Tipper – Surrounded

hoping this album eventually gets the vinyl reissue treatment like Broken Soul Jamboree did.

this is a modern classic of electronica, surprised it isn't better known - and has never had a vinyl release.

Surrounded may well be one of the most remarkable downtempo CDs of the year. And it comes as a real surprise to insiders of Tipper's music. It seems like Tipper was trying to re-invent himself, tired of his unnoticed brakes and techno productions. Surrounded is Tipper's proof that he can actually compose music and generate melodies that crawl under your skin. Surrounded brings you the emotions of a rainy day. The music is consistently cinematic and reminds me to some extent to Bola's more harmonic moments. The two exceptions on this CD are the intro, a very spacey and rhythmless piece laying the grounds for what's to come, and the extro - another experimentation of abstract bass. Surrounded would be better off without that last piece. Still, it is a great journey I enjoy each time I listen to.

The production that went into this must have taken forever. But damn, it is good! This CD will beg you to listen to it time and time again to look for subtle layers that you didn't hear before. You can definitely listen to this while doing something else, because it is really good downtempo, albeit very depressing in terms of the mood that it puts forth. Enough about what the music sounds like. What does it feel like? For the most part, the music is very introspective. And depressing. Boy, is it depressing! The chords and melodies just break your heart because of how lonely the music feels. "Rotundus Maximus" does break from this mood. This track, instead of making you feel sad or lonely, makes you feel evil. Geez, this tracks sounds so deliciously evil. You have to hear it to get what I mean.

A great soundtrack for rainy days, Surrounded is definitely worth it. If you like IDM, get this. If you like trip-hop, you'll probably like this, too. If you don't like electronic music, you're out of luck, because everything in here reeks of synths. If you are a seasoned electronic fan, this should work well for you, otherwise, the sound will really grate on your ears.