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Master Release

Shortcut Code: [m6395]
Data Quality Rating: Correct
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Ratings

4.28 / 5 (527 votes)

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Future Sound Of London, The - Accelerator

Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Techno
Year:
1991

Tracklist

Expander 5:40 X
Stolen Documents 5:13 X
While Others Cry 4:14 X
Calcium 6:43 X
It's Not My Problem 3:54 X
Papua New Guinea 6:46 X
Moscow 3:33 X
1 In 8 4:24 X
Pulse State 7:27 X
Central Industrial 4:25 X

Versions

Title, FormatLabelCat#CountryYear
Accelerator (CD, Album) Jumpin' & Pumpin', Jumpin' & Pumpin' CD TOT 2, CD TOT2 UK 1991
Accelerator (Cass, Album) Jumpin' & Pumpin' MC TOT 2 UK 1991
Accelerator (CD, Album) Jumpin' & Pumpin' CD TOT 2R UK 1992
Accelerator (CD, Album) Addiction Records ADDCD002 Australia 1992
Accelerator (CD, Album, Mixed) R & S Records RS 2192 CD UK 1992
Accelerator (LP) Jumpin' & Pumpin' LP TOT 2 UK 1992
Accelerator (LP) Shock (2) LP TOT 2 Australia 1992
Accelerator (CD, Album, RE) Hypnotic CLP 9707-2 US 1996
Accelerator (CD, Album, RE + CD, Comp) Jumpin' & Pumpin' CD TOT 2X UK 2001
Accelerator Deluxe (CD, Album + CD, Comp + , Dig) Hypnotic CLP 1218-2 US 2002
Accelerator (CD, Album + CD) Shock (2) ADDCD079 Australia 2002
▸ show all 10 reviews

Reviews & Discussion

Rated 3/5
Review by kentandrew Jul 26, 2007 (edited over 2 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, RE, CLP 9707-2

Calcium begs to be heard by everyone on the planet. Papua New Guinea became the worldwide underground hit. Generation Y'ers can probably recollect hearing this song at least once, although they may not know the title or author. FSOL are unlike trance or house which tends to sound spooky, angry, or happy. The sadness and precise placements of certain sounds gives the overall album a professional, timeless feel to it without the effect of cheesy and over-edited others. In future LP's FSOL become adventurous, leaving behind less interesting tunes in their wake. This is not to say that they still concoct some magnificent tracks per album. They just don't pack the levels of concentration that this one does. As with Orbital, Daft Punk, Leftfield, and Armand van Helden, it is a little disappointing that these musicians didn't attain the fame that they could have. With the mere injection of an unknown diva, these "underground" artists could have become pop icons. I feel that this album is the pinnacle of that era of underrated pop. Oh well...
Review by thacidisaster Apr 24, 2007 (edited over 2 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, LP, LP TOT 2

A classic of epic proportions. This LP was way, way ahead of its time and I can still listen to all the way through, Im sure partially due to the fact that I had it 91, which gives me a sense of nostalgia but also due to fact that this really is amazing stuff. Considering that a lot of these tracks were on previous EPs and predating the LP by a couple of years even, you cant help but be astounded. This was, and is in my top ten albums of all time and really should be owned by all, even if you only like Papua New Guinea. It is the full version too. That track alone never fails to send a shiver down the spine and set off feelings of all encapsulating joy. Show me one LP of electronic music from the same year that comes anywhere even slightly near to sniffing around its heels and ill eat my hat. A piece of electronica history that without any doubt paved the way for many followers. Warp records in 91 didnt even get near this! An absolute giant killer
Rated 4/5
Review by Aim023 Sep 14, 2006 (edited over 3 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, RE + CD, Comp, CD TOT 2X

To me, this CD really reverberates the soul, genius and excitement of the era it was released. I can't help but imagine those days long gone, of "cyber-punk", hackers, floppy-disc drives, the bare-bones potential of the world-wide web, the proto Matrix neo-psychedelia of ecstacy and rave culture, virtual reality as "wave of the future"... the list could go on!

I don't think the tracks here sound dated at all either, which is most surprising. The slightly-compressed 808 is still packing a punch even after all these years, and the U. K. acieed-kitsch is toned down several notches, making the music sound a lot less cheeky than many of their contemporaries, at least in Europe.

My opinion is that this album is their best work, and although it has been said time & time again, both on this site and on many others, "Papua New Guinea" is just an excellent, excellent track.

I, personally, wasn't very impressed by the second disc on this re-release though. I couldn't say I expected any of the remixed versions of the song to come close to even touching the original (and as such lowered my expectations considerably)... but even so, many of the mixes seemed to lack creativity. Nary a style-crossover to be found, which would have been interesting, and most remixes tend to just loop selected cuts from the track constantly, never really showing off enough in the way of its depth to make it interesting. Some of the mixes added little bits, but bored me still.

No matter, as I'd highly recommend this CD to anyone, just that perhaps its a better idea to look for the first edition than to waste too much money for the additional "Papua New Guinea" remixes.

Worth adding, in my opinion, that I hope we can eventually get past this "electro-clash" '80s zeit-geist and move towards a consensual nostalgia for early experimental '90s chill-out / bleep stuff - if ever there was a movement worth slipping back into, this is one of the releases that show-cases it.
Review by Reticulum_Flux Jul 30, 2006 (edited over 3 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, RE + CD, Comp, CD TOT 2X

FSOL's debut album, Accelerator, opened a lot of windows for electronic music in 1991 when it was first released. Never before had an artist came along and fused electronica, trance and house in such a successful way. Accelerator was not my introduction to FSOL.. infact it was the very last album I bought of their's. This didn't take away from my listening experience though because each album they release is quite a bit different then the next and there isn't logical progression (usually) so there was nothing to be desired in the sound. This album contains their monster hit "Papua New Guinea" which even to this day still gets occasionally club play. The 2nd disc is actually the remix single for Papua New Guinea that was orginally released separate. A nice bonus but begins to sound a bit repitetive.
Rated 5/5
Review by ReeferMan Feb 15, 2006 (edited over 3 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, CD TOT 2, CD TOT2

"Welcome to Central Industrial - we ARE the future!"

FSOL are arguably one of the most influential acts to arise from the late 80's / early 90's electronic rave scene. This album is their signature moment and it set a standard that few have tried to equal with a debut album. Here FSOL proved that techno / trance / house was a serious, mature musical genre. The production was clean and deep and the music was much more varied than 4-4 beats for the pilled-up generation.

It's difficult to imagine the electronic music scene without FSOL as they opened the door for other acts. Even now certain tracks on this album sound well ahead of the pack. Worth owning just for the seminal track 'Papua New Guinea' (if you don't have the CD single version) a piece that practically defines the early 90's. Also to be found here are 'Expander' and 'Moscow', two tracks that FSOL contributed to the soundtrack for WIPEOUT on the PlayStation. All the tracks have something to offer the post-Kraftwerk house generation and serious music fans should not be without this.
Rated 5/5
Review by manchester Sep 12, 2005 (edited over 4 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album + CD, ADDCD079

Stunning beautiful electronic music. Very much on a mellow house tip but hugely inventive and nothing like average deep house. This is electronica par excellence. Obviously Papua New Guinea is the standout classic which has very mellow breakbeats & there is a great bonus disc to see a number of quality remixers give their interpretation of this electronic masterpiece. However many of the other tracks have 4/4 beats but their beauty is in the sonic electronic landscapes weaved around them. One of the great electronic dance albums of all time.
Review by potentmonkey Aug 31, 2005 (edited over 4 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, CD TOT 2, CD TOT2

What an amazing album, from start to end it is awesome and well ahead of its time. The only track that is sort of disappointing is "Moscow". That track, although it isn't bad, just got on my nerves after a while. Other than that, this album is a must have. Particualr faves of mine include the infamous "Papua New Guinea", "Calcium" and "While others cry".
Rated 5/5
Review by THX_1138 Feb 15, 2005 (edited over 4 years ago)

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, RE + CD, Comp, CD TOT 2X

An absolutely historical album Originally released in 1991 this album is essential for understand the development of the electronic music during the nineties.

From all the aliases that Brian Dougans & Garry Cobain could have selected for this publishing, they creted this name that actually is the most wellknown: The Future Sound Of London.

That was exactly what "Accelerator" supposed on 1991, nothing else and nothing less that the sound that will dominate on the next ten years at London City.

For two persons that come from the Acid scene (Humanoid), published an album with breakbeats, trip hop, downtempo, ambient, house, techno and some drum & bass rythm structures was really absolutely visionary. Those were the cardinal points of the map in which London music (and electronic music in general) will be moving during the next years.

Today maybe could sound not as visionary, but it have passed practly fifteen years. And it stills sounds actually!

Absolutely great, and absolutely essential. And in this ten anyversary edition with a free bonus cd with "Papua New Guinea Mix Anthology". What else do you want?
Rated 5/5
Review by scoundrel May 18, 2004

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, RE + CD, Comp, CD TOT 2X

Accelerator. If you don’t have this album, you don’t know anything about electronic music. It’s a classic through-and-through. Although it may sound slightly dated, it still stands head-and-shoulders above most techno albums today. With impressive range, from the moody “While Others Cry” and the trance-forerunner “Calcium” to the nu-industrial of “Central Industrial” and the storming “Moscow,” Accelerator still is a great listen. This re-release also includes 10 mixes of “Papua New Guinea,” a title that should inspire devotion among all fans of electronic music. Blue States does its usual downtempo magic on the track, while Simian makes it sound like the carnival from hell. Hybrid (of course) adds some hard breaks, while Satoshi Tomiie makes some dark house. Some good mixes, but do they hold up to the original? What do you think the answer is?
Review by futuremoves May 17, 2004

referencing Accelerator, CD, Album, CD TOT 2, CD TOT2

I am the first to comment of this album??? Incredible! I am absolutley stunned and confused. Simplistic, futuristic, dark, moody techno music with a distinctive sound. One of my favourite albums ever.