The Detroit Escalator Co.* – Black Buildings

man, this is just a wonderful album. i understand the comment from 'Gimac123' about the shorter track durations, and believe me i can handle LONG tracks! but this album doesn't disturb me in the least, i guess because the tracks all flow so well together and create one general mood. it's quieter than his first album, and just very moving and emotional throughout. it would be difficult for me to pick between his two releases; i like this one at least as much as 'soundtrack [313].' 'black buildings' is more mature i think, better crafted and just a very special album in my opinion.

Amazing album. So soothing and yet mysterious. Thought provoking and surreal. For me the height of high quality ambient music and exactly what reminds me of the fact that so many people miss out on such beautiful sounds through a lack of exploring the wonderful underground gems. Perfect for Sunday chill sessions, driving in Scottish landscapes and listening in the dark to escape the crazy world we often find ourselves in.

I found this album frustrating to be honest. A track will start and invariably it is good, you start getting really into it and wondering where it's going to take you, and then it just ends. There's a total of 20 tracks on this, all very short in length, I just found it all a bit annoying, it's as if he couldn't be bothered finishing them off.

Not a patch on his first album.

How about Fractal (In) for some frosty electronic euphoria. Damn.

Hard album to find but definitely worth getting. I got the album 2 years ago and is still played on a daily basis. Its hard to describe the album but "Black Buildings" contains an urban/city like atmosphere with industrialous machine soundcapes with ambient beats that aren't cheesy. The artist rode his bike around Detroit with a DAT recorder on him & created riffs that mimic those sounds. Neil's music sounds like nothing I've ever heard and his album would always catch people's attention whenever I'd play it. Even though people sell it online over the $20 figure, its definitely worth getting!

On The Detroit Escalator Co.’s second full album, <I>Black Buildings</I>, Neil Ollivierra manages once again to coax emotion from machines. The bass seems a bit more pronounced, as if he were constructing solid foundations for these buildings -- but keep in mind that bass does not always translate into kick drums. “No2,” for instance, swims in the bass, but manages an ambient elegance. Mark my words, the compositions are solid. “Manual Transmission” thrums with beauty; “Gathering Light” continues the ambient beauty. “Fractal (In)” glistens and shimmers; “Float” is pretty much self-explanatory. The Detroit Escalator Co. makes one-of-a-kind music. Just listen and you’ll agree.