Rapoon – Cold War : Drum 'N' Bass

Without a doubt this is one of the most unique albums I've ever heard and is one of my favorites. It's genuinely difficult choosing a favorite song as at least 3 songs from this album are among my favorite tracks ever. You've Won Nothing is a completely otherworldly dnb experience, Rubicon is spaced out, ethereal, and thought-provoking, while A Desert Wind is honestly reminiscent of what would become vaporwave years down the line. My friend called me crazy for that last take but I still think it's true. Incredible album and I long to hear more truly Ambient Drum & Bass.

Holy shit. What the fuck. Completely otherworldly. Alien. Those were the first words that popped into my mind. The track '...You've Won Nothing' is one of the most entrancing Drum & Bass cascades of sound I've ever heard.

Despite the title there is not much Drum 'n' bass on this album, at least not in the traditional sense. First off, forget about the second disk off this release as it's pure trash. Simply one of the worst music Rapoon has ever made. I wonder to this day what has driven Robin Storey to think that this was worth putting on a disk? I'm still trying hard to erase this second division rubbish from the core of my memory.

Thankfully the day is saved by what is offered on the first disk: Pure ambient bliss from start to finish. You get exactly what you'd expect from Rapoon: Convoluted sound collages, soothing drone beds, echoing instruments from an outer realm and indistinct rhythmic patterns. Two tracks in particular stand out in a way as they feature samples that are popular within the Drum 'n bass genre. "Fixated" has what sounds like the Apache break used in a non-upfront and constricted fashion on top of vapory strings and noisy sound figures. Makes for a great track while falling asleep I found. "...You've Won Nothing" is the real deal here however. A syncopated Amen break pattern in a what seems to sound like an irregular time signature, all alongside filtered textures of reverbarating drones and roaring trumpets. Impressive build up and change in tone at the start and end of the song. I have listened to my fair share of Jungle and Drum 'n bass in the past but I haven't come across something like this before. Robin Storey took one of the most widely used samples and made it not only his own but concluded something that is unfamiliar and unique with it. Is this Drum 'n bass after all? One has to decide for himself. I like to think that in the context of the rest of the tracks there is no clear relation to that genre except for the title.

In the end, this album is a beautiful experience that is only overshadowed by the shameful atrocity that the second CD is.

If you like this release it is recommended to check out Mystified's tribute album to it, called Sovereign.