XDWombat Review #1
Ultraviolet Catastrophe
721 Quintara
San Francisco, CA 94116
- When in San Francisco, call the UVC at 415-6644-UVC. Why not.
- Trying to find these releases? Try looking in a store, cheese!
- Back issues are not available because there aren't any yet.
- This is all my opinion, which is invariably correct, so don't argue.
- BPMs? We don't need no stinking BPMs!
Amorphous Androgynous - Tales Of Ephedrina
Quigley: CDEBV1
Liquid Insects
Swab
Mountain Goat
In Mind
Ephidrena
Auto Pimp
Fat Cat
Pod Room
Oh my fucking god. That's all I can say.
This, in case you don't know, is the new full-length album from The
Future Sound Of London and it is absolutely mind-blowing. I don't
even know where to begin - words are pretty much pointless. I could
reproduce the equipment list (they have four Akai S1100s, the
bastards!) but why bother. One thing I like about FSOL is that their
music is otherworldly and very abstract. When you listen to an acid
trance track, it places you in a specific time and place, with a
certain pool of mental images to draw on. But FSOL eschew most
recognizable elements - there's a 909 kick every once in a while, but
other than that, you've never heard anything like this. Even the 303s
sound alien. There's a musical vision at work here that defies
description - the pedestrian cover art is rather disappointing in this
respect. What sort of visual image could you appropriately put with
this music, anyway? A bastard child of Monet, Dali, Escher, Giger
and Picasso perhaps. I can't go on about this disc any more - the
second track has just started up in my headphones and my brain is
quickly losing the ability to put one word after another.
300 out of 10. More than that. Infinity out of 10. Just get it.
Pay whatever price is necessary. (Speaking of which, I got the import
for $23.95 and found out almost immediately afterwards that there is a
domestic issue on Caroline that lists for $13.99. Oh well, in this
case, I don't mind... it's worth every penny.)
Various Artists - From Here To Tranquility
Silent: SR 9336
Michael Mantra - Sonic Altar
H20 - Undersea
XKP - Heart Ov Thee Would
Spice Barons - Spice Of God
Space Time Continuum - 2 Pro1
The Heavenly Music Corporation - Reentry (Trip Edit)
Artificial Paradise - Les Fleurs Du Mal
The Dark Beautiful - Diaphanous
Hyperdelicious - Tales Of Suspense
Psychic TV - Coumpletion 4A
I was very excited to get this compilation, because I'm on it. So
expect a little bias in this review.
Some very tranquil music here - most tracks are totally devoid of
beat, which makes it sort of suspect for an "intelligent dance music"
mailing list, but I think it would definitely appeal to IDM types in
the mood for chill-out vibes. There *are* beats in here, but they are
few and far between. My track has some pounding tribal drums but I
don't know that you'd want to hear it on a dance floor!
Mostly this is beautiful atmospheric music to chill to, so get it and
do it.
Oh, and harking back to this week's "pseudonym" discussion thread - I
think I may have to adopt one out of necessity - they've spelled my
name wrong AGAIN on the liner notes. Idiots!!
8/10. Packed full of floaty grooves, some just go on a little too
long.
Jon Drukman jdrukman%dlsun87@us.oracle.com
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Always note the sequencer - this will never let us down.