Joey Beltram ‎– Places

beltram is at his prime on this release, forging a sound distinctively his own. cold, stripped down and in your face, this is techno from the streets of Queens NYC. methodical and sparse, managing to create a sense of space that has been rarely heard before or since.

first class stuff

Like everyone else says, this is an absolute classic. I actually prefer this album of some of his earlier, better known work. Here, Beltram relies a lot less on the 303 squelchy sounds and focuses more on just making skeletal techno bangers. Even for something made in 1995, this sounds fairly primitive. Each track is basically made up of some drum loops filtered through effects with the occasional synth stab thrown in. The loops do vary because they are added and subtracted throughout the duration of the tracks but they are fairly simple. Lots of sharp handclap sounds on here as well. Not much melody at all. Sounds kinda boring but it's really not because these tracks are so finely crafted despite their rudimentary simplicity. My favorite tracks on here are probably "Ten Four" and "Metro". Highly recommended if you want to hear some excellent purist techno.

This LP was Joey's finest work since the classic 'Energy Flash'
When this came out there wasn't a techno dj on earth who didn't have it in there box. It is possible to do a top set just using this double LP.
Every track is typical Beltram style, raw hard NY techno funk.
From beginning to end this album hits hard like a train, not a weak track on it.
Still sounds excellent in 2006.

One of the best techno records I own. Like so many other things Beltram has done, it's just solid as a rock: _every_ track is good. But I think this collection of tracks has to be his masterpiece. The brilliantly headstrong techno/house of Instant, the crazy pounding intensity of Game Form and Oval-it's the typical JB refined grittiness, but at the peak of his mastery. No self-respecting techno DJ goes without either this double pack or one of its singles.

The starting point of Beltram's obsessive techno period! In this one, and in nearly all of his releases since, he seems to concentrates on each sound with an obsessive sense of perfection, sculpting shapes an frequencies to offers blasting density AND subtle variations. The influence on later minimal techno is huge, even, this one is not exactly minimal : the sound is HUGE, and a real blast, even on a personal stereo equipment ! The downside is the same as on Jeff Mill's work, that has an overall similar evolution : sounds great, but melodies are not the matter (and sometime even ot here!)