From Philip Downey Sent Mon, Jul 6th 1998, 17:39
From Philip Downey Sent Mon, Jul 6th 1998, 17:39
Couple of things I've picked up, but haven't seen too much mention of. U-ziq: Brace Yourself (Astralwerks) I really don't like drum'n'bass. Or drill'n'bass. But I'm always willing to give Mike P. a chance, considering his earliest Rephlex releases. Unlike most d'n'b artists, Mike keeps the melodies coming, which is what saves this release. Not much else to say, except this ep isn't as dark as the Lunatic Harness album. D'Archangelo: Diagrams.10.14 (Nature) Why aren't people talking about this one? pj at modernmusic says it's been a big seller, yet no reviews. I picked up D'Archangelo's Rephlex record on the recommendation of Kent, and it was excellent. One side of crunchy industrial stuff, the other melody-driven electro. So I didn't know what to expect from this Nature release. What I got was very good. Electro, but at faster tempos and with more complexity than the Rephlex release. A1 is notable for sounding like a collaboration between Drexciya and Yaz. Very good record, for those who want something faster than Skam but slower than d'n'b, with some 80's synth pads thrown in. Jega: Type Xero (Planet u) The other reviews on this list worried me, but I was satisfied by this release. Definitely on the dark side. I love the way Jega slides the bass lines, instead of stepping them. Gives him a unique feel. Two d'n'b cuts, two electro-ish ones. All are good, none are great. Gescom: (Skam 010) As usual, the faster Autechre go the better they get. It's only on its second time around the deck, but I am impressed. The songs vary widely, from a groovy trancer to breakbeats to random noises. It's closest in feel to the original gescom 02. They also include their poor remix of themselves from the Skampler. Bola: KMS 002 (Skam) Don't rip the blue wrap-around. It's not a sticker and it slides off nicely. The ep starts with Aguilla; as others have mentioned is driven by a beautiful melody. Darrell Fitton doesn't miss often, it seems to me. It evolves into a down-tempo lament. Filtered vocals are saying something, and are clearly unhappy. Clearly a rainy day song. On the flipside, Triangle Cake starts in full reverb-mode, with a...noise wavering throughout the entire song. The beginning is boring, but the arrival of minor chords in the background and horn stabs quickly turn it into a complex, intense song. Vocals (filtered again) creep into the ending. A unique effort. Not immediately grabbing, but I expect it will grow on me. Curbstard is short. Breaks, and an unfortunate attempt at jazz organ. Aguilla will grab you first, but I predict people will stay with Triangle Cake. Phil Downey