Enigma "Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!" (1996)

Album number three, Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! arrives an amorphus evolution of previous ideas. The prior potiency of Worldbeat dimishes as global cultral sounds subside into a stagnant midtempo troth of dreary passing moods. Michael Cretu takes the role of frontman. His milder vocals, slightly strained, strip the music of impact. Aiming high but landing short, his attempted grandiosity and questions of “im asking why” shys from evoking the deeper resonance these songs are searching for.

 

Meddling instrumentals noodle around with slugish atmospheric synths over dulled Woldbeat and Trip Hop percussion groves. It evokes mildly etheral vibes, somewhat contemplative but rarely do they peak or summit upon a destination. These songs simply circle on themselves as various instruments or vocals chime in on these travels. The moods conjured are dreamy, relaxing and indulgent but mostly as drifting emotions, passing one by. You could give your full attention to them… or not.

 

Thus many of Enigma's once impactful deployment of Gegorian chants, or the inclusion of dramatic female warblings, fall to is medicore persuasion. This third chapter isnt awful but the exicusion of its now established ideas end up drifting through routine, droning percussive loops. This religates a somehat decent round of listens as the novelety somewhat wears off. I now lack the appitite to return again.

 

Rating: 5/10 

Little Simz "Drop 7" (2024)

 

Simz' output is already steeped in creativity. This EP series serve as a niche place to drop any variety of flavor and this seventh installment arrives in shapely form. Working with producer Jakwob, the pair unleash a hypnotic current of cultural instrumentation, conjuring suggestions of Spanish, Mexican and Latino music with selective percussion sounds. Arrangements flow with sharp rhythm and lean bass thudding, fitting for club vibes. Atmospherically sparse, the music feels open and minimal yet the drums shuffle and snap on dense arrangement of complimenting chromatic textures. Its simply slick.

Fever reinforces this cultured embrace, rapping a verse in Portuguese. Mood Swings affirms the club beat as the songs motif drifts through an exploration of escaping into night life. Other lyrics also hint on a therapeutic angle, the music being a means to vent life's frustrations and difficulties, although I didn't dive to deep into them. Drop 7 represents a lean fifteen minutes, one of fruitful creativity that may be a stepping stone to a fresh chemistry. Sim'z masters this new dynamic tone just wonderfully.

Rating: 5/10

Crosses "Crosses" (2014)

Having enjoyed the duo's new sophomore record, I ventured back to their debut, released nine years prior. Feeling very much fitting of its era, the electronic percussive arrangements tilt in a handful of directions, ta Disco House flavor of Daft Punk rears its head early on. The rest mostly an assemble of sluggish Trip Hop grooves and subdued drum patterns. They mostly stir echos from Post-Punks expansive umbrella, far from the hard hitting, cutting edge that its followup leaned into. 

This left Crosses with an expression rooted in the moment, something about arriving ten years late has been tricky to reorient. Led by Chino's charm, that inescapable Deftones feeling is prevalent but this time his partner Lopez crafts moody textural passing of mellow sound. Drenched in ambiguous, airy, soft design, many sounds emerge. Gentle guitar licks, plucked strings, a groaning Sax, broody pianos and riveting organ shimmer, with the occasional metallic riff dialing down its intensity.

The two fall into a sway, grooving on sullen, melancholic strides, mustering occasional bursts of energy on odd songs. The Epilogue was my favorite, cruising with pace and bustling in gated toms for a lively energy, the guitar lick and vocals made for a catchy hook. A rarity, much of the music focuses on mood, highlighting a lack of connection in its absence. Ultimately, the duo focus on a side of their chemistry that doesn't quite tick all the boxes for me. A fair listen but not one I'll come back to often.

Rating: 5/10

In The Nursery "Anatomy Of A Poet" (1994)

In seeking out Neoclassical Darkwave adjacent music, Spotify chalked up this Sheffield based duo who've been active since the 80s. Anatomy Of A Poet features Colin Wilson orating his own poetry in brief stints on various tracks. With its musical concept laid out plain and clear, I've found myself baffled at the disposition between his solemn glum voice and the stunning strings arrangements that meddle around then current percussive trends. Touches of Dance, Industrial and Trip Hop appraise danceable droning drum loops, as cinematic sequences of stellar orchestration muster an emotional elegance. This chemistry is one I've come close to discovering before.

As the album progresses, brief strides of classy composition break up its powerful percussive sway. Acute melodies, subtle chords, unusual instrumentation textures and flashes of electronics craft dreamy hazes that resolve into warming strides of persuasive sound. Then walks in the over pronounced tongue of Colin, his meaty, chocked words break the spell, despite it clearly being central to the records concept.

Arriving at The Seventh Seal, the pair stretch for ambiguous cultural sounds, a tingle of Spanish guitar, sung with a Country tang feels uncomfortable. The following tracks lean further into the poetic waxing and recurring themes has its entrancing energy wain swiftly. The funeral gloom of November Trees almost sparks a spell but the spoken words simply don't align. Its final track, unapologetically embraces the droning cheese of 90s electronic energy, throwing another curb ball to derail what started out as a wonderus musical experience.

Rating: 5/10

Potatohead People "Mellow Fantasy" (2020)

Mellow Fantasy, a breezy affair of performative Jazz Hop. Slick in design and execution, the Jazz Fusion adjacent instrumental artistry of this dynamic duo indulges in soft affable tunefulness. One can "tune in and tune out", an effortless listen. A feathery glow blows in the winds of every track, a cushy soothing groove, infusing dauntless jives within an airy carefree stride, letting its plentiful good vibes flow forth.

Hidden Levels breaks its relaxed stride. Injecting a quirky baseline, its harder bass kick thump gets rocking with the arrival of infectious claps. Forrest Mortifee illuminates this track with a colorful timid tenderness in voice, swaying on the songs texture with a breathy performance reminiscent of Hiatus Kaiyote's Nal Palm. The theme returns twice with both Bunnie and Kendra Dias bringing 90s R&B voices to the fold.

This highlights the albums structure, alternating collaborations with rapers and singers between shorter instrumental cuts. This time, less emphasis is placed on lead instruments, serving more as a slice of cool atmosphere between its voiced chops. Although I missed this dexterous dazzle of melodic manifestation, the bigger picture is a consistent vibe, nailed exquisitely. All pieces present fit this pleasant puzzle.

Rating: 7/10

Potatohead People "Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy" (2018)

 

 Reveling in the merits of predecessor Big Luxury, the Potatohead People duo, Nick Wisdom and Astrological, return with another Jazz Hop indulgence. Again, the quality of compositions on display set it apart from expectant groovy indulgences of the genre. Sung choruses, guest rap verses and instrument solos break up the looped foundations. The beats are class, slick jazzy moods frequently leaning into G-Funk and dreamy detours as spurts of soft instrumentation and reverb ups the indulgence.

Last outing, guest verses and lyrics illuminated the runtime. This time, its instrumental cuts grab attention as the songs drift with non linear feeling. The core rhythms stand firm but around them breezy Sax solos, dreamy acoustic guitar licks and Jazz Fusion keyboard tones wrap the groove in organic expression. Especially captivating is the closer Rituals. Its eclectic pull of glitched vocals, gritty saw bass and House pianos acts as a closing novelty you could imagine fitting snugly on a 90s Trip Hop record.

Ultimately, its not too dissimilar a project with a similar flow. The pair lean into a more diverse source of inspirations which they wield to fit their mold. The result tips the scales as its interesting assembly of sounds gets to flourish in the spotlight. The beats built for rhymes come rigid and stiff in contrast. The raps contributed by guests Illa J and the like, have less of an impact than before. Either way, its another quality Jazz Hop craft to pluck out some personal favorites from, that I'm sure will last with time.

Rating: 7/10

Depeche Mode "Songs Of Faith And Devotion" (1993)

 

Moving on from the soaring heights of Violator, the English quartet Depeche Mode make a daring bold stride into a resonant religiosity that birthed their Personal Jesus hit. Further embracing the human gulls of guitar texture, they lean on darker acoustic vibrations, Gahan's subtle vibratos inhabiting numerous cold reverbs, wandering towards despaired lows the albums dominating theme seemingly rescues him from.

Songs Of Faith And Devotion is definitely of their vein. Shimmers of Gospel, Hymns and spiritual voiceings line its persuasions. Only with Condemnation do they take a solem plunge of baptism into its sways. A beautiful moment among other ideas that converge with mixes of ideals. One can observe an orchestrated component. Gallant and chivalrous string sections ascend the clouds, disconnected from its counterparts.

Swooned by the times, so too does one hear inflections of an emerging Trip Hop scene. Dense, snappy, popular percussive loops crowd the rhythm section of many a song. Get Right With Me goes hard on its Gospel choral chants, clashing hard with its clunky drum sampling. Rush too flurries a similar fate, its Electro-Industrial synths injecting a jolting energy against dark, steely guitars, Gahan on another frequency.

This records ambitions land it in a variety of places. The better written songs seemingly closer to a formula that served them well before. Its soft religiosity a crooning charm better served the harder they leaned into it. As a whole experience, it holds over with a meaty persuasion but blemishes show on numerous repetitions. Seems the group were pulled in multiple directions, by emerging scenes of the time, yet sticking with their guns and faithful inspiration may have worked out best.

Rating: 6/10

Lena Raine "Oneknowing" (2019)

 

Having only gotten to know her music through the Minecraft & Celeste soundtracks, Ive set out to hear Lena Raine's voice through her own lens on this debut album release after the remarkable music of Celeste. Its a high bar of comparison but as a solo artists expressing her own vision, Oneknowing is a comparatively ephemeral experience. Distorting time with its dreamy pace, the soft Ethereal tone has much of the gentle music drifting through lofty ambiences of thick, lush, airy synths. Its the framework for a small variety of ideas in rotation that make up the track listing.

The excitement croons when Lena brings in her remarkable percussive grooves. They rock and rattle with subdued momentum on the back of rather harsh and sharp drum and glitched sounds. The mix is magical and births many of my favorite moments as one is snapped out of the inertia and into the power of her beats. A subtle alternative element at play is the inclusion of strings, in more classical leaning tones which tend to build up with a Post-Rock like growth. A stead swelling which ends up at unexpected intensities in comparison to the songs humble beginnings.

The third of three elements that caught my ear is her voice, something I'm not sure she used on Celeste. I've got to be blunt and say it caught me off guard. She sings with a quite timid and fray tenderness, hinging on either a foreign language or vocal inflections that make he presence wordless and rather shy emotionally. Its an odd performance, possibly all to flat in tone and power as she meagerly drifts into a songs with lots of reverb and effects to carry it through. I like the end result but get a feeling she might be making up for lost ground in some capacity.

Blown away by her other contributions, this solo experience has a mix of that exceptionalism and a more typical Ambient experience which mirrors many sounds Ive heard in recent years. When her music breaks the mold of that softness, like on Insomnia and Momodani, it feels very unique. Along with that I get the distinct feeling the music is packaged through the lens of a story, as if shifting from scene to scene in a computer game. Oneknowing is a strong album but time will tell just how much.

Rating: 7/10

Brelstaff "In Human Terms" (2021)

 

Brelstaff, formerly known as Daryl Donald, throws a fresh "beat tape" our way. At twenty tracks, it runs deeper than usual with similar duration tracks ranging from one too three minutes. Anticipating demo quality, or unfinished ideas, I was pleasantly surprised to find an excellent array of beats loosely framed by the snippets of past time American gangsters talking while running their criminal errands. Its a niche charm for timely compositions that rides the dynamics of Jazz Hop and dreamy instruments sampled against the loose yet snappy boom bap nineties drum grooves.

Through its many temperaments, shades of experimentation lean mostly towards a Noir Jazz flavor with relaxed, indulgent tones that get a little summery here and somewhat darkly there. Often with a slight psychedelic, dream like tone, the music memorizes with its laid back approach rubbing of the punching groove of snare and base kick. Its all atypical yet has this character I can't quite put the finger on.

My thoughts are rather similar on each outing with this artist who has figured out there form. These beats need a voice to elevate them too the next level. A progressive or fluid motif is missing to have them work solely as instrumentals. Although very enjoyable they feel as if the right rapper could work wonders over them. Not Enough Crime, a favorite track of mine, the perfect framework for some verses and a hook to further the already animated instrumental. Overall, its a great little gem to enjoy.

Rating: 7/10

The Crystal Method "Tweekend" (2001)

Four years on from their debut record Vegas, The Crystal Method return during the decline of Big Beat's popularity with a sound somewhat on a similar trajectory to that of Fatboy Slim. Tweekend strides towards the Electronic music scenes of the time with an emphasis on virtual instruments and rock grooves above the bombast of big drum samples, which still have an edge. With plenty of lengthy cuts over six minutes and nothing to ambitious in the way of progressive songwriting, the record serves as a decent mood setter, lively and energetic but not demanding too much of the listener.

Each track tends to have a through line, a backbone that is always present as the arrangements shuffle around the complimenting sounds. There is a lot of them too, these songs are dense and layered with electronic instruments, percussive sounds and synths woven around the beat. The attention to detail holds up. These highly repetitive songs get fleshed out as its drum loops drone on with many instruments and samples taking focus as the lead, jumping back and forth from the limelight. 

Its best songs come with crunchy rock guitar hooks worked in, dropping steady grooves to drive the music onwards. It can often be a noisy affair with its calmer synth sounds being bombarded by all sorts of noises, most common of which seems to be the "off the era" DJ scratches. They kick off vocal samples and slip in lively vinyl sounds similar to that of Limp Bizkit, who would of been on top of the world around this time of this record. Its an element I enjoyed a lot, this album has so much going for it that fits snugly into this era, even though I didn't enjoy at that time.

All in all its no work of art but a competent execution of ideas reflecting the changing times in Electronic music. With lots of spins it has dulled. I fun one to check out but only a couple of numbers demand a return on occasion. I was going to call it quits here but reading up on their next effort, Legion Of Boom, I may have to check it out for the inclusion of Wes Borland and his guitar playing on three or so songs!

Rating: 6/10

The Crystal Method "Vegas" (1997)

 

Early on this year I had a mini nostalgia trip into the late nineties sound of Big Beat. Led by some good old Fatboy Slim, I decided to pick up a few notable records of the genre and chuck them on my phone to enjoy at a later date. Well once again the power of shuffle and unaware listening had another "whats this?" moment as the music in the background unsuspectingly revealed its secrets. Since then this platinum selling album has been on constant rotation! Vegas is the debut record by this American duo, hailed as being pioneers of the then emerging Big Beat sound.

One thing that really sets itself in stone is the deep club vibes that emerge in its repetitions. A dense arrangements of percussion and electronic futurism sounds oscillate with a perpetual drive one can move too. Its twelve songs motion through indulgence, droning with power as its loud drum grooves fuse a night life journey atmosphere. At around six minutes each, every song feels strangely monotonous yet engaging as the core identity rarely shifts. Instead the many layers of jilted percussion, cyber synths and theme building sampling swap their groupings, never seeming to repeat a string of arrangements. These are well interwoven songs.

Vegas has a small stake in many of the electronic genres, one can hear anything from Industrial to Rave in fractions. It has the hallmarks of the nineteens Dance sounds. Drop outs, ramped back up by fastening snare rolls a notable cliche not overplayed here. The perpetual unraveling of its moog synths give me an unusual familiarity to that of Carbon Based Lifeforms. A possible influence on the duo? A stand out track is the closing Trip Like I Do remix with Industrial Rock outfit Filler. The thick wall of crunchy distortion guitars slip in well to dial up the temperament. Richard Patrick's audible shouts resonate a lot like Trent of Nine Inch Nails.

This record is so succinctly late nineties you could pair it with many cultural artifacts of the time. As a Big Beat record it feels like that's just an aspect of its sound. The drums are ever present, bold and loud with a snappy tightness but don't end up the sole focal point. Its arsenal of buzz saws and oscillated synth tones are nostalgic, many designs of which Ive heard on other records back when the technology was more contained. Its just been one of those albums to slip right into a cozy place. I will no doubt return to it often in the years to come, its vibe is just right for me!

Rating: 7/10

Daryl Donald "Full Circle" (2019)

A second release this year from Scottish producer Daryl Donald brings us another cut of smooth and mellow Jazz Hop beats lined with thoughtful vocal snippets to induce a relaxed mood. By now its become predictable but the best kind. Its a prediction that one can feel cozy and wrapped up, snug and warm inside this world of breezy cool instrumentals that groove easy temperate drum samples under atmospherically arranged samples of calming, soulful and jazzy instruments.

The beats are short and sweet in nature. Being looped and highly repetitive, a balanced is struck as lingering on the theme is avoided. Experimenting with gentle noise, each track has some subtle ambiences, conjuring shapeless forms of ambiguous sound to decorate the main loop. It works fantastically and if absent a vocal feature can drift in with the same breezy easiness that makes this record a pleasure to mellow out to. Its words had less of an impact this time around, but its experiments in ambiguity spark quite the intrigue to their origin.

With its overall swift nature, Get Alive stands out as an odd cut where the audio fades out abruptly jusr as the beat just gets going. Otherwise its a slick flow of cohesive musical grooves. The opening tracks are particularly reminiscent of early 90s Jazz Hop classics. I couldn't put a finger on which tracks but they had a fond familiarity. The closing tracks however pivot to slightly snappier percussion with a soft crunch added to them. Its a gentle transition, just something I noticed on this short album that delivered exactly what I expected but still charmed none the less.

Rating: 7/10

Daryl Donald "Behold The Spirit" (2019)

Seeing a new release from Scottish producer Daryl Donald put a smile on my face. I knew Id be in the mood for more indulgent, mellow Hip Hop instrumentals. With this sophomore record he really hits home with the DJ Shadow vibes, one of the first artists to make craft and elevate the instrumental side of Hip Hop music. Behold The Spirit is a collection of short beats and tidbits, roughly two minutes each, that establish meditative vibes fit for mellowing, soaking in the sun and enjoying a soft breeze.

Its got summery vibes that aren't overtly pronounced, everything is a craft of soft measures and subtle sample inclusion that form a bigger picture. Its percussive lines are sharp and snappy but with just the right tempo to feel at ease and slightly lethargic. A couple arrangements may give an impression of a stripped back boom bap groove however the keen kicks and snares are always softened by the surrounding samples, often layering ambiguous airy synth without distinct melodies. Many vocal snippets are deployed ambiguously with helpings of dreamy reverberation, furthering the soothing vibes that feed into its distinct atmosphere.

The albums structure is a bit lack luster in its linear design. Some beats have build ups but mostly the songs fades in to existence and after its repetitions, fade out again. Its held together like glue by the consistency of tone, each beat is unique but they all hone in on the same urban summer vibrations. The track Banquet has a vocal pitch shifting sample that borders on Vapourwave akin to Macintosh Plus. However Its an isolated moment that borders overlap, would be interesting to hear it explored further.

Its after this track vocal samples become more prominent. The following Like A Brother has the voice of a man with a tone similar to AZ speaking thoughtful wisdom. The last three tracks bring a strong audible presence to the record as at closes out with the title track. It has a stunning speech on the power of meditation. A fitting end to a short collection of beats that all bring with them a consistent mellowing quality fit for reflection and thought, or the lack of it. Another strong record, looking forward to more!

Favorite Track: Behold The Spirit

Rating: 7/10

Röyksopp "The Understanding" (2005)

Röyksopp are a Norwegian duo of producers in the realm of Electronic music I found through fellow Norwegians, the Black Metal group Enslaved. Their cover of "What Else Is There?" had my curiosity sparked but imagine my excitement when none other than Karin Dreijer aka Fever Ray is the lead vocal on the track. It instantaneously felt like a song close to my heart and one I known I'll enjoy for years to come. I am a little saddened that she was just a feature on that track alone. I thought I had unearthed another project of hers but alas I wanted to listen to the whole record anyways.

The Understanding feels very much of its era, a post-Daft Punk Discovery world of Electronic pop music echoing shades of Techno, House, Downtempo and Trip Hop. It finds its feet with an appropriation of gentle, unobtrusive, calming music to politely invite you into its smooth and simple world. Temperate drum patterns groove on steady, repetitive beats and the range of synthesizer sounds drift from obscure and quirky, electronic and robotic all the way to light soft airy synths that linger in the atmosphere. A few songs into the record it builds up some gusto as the music expands with lively energetic drums and jiving baselines that play off Disco vibes of times gone by.

Alpha Male sticks out us a lengthy track that lures you in with its soft cinematic opening, slowly building its pace an intensity into an explosion of Electronic Progressive Rock on a exploratory tangent ever so similar to the ideas executed by Contact on their records. Its a warm, inviting record with little to fault other than being somewhat too subtle at times. Its always interesting, never quite engrossing bar a handful of songs that step away from the slow start the record kicks off with.

Favorite Tracks: What Else Is There?, Alpha Male, Dead To The World

Rating: 6/10

Ulrich Schnauss "A Strangely Isolated Place" (2003)

Suggested by a reader, this hour of relaxing bliss was an instant fit for me. In patches its fondly reminiscent of Tycho's Drive with its washes of lavish, serine, sleepy melodies. German composer Schnauss comes off the back of the nineties with shades of Breakbeat, Trip Hop and Electronic scene of that time echoing ripples through his dive into synth oriented Dream Pop that plays like a trip. So swiftly can you fall into the spell of sweetly arranged sounds bleeding into one another with thick drippings of reverberation. Ulrich's voice creeps in like another instrument in the arsenal as his high pitched words are drifted in from the back like a ghostly voice in the distance. Only utilizing words on a couple of songs you can also here him as an instrument in places.

Its drum breaks hold the music together with a stiff injection of life and pace into an otherwise swirling self indulgence of vivid synths loosing track of time as the chemistry blossoms and ripens. These compositions have an organic, progressive element as contractions sweep through the musics wall of dreamy reverberated sounds. It allows for the often static feeling music to go through many transitions and transformations that feel entirely natural and without resistance. It lives, it breathes and the swarm of inviting sound is dense, with finesse and balance that can border on Noise in one or two songs but always its richness is a persuasion to be charmed by.

Everything hangs in the balance and through it all a warm breeze of peaceful intention arises. Although sleepy and sombre its always in awe of beauty, conjuring feelings of an innocent day in the soak of sunlight, a walk in the park, the simple things mother nature offers us. As the title suggests a shade of loneliness or isolation is in there but that's mostly down to interpretation. This record is rather wonderful and a better understanding of the electronic scene at the time may suggest this being a precursor to a lot of Dream Pop influenced electronica that has come by in recent years. Without a weak point or track to pick as a favorite it sits as a potential go to for years to come with the album playing as one big experience.

Rating: 8/10

DJ Shadow "The Mountain Has Fallen" (2017)

With a new album on the horizon DJ Shadow drops a short, four track EP to get us warmed up for whats ahead. It sparked my interested thanks to its guest features, the legendary Nas of Queensbridge and new blood Danny Brown who both drop strong verses on their respected tracks, the chemistry between Shadow and his featured rappers is an interesting aspect for a reasonable set of Hip Hop instrumentals, with only the closer "Corridors" providing some genuine impressions of notoriety.

"Systematic", possibly a play on Illmatic, has Nas breaking down the self serving nature of the dominant power structure that governs our western society, then using it metaphorically for self affirming rhymes. Shadow deploys a relatively comfortable beat for the 90s era rapper with Boombap beats and a plucked guitar groove that gets expansive in the chorus with a range of colliding laser like samples and upfront vinyl scratching. Its got energy and charisma, its own sound but nothing special. "Horror Show" steps out of the comfort zone to accommodate Brown's persona with off-kilt beats that dizzy with seemingly two overlapping grooves playing off one another. Action effects stack up in the spaces between while evil super villain synths clime the notes to ascension. The tone is slightly manic but I can't help but feel the drum sampling would of benefited from something slicker and modern.

"Good News" feels like an experiment left unfinished, a spasm of drum kicks and snares messing around with time signatures seem to lack any groove. The glitched manipulation of samples may be reminiscent of IGORRR but it has no pzazz. "Corridors" is the albums best as a progressive song that builds up its atmospheric synths to meet a hard thudding bass kick decorated in reversed samples and lavished with layers of noisy sampling that increases in intensity to break into a calm moment that brings us back with a crescendo string section that doesn't really climax the song and then the needle skips, stutters and were out. Interesting listen but very little here to return to.

Rating: 3/10

Delerium "Semantic Spaces" (1994)

Id not heard of Delerium before receiving this recommendation, however I had heard the Tiesto remix of their famous "Silence" Trance song. I'm also familiar with Front Line Assembly a Canadian Industrial group who flirted with Metal on their most commercially successful venture "Millennium" released the same year. Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber of the band formed this side project in 1987, a year after FLA, and released a prolific seven full lengths before this release, which is one of three in the year of ninety four. Its a lengthy record of steady moving electronic pieces tinging on ambience and encompassing a eastern, worldly cultural influences, very much reflective of the times.

With an arsenal of synthetic instruments the two line the back bone of these songs with layers of smooth flowing electronics, light and short wanderings of shimmering melodies, a few select sections of composition interwoven to form a dense music current that runs the course of these lengthy tracks. They are steady, smooth, calming and conjure a mellow atmosphere that's slightly juxtaposed to the actual level of instrumental activity. Looping percussive samples and bold, plump baselines hold the repetitions firmly in place, gluing the instruments together as they set the stage.

The magic happens in the forefront, this thick spine of instrumentation goes through the motions, expanding, contracting, coming and going with the flow of the music. Its the airy synths, feminine vocals, soft pianos and lead synths that inspire direction and determine the path the songs take. Some distinct cultural sounds come to this stage, eastern flutes and Gregorian chants sung by monks and choirs give the record an ethnic root that contrasts its electronic and modern persona.

With a firmly nineties electronic sound one can hear all sorts of influences from Trip Hop, to Dub, Trance, Downtempo, House and all between. Its a melting pot of that eras sound and it comes together seamlessly. There's little to criticize, the music is inspired and creates quite the setting for thought and indulgence however its not particularly thrilling. The smooth and easy flow often stagnates in places as the songs strength beyond the seven minute mark with not much more than a repeat of a previous segment. I may return to this one again, It feels like the sort of record you could grow to adore if it were in the background of some game, slowly drilling itself deep into your mind.

Favorite Track: Metaphor
Rating: 6/10

The Future Sound Of London "Lifeforms" (1994)

Sent to me from a twitter follower I fired up this record on youtube and ever so swiftly did this one reveal its brilliance. As on the first listen and many follow ups I was captivated by such an organic and spiritual musical experience. "Lifeforms" is a gem, a strange oddity of experimentation that abstracts the norm and unites the beyond with the now as if on a psychedelic drug trip, reaching into the limits of the mind. Perhaps its not totally "out there", or anything to blow your mind but given the context of 1994 this record is well ahead of its time, mixing all sorts of sounds into a fluid unravel of imaginative beauty for your soul to explore.

This is one of those records to experience yourself. There are some steadier moments where chilled out, down tempo beats providing a familiar rhythmic setting to nod along to, however its charm lies in a continually evolving tapestry of unusual samples and wandering instruments that find a mesmerizing chemistry in unusual places. Even room for a lofty, dreamy sample of "Cannon In D Major" to drift into the subconscious. At 90 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome, but continually finds new territory and sound to move through, it could of easily gone on for longer.

Almost every moment on this record is fantastic and there are two moments in particular I'm fond of. As one might guess there is black and harrowing track that delves into dark down tempo ambience with shadowy shimmering synths, cryptic distorted voices and rippling sirens in the distances. It evolves into a short lived steady beat that grooves with an evil menace. In contrast "Dead Skin Cells" brightens the mood with with unusual alien sounds juxtaposed against birds tweeting in the distance while a laid back beat drifts on by. Much of the record ebbs and flows at its own pace, through one oddity after another. A truly riveting experience, one I will continue to dive into as time goes by.

Favorite Songs: Dead Skin Cells, Domain, Spineless Jelly, Vertical Pig

Rating: 8/10

DJ Shadow "Endtroducing..." (1996)

DJ Shadow is an American producer from California who's debut "Endtroducing..." has landed on many "top lists" in Hip Hop music. Credited for establishing Instrumental Hip Hop its often held in high regard as an important and influential record. Having not given it much attention beyond one or two listens in the past I decided to give this one a go again and after much time spent enjoying it I have to say retrospect has me at a disadvantage.

Being familiar with many of the characteristics this record may of helped to shape and inspire, there are a few traits its posses that I might take for granted. The instrumental aspect was a first at the time and many of the techniques used in production are so commonplace now you have to put yourself in the mindset of 96. DJ Shadow as a lot of unorthodox sample material throughout the record, even including Metallica's "Orion" on "The Number Song" and scaling back from the accompaniment of an MC he pushes for daring and unique sounds leaning towards Jazz, Soul and Psychedelia.

The sampling, cuts and arrangements are captivating and progressing lucidly with a free flow as DJ Shadow lets the sampling art-form do so much more than the stagnant repetition were used to. With many layers of samples each song can journey through an idea while changing form and evolving thanks to the intricate detailing of sounds and shifting between different samples which fade in and out of the tracks effortlessly, creating organics through traditional rigid music.

A quote from the record itself, something along the lines of "The music's coming through me" summarizes the record in a nutshell. Whats so remarkable is how lucid and organic the chemistry in the sampling is. Hip Hop has often sliced great moments, or reinvented them with new words and a new groove, but here on this record the original songs are barely reconcilable as the choice arrangement and reconstruction takes new forms that don't resemble the origin.

Despite now "getting it" I feel that the records diversity in theme creates some less favored vibes and moments. In the jazzy chilled out, laid back Trip Hop moments there are timeless tunes. In other songs the mood shifts rigidly into less engaging songs that break up the flow. Its a loaded gun with plenty to offer, but some of that just wasn't quite on my wavelength. Its also interesting to read about how well this record was received in the UK considering this record breaks down Hip Hop in similar ways to Trip Hop which was flourishing at the time. Anyway, terrific record which I can really appreciate, I'm hoping the less favored moments will grow on me with time.

Favorite Tracks: Changeling, What Does Your Soul Look Like, Midnight In A Perfect World

Rating: 7/10