From Upaka Sent Fri, Sep 25th 1998, 05:48
From Upaka Sent Fri, Sep 25th 1998, 05:48
Makai - Millennium lp (Precision/Intercord Tontrager)
Some very nice techstep from those evil folks at Precision. It's co-produced
by Nico and has a Matrix remix so that might give you some idea of what to
expect. Metallic breaks and creepy atmospheres. The standout is the first
track "Beneath the Mask". It's a surprisingly stellar remix of some of the
music from Ghost in the Shell (The Making of a Cyborg). They give the composer
credit in the liner notes. I would never have thought of making a techstep
remix of this music, but the combination works very well. It's really a
fantastic track. The rest of the record is good too. Techstep has a reputation
for being unlistenable and monotonous, but Makai are pretty creative. It's a
lot less noisy than Panacea with more emphasis on song structure and
atmospheres.
Mind you if you don't like techstep at all you probably won't be converted by
this (although the first track might do it). But if you like No U Turn you'll
probably like it.
Basic Unit - Timeline lp (Nocturnal)
Dark, disjointed drum and bass. Really interesting atmospheres, sounding a
bit like SAW2 in some places to drone-like in others. Another interesting
aspect is that sometimes the beats won't kick in for two minutes, and when
they do, they stop just when they've gotten started. A few tracks really work
up some steam. The breaks are really nice as well, always permutating. Overall
a consistent and excellent album. It manages to be experimental and really
interesting to listen to at the same time.
-David