INTELLIGENT DANCE MUSIC TIMES V1.3
XDWombat checking in again to beam some techno jammies straight into
your brain. Digital dump THIS, baby. Note to those unfamiliar: if I
say something is The Shit, this means that it is a GOOD thing.
Sandoz - Digital Lifeforms
Touch TO:21
125 7:40 Armed Response
128 7:30 Chocolate Machine
121 8:01 Digital Lifeforms
124 6:54 Human Spirit
98 6:57 Drum Meditation
126 8:44 Limbo
133 8:24 Zombie Astral
126 6:44 Beam
120 7:49 Steel Tabernacle
121 9:11 White Darkness
Sandoz == Richard Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire. Now, I've never been a
huge fan of CabVol's house music, but this is The Shit. Originally
released as 3 separate 12" singles, it reminds me of Orbital or Black
Dog, in that the tracks tend to spin around and around in loops,
building up to big towers of geometric abstraction. However, it's way
better than either of those groups because the sounds and melodies are
a lot cooler. The Digital Lifeforms of the title are strange
multi-legged affairs with snaky tentacles. They writhe sensuously on
"Zombie Astral" or slink along with a sleazy house beat on "Drum
Meditation." It's sort of techno-tribal-jazz-dub house, if you can
imagine that. Really trancy and wonderful. 10/10.
Hardfloor - TB Resuscitation
Harthouse HH CD 1
133 8:10 Lost In The Silverbox
128 8:15 Trancescript
146 4:41 Teebeestroica
140 7:47 Into The Nature
140 4:50 Brachalde Rontzdrate
125 8:56 Acperience 1
132 5:04 Drugoverlord (remix)
119 7:58 AM-Trip
"Dedicated to the inventor of the Roland TB-303" is says on the back,
and it's not hard to see why. This album is basically nothing but 303
acid and (mainly) 909 drums. The songs are all pretty similar - they
build and build, adding layers of 303 and 909 and the occasional extra
synth until you've got a huge throbbing tower of power. This formula
recurs with the main difference between tracks being the tempo. If
you've heard Acperience 1, this is still the definitive statement, in
my book, probably because I prefer medium-tempo stuff to the
headbanging 140+ things. Acperience just grooves along at a nice pace
until the snares come in and the thing explodes in an orgasmic frenzy
of squirting 303 sounds. Quite a rush. "Drugoverlord" is actually
kind of a change, having little in the way of 303, and having a more
bouncy, swung beat. Pity it's not very interesting.
Summary: acid acid and more acid. 7/10.
Eat Static - Abduction
Planet Dog BARK CD 001
132 7:21 Prana
136 6:29 Gulf Breeze
142 6:46 Kalika
118 8:39 Splitting World
134 6:41 Kinetic Flow
142 8:13 Forgotten Rites
102 7:56 Abduction
138 6:07 Intruder
130 6:29 Xenomorph
135 6:07 Inner Peace
I nearly shit a brick when this disc commenced with yet another sample
of Terence McKenna. Please God, I prayed, cause all the recordings of
this man's voice to be erased immediately. Fortunately, it was only a
3 second sample and there are NO MORE anywhere else on the disc! (Tim
Leary, Gen P-Orridge, McKenna - if I never hear these voices on record
ever again, I will be VERY happy.) Even more fortunately, the music
on this disc is really incredible. "Prana" is a wonderful bouncy
techno tune with some lovely analog squelches. "Abduction" is a
gorgeous trip, with a long ambient intro leading into a memorable and
pretty melody. This is quality stuff! One thing I should mention is
that the songs actually *go places*! Yes, they have direction, rather
than being 8 minutes worth of loops. Right on. And despite the
prevalence of high tempi, the songs are absolutely NOT typical
headbanging hardcore.
Summary: Solid album of intelligent listening music - danceable and
highly melodic. 9/10.