• Browse Collection (440)

• Browse Wantlist (26)

• Contact

CiM - Series One - 01-Oct-08 12:28 PM
Kicking off with 'Cool Air', a track which combines steady beats reminiscent of Carl Craig and Detroit techno with soft soothing strings and chord samples and a house bassline, this EP gets off to a blissful and positive start. Track 2 - 'Typical' has a rustic low-fi Amiga-esque quirkiness with its beats, it's more up tempo but with those signature melodies so typical of CiM.

On the B side, we have the primitive style of Morgan Geist's remix of 'Typical', with its stomping beat it has a raw electronic melodic sensibility similar to the likes of 808 State or Black Dog Productions putting this track firmly on the dancefloor. A soft slowed down breakbeat sample (later kicking in with some up-tempo D 'n B style loops) along with a calm chord sample (typical of CiM) finishes off the EP in a serene and optimistic mood in 'Lead Point'. This is a good early release by CiM and a great example of late nineties electronica. Unfortunately this style (what I would call 'Optimist Electronica') was short lived and one wonders if it will return and for that matter, any more releases by CiM.

By the way, I have this on white label and the A4 sheet that comes with it (from Headspace) lists the title of this 12 inch as "Volume One" not "Series One".

Brian Eno - 23-Aug-07 11:54 AM
Brian Eno is quite simply a genius. A master of ambience. I never fully appreciated his work until 20 or so (30 in some cases) years after its release. Any artist that produces music that stands the test of the time deserves the highest of accolades. His ambient work is simply timeless, sounds which get better with age. Take time to absorb his work fully.

Cylob - Spider Report - 28-Jul-07 05:43 PM
Great release from Cylob. By this point in his career he's perfected his unique sound. Listening to the track 'Relent' I can't help but hear old Commodore 64 game tunes or teletext music. Two extra tracks (not on the 12 inch) are available with this release on iTunes or Bleep - they are: Eldritch and Klefdol.

V.L.A.D. - 28-Feb-07 11:44 PM
V.L.A.D.'s influences are cited as emerging "from the death throes of new wave and electro-body-music". This is clearly apparent in the fractured, cut-up electronica that this Frenchman produces. In his youth during the eighties, V.L.A.D. was apparently influenced by metal culture and the road that was mapped out for a future guitar hero with long hair and a studded leather-jacket didn't transpire. V.L.A.D. preferred the companionship of machines to humans and endeavoured to produce quirky electronic music in the basement of his toy and comic shop from 1998 onwards. He also went as far as producing tracks in Tampa, Florida together with Scott Burns. The only mark that he preserved from his early influences at this time was the hairstyle of the head-banger still lurking in him. V.L.A.D. cites his influences as "Obituary, Mr Bungle and Suffocation" yet it is easier to hear the video game and pop culture influences in the fractured cut-up Autechre-esque style of his tracks. It remains to be seen if the early metal influences emerge in his music, but based on his previous material anything can happen and one wonders what direction V.L.A.D. will take next if indeed any new material emerges at all with no proper release during 2006. Taking the baton, perhaps, is fellow Frenchman Jackson Fourgeaud & His Computer Band who purveys a similar fractured, cut-up style.

Various - We Is Easie. - 26-Feb-07 04:50 PM
The 'Tony Anka' pseudonym on this compilation is actually Tony Senghore who gave me a copy of this CD personally when I used to work with him back in the Team17 days during the 1990s. Tony also did the 3D rendered artwork on the CD sleeve. 'Sailor Moon' is dreamy drum 'n bass a la Roni Size, 'Carneval' is funked up techno in Tony's syncopated style that he seemed to develop very early on in his career in music.

'Magica de Hex' is Martin Venetjoki who produced the more abrasive tracks on this compilation like the ironically titled 'Eurodance' which could easily appear on Speedy J's 'Loudboxer' album.

On the whole, quite a well produced compilation for its time although sounding somewhat dated now in places.

View all 14 reviews...