "Keep our
music underground, wah, wah, wah"...I for one am sick and tired of hearing crap
guitar music everywhere I go. Let D&B take over the planet. I'm ready.
Check out the Dave Wallace remix of "Walking Wounded" on the CDS, BTW.
Goldie - too much fucking diva action. D&B for House fans.
Omni Trio - divas, bad pianos, & cheesy strings, but some good beats.
Still, I'll give the new one a listen before I write him off.
Roni Size - a follower, not a leader.
Some comps I play often: Logical Progression, Music For The Revolutionary
Generation, Macro Dub Infection (a weird mix of D&B, Dub, and hard to
pigeonhole electronica).
Some comps I play occasionally: ArtCore, Intelligent Drum&Bass Vol.1 on
Strictly Underground.
Some comps I never play & would like to sell: Jungle Massive (FFRR), Nu Skool
Flava (SOUR), Drum&Bass Selection Vol.5 (?).
Comps I'll keep due to one track: Jungle Techno 4. This one features the
original D&B "Natural High" track by Chaos & Julia Set, which is yet another
name for Global Communication. You've probably heard the ultra-smoove Trip-Hop
remix on "Remotion", but you HAVE to hear the orignal. This is a dark, very
dark track that starts inducing an altered state of consciousness when it hits
the breakdown. Just fucking amazing, blows "Links" away.
FWIW, I've quit buying most IDM stuff, except for Autechre, Black Dog, Global
Communication, Sun Electric, Orb, and a few others. The IDM scene has just
gotten too stale and orthodox for me.
Che
PS Thanks to my friend Free for turning me on to this shit.