Seefeel – Succour

Dark, hazy and almost psychedelic beats set in a future pretty similar to Blade Runner. Or at least that’s what I like to imagine. This is one of the greatest electronic albums I have ever heard, and this pressing does it justice. Pick it up without hesitation, you won’t be disappointed.

Just listening to Bill Nelson's brilliant 1988 album Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights, and was struck by how similar his piece 'Infinite Station' is to Seefeel's Fracture. Possible inspiration? Curious to hear what others think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YntRSgcia34

Such a beautiful album. It's still one of my favorites from the Warp catalogue and really stands out as absolutely unique.

Could be I just got a bad copy of this, but the CD (original or reissue) sound richer and warmer, even if the bass isn't as deep. i don't enjoy the vinyl nearly as much.

I remember buying this on CD when it came out and for some reason it never really hit me. Maybe because at that time IDM was so technical (esp Seefeel's label mates) that I found it minimal in comparison. Fast forward years later and i'm having a conversation at a record shop about Mark Cliffords remix ep of Cocteau Twins and the clerk shows me this reissue. So I pick it up.

Very happy I did. The tracks came flooding back to me. The eerie sci-fi feeling. The complex feedback and distortion, which is amazing how well this reissue captured IMO. The subtle vocal edits and shoegaze nods. And the dub...so good. This is one of those albums that is almost dream like.

In retrospect, this album carries some of my favorite sounds from the 90's - SAW era ambient, Bill Laswell-ish dub, MBV style guitar work and Elizabeth Fraser inspired vocals. A timeless classic that almost slipped past me a second time!

Oh, and my 3LP copy plays excellent (through an ortofon arkiv stylus, yamaha hs8 monitors) other than the gap between Rupt and Vex, shame on you Warp!

This is one of the best Warp albums of the 90s, right up there with Tri Repetae and I Care Because You Do. Those three might even consist of a holy trinity of 1995 Warp albums. Just a great, dark, brooding collection of industrial IDM tracks. Depending on your mood, this is the peak of Seefeel's output (Quique might be better if you're in the mood for something lighter).

As another perspective on some of the issues noted below, while my copy does have a defect about a minute into F5 Vex, this doesn't appear to be a pressing issue to me - the needle tracks cleanly through the "glitch" and it never happens again, which leads me to believe the defect is actually in the source audio used in the pressing.

I do not have any issues with tracks on the C plate, and while my first play through had some clicks and pops, this seemed to be surface static that was discharged after the first spin. Follow up listens have been noticeably quieter, and this is a common issue I've noted for a long time with brand new records in poly-lined sleeves, they always have some static first play.

Overall very nice reissue and remaster.

Great bass, and quiet pressing, in general, but I here confirm flaws on Side C and Side F; otherwise, magnificent quality of sleeves and sound.

I have tested out 2 copies and both seem to have a defect on the song Vex. It causes the needle to jump back and forth and ultimately skip. I’ve seen people say that raising the tracking force helps, but you shouldn’t have to do that, and risk damaging other records, or having to fiddle with it every time. That’s absurd. I’d stay away until Warp fixes the issue.

Sounds mega. Bass lovers will not be disappointed, and the treble is thankfully not hyped or pushed. A very tasteful remaster, sounding better than the original CD. If only all the Warp remasters could be this good…