On Mon, 29 Apr 1996, Jon Burrell wrote:
quoted 6 lines Subtropic - Homebrew CD (Reflective)> > Subtropic - Homebrew CD (Reflective)
> It eludes me how this could be considered a 'best of class' release. It's
> not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but really lacks the
> imagination, inventiveness and fire in the belly of much of the stuff I'm
> hearing. We've had this debate on the list before and produced long lists
> of better things to spend your pennies on so I'll leave it at that.
True. I've heard most of them, however, and I'm still much more
impressed with Subtropic. The Plug album will probably unseat it, but
this is easily the pick of the bunch I've heard.
quoted 5 lines T-Power - The Self-Evident Truth of an Intuitive Mind CD (SOUR)> > T-Power - The Self-Evident Truth of an Intuitive Mind CD (SOUR)
> What hype ? This is ambient jungle (for want of a tag) at its best.
> Quality production makes the beats and 'noodles' work so well. I don't
> really see the direct comparison with (the indeed excellent) Plug which
> is seriously in yer face and experimental.
I can't remember how many times I was promised that this album was going
to force me to change all my opinions of jungle. The entire album is
extremely *competent*, but it's also cheesier than gouda. Replace the
breaks in "Circle" with your standard four-on-the-floor and you've got
just another ho-hum trance record that nobody with a clue would bother
themselves with these days. I can easily imagine pushing a shopping cart
around K-Mart to the opening strains of "Trapezium." The second half of
the album IS less sugary and a bit more interesting. I like the idea of a
smart IDM/jungle hybrid, but this just isn't it. I've just drifted into
the section of "Octagon" with the sampled strings and shakuhachi. Deep
Forest drum n' bass anyone? I've got to shut this off now...
quoted 4 lines Journeys by DJ Coldcut CD (JDJ? What label is this?)> > Journeys by DJ Coldcut CD (JDJ? What label is this?)
>
> No one comes close to mixing like these boys. This is probably the finest
> mix CD ever !!
You've heard them all, then? I wasn't trying to criticize this on
technical grounds. My point was that they try to cover too much ground
and shift gears every time they work their way into a good groove.
quoted 4 lines Various - Flexistentialism 2CD (Ninja Tune)> > Various - Flexistentialism 2CD (Ninja Tune)
> FFS, the slow down to the cheesy bit and the way the beats cut back in
> make for one of the idm moments of the year so far. It's nearly summer,
> open your windows, play this LOUD !
I like the drum n' bass at the beginning, although it doesn't sound
qualitatively different from the rest of this stuff I've heard. However,
the "jazzy" bit in the middle really is in poor taste.
(up on the soapbox)
Why is it that whenever an electronic musician borrows from jazz it's
always the corny middle-of-the-road boring lounge jazz that no real jazz
head has taken seriously since my father was in diapers? Luke Vibert can
appropriate this style to good *deliberate* ironic effect, but everybody
else seems to think they're really jamming. I'd like to hear somebody
take a good whiff of Albert Ayler or Cecil Taylor up their sampler. Why
doesn't somebody take some chances?!?!
quoted 1 line OnNow: Orbital - In Sides (forgive and forget for The Box single, eh ? )> OnNow: Orbital - In Sides (forgive and forget for The Box single, eh ? )
So, it's out, I take it? How is it?
On: Yoni - Spirit of Adventure
Off: T-Power