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• It's that Detroit Shit...

Various - The Philosophy Of Sound And Machine - 27-Oct-09 06:26 AM
Quite simply the holy grail of British IDM. A gorgeous compilation of early works from then still unknown artists who would later shape and define a whole genre. Apart from Abdul Haqqs wonderful artwork and Derrick Mays remix, "The Philosophy Of Sound And Machine" was the first "all-British" Techno showcase.

You might already have heard about the two rare tracks by Richard D. James which are only to be found on this release. Kirk DeGiorgio tracks sparkle with straight forward and quite harsh Techno enthusiasm, while the B12 boys and Balil (Ed Handley, better know as part of Plaid) craft dreamy, melancholic sci-fi spheres above some clever and twisted drummachine workouts.

Mike Dreds "Remember The Time" will make you do exactly what the title says when listening to it nowadays. The Derrick May mix of Matt Coggers "Artemis" however is the least interesting work on this compilation and comes across a little undecided - Coggers original sounds a lot better in my opinion.

Ken Downie, who would later found The Black Dog, delivers a strange track named "Trance" which comes across a bit tacky today, with spooky vocals either boldly stating "Trance!" or citing Aleister Crowleys "Do what thou whil shall be the whole of the law" - all above a wild bunch of layered synth arpeggios, acidic swirls and a hectic fast beat. Still remarkable given the year it was made - and that goes for most offerings on here, which were way ahead of their time back then.

The sound quality is okay for the time when this came out, although a decent remastering would probably brighten up these tracks a lot and add more contour to certain frequencies.

Being a cornerstone of IDM, this seminal album truly deserves a re-release. Still as relevant today as when it came out 17 years ago.

Soup - New York - London - Paris - Chicago - 19-Sep-09 02:05 PM
Although "New York - London" is one of the better 909 Euro-"Techno" bangers from the mid-nineties and certainly follows a clever dramaturgy with its arrangement, I really wish Soup had resisted the temptation to shamelessly sample over 1 minute of the Irresistable Forces ambient classic "Space Is The Place".

If Mixmaster Morris genious ambient melodies were subtracted from the track, it wouldnt be much more than mediocre 909 Euro dancefloor fodder.

Im really tolerant when it comes to sampling, but letting someone elses record literally play along for minutes as the key part and then sell and license the recording big time as your own work without even mentioning the source somehow just aint right.

Shame on you for that, Soup.

Various - The First Wave - 04-Jul-09 03:04 PM
Pacific Records was a rock solid label regarding the quality of its releases. No wonder this compilation turns out to be rock solid too. 17 tunes, 0 misses. Lush chords, moody pads, funky basslines and tight drum programming all over. Hot Lizard and Sunrise Society showcase their inventive, well-crafted tracks ("Big Air" with its Saunderson-esque bassline for example is simply epic) besides incredible remixes by some of Technos big players.

Check Carl Craigs feverish remix of Hot Lizards "The Theme" or Steve Rachmads floorshaking interpretation of Sunrise Societys "Astral Travel". Berkana Sowelus "Solid Fuel" with Damon Wild and Dennis Ferrers hands on it is another forgotten classic, walking the line between House and Techno with an irresistible, funky groove. Ian OBriens "That Was Now" deserves to be mentioned too - being a deeper, less frantic interpretation of his famous "Mad Mike Desease" on Ferox. I could really go on forever, praising every single track here ... but i guess whoever reads this already got the big picture by now.

If someone would ask me what good Techno sounded like around 1997, Id probably hand him this double CD. A bag of goodies which easily stood the test of time.

Shinedoe - No Boundaries - 29-Jun-09 04:49 AM
"No Boundaries" sounds quite introverted and personal, almost a bit timid at first listen. As on "Sound Travelling" (her debut album), the percussion is decent and inoffensively grooves along with the sparse synth figures and effective basslines. Most tracks work rather through their hypnotic quality than surprising you with unexpected arrangement twists and insane build-ups or hitting you in the face with smashing bassdrums. More 808 than 909, if you know what I mean. Hence, I strongly suggest to give this album the time and repeated listening it needs to grow on you.

"Below" is very solid with a bouncy plucked bass sound, nice dub chords, occasionally rising strings and a percussive "sonar" sound on top - the track has a certain Svek feel to it. "Bounce To This" has "oldskool" written all over the track - a deep acid bassline, pitch-bended synths strings, horn stabs and a typical 90s house organ. Sure to lift the roof a bit. "Just For Us" is a latin-inspired, percussive organ groover for the early hours. "Finding A Balance" oozes warmth and african atmosphere without even one cliché sound and clearly is the most original and dense track on here. Following, "Higher" doesnt really live up to the quality of Shinedoes earlier releases under the "Innersphere" moniker - okay psycho minimal, but seems a bit static. "Jazz It Up" builds on a saxophone sample (maybe overusing it a bit) and combines it with irresistable and driving drums. "No Boundaries" then ends the album with deepness and soulful vocal bits.

Shinedoe continues to develop her own trademark sound with great dedication. A refreshing album with long summer nights on its mind.

Michael Jackson - 25-Jun-09 06:56 PM
"Bad" was the first record I ever bought. Michael Jackson was a musical genius of our time, and I never get tired of listening to his records.

Im glad to see my 7-year old godson getting into his music lately, and even the toughest wannabe-gangster-teens at the school where I recently was teaching knew "Billie Jean" and admired his unique dancing style. Michael Jackson will keep fascinating people for decades to come.

May he rest in peace.

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