GlobComm Reviews Pt.2 (was Re: (idm) Global Communications for Beginners?) (super long)

From Che
Sent Fri, Aug 21st 1998, 02:10

1994:

Global Communication - 76:14 (Dedicated) - this is one of the great
ambient albums of all time.  Best of all, no names, just numbers, allowing
the listener to listen with no preconceptions.  4:02 begins with alien
synth tones reminiscent of Reload, then chords come in, building layer
after layer, until fading into the alien synths, which are soon overcome
by the ticking clock of 14:31 (see ob-selon mi-nos review), along with the
soft sound of rain.  Slowly building breathiness with an understated piano
melody over ticking clocks, it always amazes me when a piece holds my
interest for 15 minutes.  9:25 is my favorite track of the album. A simple
melody and chords lead into a funky laid-back groove built around a very
subtle wah guitar riff.  The break at 5 minutes is just so exquisitely
syncopated that I have to get up & dance every time I hear it, only to be
left drifting dreamily when it stops for the piano riff.  I'm going to
stop now before I stop blathering, if I haven't already.  The song fades
into whispering voices, which fade into 9:37, with wind/very low flute
sounds kept pace by the slow beacon of a steady beeping.  A subtle echoed
percussion enters, as does breathy chords, building slowly over a slow
bass pulse.  7:39 begins with a slow percussion buildup over chords, until
a bassline kicks in, then melody.  Then the kick comes on an unexpected
beat, causing a delicious tension. 0:54 is "Global Communication" repeated
in several languages with lots of weird radio bleeps.  This leads into
8:07, also known as Maiden Voyage, which is as blatant a rip-off as I've
ever heard outside of Rock music.  This is a fairly straightforward copy
of Tangerine Dream's "Love On The A Train", with no mention of TanDream on
either the album or single.  How they got away with this I'll never know. 
Still, it's a lovely track built around a repeating and hence trancifying
muted clavinet melody.  5:23 is a reprise of 8:07, with a beautifully sad
soaring synth line in the middle.  4:14 is a return to ambience, simple,
yet effective.  Finally, there's 12:18, a slow building ambient piece
using mostly breathy choral synths, including a gorgeous female solo
sound, to achieve orgasm.  If I ranked albums by numbers, this would be a
10 of 10. 

Global Communication - Maiden Voyage (Dedicated) - 2 separate CDs, I think
they've since been merged on 1 CD and packaged w/ 76:14 in some countries. 
Not much here - the original edited down by 7 1/2 minutes, a Spiritualized
Electric Boredom, er, Mainline mix, and a new track, Funk In The Fridge
are on the 1st CD. Funk In The Fridge is Mark & Tom in funky mode - a
solid beat, a funky bassline, flutes, and a groovalicious sax make for 8
minutes of bliss.  The 2nd CD has 7'39 (Link and E621 Appliance Of Science
Mix), which everyone with New School Science will recognize as being
identical to Science Friction, a so so Grid mix, and a really nicely
rhythmed Michael Brook mix. 

Link - Arcadian (Artificial Intelligence 2 - Warp) - 9 1/2 minutes of
bliss.  The first 2 1/2 minutes are a building tension of synth burblings
with a simple piano melody hinting at great things to come.  Then the beat
kicks, simple, snare on 2 & 4, nailing your physical feet to the floor on
the even beats while your astral body soars on the pulsing synth choir
sound.  Tension, release, tension release, then the heavy flanging pulls
the beat into another dimension.  Voices, almost understandable, echo in
and out.  Burble, drone, echo, fade. 

Link - Avatar (Trance Europe Express 3 - Volume) - this one is Detroitish,
6 minutes of melodic tastiness over 4OTMOFOF beats sandwiched between a
minute of wheezy synth texture which serves as the intro & outro. I think
this track should be able to go farther in 7 1/2 minutes, but it's still
nice. 

Global Communication - Rollercoaster Rmx (The Grid - Rollercoaster -
Deconstruction.  8 1/2 minutes of ambience w/ minimalist beats.  Haunting
melody, deep atmosphere, stunning. 

Global Communication - Amor Real (Jon Anderson - The Deseo Remixes - High
Street Records) - also on Remotion, 9 minutes of lush chords, bubbly
synths, and unconventional percussion, with the distinctive voice of Jon
Anderson floating in and out in such a dreamy way that even the most
avowed prog-rock hater could enjoy it. 

Global Communication - Bless This (Jon Anderson - The Deseo Remixes - High
Street Records) almost 7 1/2 minutes of a children's choir singing over a
plodding echoing beat.  Waitasec - that's Jon Anderson's voice, higher
than normal (for him that is, his voice has never been normal for a man
with testicles, at least I assume he has them, because here he comes off
as a castrato), and heavily chorused.  A hymn to an unknown god.  If
you're a fan, you need it. 

Global Communication - Wild Horse {Global Mix Communication} (Nav Katze -
Never Mind The Distortion - Victor Japan/SSR Europe) - 15 minutes of
magic, starts with a 6 1/2 minute buildup of swirly synths &
indecipherable reverb-drenched Japanese lyrics.  Then a simple 3 note
bassline that will test your speakers drops in, along with a syncopated
snare pattern.  Tension & volume builds.  At about 10 minutes, the beat
drops away to leave you floating on a synthesized ether.  The beat comes
back in 6/8, with the bassline doubled up & adapted to 6, lending an
urgency to the proceedings.  A syncopated guitar lick funkifies things,
and if you're not dancing now, then there's something wrong with you.  If
every appendage is flailing to a different beat, there's something wrong
widju.  This is the true funk - it don't get no better than this.  Also on
Remotion. 

Reload - Crazy Dream {Retro 313 Future Memory Mix} (Nav Katze - Never Mind
The Distortion - Victor Japan/SSR Europe) - an AFXish unfunky noise
stomper that I find painful to listen to.  Proof that Mark IS the other
Aphex Twin.  Bucket Meets Bicycle Pump, Finger Meets Track Advance Button. 

*Global Communication - Natural High remix (Warp69 - Flagbearer 12" - ?) 
This is one of my favorite GlobComm tracks. 9 minutes of chill jazzy trip
hop.  Upright bass, brushes on the snares, a synthy trumpet, and a piano
solo that drops into 6 at its climax.  A perfect way to end any evening. 
See Remotion review for more comments. 

*Reload - 14:31 {Reload Remix} (Various - Space Night - ?) - the mind
boggles at what this must be like.  Has anyone ever heard it??? 

*Evolution - T-shirt EVO08 (Evolution) self explanatory.

*Chameleon/Link - Amazon Amenity Remix EVO009 (Evolution)- Does anyone
have a tracklist for this?  Amazon Amenity is the only track I know of,
and it's on CD on both TofE and Artcore1.  This is track is identifiable
by the sample from Ferris Beuhler that says "Life moves pretty fast...if
you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it".  Very
mellow drum&bass, the hook being a dropbass percussion break that's just
brilliant.  9 minutes of subtle genius. 

Chameleon/Global Communication - Evolution Of The Beast Parts I & II (Palm
Skin Productions - The Beast Remix 12" - Mo Wax MW029) - Chameleon
delivers Part I - very chill drum & bass, about as mellow as it gets, one
that I didn't think much of on first listen, but I keep hearing more &
more in it.  I think I need to put it on CDR so I can listen more often. 
Part II is a laid-back trip hop take by GlobComm. It's alright, not
fabulous. Don't forget there's an Autechre remix on here too, though I
prefer Mark & Tom's takes on the song. 

Jedi Knights - Pubic Funk {live} 12" EVO41 (Evolution) - I don't know if
there are other tracks on here, at 2:22 I would hope so, though maybe it's
all just a dodge for the sake of TofE (lemme know if you own EVO41
please!)  Anyway, Pubic Funk is a brief bit of retrofunk - a Bernie-style
lead synth and vocoded vocals over a plodding beat.  It'd be funkier with
a different beat. 


1995:

*Reload - Visual Cortex {The Reload Re-definition} (Shaft: Switch (remix) 
CD (Invitation/Victor VICL-5261)  - Japanese remix I haven't heard. 

The Theory Of Evolution (Evolution EVO10/Warp WARPCD29) - this is a
collection of early tracks that most of us would probably not get to hear
otherwise.  The tracks by Mark & Tom I've reviewed above.  There are also
some tracks by Matthew Herbert & Stephen Horne, but I don't care for them
so I'm not reviewing them.  Ok, there are 2 exclusive tracks, Winna & A
Tribute To Peter Cook, which last a total of 2 minutes, but they're just
kung fu movie samples & farting noises - hardly worth comment.  I'd have a
hard time recommending this to the casual fan - it's more of an
interesting history lesson for the hardcore fan. 

Reload - Ride (Global Communication Dub Mix) (Softballetforms - Remix For
Ordinary People - Victor Japan/SSR Europe) - This is similar in feel to
(though totally different than) Arcadian, space & groove; maybe it's the
snare on 2 & 4, though this track has a wicked kick that the bottom end
falls out of.  7 1/2 minutes, highly recommended. 

Jedi Knights - Clear 12" (Clear) - I never can tell the A & B sides on
British 12"s.  To make matters worse, my copy had the labels switched. 
Anyway, one side leads off with Intergalactic Funk Transmission, which
consists of a heavily processed voice blathering on for a minute or so
with space chipmunks squealing in your right ear before segueing directly
into Jismentalsupersexifunkatasmicthrobalingusaural Delite, which is where
the beat starts.  Simple beat & bassline goes on & on, gradually flanged,
with space zaps, some sort of vocal sample used more as a percussive
effect, and an unintelligiblevocoded vocal.  Dancefloor fodder which is
hard to listen to sitting down.  Mumpbrainflam is a reprise of Jismental,
with more flanging and no discernible bassline.  Note that IFT & Jismental
are called Noddy Holder on the New School Science album.  The other side
starts with Ruak-et & Kok-bah, a short effected voice & sound effect track
leading directly to May The Funk Be With You, which is 8 1/2 minutes of
electro fun(k) with occasional interjections of the vocoded mantra "May
The Funk...Be...With You".  Doesn't really go anywhere, but it's fun
enough you probably won't notice.  Finally, things end with Blaff Reader,
sound effects with heavily effected & chipmunked vocals.  Now, if you're
losing sleep because you have NSS but can't afford the Clear 12", DON'T. 
The little bits you're missing aren't worth losing sleep over.  Really! 
Still, it's hard to understand why they didn't just put them on the album. 

*Global Communication - Remotion (Dedicated) - for the casual fan, this
disc is a godsend; for the trainspotter, utter frustration.  When I bought
it, I only lacked The Grid remix.  Even more maddeningly, there were 2
tracks from Pentamerous, which should never have been separated from the
other 3 tracks on Pentamerous.  I just can't listen to them out of
context.  Plus, the Reload track (not a remix, so why the hell's it on
here?) was on A Collection Of Short Stories which was rereleased at about
the same time Remotion came out.  As a further insult, only one of the two
Jon Anderson remixes, Amor Real, is included, so you can't blow off buying
The Deseo Remixes, and only one of the Nav Katze remixes, Wild Horse
(mistakenly labelled Wild Horses) is here, so you have to buy that too. 
That leaves us with the remixes of Warp 69's Natural High (originally on a
single, also on the compilation Down To The Roach), and The Grid's
Rollercoaster as being otherwise hard to get (and I already had Natural
High).  See elsewhere for reviews. 

*Link - The Auger (Various - In Order To Dance 5 - R&S) - haven't heard
this. 

*Jedi Knights - The Flow remix (Model 500 - The Flow 12" Part 2 - R&S). 
This didn't make it to the CDS, neither did the Howie B. mix.  What a
shame.  I haven't heard it. 

*Jedi Knights - Sandcastles Remix (Bomb The Bass - Sandcastles 12 - ?)  I
haven't heard this, but I know it also has a Kruder & Dorfmeister, so it's
probably worthwhile either way.  I'm pretty sure the JK mix isn't
available on CD. 

*Chameleon - Links 12" - (Good Looking) Links is a different version of
the Link Amazon Amenity remix, still featuring the Ferris Buehler sample,
but the drum&bass is more Bukemized (not to say it isn't good - it's very
good).  I prefer the dropbass on the other version, but that's just me.
Just Close Your Eyes & Listen is a dreamy mellow d&b track. Though it has
vocals, they don't bother me (surprisingly). A must if you like the other
Chameleon tracks.  I believe this track's also on the Eyelid Movies comp. 


1996:

Secret Ingredients - New York, New York 12" EVO061 (Evolution) - Secret
Ingredients is another House imprint from Mark & Tom.  The Headphuq Mix is
straightahead House, which I find rather boring, at least until this synth
pulse comes in in 6 against 8.  I guess this is the Headphuq.  The flip
has the Hyp Mix is more .  Bonus is the everything you need to do your own
remix, except the sampler. 

Secret Ingredients - Chicago, Chicago 12" EVO062 (Evolution) - I haven't
heard this; I assume it's House. 

New York Connection - Bless The Funk EP EVO063 (Evolution) - Push is 9
minutes of straightahead House built around a soaring lead synth and a guy
singing nonsensically. The synth wigout climax is great, and the track is
fairly listenable for House.  Bless The Funk is 6 minutes built around a
simple break, a murky poorly pitchshifted bass sample, a vocal sample that
I can't understand, a funk guitar sample, and a simple synth melody.  Not
my bag.  Messages is more of the same. 

*Series 7 - ? EVO071 (Evolution) - As if these guys really need another
moniker.  4 unidentified 4OTMOFOF tracks.  The first could pass for early
Reload - slightly stiff beats with weird synthwork, the track sounds like
it's from 91 or 92.  Once it develops some statistical density it's ok.
The next track is a collection of slightly maddening synth noises.  The
3rd track is your basic acid track, nothing spectacular.  The last track
is more weird synthwork. Not their best. 

Global Communication - The Way/The Deep (Dedicated) - GlobComm
inexplicably lapses into House.  This was also 2 CDs/12"s, I think, but I
got it on a single CD along w/ some remixes by some House dudes.  Begins
w/ The Way (Secret Ingredients Mix), which I found boring until halfway
through its 12 minutes, at which point I found I was sucked in & drifting. 
The Deep (Original Mix) is ok for House - if it had a more complex beat
and a little more melodic development, it'd by a proper GlobComm track.
The Way (Original Mix) isn't quite as good - those damn House samples bug
me.  I'm not going to bother with reviewing the 3 non-GlobComm remixes. 
Maybe if I had gone to a club the single week that those idiot House DJs
would play tracks like this I could appreciate them more, but as an
armchair listener, they leave me squirming. 

Jedi Knights - New School Science (Universal Language) - a production in
which the brave knights stray from their electrofunk origins to create a
mixed bag.  May The Funk Be With You & Noddy Holder are from the Clear
12".  One For M.A.W.  (I seem to remember M.A.W. stood for Men At Work,
but it's late so I could be having false memories) is another steady state
piece of dance floor fodder which doesn't sit in the headphones too well. 
Science Friction is the same as 7'39 from the Maiden Voyage single, with a
few seconds of vocoded vocals at the beginning, and some vocals & sound
effects at the end.  Good, but, it just doesn't have tha JK funk goin' on.
The Truth has the ominous synth from Link's Arcadian (seem to remember it
on 76:14 too) with industro-beats & vocal samples about extraterrestrials. 
Lessons goes back to tha JK funk - vaguely electro with vocoding on top. 
Air Drums From Outer Bongolia begins with a suitably funky old school
sample, but then a furious bongo beat which any Prodigy fan will recognize
comes in (guess where the Prodigy got it? JK, you know it).  This goes on
for a bit w/ subtle changes.  Dances Of The Naughty Knights begins with a
Monty Python sample, then goes into a new electro beat.  A little bit
easier to listen to at 4 1/2 minutes.  Human Blancmange begins with a
simple kalimba riff, then a dropbass comes in, then the beat.  Subtle
changes ensue for 9 minutes, though about halfway thru a vocoded "We Want
To...Rock You" comes in.  Solina Ascension starts with a bubbly synth,
then comes a break, then an organ (a Solina organ, perchance?), then the
bassline, then some synth sounds, a melodic bass, & finally subtle vocoded
vocals, going on for 11 minutes.  This is my favorite track on the album,
and not surprisingly, it doesn't really fit in with the previous tracks. 
Lastly, Afterlife brings back the Solina sound, which, with other synth
sounds forms an ambient hymn to end the album. It sounds like Mark & Tom
threw whatever tracks they had laying about the studio onto this, so it's
sadly lacking in cohesion. 

Global Communication - The Groove (Dedicated) - GlobComm once again pulls
a chameleon (pun intended), this time going for the 70's funkster personae
1st glimpsed on "Funk In The Fridge" (on one of the "Maiden Voyage" 
CDS's.  There is a twist, however.  They went out & hired a band to
perform the song, complete with (thankfully) minimal vocals.  The beat is
your basic 4OTMOFOF.  Funny how that's boring whether on a drum machine or
with a drummer (I know that's flamebait).  2 band mixes, a Modwheel mix
which is a little more electronic sounding and closer to my liking,
another mix which is trip hoppish & also quite good but too similar, a
Palm Skins Productions mix which does a good job of retaining elements of
the original while reinterpreting it as a funky groove trance workout
(kinda like Ehn on ACofSS), and a mix by Dego which is funky. 35 minutes
total running time, all good to very good, depending on how well you can
stomach recycled 70's.  I have a low tolerance. 


1997:

Jedi Knights - The Big Ones CD (Universal Language) - 3 tracks of
dancefloor oriented fun from Tom & Mark.  Catch The Break is reminiscent
of the Air Drums From Outer Bongolia track off the album.  Big Knockers is
another 4OTMOFOF stomper, not very armchair friendly.  The other 3 tracks
are a Heard Records "sampler".  Moroccan Jack by Modwheel (Tom) delivers
yet another FOTMOFOF grinder disguised as a call to prayer. The Return by
Circulation is a Bulgarian disco number, you guessed it, 4OTMOFOF, with
some nice synth & piano.  Finally, In To My Thru by The Horn (a veiled
MIDI reference?) mails in yet another noise squidge over 4OTMOFOF track
(which seems to be what every track I've heard from him sounds like).  I
just don't get it.  5 tracks, 39 minutes of 4OTMOFOF is more 40TMOFOF than
I can tolerate.  Your mileage may vary. 

*Global Communication remixes of Sun Rising (Beloved) (?) - Wow.  How do
they do it?  2 mixes of this early 90's classic, unfortunately spread over
2 CDS's.  One is a deep house take which reworks the bassline to chill
effect.  The other is a D&B mix, laid-back & mellow with kick like a cup
of good coffee with an addshot of espresso.  Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm is the
operative mantra for these two.  Not to be missed if you're a GlobComm
fan. (As an aside, I'd like to comment on how well I think The Beloved's
1st two album has aged.  I keep a 90 min tape of it & various remixes in
the car (it's something my wife can listen to) and listen to it far more
than I thought I would when I made the tape).

Pelusha - Isolation EVO035 (Evolution) - 12" & CD (I'll be happy to trade
my 12" for the CD) w/ 2 tracks.  Each side is close to 10 minutes long,
and is beautiful beatless ambience.  More like Global Communication than
the last two Global Communication singles. 

Reload - Archive 12" EVO036 (Evolution) - 3 tracks - Soaring 7:43, 6-8
Rhodes 5:37, 4-4 rhodes 4:50.  I haven't heard it. 

*Global Communication - Jazz Carnival remix (Azymuth - Jazz Carnival 12" -
?)  - Saj at Resonance has once again done an amazing job in tracking this
down.  I'm waiting for it to arrive, so I haven't heard it, but it's
supposed to be great. 

*Global Communication - Civil War Correspondent (PJ Harvey - Civil War
Corr.  CDS - ?) - haven't heard this one. 

*Jedi Knights - Home remix (Depeche Mode - Home 2CDs - ?) - I haven't
heard this one. 

Chaos & Julia Set - First Generation Remix EVO081 (Evolution) - Remix of
First Generation by Original Raw Lab - I haven't heard it, and I'm not
planning to by it since it's a remix OF, not BY, Mark & Dominic. 

Chaos & Julia Set - Learn To Fight EP EVO083 (Evolution) - First
Generation is a very dark, hard drum & bass track.  The B side is a remix
by Dylan, dark but not as dark as the original. 

*The Mod Wheel - Spiritcatcher EVO091 (Evolution) - Haven't heard this, I
believe this is Tom in solo mode with 3 tracks of Basic Channel style
minimalism. 

*The Mod Wheel - Destination Morocco HRDV001 (Heard): Moroccan Jack is a
FOTMOFOF grinder disguised as a call to prayer, which is also on JK's The
Big Ones CD. I haven't heard the flip side. 

*Global Communication - Gorecki remix (Lamb - Gorecki CDs - ?) - I haven't
heard this, supposedly drum & bass. 

*Global Communication - ? remix (Sensorama - Welcome Inset Remixes - ?) -
I haven't heard this CD, but it also has remixes by Black Dog & Mouse On
Mars, so I'm sure it's worthwhile. 

1998:

The Mod Wheel - In Da Jungle remix (Playboy - In Da Jungle 12" - Tag) - I
haven't heard this. 

It's almost September & I don't know of anything else Mark & Tom have done
this year. After the incredible prolificy of 93 & 94, I guess it's
understandable that there'd be a letdown, but this is ridiculous.  We can
only hope they've got several albums in the bag, just waiting for release. 

Since it seems like Ben is never going to update the website, I'm going to
post this to my website with any additions & corrections I get (PLEASE
send me anything you've got). Try
http://www.synthcom.com/~zeus8/globcomm.html in a few days for the update. 

BTW, I've got originals on everything I've reviewed.  I'm open to trades
of CDRs or originals on all the out of print stuff.  Email me. 

Trivia Q Answer: Evolution Records was named after the Carl Craig track
Evolution.  Apparently Mark's a big fan. 

Che