Buyer Rating:
100.0% positive
(1 rating)
|
Reviews:
Fuzzy Logic (2) - Gray Or Green Numbers - 05-Apr-06 01:57 AM
What a tragically un-hip, delightfully cheesy album. Based on the drum patterns, harmonies, melodies, and the types of synthesized sounds used on this recording, one would think it was recorded in 1986 rather than 1994. This Tangerine Dream-ish release straddles the fence between 1980s New Age and Orbital-esque electronica. The psuedo-poetic, wannabe-philosophical "rant" on the back (which the music on the album does not fit at all - italicized all-lowercase descriptions of seagulls flying over ocean waves at dawn would be far more congruous) proves that this artist was either trying too hard to be elitely cool or didnt have a clue. All this gives the album a certain cute naïveté that makes for an amusing and possibly sentimental listening experience. Other than that, I cant imagine why anyone would want to listen to this release.
Cornelius - Point - 03-Jul-04 05:05 AM
At first I didnt think much of "Point" - it seemed annoying, cheesy, and pretentious. It took me several listens and a little bit of research to finally "get" it.
"Point" is a successful juxtaposition of musical elements that no one would ever think of juxtaposing (due to the seeming disparity and incongruity of those elements). These elements include musique concrete, gentle r backgrounds, speed metal, rather danceable grooves, and vocal harmonies sustained far beyond the capacity of the human lung. The talented Cornelius somehow manages to blend all these elements (and more) into a surprisingly palatable aural stew - a remarkable feat. In some cases, such as the title track, the result is something so fresh and architecturally sound that it could be considered a work of art. Other times, the effect is one of calming cybernetic beauty ("Tone Twilight Zone", "Brazil", "Nowhere"), or, in the case of the John Zorn-esqe "I Hate Hate", attention span reduction and head shaking.
When approached as belonging to any specific musical genre, "Point" can seem annoying, cheesy, and/or pretentious, like the trying-to-sound-as-radio-friendly-as-possible, trying-way-too-hard demo of a band far too eccentric for the mainstream. But as is becoming increasingly more common in the world of music as time goes on, Cornelius is a genre unto himself, a hybrid of too many pre-existing genres to possibly concatenate (with hyphens) into a single pronounceable word.
Cornelius - Point - 05-Jan-04 07:01 PM
A unique blend of canonical electronic experiments, rock, La Monte Young influence (perhaps?), and Asian pop. Phenomenally produced. Intriguing drones, vocal harmonies, and funky ultra-tight rhythms abound. But so do examples of cliché psuedo-humor and cheesy tracks that could almost be classified as "adult contemporary". The distorted guitar/bass riffs are hair-metal-nostalgic at best and annoyingly-fruity-loopy at worst. I can only stand about the first 1/3 of this CD. Recommended for those who like Japanese pop-rock music, but who want something a little more adventurous and arty. All others would be best off avoiding this release.
AFX* - Analogue Bubblebath 3 - 20-Nov-03 01:35 PM
Analogue Bubblebath 3 (most notably track 2) proves that a prolonged, beyond-repetitious, not-exactly-complex string of tinnitus-inducing hi-hat-like samples, sometimes gritty and nasal booty bass booms, and atonal-yet-pretty, feather-light-yet-cheaply-overdriven ambient synth tones can actually be aesthetically pleasing. Listening to this disc gives me the same sense of wonder that I experience when I view paintings in an art museum - more so than listening to any Western "art music" Ive ever heard. Genius, indeed.
Zongamin - Zongamin - 11-Oct-03 01:46 PM
Lots of variety & novelty. Unfortunately, not as much replay value as youd expect for something so different from the norm. The disco-oriented, vintage-sounding tracks get my attention at first, but further in they "derail" into improvisatory racket. So-so in terms of production - almost everything is mono. A not-entirely-serious album with a bit too much emphasis on gimmickry, but still worth listening to once or twice.
View all 6 reviews...
|
