Amazon.com

When you're a prolific band that also happens to be mighty friendly to your obsessive compulsive collector fan base, you wind up releasing a lot of singles and EPs with material that's otherwise unavailable on your albums. And here, for the price of a Japanese pressing of the Fluorescences EP on an auction site alone, you get Stereolab's eight Elektra EPs, from 1993's Jenny Ondioline to 2001's Captain Easychord. The "groop"'s collaborative EPs ( Crumb Duck, Uilab) are not included, but there is a DVD with rarely-seen videos and television performances. This box set serves far more than a plug-the-gaps exercise for trainspotters; as with the singles collections Switched-On volumes one, two and three (did we not mention this band is prolific?), it's an intriguing retrospective of the band in their mature years. And unlike those comps, this set often highlights the band's more lengthy, experimental songs. "Les Yper Yper Sound," for instance, John McEntire's distorted, delightfully repetitious reworking of "Yper Sound" from Emperor Tomato Ketchup, is spine-tinglingly awesome.--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Stereolab-'Oscillons From The Anti-Sun'(Too Pure)3-CD/1 DVD
'Oscillons...' gives fans a real treat,a three audio disc and one DVD box set.Total of 35 songs,of which 28 will be new to most Stereolab followers EXCEPT for those die-hards who put out big $$ to purchase past import releases.Despite it's cheap-o packaging,this box set is very nice to have.Most of the tracks are lesser known singles and B-sides.The DVD is great,with it's live performances,video clips and other visual surprises.Should appeal to fans of Air,Yo La Tengo,Spacemen 3,Mouse On Mars and Tortoise.

God Bless Stereolab!
This box set is a welcome addition for the die-hards AND casuals, and it's nice having all of these EP's and singles in one place. I have no idea why others are having such a hard time opening their boxes however; it's really not that hard! And aside from one tiny little split in the corner, my box seems really sturdy and finely made.

The sticker set is a wonderful addition to this box collection, so make sure and get your box set now before it goes into a second pressing and they disappear! The set includes eight (8) 4x4 inch stickers with great art work. Suitable for framing! At just around twenty bucks for 35 tracks and a DVD, you just can't go wrong with this. Even if you've not heard one single lick of a stereolab song and if you're a semi-casual fan of electronic music, try them out!

Damn That Packaging
I really do like this latest compilation from Stereolab but I do have to knock a point off for the packaging that the band insists on providing.I thought the last two Switched On compilations were annoying with their flimsy cardboard but this one beats them both (although my copy of S.O. 3 did fall apart about a minute after I got it so I couldn't put the disc in with out it falling out).With "Oscillons...", Stereolab gives us an incredibly difficult to open as well as bulky box with cheap sleeves inside to hold the discs, including the DVD.C'mon, are you so against simple plastic jewel cases?Well, other than the box it comes in, I do indeed recommend this latest compilation from Stereolab even like many other fans, all of the trouble we went through to get those import EPs and singles seem to have lost its shine now that a proper domestic collection is out but at least you had them before a lot of others and thus got the pleasure of hearing some of the band's finer material years before a lot of people did.

Ketchup in a box!
Ok, I kid - it's actually "catch up" for all those of us who discovered Stereolab later rather than sooner.I'm sure I'm not alone - my first Stereolab CD was 2004's sublime Margarine Eclipse, which prompted me to search for the earlier CDs and EPs.My advice to fellow latecomers: dive into this box set!As other reviewers noted, this is a great collection.

A few thoughts about the DVD included in this set: one of the first things I heard about Stereolab was that they were exceptional in concert, and I was disappointed that I could not find any DVDs of their shows.The DVD in this collection has eight "promos" followed by three live performances from UK television.With the exception of Jenny Ondioline, the promos are not typical music videos.They are more like surrealistic dreamscapes (think Dali, backed by synthesizers, broadcast on early PCs - a hoot) set to music.Next, the first live video is a superb, driving rendition of French Disko, gone a bit trippy with TV special effects (think Austin Powers).And then come two gems from the Later...with Jools Holland show (ca. 1996).For all those of us who were late to the party, here's proof that Stereolab -- in addition to being electronic, cerebral, political, carefully crafted, etc., etc. -- are terrific live.These performances of Cybele's Reverie and Les Yper Sound are a great glimpse of what we missed, including the late, lamented Mary Hansen.We can only hope that there are more live performances in the vault and destined for future DVDs, and look forward to the band's future tours.In the meantime, I highly recommend the videos and three CDs in this box set.

A final note for the old-time Stereolab fans who already own the EPs collected here, but not the Jenny Ondioline promo: there's a moment in that video, when the always serious Laetitia Sadier starts to smile and turns away from the camera and toward Mary, who's smiling back...talk about a perfect moment. As a previous reviewer said, Mary, rest in peace.And long live Stereolab!

have to agree with the first 2 reviewers..
...but elaborate a little bit on both. The music on this is beyond cool, I can't say enough about it, so I'll leave it at that.

But... the packaging is *extremely* tough to open - mine's already pocked with fingernail marks from trying to pry it open, and the cardboard box seems to be splitting at some of the outside joints. And I've had it for all of 18 hours. It's not enough really to knock a star off of my review, but it's more than a little irritating.

And yes, like reviewer #2 said, it is a bit frustrating now for me to look over the hundreds of dollars worth of import cd's that have now been rendered obsolete by about $23. Have I had $100's worth of enjoyment over the years that I would have otherwise spent without this music? Well, that's debatable, but I'll say "yes, I have."

The stickers of all the various single covers are very cool - I'm tempted to plaster my guitar case with them, but then they'd get messed up. What's an OC (obsessive completist) to do??? ... Read more

Reviews (24)

~
I don't hand out five stars on a whim. I tend to feel a bit guilty when I do because 99.9% of the albums out there aren't worth five stars. This one is different.

I tend to be fairly critical of indie hype. Usually when I follow up on it the results are disapointing. For instance The Postal Servise, GY!BE, Sigur Ros, and so forth. All albums that recieve critical acclaim and have indie kids pooping thier pants. All really bad albums.

So I did not expect much when I finally decided to give this album a chance. Lo and behold, it blew me away.

Lyrically it revolves around the state of Michigan, which should doom "Greetings From..." to a life as a novelty item. Unexpectly, however, the quality of songwriting and execution makes this a must-have cd.

Stevens can craft moments in music. Moments that live and breathe within the listener. Every note is meticulously places within the whole without sounding forced or trite. He knows how long is long enough and how long is too much.

The album is helped out with the borrowed background singers from The Danielson Famile, who create lovely harmony. Stevens plays just about every instrument under the sun, and mixes it perfectly.

The musical genious of our time?
First off, I would like to list some reasons why people would not listen to this album. 1) They never heard of it. Well, blame the pop industry for giving the public crap. 2) It sounds like it's going to be a "folky" album. True, Stevens uses the banjo a good deal (though not half as much as his new album, "Seven Swans"), but when you get to the bottom of the album and finally "understand" it, you come to the realization that it has no true genre. Maybe that's what good music is - music that transcends all genres of its time. 3) It's much too soft and downbeat for my taste. Some people just can't take such mellow music, I understand, but this album is, if anything, uplifting and energizing. Despite a lack of percussion in many of the songs, Stevens manages to fill the silence with a myriad of instruments and beautiful, melodious backup vocals. Surprisingly, most of your attention will probably fall on the lyrics. Intertwined with masterful imagery is a theme of a past life in Michigan. Stevens weaves in fantastic memories that are so personal, they could almost be from your own past. All in all, this album is as close to perfection as I've seen in the 2003 releases, and it will inevitably go down as one of Indie rock's greatest achievements - if "Seven Swans" doesn't top it, which is a true possibility.

Musically Great, Lyrically OK
Sufjan Stevens is certainly the most musically inventive songwriter to come around in a while, and the production and arrangments here are breathtaking. He appears to be heavily influenced by the Drag City sound (Smog, Jim O'Rourke, David Grubbs etc.) but not encumbered by his debt to those artists.
Stevens' childish voice gets a bit cloying on some songs though, and the lyrics are just fair. The ones about God are pretty annoying actually, not because they are about God, but because they sound naive.

Wish I could give it six stars
I've never written a review for Amazon.com before, and I am proud to make Sufjan Steven's "Greetings.." my first review.

Truly a gifted songwriter who has crafted a beautiful masterpiece about life in not just Michigan, but combining the depression of our failures, with the joy of the belief in God.

Sufjan never apoligizes for his Christianity stance, it's a part of who he is, I admire him for that, and I consider him to be one of the best songwriters today. I enjoyed "Seven Swans" his recent 2004 recent as well, but it is not comparable to this masterpiece.

Few cds I would give a 10 out of 10,
the only four I would would be

Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Neutral Milk Hotel - Aeroplane Over the Sea
Pixies - Doolittle

I am thinking this cd might be near perfect, and time will evaluate it. For now i'll just go to bed listening to his soothing humble voice

amazing
I know this isn't all that helpful, but I am rendered entirely speechless by this album. It's subtle, thoughtful, and sentimental (but not overly so). all I can say is, incredible, remarkable, fantastic, buy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Reykjavík-based noise quartet Sigur Rós are the biggest band in their native Iceland, which should say much, much more about the collective insanity of that earthquake-ridden, blizzard-beaten crag of an island than anything to do with Sigur Rós's sound. But in their music, Sigur Rós reflect all the breathtaking glory of the Icelandic wastes--a fairy-tale explosion of unhinged elemental majesty that's finally crystallized here, their debut European release. Poised somewhere between the haunting soundscapes of Labradford and the lilting Celtic falsetto of Enya, Agaetis Byrjun is a truly breathtaking listen. Frontman Jon Por Birgisson sings in a language that Sigur Rós dub "Hopelandic"--an otherworldly mutation of Icelandic, sung in the falsetto cadence of angels; similarly, he plays his guitar with a violin bow, opening the floodgates for brilliant waves of feedback. And while it's the opening "Svefn-G-Englar" that's Sigur Rós' moment to date, there's far more that they have to offer; listen to the pomp and flourish of a full orchestra on "Flugufrelsarinn," or the awe-inspiring near-religious mantra of "Ny Batteri." --Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (233)

Surprised when I found out they were human beings...
After introducing many listeners to their distinct sound by way of the "Vanilla Sky" sountrack album, Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós (pronouned "Seer Rose" with the R's rolled) has built a following interested in expanding their tastes in music and virtually elimintaing insomnia. Agaetis Byrjun (pronounced "Ow-gate-is Beeryune"), the band's third overall album to date, is their masterpiece. It is the ultimate realization of the spectrum of human emotion, and, when accompanied by candles and a good pair of headphones, proves as an adequate cure for sleep deprevation. The band's instrumentation is relatively simple: vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards/synthesizers. The miracle of this is the otherworldly sound channeled through these instruments and into the ears, heart, and soul of the listener.
The album begins with an intro, roughly a minute long, which resembles an underwater choir singing an irresistable refrain, chopped and repeated by the loopwork of keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. It slowly travels into the now-famous "Svefn-G-Englar"(Sleepwalkers) by way of the repeating ping of a sonar detector and the rumbling of an underwater submarine. The two songs together serve as an exposition to a much grander scheme, but it is here that we are introduced to Sigur Rós' distinctive blend of angelic vocals, channeling bass work, etherreal percussion, and quite possibly the most beautiful guitar feedback ever recorded, by way of guitarist/vocalist Jonsi running a cello bow along the strings. From this, the listener is transported into the stellar "Staralfur" by way of a rapidly drumming heartbeat. From first listen, one is compelled to make a nighttime trip to an open field to gaze at a star-painted sky, revelling in the sheer beauty of life.
Next is the hypnotic "Flugufrelsarinn", brought in by a combination of wind and guitar screeching. The song borderlines erotica, and is as irresistable as it is trance-inducing. Brass hummings bring in "Ny Batteri", a song that is altogether more melancholy in its scope as compared with the rest of the album. It's as if the band is lost in its own emotional maelstrom, struggling to find any signs of light. A peephole is found in the jazz-like "Hjartad Hamast", which sounds like Miles Davis as interpreted by a Martian. The peephole then tears, to become the rejuvenation that is "Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa". The longest song on the album, it is arguably the most beautiful, shifting through 4 main phrases all in one swift, breathtaking motion.
Now that the rejuvenation has been found, it is time for the youthful abandon that is "Olsen Olsen". The timely, enchanting bass riff guides the listener through a dark forest leading to a meadow, filled with a grand choir encircling a lone flutist. Immediately following is the smile-inducing title track, "Agaetis Byrjun". The guitar intro fades in from nothing, and the divine instrumentation makes the listener think of the same. A flying kite comes to mind in this song. As for "Avalon", the closer, nothing will be disclosed. It serves as a final farewell to the listener, tucking them in goodnight, and letting them rest assured that life is indeed filled with beauty, if they would only allow their ears to hear it.
Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful albums ever made. Sigur Rós is a band not easily dismissed. Agaetis Byrjun is an experience not easily forgotten. Your ears, mind, heart, soul, and eyelids will love you forever.

A new favourite of mine
I stumbled into Sigur Ros after someone on a messageboard I frequent was expressing excitement about their then-upcoming third album ( ), which I bought the day it was released stateside. I was duly impressed, but it was after I bought Agaetis Byrjun that the band really sunk it's claws into me.

For an album who's songs stretch up into the the ten minute range, this is a very accessable record. The instrumentals are soothing yet intense, often at the same time (think Kid A-era Radiohead), as this is very much mood music. Pianos interweave with bowed electric guitars, fingerpicked acoustics, moderate percussion, keyboard melodies, etcetera. One song (Olsen Olsen, I believe) even has a somewhat dischordant orchestral bombast.

As far as the vocals, Jonsi has a beautiful falsetto (no one I play this for believes that's a guy at first), and even though I don't understand the lyrics (they are Icelandic after all), I like the tonal quality of them.

To a point, Vanilla Sky did for Sigur Ros what Benny & Joon did for the Proclaimers: gave an unknown band stateside a few minutes in the spotlight. Given, Sven-g-Englar (which loosely translates to Sleepwalkers I think), the song on the VS soundtrack, is one you hear people going on about a lot. The standout, in my opinion however, is the title track, Agaetis Byrjun (A Good Beginning). Both are fantastic songs, though, and the rest of the album isn't much behind.

So yes. If you're in the mood for a three minute pop hook, obviously you would do well to look elsewhere. If you're willing to invest a little patience, however, Agaetis Byrjun is a top cut. Let it wash over you and see where it takes you.

I'VE FOUND NEAR PERFECTION
Anyone who appreciates beautiful music would love this album. It's not something you listen to when you're drunk in the club, or jamming in your car down the boardwalk on the beach, but its something to listen to and enjoy by yourself. These songs make you think of life, of past relationships, of God, and of the world. The only problem with this is, if you are mainly for lyrics, and you don't speak the language of this band, you will not understand a word, let alone spell a song's name. Do not listen to this album to find meaning in the words. Let the singer's voice and sounds be part of the music instead of focusing on what he is saying. I believe this is an album where you will either REALLY love it or it just won't be for you. If you are strictly into American pop music, hiphop/R&B, metal or hard rock, or close-minded to a certain hardcore sound, this album might not be for you. If you are open-minded to music that isn't just screaming and hardcore riffs, and isn't filled with hot beats with someone yappin about ridin on dubs and 24's, this might catch your ear. This is what music is supposed to be. I'm not saying this is what all music should be. I am saying that all music, whatever genre, should be on this level. If that were possible, the world would be a much more enjoyable place. If you have time to listen to this album, I strongly strongly strongly recommend it.

Superb
This is my number one desert island CD. Orgasmic and haunting are the best ways I can describe this album. If Iceland has it's own equivalent of the Smithsonian, than a copy of Agaetis Byrjun deserves to be placed in it immediately.

Mind bending, influencial recordings
I can only describe this album in few words, since there is so much to describe it with, it's amazing. Absolutely stunning. The violin bow added to the guitar playing is just great. Beautiful, melodic music. A good buy, and a classic to keep in your collection ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Breath of Fresh Air!
I've been a fan of Air since hearing the beautiful soundtrack of Virgin Suicides, Talkie Walkie just seals my admiration even more. This album has it all and should help the group gain an even bigger following. If you think Air is just a robotic electronic band then think again, Talkie Walkie is full of acoustic instruments and vocals giving it a very warm human element and alive feeling. I recently saw the group live in New Orleans and they were fantasic, the set consisted mainly of songs from Talkie Walkie which sounded as good live as on my car and home systems. From the sweeter than sweet Cherry Blossom Girl which could have been included on Virgin Suicides to Surfing On A Rocket with its Lennon-style vocals and lyrics could easily be the new cover for the bomb launching scene of "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" and Venus is Pink Floyd revisited, the rest of the awesome cd is pure Air at their finest. If you're looking for music with emotion, intelligence, rich sound and punch (to keep your sub-woofer happy) this is the one album that's worth every penny and more. The songs are addictive and you'll be listening to them again and again. Merci beau coup Air!

Great for Ads, Better for Music Lovers
If there's one thing that can definitely be said about Air's latest album, it's that it's pretty. In fact, it's damn pretty. So pretty, in fact, that one has no problem ignoring the relative lack of depth or vapid lyrics. But by now, anyone familiar with Air should be used to those things anyway. Producing a major electronic hit with 1998's 'Moon Safari', Air became the European princes of cheezy make-out music, and with a knack for catchy beats, their songs had no trouble making their way onto GAP commercials and the like. After a few awkward follow-ups, Air's latest finally surpasses their debut, embracing a more ambient aesthetic that ditches lust for a seductive calm, a turn marked by tracks like the whistle-driven 'Alpha Beta Giga' being used in a recent Starburst commercial and 'Alone in Kyoto' appearing in Sophia Coppola's 'Lost in Translation'. Gone entirely are the cloying, vocal cameos that marred much of 'Moon Safari'. 'Talkie Walkie' consists of an even mixture of straight forward electronic-pop and soothing instrumental pieces. The smooth beats melt into electronically-enhanced, French vocals, often with less hi-tech instruments such as banjos providing the necessary rhythym. The more energetic tracks like the aforementioned 'Alpha Beta Giga' and the superb 'Surfing on a Rocket' easily surpass any of their prior work, while more ambient tracks like 'Run' and 'Biological' keep the album moving between the singles with beautiful chill-out pieces. Though 'Venus', the album's first track, is disconcerting in its emphasis on Air's worst tendenies, the rest of the album is thoroughly enjoyable, and, I suspect, will be heard in films for many years to come.

Ongaku Kerie (Beautiful Music)
I was loaned this album while at the Gojo Guest House in Kyoto. I listend to it all day while I wallked about town. It was pure magic. The perfect touch to the melencholy beauty of Japan on a rainy day. This album is amazing. It holds a special place in my heart, helping me to recall the misty(sic) streets of Kyoto.

Amazing.
First off. I'm listening to this CD right now on my computer. So the poster below isn't entirely correct...

I first heard Air on the Lost in Translation soundtrack. Alone In kyoto was such an amazing song that I ordered this CD and Moon Safari, and I'm definately not dissapointed.

Standout tracks:

Venus, Cherry Blossom Girl, run, Another Day, Alpha Beta Gaga and Alone in Kyoto.

That's 6 excellent songs, a true rarity when buying a CD these days. I can't tell you the number of times I've bought a CD and there were only 1-2 listenable songs. So sad.

As far as comparisons to other artists today, I've heard them contrasted with zero7, but I think they are much more original and better songwriters by far. Hell their lirics are pretty basic and non sensicial, it's the complex melodies that distinguish Air above their apparently tone deaf competition.

I hope they keep putting out CDs.

fluff... yet good
I will start of by letting you know that "synth pop" (or whatever you would classify Air as) is not my normal thing. Normally, even one of those two words would be enough to make me run away screaming, but something about this album caught a hold of me and refused to let go.

A friend of mine kept playing this when I was around and like some sort of disease, it just ate into me somehow! Consider yourself warned.

The songs are catchy and happy, and yet they still manage to invoke an introspective feeling that most "pop" doesn't. This quality makes it great background music, or music to just chill out to. Put this on at a party and people will notice it.

In particular, the strech of songs from 'Mike Mills' (probably my favorite song) onward really stand out. The songs flow and complement each other helping to create an overall ambiance that maybe you wouldn't expect from this sort of music. One of the album's biggest strengths comes from it's simple diversity. Air use a number of different instruments / electronic sounds in a number of different ways. I'm pretty sure I even heard a banjo in there somewhere, and I think we can all agree that banjo's are pretty damn cool.

Yes this ablum is "fluff". The lyrics will not stimulate deep conversations and the music isn't complex, but sometimes all you need is fluff. ... Read more

Amazon.com

French duo Air's debut album is a superlatively happy collection of experimental disco-mood sound nestled between ambient soundscape and breathy pop. It's jazzy and melodic, and mostly laid-back, but not excessively so. There are a few shake-it, shake-it numbers, too, like the absurdly daft hit "Sexy Boy." It's snap your fingers and hang out (while reading) music or dance around sexy-slow with your mate music. It's also the perfect music to do your ironing or some other chore to; it's hypnotizing wallpaper music. It slips in and out of your consciousness, forcing you to move around with a relaxed smile before you even realize it. Oh, and contrary to sampler fashion, Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit Dunckel played the instruments themselves. Bravo. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (254)

Prog rock? Mmmm...no. Frog rock? Yep! Well, sort of.
I'll grant everyone who's slobbered all over this thing that its a cool listen, but probably owing to the fact that they recorded this album using instruments they bought at Giorgio Moroder's garage sale, it doesn't sound all that fresh.

Indeed, when I listen to this there's a definite synth feel that recalls Midnight Express, maybe a hint of Tangerine Dream, and the occasional nose-blowing horn that hearkens back to Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western scores. Air covers a lot of ground, but none of it seems like new ground, which is why they get docked a star. And if these guys start to try to pass themselves off as self-styled "geniuses" (and I get the feeling that this is already starting to happen), drop another star.

It kinda sounds like I didn't care for this CD, which is false. I actually like it a lot. "La Femme D'Argent", which is the best track for my money, is a smooth, chill-out 7-minute groove that I absolutely love, but I was a little disappointed that there weren't any other funky space-lounge explorations quite like it on the rest of the CD.

All in all, with Moon Safari, Air has placed themselves at the vanguard of pop music...circa 1980. Hey, boys, as long as you're there, wake up Gary Numan, would you? And get yourself a subscription to Omni magazine. You'll dig it, I promise.

More Dance songs please
This is probably the french duo's best album to date, however i don't really know where they stand cause the variation of the songs is huge. Some are catchy dance-pop" Kelli watch the stars" some others almsot sound like Jazz "Talisman" who would have thought Air made them both?. "You make it easy" is almost a ballad, quite boring if yoy go all the way to the store to get a dance album, and when you get back 50% of the songs are something else."Ce Matin La" is a nice one, slow and romantic with someone playing the trumpet, no dance once again. "All i need" is allright, but more like pop, with a female singer making the lyrics. i like "Remember" "Kelly Watch the stars" and "Sexy Boy" which are all pure dance, could they make some more of that kind i would judge this cd alot better.

Amazing!
Moon Safari is simply amazing! I bought this CD about one year ago, and it is still one of my favorites. It's the type of album you can put on repeat, and never get tired of it. Air's "Moon Safari" offers an eclectic mix of songs that are completely different from one another, but flow well nicely from track to track. Listen to it just for the sake of listening to it, play it at a party - this is versatile. My friends gave it a listen, and they (all with many different musical tastes, might I add) all loved it. "Moon Safari" remains classic and modern at the same time. Completely mellow, with substance.

ISO more like this!
This is my first ambient/techno music cd. I'd heard 'All I Need' on satellite several years ago and was hooked right away, but never bothered to look up the cd until now. I love the instrumental - especially the first track. Wish I could find more of the same - I'm not into the trip-hop side of this genre I'm finding so any recommendations greatly appreciated.

One of the best of 1998
I remember this was like the album of the year in 1998. Everyone was playing it nonstop. I was at a new year's eve party at the end of 1998 and someone put this album on and it was great. I was on some E and hanging out in Brooklyn. I went into the city and hung out at a few parties. I will always remember that night. The music of Air plays a big part in this. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most druggy music chooses clearly between ecstasy and horror; Anthony Gonzalez deliberately blurs the emotional borders. The French musician, now a one-man-band following the departure of partner Nicolas Fromageau, communicates an awareness that even as the darkest trips have a sick thrill to them, the most pleasurable parts of a lysergic voyage have a creepy aftertaste. On the opener, "Moon Child," you can hear both creepiness and pleasure, as a lucid yet happily stoned female voice reveals that "The whole universe will glow," contrasting ominously with the sort of swelling background choirs Pink Floyd amassed when it was time for their big production numbers. And excitement and fear meld on "Don't Save Us From the Flames"; surreal snippets of lyrics ("Out of the flames/ A piece of brain in my hair/ The wheels are melting/ A ghost is screaming your name") are followed by the name "Tina" in a moan all-but indistinguishable from the airy synthesizers. Gonzalez is less adept at constructing structurally-complex compositions than at tunefully arranging sound effects--repetitive keyboard licks that could've been swiped from a '70s PBS documentary soundtrack and bone-scraping blasts of My Bloody Valentine guitar are among his favorite tricks. But his methods are justified by his sense of brevity, and careful alternating between two speeds--soft epic space-trance and vintage shoe-gazer rave-up--adds to the hallucinatory feel. --Keith Harris ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Definitely worth buying
This cd has some awesome trance-inducing synth lines in it, and some very solid tracks.Favourites include 'mooonchild', 'dont save us from the flames' and 'teen angst'.The way the tracks alternate between ulrich schnauss style dream-like washes suddenly to rise to a drum infested crecendo really gets me going.my only reason for not giving this cd a 5 star rating is that i find the tracks to be fairly linear, unlike ulrich schnauss's tracks which are really progressive, these tracks seem to find one killer riff (for want of a better word) and stick with it, looping it through different levels of energy.however it works, so i really cant complain.

More organic than Dead . .
The drums and piano really stand out.Good progressions via piano with Eno esque treatments.The drums are powerful on the second song, but mixed well.There are slow pieces like "Safe" and "Let Men . ." and aggressive songs in the mix.The only drawback?The female voice?Enough to make one wince in its melodramatic excess.In "Car . ." it is downright annoying that the young female voice takes on both the role of a little child and her mother and the voice of a little boy in the opening track.Sad . .it could have been five stars.

"Oh god the flowers are dying!" is the PERFECT description
Another review of the album described this album as melodramatic and normally a review like that would leave me unconvinced.After hearing the album, however, this album has a very cheesy/romantic attitude, thus making many of the chord progressions painfully familiar, especially such the swaying-lighter-inducing "Farewell/Goodbye".The lyrics may be horrible and the French accent may be annoying but neither of those are a focus.When they use it the right way, M83 is hugely successful.Many of the tracks are wasted on short throwaway melodies and interludes often even interrupted by repetitive distorted "percussion" (and this comes from a Skinny Puppy fan).A couple of these interludes are memorable, such as "Slight Night Shiver" and "In the Cold I'm Standing", but the others just cost the album momentum.There are two absolutely undeniable classics on here- "Don't Save Us From the Flames" and "Teen Angst" are beautiful, rocking, wall of noisish synth metal and if M83 used this style more often I would love them.Stuff like "Car Chase Terror" only serves to point out again that these people are obviously bad romantic poets and should just shut up and use more of the melodic genious that they obviously possess.Instead of inspiring any kind of sad emotion they make me feel more like "Oh please.These people are pathetic" in a Dashboard Confessional sort of fashion."*" and "A Guitar and A Heart" are decent songs but nothing special again.The last track that some have said is ambitious is exactly what you'll expect by the time you reach the end of this album and so is not interesting.In conclusion... I think you will enjoy this album a lot more if you buy into the melodramatic everything-makes-me-cry attitude a lot of this has, but if that annoys you you'll still find some classics on here like I did.

Blissful, bombastic, confusing
OK.I don't get it.On Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts, M83 was two guys and they managed to produce this tight, unified sound.Almost monolithic.It owed a hell of a lot to My Bloody Valentine and, while it may not have been the most original thing ever, it was pretty fantastic listening.So then one of the guys leaves and M83 turns into what's basically a Anthony Gonzalez solo thing and somehow the sound becomes totally schizophrenic.

And not neccessarily in a bad way, just a confusing one.Where the previous album was all insistent and fuzzed out, this one alternates between driving and languid.You've got your songs with fast, fuzzy beats and pretty synth lines.And you've got your songs that sort of meander around spare, aimless melodies.And it all sounds good, sort of.It's just that, because Gonzalez keeps bouncing back and forth, Before the Dawn Heals Us keeps losing its momentum.One track will fire you up and get your head nodding in tranced-out bliss.The next will lull you into a melancholic stupor.

It's a little frustrating, is what I'm trying to say.I can see where I *could* have been pretty let down, coming from the consistently driving previous album.But you know, the more I listen to this thing, the more I like it.Yes, there's no momentum to speak of.Yes, some of the tracks don't seem to go anywhere.But ultimately, it's much more of an album than the previous effort.It ebbs and flows and is consistently lovely.Sure, I'm still kind of confused by the whole thing, and I'm not yet sure what Gonzalez is trying for here.But, I've never been initially confused by an album and then grown to hate it.Any album that's confusing enough to intrigue me turns out to be well worth the time and effort spent getting to know it.And that's more than true of this here album.Give it a lot of time, and you'll grow to love it.

A synthesizer, drums, piano, guitar and a heart.
Before the Dawn Heals Us is a beautifully arranged album with sweeping grandeur.This french menage produces a sound that is very very original.I haven't heard anything else quite so epic and unfamiliar before.Moonchild is a magnificent and appropriate introduction to the album and I have never heard such a magnificent, ambitious ending in Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun.In between, features resplendent highs and overarching undertones that imbue the band with such concurring confidence, you can only beat your head in agreement.Yet there are the few songs that stray from M83's precious forumla and tend to go a little experimental, but I am willing to forgive since their first album was magnificent and this one can truly holds its own among M83s elite intentions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Are Iceland’s Sigur Rós the saviors of 21st-century rock or true heirs to the silk-robed-and-platform-booted, pompous progressive rock of the '70s? On their third album (first for a major label), they are a little bit of both. The group continues to mix the most interesting aspects of U2 (the anthem), Low (the maximalist slow-mo thing), Radiohead (the utter lack of irony in the quest to make meaningful art for stadium crowds), and My Bloody Valentine (guitar as texture), while not sounding like anyone else on this planet. The average song length on the eight untitled tracks is eight minutes, with cascades of moaning, bowed guitars colliding with low-end keyboards while the lovely, alien-registered vocals of singer Jónsi float on top. Dynamics are employed spectacularly, but half of the album is spooky soundtrack music that never really goes anywhere. However, the actual songs on Two Sausages Kissing (or whatever you want to call it)--the third, sixth, eighth, and especially fourth tracks--are mind-blowers, spectacularly worth the price of admission. If they just stopped trying to reinvent the wheel all the time, Sigur Rós could really be a band for the ages. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (262)

a uniquely distinct experience of a record
It's not exactly an easy task to describe Icelandic band Sigur Ros' latest record. For one, it doesn't have a title, other than "( )." "( )" also has no linear notes whatsoever, giving us no song names, or any references to the musicians, engineers and psychiatrists who appear on it. What's more, the lyrics, which are written half in English and half in Icelandic, are sung mostly in an echo-drenched falsetto that makes Jeremy Enigk sound like Paul McCartney.

Then again, no one ever understood Michael Stipe or Kurt Cobain. And the Beatles did the same sort of disappearing act on the White Album. And while we're at it, Bjork's from Iceland as well. And every review of this band ever written will mention that.

What's left is an odd and uniquely distinct experience of a record. Imagine the condensed images of a Stanley Kubrick film put to music that's mostly whispered and played at half-speed. Picture My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth daydreaming away on thousands of crates of cough syrup.

Pianos give way to walls of guitars, strings, and drums that occasionally lift the pulse above a trickle. Occasionally. But Sigur Ros don't work in speed or pop hooks. They work in pure aural texture. They move sideways, and they swell, not into catchy choruses, but into orchestral static and ghostly buzzing. This isn't a record for fans of mainstream pop music. In fact, it may not be a record for listening to at all, but rather it's something to play during science fiction movie credits, or in the background of an opium den.

Oddly enough, this isn't exactly a bad thing. Sigur Ros may just be the first band in a long time to sound so different, so confounding, and so beautiful.

Sigur Ros...A Gift From God
I remember about 2 months ago when I typed in "Sigur Ros" in a alltheweb.com search engine and downloaded the song called, "Untitled 4." I was literaly blown away. This album changed my life. I just sat in my room and listened to it at least 6 times in a row as I lied in my bed and cried my eyes out. The hauntingly, gorgeous music just rips through your emotional barrier, making you vunerable for change and reflection, such as a small child. You can be free again. Just don't be afraid to take an emotional voyage.

I am still in a state of shock from hearing this album. For god's sake, just support the greatest musicians alive and buy this album. If you like Radiohead, Godspeed You! Black Emporer, Bjork, or Pink Floyd, this progressive style of beautiful music will just fill you with the most tranquil feeling of sensational, perpetual bliss, just every single note tearing through your heart as you remember all the sad things that have happened to you throughout your entire life. How could something so beautiful be so sad? That is mystery of the band itself: Sigur Ros. What every these musical prodigies are making next, it is going to change my life. I just know it.

( )
please stop reading the reviews and buy this album. words cannot do it justice--as the members of sigur rós recognized also. you need to hear this work of art for yourself. every single track on this album is just everything more than astonishing. i love every single track. i love the keyboards in track one. i love the singing in track two. jonsi your voice is fn breathtaking. i love the keyboards and melodies in track three. i love track four, hands down. i love the eerieness of track five, oh man i love how he sings. i love the ending of track six. beauty. track seven is just...just close your eyes and listen. you will know. and track eight. what to say about track eight? track eight is fn awesome. all of these tracks are amazing. i am not singling any of them out for a standout or any of them for a track of lesser beauty. amazing album. honestly. get this one.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland
This album reminds me of walking in the blistering cold in the snow. This Icelandic band creates soundscapes that are cold and sterile, yet can bring a tear to your eye. The guitarist likes to use a bow, creating long notes in these slow ballads. Most songs start off soft and slowly build to a huge crescendo. the first 4 tracks are more focused and accessible, the last four are noisier, and rely less on normal melodies. The vocals are in hoplandic i.e. gibberish, but really it is the singer trying to use his voice as any other instrument. Just the sound and inflection are what are important. I think this is the band's best album to date, but all 3 are fantastic.

Unbelievable
This album is simply amazing. Powerful and overwhelming. A fantastic trip. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The novelty was stripmined from ethnobeat pop long ago, and this skin-deep confection is surprising only in its lack of edge and invention. On the plus side, the melodies are textured and lush, the beats entrancing, and a parade of gifted singers--Kristy Thirsk, Jacqui Hunt, and Sarah McLachlan included--bill and coo impressively. Lead single "Euphoria (Firefly)" has spark and spirit, while "Enchanted" and "Duende" are strong vehicles for Thirsk and Camille Henderson respectively. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (158)

Karma is a Delerium Classic
Karma is a wide leap from the earlier albums from Delerium, such as Stone Tower, but it is excellent. I love the fact that Rhys and Bill decided to bring in phenomenal female singers such as Kristy Thirsk, Jacqui Hunt, Sarah McLachlan, and Camille Henderson. The enchanting rhythms and sounds create a beautiful sound scape for your mind to dive into. My favorite track on this album is Duende. I love the mid-eastern feel of it. Enchanted is another great one, Thirsk's voices is amazing, and the lyrics have a lot of meaning. The album comes together as a whole when you listen to it all the way through, as with most of the Delerium albums. Karma will enchant and move you to higher places.

I cannot wait for the next Delerium album to follow up this one. But for now, this along with other Delerium albums such as Semantic Spaces and Spiritual Archives are staying in my CD player.

Spellbinding vocals over surrealistic soundscapes
Wow! Wow! I can't hear this CD enough!

I started listening to Delerium through the side-door: I'm no fan of Front Line Assembly or much of Leeb and Fulber's other work produced under various names, including Delerium.

Then a friend leant me the awe-inspiring Semantic Spaces. Shortly, I got ahold of Karma. And it's been stuck in my Rio player for six months now, and I've no plans to remove it any time soon.

It's hard to write about something that sounds so beautiful: words don't do it justice. But imagine ethnic beats, electronic sophistication, angelic lamentations, and ethereal landscapes, and you might get an idea of what this album sounds like. If you're at all a fan of Semantic Spaces, or Enigma's early work, you'll definitely enjoy Karma.

Can't Get Enough Of This Disc
I just bought this CD yesterday and wow, there is nothing like this group in existance. Their music is so lush and haunting. I had used to think Enigma was the height of otherworldly music but Delirium outdoes them everytime. My favorites have to be Enchanted and Silence (featuring the lovely Sarah Mclachlan) A must for anyone who love ambient music.

Leeb, Fulber, you guys have changed man
If you are truely familiar with Delerium you know that it is the oldest and now (thanks to albums like this) the most profitable side project of "Front Line Assembly". That's not because this is their best album, it's because this is the type of music mainstream America wants. If your familiar with earlier Delerium then it's evident that this is not their true style. It sounds like an experiment done by Leeb and Fulber to milk the common American cd buyer of every penny so they can make improvements and upgades on their 2 million dollar homes. Having said that I'd like to reassure you that this review is not going to be all negative. There's nothing wrong with making money and capitolism is how our favorite groups become successful. Hey, I gave this album 4 stars. It's a good album for what it is. It's for a very specific mood. To me it's for getting girls in that 'specific' mood. Women seem to like this album more than us guys. Although us guys have a taste in softer music too even though we may try to hide it behind our heavy metal, beer drinking and love of boxing.

So Leeb and Fulber have a good idea here. As always they have a vision for creating a style of music unique for any type of mood. Using female vocalists such as Kristy Thirsk creates a sort of sensual feel to this cd. The entire album is solid, with no song sticking out as a best or worst. Like I said it's a cd designed for that 70+ minute mood that we all sometimes feel. It's not at all like early Delerium and certainly different from most Front Line Assembly. If you're a big fan of heavier FLA this album might dissappoint you. If you expect Delerium to sound like they did on "Faces Forms and Illusions" then this album is bound to raise a few eyebrows. But I gave this album a try and liked it. I guess I believe that all music has it's place and purpose.

My first delerium, my favorite delerium
This was my first delerium cd, and it served as an excellent introduction to new-era delerium. I like all the other cds of the duo, but this is still my favourite. it is probably the most tribal album of theirs, and it is vocal without being a cheap poppish attempt to make money. It has quite a variatey of styles, ranging from ethereal trance/new age (twilight) to ambient/dance pop (but not forced) songs like euphoria (firefly) and silence. the details are below.

1:enchanted- I LOVE kristy thirsks voice! it is so sexy, when she comes in with her oohs and aahs. this song is tribal, ambient, poppish, and a little ethereal. So angelic.

2:deunde- When I first got this album this was my favorite song. it has a great powerful beat, some sampled chants, and a great vocal job by camille. It almost makes you feel like you are in the aboriginal outback, but it is still pop influenced.

3:twilight- an ethereal tranceey instrumental track with some chants. very pretty and inspiring.

4:silence- outstanding song. it has monks in the bigenning but after about 1:30 sarah mclachlan comes in, and starts singing. piano is interlaced through parts of the chorus and there is a nice piano solo at the end.

5:forgotten worlds- very otherworldly, you can see why they put the title there. the song takes you to a long forgotten temple and awakens it and brings you inside. it only starts out dark, then it begins to glow. Chanting in this one too.

6:lamenation- definitley tribal, especially during the first three minutes or so. then it gets really pretty. too bad it has such a long introduction. a little weak, could have been on semantic spaces.

7:euphoria (firefly)- two slightly slow instrumental somgs make way for a dancey pop song. this was the first single from the album. it is catchy and danceable. if you heared and liked other poppish songs like silence or deunde you'd probably like this.

8:remembrance- one of my friends claims to have heared this on the radio, but I never knew it was a single. (or is it?) this starts out with some woodwinds, but about 1:00 in this song comes to life with chanting monks and then gets spacey and synthesized after about three minutes, and then the chanting comes laced in with the spacey sounds. very interesting.

9:wisdom- a short song, but still welcome. yay, more thirsk! This song is a little like enchanted, but less tribal sounding.

10:window to your soul- this is not at all even hinted with pop. it is a piece of mood music, very relaxing, and inspiring. and even though it's around 10 minutes, it dosent drag on. it keeps you listening. it starts out dark, but dont skip it, after about two minutes you will be on your way to a very peaceful place. this song has chimes, synthesizers (of course) and chanting. REALLY pretty.

11:til the end of time- this is probably the weakest song on the cd. it is a lot like wisdom, but slower. vocals, too.

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You need this in your collection! there is a little something for everybody, but you will probably end up liking it all. :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts is the second album from French electronica duo M83 (Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau) who, thankfully, derive their name from a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Hydra and not from an interminably lackluster stretch of noxious British motorway. The name certainly nods to where their wide-eyed, spaced-out technicolor imaginations are fixed, but they also know how to sound ponderously intense--hence the cold, cello-aided sonority of "Gone," possibly the only track on the album that defies the lambent warmth of the purring analog synths and beguiling reveries that make the rest of the album as enticingly therapeutic as a thermal spa.

Humane post-rock is clearly M83's strongest attribute because both "Run into Flowers" and "On a White Lake, Near a Green Mountain" are curiously pretty cameos, far removed from the automatic anemia of other workmanlike button-pushers. The high point, though, is the symphonic sweetness and motherly female choral vocals of "Beauties Can Die," which is rather like being cradled in the arms of an angel, or at the very least the arms of Sigur Ros and Lesley Garrett. If one really has to die and go to heaven, one rather hopes the journey up there will sound like this. --Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Reviews (61)

the innervoice says, BUY THIS!
So you're probably wondering what compelled me to buy this, right? Well it would definitely be because of their amazing sophmore release, BLUE WONDER POWER MILK. That CD is one of the best albums in my very vast and very eclectic collection. It's one CD that hardly ever leaves the player. Now while their debut album, A NEW STEREOPHONIC SOUND SPECTACULAR may not be as good as their second recording it is still quite tasty for a first-time offering. This talented Belgian group definitely has the potential to make it big-time in the underground arena for their hypnotic blend of trip-hop and lounge-pop are quite arresting atop the soft, airy vocals of female singer Liesje Sadonius along with Raymond Geerts (guitar & breaths), Frank Duchene (engineering, keyboards), and Alex Callier (programming & keyboards). Some might actually compare Hooverphonic with Portishead (probably because of the vocals) but I think that that's preposterous. If anything they resemble Morcheeba the best for the culled sound textures that are absolutely dreamy.

Now I do recommend this album but I honestly feel that their sophmore release is a much better album to start with.

By the way, my favorite songs include the more electronic based Inhaler and Wardrobe along with Barabas (which sounds more like something you'd find on their second album just because of the instrumentation), Someone and Innervoice (which both remind me of Joydrop...)

Hope my review was somehow helpful... Bye!

So soothing...
It seems like this band is forever destined to be compared with Portishead, so I hope the reader will forgive this brief indulgence. To me, compared to Portishead, this album isn't nearly as dark, haunting, or (unfortunately) emotional. What we end up with is something in a similar vein to Portishead that's a lot more accessible in the sense that you really need to be in the right mood to listen to Portishead, but also isn't nearly as powerful - its good music but it doesn't (nor, do I beleive, was it intended) to really hit home or strike a powerful emotional chord. Also, the instrumentation here is more traditional drums, bass, synths etc, whereas with Portishead there's more variety to the sound - record scratches, Theramins etc. Even compared to other Trip Hop acts, like Lamb and Morcheeba, things seem more subdued and have more synth melodies.

In any case, I'll try to briefly discuss the songs...the best song on the disc in my opinion is the single 2Wicky - the lyrics don't make particular sense but the song is downright hypnotic. Another great song is Nr 9 - very melodic trip hop - and also Barbaras with its repeating chant of the song's title interspersed between lovely verses.

I should also mention that the singer's voice is brilliant - it fits in perfectly and there is a nice balance between the voice and the music - they accept one another - Portishead's approach seems to almost have the music and the vocals try and overpower one another - definetly not here. This is the trip hop album I listen to when I want to relax and don't want to be depressed.

Excellent...
Wow...this album is exceptional...

The production values are very high, all the tracks sound like they were recorded in the time ahead of us. Rather, it's incredible. This is another must-have for fans of (very) sophisticated trip-hop and intensely futuristic music.

My Favorite Tracks Are; Inhaler, 2 Wicky, Revolver, Someone, Innervoice.

I like the way these guys end their songs, every song has a really unusual but yet excellent ending.

I'm glad I bought this CD, it really made my week more interesting with having some cool music to chill-out with...for a change.

GREAT STUFF HERE!!.

Oh It's Green
It was green, the trees. I was driving down the road and I knew it was. Hooverphonic is phonically hooverondulous.

Don't have the whole history, but...
I don't have all the personal history of this band, and with all the many interests I have in music, I don't have time to really delve into it. If Hooverphonic switched singers I wouldn't know it.

I can tell you what I do know, which is this: I have this album, Blue Wonder and The Magnificant...and by far this is the best of the three. BWPM has one of the male band members sing on some of the tracks, which splits the album ala Waldeck and simply detracts from what you want to listen to Hooverphonic for in the first place (which is airy, sweeping soundscapes that take you on an inner trip). TMT is a little underdeveloped and sounds almost poppish.

But this album nails it, hands down. The whole thing, from the very first track to the last soaring chorus is perfect trip-hop/electronica listening. It is hard to find new stuff to listen to in this vein of music, being as there are few (if any) venues to be able to listen to new stuff(for those of us on a budget) but this one belongs up there with the best (Estheros 'breath from another', PH's 'Dummy', Morcheeba's 'Big Calm') of the genre. The only other compliment that I can think to give to this album is this: there is no song worth skipping on this cd. You will want to hear it from one end to the other without touching the player once.

If you love new music, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Air's debut, Moon Safari, solidified the French duo's position among fickle electronica music fans and earned them critical accolades throughout the press. Yet one of their most important fans turned out to be Sofia Coppola (daughter of Francis Ford), who, inspired by their moody ambiance, asked them to write the soundtrack for her directorial debut. The Virgin Suicides--adapted from the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides about the Lisbon sisters and their quest for answers in a turbulent American adolescence--includes stars such as Kirsten Dunst and Kathleen Turner, and Air make a deeply impressionistic subliminal appearance as well. Gordon Tracks sings the lush and romantic "Playground Love"; the rest is a throbbing score of somber synths and thick washes of modest psychedelic touches that recall the tranquil buzz that comes from too much staring at the lava lamp. The only complaint is that this 13-track album is only 40 minutes long; some of the cuts should have been longer. The meditative quality practically demands it. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (101)

Spooky, very spooky
Fans of AIR might be disappointed with this album if they buy it with the preconception that it will sound like 'Moon Safari.' In actuality, though, this album is nothing like its predecessor. While still a great album in its own right, 'The Virgin Suicides' is very dark and trippy, whereas 'Moon Safari' was more lush and dreamy. One thing AIR is great at doing is creating a sort of visual music. The kind of music that invokes scenes in your mind. 'Virgin Suicides' performs this job with ease. All the songs flow well together and you just kind of forget that you're listening to something. 'Clouds Up,' 'Highschool Lover,' and 'Empty House' are personal favorites. Even if you've never heard AIR before, I recommend this album to you. The dark feeling doesn't subside as the album plays on, either. Instead it stays consistent, then it gets deeper in the last three songs. Everyone should buy this album, then 'Moon Safari,' then 'Premiers Symptomes.' And the next album, too, when it comes out.

Soothing, yet dark, provacative and somewhat disturbing
I was quite excited to hear that AIR came ot with a new album. This time, it is for the movie (which I now want to see) Virgin Suicides. AIR puts together an absolutely perfect musical score...one can picture the mood and tone of the movie just by listening to the dark, melancholy music. Every song is distinctive, yet they all flow together, which creates an eerie, haunting effect. The last track summarizes in words what the previous songs already conveyed, which creates a very fitting end....sorrowful, provacative, haunting, with a hint of desperation. AIR has not once let me down with their quality of music and this soundtrack is certainly no exception.

Good Soundtrack for Anime
I first heard this album a couple of weeks ago, when a new girl entered our office, a design department, and brought this music. I didn't know who they where or what the name of the album or the songs where, and my first impression was: This is excellent. Such desertic landscapes and situations as those in "The End of Evangelion" (when nobody was left in planet Earth and the only survivor cried for his beloved Asuka) came to my mind. The feelings of loneliness and drama are so hard you think this is the end of the world's perfect soundtrack. Excluding the first track (which is much better in the free downloadable version available right here in Amazon), this is perfectly coherent music. They sound as if they had been Pink Floyd's padawans. I felt extremely relaxed and thinked: This is Floyd's line resurrection. However, when I knew the title of this album the true meanings came very clearly. I really really love this music and would highly recommend it to any die-hard fan of Pink Floyd's "Echoes" and "Shine On". However, it is much better if you don't know the title. Do this experiment to someone: Make him/her hear this without telling what it is. Perception is much clearer when it is not obstructed by prejudices.

playground love is my first dance
I am getting married this June, and Playground Love will be the first dance for my husband and I. It is the most beautiful, elegant song I have ever heard. It fits our romance perfectly, I get all teary eyed listening to it, oh, I just love it.

Good music, but too dark for Air...
The Virgin Suicides is a really well composed album, and the music bears undeniably Air's mark, however, I was expecting something more relaxed, like Moon Safari. The foreboding tones of this album are hard to get around and let me down. However, if you can stand dark music, this album will be perfect for you! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most amazing thing about Stereolab's Margerine Eclipse is how much of a surprise it is. It's not just that it's a fantastic record--Stereolab have made plenty of those. But since 1996's classic Emperor Tomato Ketchup, they've been deconstructing and breaking down their mix of exotic lounge pop and progressive Krautrock, throwing up cyclones of electronic mist. It's yielded some beautiful, but cold and distancing work. Eclipse shocks you with the contrast. Filled with the warmest possible intentions, it invites you to fall in love with its kind thumps and aural flotsam. Anchored by a test pattern baseline and a sly beat machine, the title track wanders around the edges, breaking into the main groove only to smoothly dissolve in a bittersweet end. Sounds like any other Stereolab song, right? But here--stripped down, dynamic, and alive--it's simply charming. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (32)

skip the first track
I recommend skipping the first track, "Vonal Declosion", which leaves me cold as soon as the dippy singing and string section kicks in, a bit too campy for my taste. It's not so bad really, it just stands out because the rest of the album is much better. To my ears all the other songs are right on target, whereas the first track seems a bit awkward, hurried, aloof (though it does have a nice trundling bass line).

For the listener who has only a passing familiarity with Stereolab, this will sound like more of the same (bleeps, blops, french accents). A closer listen reveals rich, carefully constructed soundscapes. With respect to their previous albums, this one's closest to Sound Dust (song structure: each one has at least one major transition) and Emperor Tomato Ketchup (sounds, energy, alt-pop/post-rock feel).

The recording is sharply divided between left and right channels, particularly noticeable on headphones. See the forum on stereolab for a debate on the pros and cons of that.

p.s.
Track 10, "Feel and Triple", ends with this low plastic warping sound in the background, like someone's screwing a lid on your skull, interesting sound effect I've never heard before.

Impressive To Say the Least
I have always been a fan of stereolab, since Peng! came out in the early 1990s. I have never been disappointed by this band. Granted, some albums are better than others. But... still... they have never released a "bad" album per se. Why? Every single of their albums are different. This band has truly evolved over the decade or so that they've been together.

However, I am not a fan of Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Compared to their earlier stuff, and their more recent stuff, ETK is extrememly weak and boring. IMHO.

The death of Mary Hansen was a serious blow to them. They didn't let this deter them, as they rose out of the ashes and gloom of her death to make their best album yet. The tracks on this album are much shorter than their others, but they're tighter. They took their previous 7 or 8+ minute releases and compressed them into shorter, but simply astounding pieces. "Feel and Triple" is a poignant and touching epitaph for Mary.

In this album, they have taken elements from their past sounds and combined them, to reinvent themselves once again. There are echoes of a much younger Stereolab in this album; and there are echoes of an older, wiser Stereolab in this album, too.

If you are a longtime Stereolab fan, you will NOT be disappointed by this album. If you are a new Stereolab fan, this is a brilliant introduction to the band.

The Lab is back!
Of the handful of Stereolab albums I have been privileged to hear, this one is in the high ranks. On Margerine Eclipse, the Lab is as upbeat, energetic and funky as ever. While not quite as brilliant as Dots and Loops, it comes pretty darn close. The cover is a ridiculously bright, tangerine orange and that is exactly how the music sounds, bright orange. Utilizing their trademark mix of 60's flavored French pop, funky grooves, exotica and the Velvet Underground, this album will be no surprise to longtime fans. Full of percolating rhythms, sparkling keyboards and shimmering guitars, Stereolab still sound like no one else, but this is one of their most accessible releases to date, staying clear of the more experimental tendencies that made '99's Cobra and Phases Group a difficult listen, instead perfecting their pop song strengths. "La Demeure" is a slice of pure pop a la mode that will make you want to spend the rest of your life listening to Latetia Sadier's voice. "...sudden stars" is effortlessly laid back dream pop with funky popping and bubbling rhythms. And the lite house groove of "Margerine Melody" will sweep you up and make you its permanent dance partner. Everything here is warm, organic and lovely...and tremendously addictive.

Even better than (insert favorite 'lab album here)
I think this is Stereolab's strongest album to date. I've always liked Stereolab's earlier stuff, when they sounded more like a band and less electronica-ish. This album includes a lot of sampling and electronica sounds, but is way more live sounding than the three albums starting with Dots and Loops and ending with First of the Microbe Hunters. The opening track seemed a bit inauspicious the first time through the album, but over time has only gotten better and better. The same is true of all the tracks on this effort. I had the good fortune of seeing a lot of these songs performed live at the Roxy in Boston last spring, and it confirmed my suspicions that these songs are the most beautiful and well constructed pieces of art that Stereolab has conjured. Well done!

Their best album since Emperor Tomato Ketchup
I'm impressed. Unlike most bands who lose it after getting older, Stereolab's latest effort is their best since Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Not as indulgent and loungy as their last couple recordings; sort of a continuation of the smooth electronic pop on Dots & Loops, but with a warmer ETK-style production. There's not a song quite as catchy as "Captain Easy Chord", but overall, this is a more consitent effort than Sound Dust...and more upbeat with a bit more ETK-style guitar songs and more techno/disco grooves. Support bands who make well-crafted and distinctive music and buy this album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Thanks to the radio ubiquity of "2Wicky" (from their debut album, A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular), Hooverphonic won mainstream attention and early admission into the trip-hop pantheon. But this Belgian group's sound was always closer to the warm etherealness and pop aspirations of bands like Australia's Single Gun Theory than the wispy experimentalism of Britain's Portishead. Well, they'll probably still be labeled a trip-hop band, but Blue Wonder Power Milk is essentially an electronica-tinged symphonic pop album--and a very strong one, at that. The breathy coo of new vocalist Geike Arnaert melds effortlessly with the languid beats of tracks like "Club Montepulciano" and "Eden" as well as with the more muscular drum & bass of "Battersea." In fact, almost all the songs--many of which are augmented by simple string arrangements--possess a beguiling beauty guaranteed to keep your finger on the repeat button. Highly recommended. --Steve Landau ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Interesting Title....
As you listen to all three Hooverphonic albums you will hear a difference in sound which seperates each one in their own distinct way but I think that BLUE WONDER POWER MILK is their most mature album to date, thus deserving a ton of recognition. And despite the fact that I strongly feel that their first album, A NEW STEREOPHONIC SOUND SPECTACULAR was a bit disappointing just because of all the excess hype, their third album THE MAGNIFICENT TREE seemed to smooth out all the uneven edges, despite the fact that it took an unexpected turn toward the dreamy yet very mainstream pop scene. BLUE WONDER POWER MILK, however, seems to sit perfect in the middle as their most impressive work yet. I also think it wise of them to have replaced the lead singer Liesje Sadonius with that of Geike Arnaert. She just seems to have more feeling to her voice which adds an unexpected warmth to the cool, chilled-out electro beats amidst the smooth string arrangments that rise with the momentum of the songs. "Renaissance Affair" and "Battersea" are prime-examples of this while songs like "One Way Ride" and "This Strange Effect" have more of a dream-pop sound that'll remind you of groups like Mandalay, Olive, Morcheeba and Joydrop. Even Alex Callier lends his rapturous male vocals on songs like "Dictionary" and "Electro Shock Faders" which elevates the album to a haunting effect. I also really dig "Eden" (which my favorite pop singer, Sarah Brightman, did a cover of) and the cold "Magenta" with its mystique speak-singing that grips the soul with an icy chill that's refreshing and new...

This is by far the best Hooverphonic album so buy it without a thought and enjoy...

This is highly recommended.

Not Trip Hop, but definitely a trip
I guess that this album is classified as a "Trip Hop" album, and Trip Hop lovers will probably buy it. I'm a trip hop lover, and I bought this album of course, and found out it is not trip hop. Still, it's a fanatastic album.

Trip Hop uses the drums and sinths of Hip Hop to make sound more like ambient. This album doesn't have this sound. It doesn't sound like Portishead, Massive of Mono. It sounds like Hooverphonic : a sound that is almost pure acustic (they use orchestra) but still will be a favorite of electronic sound lovers.

The album begins quite fast, with a strange drum & bass beat over slow string tune ("Battersea") and kind of slowing down until a noisy break in the middle ("Lung") and then goes down to slower and a very darker sound.

Three tracks in this album have a male vocal. That's an interesting thing, because most of the bands usually have one leading vocal, and it adds to the diversity of sounds.

Pay attention to "Club Montepulciano" and "This Strange Effect", which are, for my opinion, the best tunes in this album, listen to the voice of the singer almost breaking every glass in the house, and be hypnotized - like I was.

Symphonic, Playful, Thoughtful...Beauteous
After their sublime, yet more low-key first album, Hooverphonic get a new singer, with a voice just as entrancing in a different way, and explore a more trip-pop environment, while not losing any appeal or orginality.
There are similarities in the songs, but they set different moods, and feature futuristic, perceptive lyrics that add to the intrigue of the music.

While each song is memorable, some of the highlights to me include "Club Montepulciano", a groovy, hypnotic tune featuring Geikes soaring, honey-sweet vocals, "Electro Shock Faders", a funky song sung by one of the band's male members, and "Tuna", a sort of mournfully hopeful ode to the future's promises.

I could mention many other songs, but this is an outstanding collection of quality music from a band that already started on a gorgeous note.

one of the 90s' best, in my opinion.

Car Commericial
You may think of a Belgian waffle. Everything on it. No empty places. Or what about Gabba Hardcore? Sort of heavy metal techno for football hooligans. People who aren't into Burzum must have to do something with their time when they are not burning churches or watching X-Files. Hooverphonic are like none of the above. They have been slowly informed by the jungle virus. The massive beats are there, but what else can you do for me, mister? I have been playing "Eden" and "Out of Tune" the moonless nights that I have been DJing lately, and all the young girls come up to me afterwards and ask, "Who was that?" I like the way Hooverphonic uses both male and female vocals on different songs. Geike Arnaert is a good singer in the Cocteau Twins/Bjork tradition, but many of their lyrics seem to make little sense, as if they are struggling with the English language. People like myself and Will Self have to keep the language pure and we see ourselves as custodians of English. Sometimes the cuteness of an accent wears off. The mastermind of Hooverphonic, Alex Callier, is a fine and talented songwriter. The disturbing cover of the old Kinks song "This Strange Effect" is wonderfully sad. I hope to hear more of Hooverphonic in the future and congradulate them on the new direction. Need a haircut? Ask Nelson.

A Futuristic Voyage
I bought this album based on some back-of-the-head idea that it got good reviews, and it just blew me away.
Hooverphonic uses just enough synth and computerized sounds to give this album a sleek, refined sound that transcends most modern music, but the listener never feels lost.
"Battersea" explodes with such a rush of energy, it feels like being lifted off the ground and set into flight. The first track also introduces you to Geike's sweet voice, with an intangible quality that leaves me curious and listening to this album more and more. Following tracks like "One Way Ride" and "Club Montepulciano" flow effortlessly and beautifully.
Two more popular songs are "Eden", with its relaxed almost chill-out vibe, and "Magenta", a creative masterpiece. Note how the backup vocals on the chorus jump to the left speaker for "Look left" and right speaker for "Look right" - a nice little detail.
My two favorites on this disc are "Electro Shock Faders" - short, sweet, and an incredible outro that again is reminiscent of flying - and "Lung". The intro notes sound as though they'll never fit in, but halfway through the song you remember that they're still playing, and are amazed at how smooth the transition was.
I believe BWPM is the band's best work, and recommend it to any avid music fan with a little bit of a taste for adventure. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The combination of meandering acoustic guitar, mournful vocals, post-punk rock, crisp electronica, flutes, dub bass, sax, occasional breakbeat, and banjo could've turned the tender tunes on Notwist's sixth album into chaotic and indulgent noodling. The 15 months spent in the studio putting the unlikely components together, however, pays off with a collection beautiful and dreamy lo-fi lullabies in which hazy pop melodies drift by on an eccentric flow of sensual bleeps, whooshes, and crackles. Even when Neon Golden strays toward more traditional rock, Markus Acher's downtrodden yet hopeful vocals and achingly sweet melodies hold up, as do the sumptuous atmospheric add-ons that link the New Order-like "Pilot" and "One with the Freaks" to the title track's ambient electronic pulses. Yet nothing is more magical or odd than "Trashing Days," where Notwist manages to make pneumatic space-age sound effects rubbing against scraping beats, woozy horns and a quietly plucked banjo, sound like the most natural thing in the world. --Dan Gennoe ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Notwist, notgreat
Melding electronic music and regular music is a tricky business. Sadly, Notwist's "Neon Golden" doesn't quite succeed in many of its songs. "Golden" manages somehow to avoid being spectacular, and becomes bizarre and distracting instead.

Kicking off with an instrumental stretch that stops dead every few seconds is "One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You Understand," the album has the solid pop-rock "This Room," tight " Off the Rails" and smoothly harmonic "Pilot." But it's marred by the likes of "Solitaire"'s disruptive explosive sounds, the grating "Consequence" and the twittery, blippy "Scoop."

Some bands like Yo La Tengo and the Flaming Lips have sculpted electronica and traditional instruments into soaring, searing, absolutely stunning music. While Notwist hints that it might be capable of it, the random noises disrupt it until I could barely hear the underlying music. It's a bit dizzying.

Most of the music is fairly decent, with flowing melodies and vocals that are okay most of the time (they're a bit nasal in the first song). It's the usage of electronic material that is a problem. When done properly, this is a huge asset to music. But the music here is spasmodic, marred by seemingly random booms, scratches, fizzing, pops, twittering, blips and bleeps.

In the end, Notwist feels like an experiment gone wrong. In the effort of putting electronics with regular instruments, they forgot to include the music. Hopefully later productions will improve.

Defending Notwist¿
Largely, the reviews in this venue demonstrated a real understanding of Notwist's "Neon Golden." I, on the contrary, have listened to the album numerously and still can't conjure up a complete appraisal. I'd say, ""Neon Golden" is ambient and investigational, not unlike the superb Kid A-era Radiohead or Silur-era Tarwater," except that's merely a careless association.
From what I've been hearing about this band and album, it's equally careless to associate Notwist with Emo, though; "Neon Golden" is not Emo. Granted, tracks "Pick up the Phone" or "Solitaire" can be slightly personal. Well, maybe a bit too melancholic, albeit the lyrics are softly clever-actually brilliant considering front man Micha Acher's primary language isn't English. But is that Emo, and better yet, has Emo been clearly defined? To me, Emo's pretty obvious in the latest, rather intolerable bands like Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day, Fallout Boys, Movielife, and including that revolting material of Sunny Day Real Estate. Now, everyone's familiar with the likes of those groups, and everyone can distinguish their high school-choir whimper and weakly layered distortion pedal manner. Hell, maybe Emo is expanding, and it'll now include ambient pop bands that give an honest effort, too. Golly, maybe we'll just include all of music in Emo...
What I'm trying to say here is that this album represents everything they're not. Neon Golden is good.

i'm not a music reviewer
his voice is reminiscent of belle and sebastian, but the music is something you could kinda dance to. I don't know how to explain it. His voice is kinda depressing, but the music isn't. Nice contrast.

This album is awesome..trust me.

I heard it once and had to own it
I was in a bookstore in Philly and Neon Golden was played over the store system. I asked what it was and walked across the street to buy it. It's that good. Everyone who hears it at my apartment in the village says, "what's this?" It has an immediate appeal, and your appreciation will only grow with more listens.

It is at some level rock music and it is delivered in many ways as electronic music. However, genre is the worst possible way to describe an album like this. The vocals and lyrics are compelling and personal. They are not made to impress you, show off range, and do not fall into any of the usual pitfalls of most songs. They are just raw and honest and above all, human.

The electronic beats give the music a clear and focused edge and an amazing feel. Guitar, banjo (this doesn't strike one as a great idea in words, but it sounds great on the album, bluegrass doesn't even come to mind), and horns and flutes produce a very interesting sound. All has the controlled measure and sound of electronic music, but the live instruments and vocals produce an unimaginable blend with a moving sound.

This album easily appeals to many types of music fans from rock and electronic perspectives and does a great job walking a line only comfortably traversed by such bands as Radiohead and The Postal Service...

If you are wondering where rock music (or electronic music) should be moving next, listen to this album. It shakes off all the shackles of music history and soars into music for music's sake. There is nobody who would not enjoy this music. -As a side note, be sure to visit their website, it's pretty cool.

Notwistonyerears
This is a completely engrossing album that took several immersions before I comprehended its depth and distinction, but it was certainly worth it. In its elaborate, slightly skewed arrangements, "Neon Golden" reminds me of Radiohead's last few efforts, but without the sometimes annoying claustrophobic solipsism of a Radiohead album. And it's far more chill. There's a great use of space and silence, and a true sense of beauty here (especially the hypnotic closing track "Consequence") but that's not to say it's untouched by angst and fear. Archer's muted & affectless voice offsets the songs' complex arrangements, which are couched in an odd mix of sampled acoustic instruments dressed up with trip-hop engineering tricks and technology. Definitely one of the best of 2003. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

You want retro? Get a load of their equipment, from the vintage Farfisa and Vox organs to the ever-lovable Moog synthesizers. You want futurist? It's the sound of not-so-well-oiled machinery, churning and sputtering into space age bachelor pad heaven and postindustrial hell. You want pure pop? Dig how they mine mod sounds of the '60s, from Burt Bacharach to Françoise Hardy, and pull melodies straight out of a bubblegum wrapper. You want avant garde? Check the blatant liftings from '70s krautrockers Neu! and Can, plus their appropriations of Philip Glass's disjointed wordplay and Ornette Coleman's jagged alto sax.

You want meaning? These are songs loaded with optimism, progressivism, humanism, and dashes of Marxism. You want nonsense? There's plenty of "la-la-la's" to lead us into oblivion, and head vocalist Laetitia Sadier sings half the time in French.

You want a groove band? Tracks like "Metronomic Underground" and "Les Yper-Sound" cast a funk trance heavier than voodoo and at least as danceable as any neo-hippie tripe. You want a band that rocks? Try "The Noise of Carpet" for its rug-burning guitar and acceleration drum whacks. Yesterday, tomorrow, now: Stereolab's the one. --Roni Sarig ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Stereolab's Masterpiece!
Definitely a must own for any music fan, 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' is a great listen from start to finish. And it's like nothing you've ever heard! Laetitia Sadier's voice is gorgeous and reminiscent of Beth Gibbons of Portishead. Her voice weaves in and out of Tim Gane's and the rest of the bands incredible melodies. 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' is way more upbeat than their next album 'Dots and Loops' and you may have heard the song 'OLV 26' in TV commercials. It's hard to pick a best song on the album, since it is one of those rare albums where every track is great. 'Percolator' is the quintessential French pop song. 'Les Yper-Sound,' 'The Noise of Carpet,' and 'Motoroller Scalatron' all will make you bob your head to the funky beats. This is an album of pure genius and I highly recommend it to everybody out there. Buy it now.

This record totally takes you off guard, even for Stereolab!
The first time I heard Stereolab, I was just waking up. Suddenly I hear all this french sung in 5/8 time with this fluttering bassline, which ends up being 'Percolator' off of this CD. I thought to myself, "This rocks!" Even what I didn't initially like grew on me so fast because it was so well-executed musically and in general tasteful. The only way I can describe this album is "Teletubby Music". It's got a lot of good layering on it. As each layer pours on, you can still hear all the others. 'Metronomic Underground' rocks that way. There's more soul on this record than the preceding ones. 'The Noise of Carpet' is a spunky halftime piece. 'Anonymous Collective' is a great way to end the CD. It's got a nice, over-the-top Parisian way about it. This is a gem for people who like sound quality, creativity and all-around musicianship.

Couldn't hear the difference between songs
After reading all the great reviews of the cd, I went ahead and bought it. After listening to it once, i haven't put it back in since. I think I'm going to try again, but the problem I had with the cd is that it all sounded the same. French, slow, and boring. The vocals were very pretty and relaxing though. I think it just might be that I am used to really upbeat stuff. Don't get this unless you know what to expect.

Nearest and dearest to my heart
Before Emperor Tomato Ketchup was released, I was a big fan of Stereolab, especially of Transient Random Noise Bursts. Mars Audiac Quintet followed and I took it to be Stereolab's definitive statement; it seemed to say "We are Stereolab and we like to play droney rock, so that is what we are damn well going to do on every single song." I felt that after Mars, that was it: Stereolab had picked out their little niche in the world and they were going to stay there.

Then came Emperor Tomato Ketchup...

This was something new. It still had many of their trademarks - vintage synths, a mixture of the old and new, dual female vocals, french accents, marxist lyrics, very poppy, and, yes, even some droney rock - but it was a wholely different beast from any music by Stereolab or by anyone else that had come before. It was super funky, it was electronic, it had dense layers of a whole army of cool instruments. The sounds on many songs build up one on top of another until the songs almost burst with insane energy. This is their most edgy album with sonics that try to push the listener over the brink. Witness the apocalyptic guitar feedback on Metronomic Underground, the stabbing synths and strings on Cybele's Reverie, the frantically disonant sax on Percolator, the overdriven riffing on Noise of Carpet, the pounding drums on the title track, the swaggering funk of Sparkplug.

Since Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Stereolab has continued to release one great album after another, but there has always been a slight sense of disappointment. Perhaps they just set the bar too damn high with this one. No more could they get by with merely great albums. Nothing short of a total 180 degree turn could possibly top this. It will always be my favorite.

Indie Rock Classic
This is the album that put Stereo Lab on the map as one of the premier indie rock bands of the early 90's. This album features their most consistent recorded work and is pretty much the turning point in their career where they started becoming more synth based as where their earlier works featured some more guitar work. This is also in my opinion the best starting point for anyone new to Stereo Lab's work. ... Read more

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Front Line Assembly enlists Kirsty Thirsk of the Rose Chronicles for a heavenly ambient house project. Trance that bounces with beauty and energy. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (45)

An incredible, complete album
Delerium completely changed their sound with this record. Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber combined pure synth hooks, slow moving basslines, and great chant samples to create amazingly sensual, trancey ethereal music. Two songs have lyric vocals, Flowers Become Screens and Incantation. Flowers Become Screens is arguably one of the best dance-pop songs of the 90's. Unfortunately, when the album was released, Nettwerk Records was short on cash and didn't have the resources to promote the album as much as its follow-up, the equally good, but more vocal, Karma. The song has simple drum and bass lines, and amazing vocals from the wide-ranged Kristy Thirsk, formerly of Rose Chronicles. Incantation is more of the same. Both are great tracks. The non-vocal songs are pure sonic ectasy. VERY complex layered tracks with a lot going on - multi-dimensional, for sure.

The Gregorian Chants in THIS album were sampled. Enigma was NOT sampled on this record, contrary to the claims of a previous reviewer. There are some similar hooks and feels, but Enigma somewhat defined this genre, but Delerium CLEARLY one-ups the entire field with this record. Enigma, by comparison (even MCMXC a.d.), is too poppy, too commercial, too forced. This is a purely good record based on the talents of the authors.

(BTW: Karma has fewer samples; they rented out a church in Vancouver and had real authentic monks sing their chants!)

If you'd like an in-depth song-by-song review, please check out the official web page at http://www.delerium.com - I have my full review posted in the discography.

But, in summary, if you like Enigma or Deep Forest, you will LOVE this album.

PS: If you like this album and/or Karma, I HIGHLY recommend Intermix's Future Primitives, which is a side-project of Leeb/Fulber (the same guys as Delerium) and recorded at the same time as Semantic Spaces, and basically could've been another Delerium album. I also highly recommend the upcoming Conjure One album, the new project by Rhys Fulber solo.

Rick

Incredibly marvellous.
No one compares to Delerium. And if they have to "steal" some samples from other artists to create such achingly beautiful_dreamy landscapes, let them do it. It's such a rare thing, nowadays, to have top notch quality music in the music market. In short, this is one of the best album of all time, and I really mean it. As I first heard "Incantation" i thought:"This is the finest piece of dance music ever made". Three years have passed and still this album represents the peak of my music collection. Listen. Dream. Feel.

Out With the Old; In With the New
So said Bill Leeb and his co-hort Rhys Fulber when they sat down in the studio to record this album. Banishing their Front Line Assembly meets Clock DVA sound from previous Delerium efforts, Bill and Rhys put on their Enigma hats and made a trance/dance/electro album that tries to please everyone. And they almost did, too. Though this effort turned off some fans of FLA and Delerium of old, it also made some new ones. The club hit "Flowers Become Screens" made this album a must buy for many a college clubber. The rest of the album is all well and good, with Billa and Rhys using precision programming skills and piracy to create an ethereal landscape of marvelous electronica. Though some of the songs run a little long (clocking in at 10 minutes or so), the music is just good, complex, and full enough to pull it off. Their next album Karam further capitalizes off this Enigma sound, employing the beautiful voice of Sarah McLachlan to make an insta-hit (Silence) that have Delerium an even bigger fan base. Karma is truly their masterpiece, while Semantic Spaces was their epiphany. Delerium would continue to make more poppier sounds with Poem and Chimera, two albums this reviewer can hardly listen to, especially when I can just listen to the much superior Karma or Semantic Spaces.

One last thought: As a longtime fan of Front Line Assembly (which is how I learned of Delerium), the popularity of the recent Delerium albums is astounding. If you are curious about what Bill and Rhys were known for back in the 80s, check out their re-released FLA ablums State of Mind or Corrorded Disorder. And if you just love the newer Delerium ablums, you might also like the newer FLA material like Epitaph. It's more agressive, and the lyrics are pretty silly at times, but it can be a fun ride.

good but can be better
Semantic Spaces is a good album and at best, really enjoyable.
Some really enjoyable tracks in the album are "Incantation" and "Flowers become screens". I wish though Delerium could've put in more of a gothish and creepier sound to the album.

Great CD but track 9 doesn't work well!!
I love Delerium. I love this CD. But track 9 skips. I returned the CD and recieved a new one, and it still skips. Buy the CD, it's great, just don't get too attatched to track #9. That is the reason this CD hasn't recieved 5 stars. Tracks 1-8 are terrific. (Tracks 1 (Flowers become screens),5 (Consensual worlds) and 8(Sensorium) being my favorite. Delerium's music is soothing and fun to listen to. I love to listen to it as I fall asleep and when i'm in the car.(Also, everywhere else!)
Buy this album if you like Delerium or enchanting music! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Previously Air's Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin made softcore collages of Pink Floyd-ish synth tones and droning French lounge pop. 10,000 Hz Legend goes further out, attaining new heights of cheesy, Space Odyssey-like computer music. Like Kraftwerk skinny-dipping with French nymphet Jane Birkin and Star Wars's R2D2, Legend swells with mad robo-love, following a computer romance amid droll tributes to vacant pop culture. Beck's appearance on "The Vagabond" proves the Loser only works well solo, making Air disappear on their own album. The absurd "Radio #1" and the sappy chorus in "How Does It Make You Feel?" could snuggle beside Celine Dion's latest yawner. But there is magic: "Radian" is a Cluster-like orb of cooing flutes, gentle rhythms, and a ghostly vocal. "ElectricPerformers" offers clunky electronic beats and the lines "We are the synchronizers / Machines give me some freedom." The catchy "People in the City" sounds like Mirwais producing Serge Gainsbourg, while "Don't Be Light" recalls electro Krautrockers Neu! Feeding us Moog merengue and Reese's Pieces rhythms, Air remain sweet computer boys to the core. --Ken Micallef ... Read more

Reviews (141)

No, this is not Moon Safari 2, but that is a good thing!
As a long time fan of electronic music and a new Air convert, I have to defend 10,000 Hz Legend by saying that I really enjoy it's overall dark, robotic tone as opposed to Moon Safari's upbeat, poppy mood. In fact, after listening to all of Air's releases, 10,000 Hz Legend is my favorite because it so diverse; it is a rainbow of futuristic-sounding ear candy.

I suppose the negative reviews of this album have to do mainly with the outlandish, melancholy tone of 10,000 Hz Legend, but I happen to like music to brood by. It's all a matter of personal taste in music.

For those who don't like this album, stay far away from Air's The Virgin Suicides OST, as well as Radiohead's last three albums; they are also very dark and even depressing at times.

moon safari this ain't
if you didn't buy or like 'the virgin suicides soundtrack' then chances are you won't like this. with 'virgin suicides' air combined their lounge music sensibilities with a dark 70s space-rock sound for a retro 70s inspired film. '10,ooo hz legend' is a logical progression in their sound and shouldn't come as a surprise to any longtime air fan. with '10,ooo...' air completely abandoned the lounge kitcshiness of 'premier symptomes' and 'moon safari' for a weirdly unique marriage of retro rock and futuristic electronics. David Bowie-esque guitar riffs are paired with crunchy beats, folk song-ish melodies are layered over warped synthesizer sound effects. Harsh? sure. Wierd? yes. Alienating? possibly. Brilliant? of course.

songs like 'radio #1" have a funky rock feel to it with a catchy chorus. 'people in the city' (my favorite) is incredible in its simplicity consisting of lyrics spelling out 'P-E-O-P-L-E-C-I-T-Y' and a chorus describing what people do in the city: moving, walking, talking, driving etc. before reaching an interlude of recorded street sounds. 'sex born poison' goes off on a weird tangent with buffalo daughter singing strangely weird lyrics in the background which are either heavily distorted or sung in japanese. the drawback to the disc is 'the vagabond' with beck on vocals. this track sounds like it could have been pulled from any beck disc and as i'm not a fan of beck, i'm not a fan of that track. although 'don't be light', the other beck track isn't so bad. perhaps it's because his voice is slightly distorted or the vocal aspect of the track is minimal.

I suppose had I actually spent money on this disc I may have felt differently about it. fortunately a friend, and now former air fan, gave me her copy. she hated air's new sound and couldn't bear to listen to it. listen to this with an open mind without comparing to 'moon safari' and it will grow on you. think of this as the first air CD ever and I'm sure you'll like it.

its different but good
This is the first album that I bought from Air. Nobody seemed to be able to tell me much about it except that it was a let down to Air fans. I found it used and was charmed by the art work so bought it. I'm kind of glad that I bought this album before anything else by Air because it is so different from their other stuff. If you're already an Air fan, you might have to open your mind when listening to this album. It is less of the loungey ambience and more electro pop rock, but still very futuristic and spacey (if not more so). It still has the ambient tracks that Air is known for, but I rather enjoy their more playful stuff like Don't Be Light, People in the City, Lucky and Unhappy, Readio #1, and their beck featured track The Vagabond.
The only track I really disliked was Sex Born Poison. I like the intro but it's just too dramatic for me, however, I do like the theme. I found this album playful and kind of quarky. I love how they use so many different themes in this album; it has moody ambient tracks, fun up-beat electronica, prog rock, 70's sheek, space adventure soundscapes, futuristic robot love, and even (I think) an American folkyness like in Wonder Milky Bitch. To be honest it took a little of getting used to, but after listening to the hole thing undisturbed with the lights off it just made more sence. I personally find this album to be their best arguably to Talky Walky.

Really good!
I was suprised at the lower rating of this album. This is really different from anything else I have heard. Kind of a little Pink Floyd with a little Beck style.

I really like this album.

Disappointing!!!!!!!!!
HO NO! This album is nothing like the AIR that we knew. the only good songs are: how does it make you feel?, don't be light, radio#1 and and... nop that's it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Delerium’s Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb lighten up their sound on Chimera, as the darker fixations of early records like Morpheusretreat yet further into the background. After Sarah McLachlan’s lovely turn on the single "Silence," and the massive success of 1997’s Karma, the duo have dutifully embraced their winning combination of ethereal female vocalists and ambient dance-pop. On Chimera, the formula yields a few worthy singles, such as the limber and catchy "Love" and "Run For It" (featuring Sixpence None The Richer’s Leigh Nash). And while the record too often settles for disposable, bland pop ("Touched" and "Magic," for instance), it also delivers potent hooks and moments of inspiration that will keep the band’s fan base happy. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (121)

but only 2 stars considering this is supposed to be Delerium
Against the advice of so many , I bought this disc thinking , "How bad can it be?" The answer is really bad. I'm not a fan of their more industrial-sounding work; my collection starts with "Semantic Spaces". I once bought a Front Line Assembly disc expecting a similar sound- boy was I surprised!! But I'd rather leave FLA in rotation than this disc.

I guess they figured if they put a guest female vocalist on nearly every track, they wouldn't have to develop the music quite as much. Sadly the only standout tracks, IMHO, are Serenity, Eternal Odyssey, and Returning; two of which do not have vocals on them. Only a couple are outright terrible- most just lack the usual Delerium depth. It's not bad when compared to the average pop[...], but it's not supposed to be comparable to the average pop[...].

Try Fulber's solo project, Conjure One. It'll make you wonder whether "Conjure One" & "Chimera" got mixed up on the way to be made- and this poor album really isn't Delerium, after all.

Wow!
I pretty much have been searching everywhere for a cd like Hooverphonic (A New Stereo Sound Spectaular) Why, I don't know. I seem to be obsessed with beautiful female vocals and there are not enough out there. I listened to audio clips from this album, and then bought it yesterday. I love it. Most of the songs are sung by female singers. Male singers are okay, but they dont do it for me with this type of genre. The electronica/instrumental enigma type music only sounds good if there are female vocals, either soft, seductive sounding vocals, or high energentic dance/pop vocals. I blasted this cd in my room with my surround sound, and it blew me away. I had no idea delerium was this good. It was original (for once) I especially enjoyed the female indian. I first heard of Delerium, when I bought the Broke Down Palace soundtrack. Silence (vocals by Sarah Machlaghlan) *Spell check* lol. And I love that song. As well as Rock the Basbah by Solar Twins, and Damaged by Plumb, and Deliver me by Sarah Brightman. This CD, Chimera is one of a kind. Balligomingo is a similar type band. I havent got their CD yet but it's like this one. I give this cd 5 stars. In fact, I'm gonna go listen to it again right now.

Thanks For The Introduction To Mehdi
I've always enjoyed Delerium and this album is no exception, but while reading some of the customer recommendations posted on this page I discovered an artist by the name of Mehdi (pronounced meddie). After some investigation I found his site (SoothingMusic.Com) and listened to the samples...I also downloaded some of the free MP3 downloads that are available on Amazon.com.
I was instantly blown away by the quality of this music and so I gave it a try and now that I have listened to his CDs several times I really must say that although I'm still a Delerium fan I find Mehdi to be a tad more interesting. I have them both in my multi-disc CD player and love the way they compliment each other. I highly recommend that you give this artist a try or atleast just go listen to the samples, I have a feeling you'll be glad you did.

Enchanting, calming, brilliant!
I purchased this CD because the title was intriguing. I think that Chimera is one of those words that is too beautiful for its intense meaning. I also believe that this CD is a direct reflection of this. From the seductive vocals to the hypnotic instruments, stretched out even in the artwork of the cover -- this CD is nothing short of breathless. I had read that Karma was much better than Chimera, but after purchasing Karma I have realized they are extensions of each other. I enjoy listening to every song on both CDs, but my favorite on Chimera are:

1. Truly - featuring Nerina Pallot
2. After All - featuring Jael (of Lunik)
3. Love - featuring Zoe Johnston
4. Fallen - featuring Rani
5. Stopwatch Hearts - featuring Emily Haines

All of the women's voices are absolutely gorgeous. In fact, I loved this CD so much that I immediately bought it for my best friend.

This is NOT Delerium
They can call it Delerium, this is NOT Delerium tho. There are still great songs (Just A Dream, Eternal Odyssey and Serenity) but this album aint live up to my expectations. They left their ambient sound to gain a barely-listenable pop one (what the heck has Touched been made for?!). I just hope they'll receive these whinings, get back to work and create really good music (how they used to do a couple of years ago). Pop is not the way to go through!! ... Read more