One of the best records on SKAM in my ears, all the tracks are good not one bad one. cicada is just amazing.
Here's a re-edit of review I wrote for the IDM list after purchasing this record at the time of release.
Track 1, "Dan One" is the sound of a robot invasion. Equipped with malfunctioning modems and dentist drills, and assorted other hi- and lo-tech equipment, they march relentlessly across the barren landscape.
2. "Five". Named after its time signature, this beautiful track is an example of Autechres attempts to engage and confuse their audience with extraordinary rhythms. Although lacking any real melody, and having little in the way of structure (in common with many Autechre tracks) this track is a great success. The weird effects employed at the end provide a fittingly strange conclusion.
Track 3 "Cicada" sounds like it could have dropped straight off WARP's Artificial Intelligence 2. Strange bursts of quiet white noise, and some harmonised vocal-type tones combine with a gentle bumpy beat to create a wonderful calming hypnotic effect. But something dark is happening too - an undercurrent of backward bass-tones and weird clonks and drones. The crazy bleeping outro breaks the mood in a rather incongrous manner, I think the track might be better without it.
Finally, "Sciew Spoc" is an almost crazy jumble of filmic effects, electronic zaps, echoes of dub, and muted voices. Maddeningly complex in places, simply beautiful in others, and utterly compelling
Still stunning after more than 10 years.
DO NOT listen to anyone that tells you that this release is Electro or tells you Gescom is Autechre’s Electro outfit, THEY AREN’T! In the first place Gescom, up until Keynell, wasn’t just Sean Booth and Rob Brown (Autechre), there were many other contributors. Even with Keynell and their releases after it, it can’t be sure that just the boys from Autechre are behind them. Over time I’ve seen this release and other Gescom releases labeled incorrectly with Electro and they’re far from it. Actually EP 1 is some of the most Ambient music SKAM has ever released.
When looking at the contributors (or conspirators as SKAM calls them) you can only imagine what this record is going to sound like. Mixing Darrel Fitton’s (Bola) extremely melodic sound with Rob Brown and Sean Booth’s abstractness its sheer beauty (I don’t mention the other’s because there career’s aren’t as well known). Just amazing. This is one of SKAM’s finest releases to date rivaling Boards Of Canada’s Hi Scores and Gescom’s later release Keynell. Sciew Spoc is definitely my favorite track, it includes the usual vocal samples that just adds the to overall greatness of the track. Truly a classic.