From noze Sent Mon, Nov 16th 1998, 03:13
From noze Sent Mon, Nov 16th 1998, 03:13
off mtv.com....
Plaid
Not for Threes
(Nothing/Warp)
It's seems like years since Plaid's debut album, Mbuki Mvuki, laid the
groundwork for such revolutionary artists as Aphex Twin and µ-ziq. That's
because it has been years – seven, to be exact, an eternity in
electronica terms. Sure, Plaid's Ed Handley and Andy Turner spent a brief
interlude in the mid-'90s with Ken Downie as the influential London
outfit Black Dog. Even so, they left fans fiending for those early
haywire polyrhythmic experiments. Now Plaid's back and their long-awaited
sophomore effort, Not for Threes, proves you can take the boys out of
Plaid, but you can't take the Plaid out of the boys.
Just as their early work foretold drum and bass, Plaid now dances on the
genre's remains. Not for Threes is a quirky bundle of electronic wizardry
that organically blends transcontinental beats and otherworldly
instrumentation. At times orchestral, sometimes minimalist, Plaid manages
just the right amount of balance and restraint to make their compositions
seem carefree. Witness "Myopia," a calypso romp with buoyant vocals from
Mara Carlyle, "Lilith," slow-brewed arrhythmic hip-hop on ice (thanks to
Bjork's chilling croon), or the Gary Numan-esque "Ladyburst." Then Plaid
will just break it down altogether with a heartfelt piano etude ("Milh")
or a swirling Tangerine Dream-ish tune ("Abla Eedio"). Meanwhile,
"Rakimou" argues that unconventional music doesn't have to grate the
listeners' eardrums. Ed and Andy are back, alright, and they're plaid as
ever.
All this and more can be yours on the domestic release of Not for Threes,
which actually hit Europe in 1997 through the Warp label (the U.S.
version contains an extra pair of tracks, "Undoneson" and "Spudink").
Acquiring stateside release rights to the Warp catalog is the smartest
move Trent Reznor's Nothing Records has made since it signed Meat Beat
Manifesto. Now, if only Nine Inch Nails could write something this
advanced and catchy.
-- Sam Cannon
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