Techno

Orbital "Diversions" Rating: 10 out of 10 This sort of musik has been called "hardcore" techno. It is not dance or trance. Almost all of the pieces are long (the shortest is 06:15) and all of them are good. The group gets into a groove of one section & really allow themselves to have fun with it. They don't limit themselves by strict "rules". They go with beats, then experiment around with sounds, and then sometimes go on to something completely different. To me, this is very entertaining musik that easily holds one's interest. They use a few samples here and there just to spice things up, but mostly the album is drums and digital sounds. This is very elektronik stuff but not at all Industrial. It's a little spaced-out sometimes (and I like that sort of thing). Very good, very well done. Available thru CDnow. . Orbital "In Sides" (LP) Rating: 10 out of 10 This album finds Orbital happily playing techno musik just as well as they always do. "The Girl With The Sun In Her Head" (Track 1) is a slowly developing song, almost like a good book. By the end of it, U feel that you've really progressed along w/ the song because it has taken U so many places. The 2nd track is full of energy and good sounds. The 3rd track ("The Box") is not as techno as most of the other tracks but it is a very good piece of musik. Whatever it is, it's not rock; I think it's just "elektronik musik" -- & I have no problem w/ elektronik musik. Tracks 7 & 8 (collectively entitled "Out There Somewhere?") R 2 of my favourites; like the first track, I think it unfolds very nicely. Available thru CDnow, either with or without a bonus EP... . Orbital "In Sides" (EP) Rating: 10 out of 10 This is a bonus CD included in some versions of the "In Sides" LP. It includes an extended version (it would be unfair to call it a remix) of the LP track "The Box", lasting 28 minutes! What a song it is! (but don't expect heavy techno in it.) The other pieces R techno, though, and are very good. It's not as diverse in mood as the LP but that doesn't really matter much. As usual, the sounds are very good, very digital, and are often modified in some way to make them more interesting. I really love to listen to the structures of Orbital's musik; U can always pick out where they started a new sequence on their Sequencer. Available thru CDnow, as a bonus CD sold along with the LP. It doesn't raise the price to get this EP, and this CD alone is almost an hour long, so U R getting a very good deal. U may as well buy it if U R going 2 buy the LP! . Orb "Pomme Fritz (The Orbs' Little Album)" Rating: 10 out of 10 The Orbs' Little Album? Yes, it only lasts 41 minutes...4 the Orb, that's a little album. But it's a good album with quite a bit of elektronik experimentalism on their -- most notably track 3 ("We're Pastie To Be Grill You"). The last track is a fun track. The other tracks have a distinctive Orbness to them but are a little more techno than ambient, if U take my meaning. This has some good samples on their, and some slightly ethereal sounds. I was impressed with the album mostly for the little odd things they do now and again more than I was impressed with it for the musik alone. I have one friend who is not fond of the Orb but is fond of this album. Available from CDnow. . Orb "Orbus Terrarum" Rating: 10 out of 10 Looking 4 that ambient CD that U heard playing N the background of a dream U had but U don't know what it is? It was probably this one. This is ambient musik thru & thru. The songs span from 7 to 17 minutes each, each with a progressive and fairly easy beat, lots of reverb, lots of samples, & classic Orbish ethereal sounds. This is a very long album (over an hour) & most of it is pretty subtle. U can chill out 2 this musik, or U can sit around & dream (while awake, or else U won't hear the musik), or sit down & just listen 2 it to hear what U can hear. It has an Old World flavour, mainly because of the samples. Go to CDnow. . Aphex Twin "Richard D. James Album" Rating: 10 out of 10 My first Aphex Twin album, the one that so impressed me with its abstract sensibilities and its moments of experimentalism ("To Cure A Weakling Child", Track 6). There are not many meoldies on this CD, and its brand of Ambient is a far cry from the Orb & others. It's elektronik musik for the sake of sounds, rhythms, and some tunes. A lot of people have become annoyed with Aphex Twin lately but I still like the sound of this album. Available thru CDnow. . Aphex Twin "...I Care Because You Do" Rating: 10 out of 10 I know a lot of people who have become disenchanted with Aphex Twin because he's been on Mtv. While I concede that an appearance on Mtv is a bad sign, I still respect the albums he's made so far. He may try 2 go mainstream, N which case he'll probably go downhill. Until then, however, U can enjoy his musik w/o shame or guilt. This album is very good, with a mixture of chaotic almost-noise-musik pieces and more structured, melodik pieces. Recommended it in spite of Mtv. Go to CDnow. . La Ley "Fotofobia" (maxi-single) Rating: 10 out of 10 Here's another Mexican techno CD. The original version of the song is elektronik and not terribly techno. The remixes, trax 3 & 4, R more techno N spirit (but not really heavy Dance). Track 3 ("Remix/Eddie Baez") is long and retains little of the original song (I love when remixes do that). Track 4 ("Remixes/Jorge Gonzales") is less rebellious and is a good song. I like this song for its feel of darkness; "photophobia" is the "fear (or sensitivity) of light". I can't understand the rest of the CD because I don't speak spanish. Again, this CD was bought in Mexico, so I don't know if it can be found in other countries, although other La Ley albums R available at CDnow. Not having heard anything by La Ley but this CD (yet), I cannot presently comment on other releases. .. Arkimed "L'Ultimo Del Mohicani" (EP) Rating: 10 out of 10 Deep into the dance side of techno there lies this EP (or maxi-single?) of dance versions of Trevor Jones's musik for the Michael Mann/Daniel Day-Lewis movie "The Last of the Mohicans". I don't know how this idea came about, but I think this album is great. The first track ("Progressive Sound") has a quote from the book, I assume...in Italian...and is basically "The Kiss" re-worked. The last track ("Trans Version") is a good dance version of the main titles with an elektronik voice dropping by 4 a sequence, just to add variety. I bought this N Mexico, so I don't know whether it's available elsewhere. These R not remixes, by the way, they R elektronik renditions and re-workings. . Minerva "The Girl From Ipanema" ()maxi-single) Rating: 10 out of 10 A maxi-single I bought N Mexico. This credits Astrud Gilberto as composer of the song, which is, of course, incorrect. Jobim/deMoraes/Gimbel did...Mrs. Gilberto sang it. This CD consists of 5 mixes of the song, each well done and well sung in english or spanish. This is danceable "techno" (that term is so broad now, I almost hate 2 use it any more). Since I got this N Mexico, I don't know where, if anywhere, one could find it elsewhere. Her CD "Dejame Sonar" is at CDnow but I have not heard it yet. . Pet Shop Boys "Disco" Rating: 10 out of 10 This is called a remix album but I think "extended mixes" is more appropriate. This is early Pet Shop Boys, so it's not really Disco or Dance by to-day's standards. Still, it's a good CD, and surely you've heard "West End Girls". Now U can hear the extended version on Track 6. These mixes R very good, & the remixers allow themselves 2 play around a little. Of course the songs R great! The lyrix R, as usual, ironically true ("Love Comes Quickly", Track 5). I love the Pet Shop Boys N every aspect. Available thru CDnow & CD stores. . Pet Shop Boys "Behavior" Rating: 10 out of 10 Mellow Pet Shop Boys, mostly, but also emotional. Angelo Badalamenti, of "Twin Peaks" fame, works on a couple of songs, too. Track 1 ("Being Boring") is a swell song, one that I find very touching even though I suspect that I'm still too young to really identify w/ it. But that means it'll get better w/ age. I like track 4 ("How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?") because -- again -- it is just so true. All N all, just another above-average album from your friends (and mine), the Pet Shop Boys. Good album art, too. Oh, Track 7 ("So Hard") is fairly hard Dance. Available at CDnow & most CD stores. . Pet Shop Boys "Very" Rating: 10 out of 10 A mostly fast, but fairly cheerful (in sound) album. Some heavy elektronik sounds here, too, & a dense sound over all. Track 2 ("I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing") is kool, as is track 6 ("Yesterday, When I Was Mad"). The album art is crazy & pretty funny -- wait until U C it. Track 10 ("Young Offenders") is nicely spiteful to arrogant youths, a little like "Shameless" (recorded for this album but dropped later on) from their album "Alternative". This, & lots of other Pet Shop Boys CDs, can B found at CDnow. . Pet Shop Boys "Disco 2" Rating: 10 out of 10 Very much a remix album. "So Hard" (track 6) is good because it's completely unrecogniseable as "So Hard". Trax 1 & 2 ("I Normally Wouldn't Do This Kind of Thing" mixes by Beatmasters & DJ Pierre, respectively) R good, too. The album is a mega-mix so each song runs right N2 the next. It's not constant hard Dance but it's still very good; I suppose one must expect lulls in mega-mixes. Of course all of the source musik is good. Available at CDnow. . Pet Shop Boys "Alternative" Rating: 10 out of 10 Double album of alternative versions (not remixes) of previously released songs, many B-Sides to hit singles. There R @ least 30 songs on here & all of them R good, so I can hardly give a sufficient summary of the album here. Track 4 on CD 1 ("I Want A Dog") is hopelessly lonely, "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" (track 13, CD 1) is narrative & has some great sounds N it -- highly original. Track 14 CD 1 ("One of the Crowd") uses a vocoder of some sort & has kool lyrix. And then there is track 15 CD 1 ("Your Funny Uncle"), a song that cannot B praised enuff. It will leave U weeping like a child N2 your CD Player. Track 5 CD 2 ("Music for Boys") is hard Dance & good! Track 9 CD 2 ("Shameless") was recorded 4 the "Very" album but never made it on there. I also like Track 10 CD 2 ("Too Many People") because it's so true! This is a highly entertaining CD & includes a very long interview w/ the Pet Shop Boys N the CD booklet. Available @ CDnow. . More Reviews of Techno and Dance/Techno-Pop Are Forthcoming . Back to Musik