From daniel Sent Tue, May 12th 1998, 09:46
From daniel Sent Tue, May 12th 1998, 09:46
Following is a review I recently sent to a paper I just started writing for. I want to thank xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx for providing me with a great cd. <start review> Various Crossed Wires Clock Wise Records Within every city there is a musical underground and often the sounds of it go unnoticed. This compilation attempts to remedy this situation for Atlanta, Georgia and focuses mainly on an urbanized electronic sound. The style ranges from downtempo to dark electro. That is to say that the compilation is varied and has a little for everyone. Three of the tracks however standout. "Cacophon" by Osaga is an encounter with electro tinged darkness. Vocoded voices float in and out to constantly reinforce the dark encounter. "Monkey v. Fish" by Osaga takes a completely different approach. Here we have clever beats combined with an odd little melody. Over this an original rap is placed. No cliches are present and the rhymes are enough to make you smile. With lines like "burning down the house like Dave Koresh" you know you have a winner. On the opposite end of the spectrum there is the slow urban decay of "Warm" by Fascia. By combining haunting ambient melodies, thuds and downtempo, Fascia is able to create a fascinating listen. This tracks leaves you wanting more. Overall the CD is very listenable and says a lot about what is going on in our cities. My only complaint is that a few of the tracks are very standard and seem to be just emulating what has already been done. Despite that, this CD is well worth seeking out if you're interested in homegrown music. <end review> <start personal notes> I was confined in the original review so I didn't get to say a few things. This CD contains some real talent. I was most impressed with the rap tracks. However, the electro and idmish type tracks are very well done. The tracks that don't seem to work as well are those that seem to focus on the drum and bass arena. That is not to say they are bad. They just aren't great. But they are definitely worth listening to. Here are some other tracks I was impressed with: Ness - Napkin. Great use of percussion, synth sweeps and noise. Modern dark idm. Johnny Ether - one under the sun. Very thematic sounding and creates a nice haunting atmosphere. Uses some samples that can only remind you of opera. Works nicely. Square featuring divine - deprivation. Fast jungle that is a little schizophrenic. Nothing to new here but there is a nice juxtoposition of soulful vocals and jungle rhythms. It is this juxtopostion that makes the track. <end personal notes> -daniel