Amazon.com

In the mystical world of ambient dub, Scorn have made themselves the undisputed masters. This is mainly because they have the ability to make a fresh and intriguing sound, which in a genre built on slow tempos and constant repetition is quite a feat. Anamnesis collects 11 unreleased or rare tracks from the band's most innovative period, including three from their 1994 Peel Sessions. "Almost Human" places its extremely deep, hypnotic bass pattern and somewhat scattered drumming underneath a drone of winds and a slow oscillation of brasslike tones. The piece lends itself well to a darkened room. "Beat 2 Version" combines its flowing bass and sparse kit drumbeat with the distant clanging of a prepared piano, all feeding into a general ambiance that is both restful and peaceful. --Michael C. Mahan ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Most excellent
I just got this CD last week. It is very cool. My co-workers stopped by to say "whoah what is that" or "can you please turn it down". Heh. If you liked any of the other Scorn stuff, you'll like this. Excellent background music for a laid back party as well.

Knives replace air
The previous reviews have mentioned the contents of this album, so I won't rehash all that here. "Anamnesis" is as claustrophobic and mysterious as any of Scorn's records, but amazingly, it even sharpens the industrial element which is largely subordinate in Scorn's post-"Colossus" stuff and in Mick's various solo projects. The 10-minute opener "Almost human" and the other two tracks from the 'John Peel Session' are the most impressive material on this disc, setting both the emotional and sonic tone of this CD: Brutal and cold, the music is devoid of humanity and warmth. While the percussion loops clatter and the bass lines punch, the atmosphere is filled with a kind of stern super-authoritarian regimentation. Tracks like "Get up", "Wallpaper dub", and "Trap" showcase the combination of crunching basic rhythms, overlaid percussions, and ghostly samples very well. The bass-heavy version of "Geeked" is far superior to that on the album "Logghi Barogghi". "Anamnesis" also features Coil's remix of "Dreamspace", which didn't find its way onto the "Ellipsis" remix album. All in all, it's an uniquely satisfying rarities collection from a very original and innovative band. Scorn's new EP "Imaginaria Award" is already available in Europe, the new album "Greetings from Birmingham" is planned for release later this year.

Brilliant!
This album contains studio outtakes, b-sides and rare remixes, but it would easily qualify as a "best-of-scorn". It gives a good overview for casual fans, but it is also a listening adventure for true fanatics. Purchase immediately! ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the lesser-known yet equally dynamic Reprazent masterminds, DJ Die hits the ground running with his collection, selecting cuts that smack down the beats (his own crisp and malevolent "Driver"), funk them up (Scorpio's "Samewayz"), and carry almost romantic melodies with the breakbeat (his own "Lost Days"). His continuous mix contains a larger selection of his own creations, fused into an imaginative and versatile set that never, ever lets up. The second-disc mixes are some of the greatest elements of the whole FullCycle "Through the Eyes" collection, and it's tremendous to know that if you played the Roni Size, DJ Krust, and Die discs sequentially, you'd have one of the best drum & bass parties in your town, no question. Indispensable as part of the full spectrum of the Cycle. --Steffan Chirazi ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very, very good...
This is the third (last?) in a series of this release. The first two were two-disc sets mixed by Roni Size himself and the other by Krust. This last one, adds another one of the Reprazent crew...DJ Die.

It's a very tough call as to which one is the best. I think I prefer Krust's over the other two. However, having recently purchased Die's "two-cents" on the issue, I have to say that ranking is questionable.

Die hits this one hard. It is dark, underground and beautiful. The material is very similar to the other two releases. In fact, on each release, one cd is simple tracks, while the other cd is the "mixed" cd. However, while Roni Size's version is close to Krust's (both in style and in the actual material), DJ Die's actually presents material not found on either of the other two. Brilliant marketing from the little full-cycle label. Touche!

But, not to sound condescending or critical, the material is all pretty-much flawless. Very good d&b from the leaders of the school. Very worth having as the production values are impeccable by full-cycle.

You should enjoy this one if you are at all into the Reprazent sound.

for pinnacle drum &bass get this
From someone who wasn't into repz' new lp. This is probably the best drum and bass album out now. It is very smooth, underground, and quality. Die's is the best contribution the the through the eyes series. But for someone who is not into drum and bass- You would have to hear it first. And you can listen to a ten minute exerpt from the album on full cycles web site, dj die in the mix ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Art Core
Free form social engineering is what it is. Brilliant stuff, every single track.

Superb
this CD flows from beginning to end like one big song. it's an unusual combination of music that makes you feel relaxed and upbeat at the same time. this can only be explained by the rapid-fire beats and soothing rythms that go with it. it's made in 1996, but it doesn't matter, this is timeless. i don't listen to much drum n' bass, but this CD is so good you don't need to be a seasoned listner to appreciate it. for some reason the CD i have has 18 tracks, the one showed here has 11, not sure why this is. rock on

Definitive, well-rounded, and elusive.
No one will ever find or buy this album because a)it is a v/a compilation, b)it has no (really) big names, c)it is "old", and d)not only is it far from pop...it's a genre that has fallen out of favor with the hipsters. That's a crying shame, as this is indeed a near-classic that holds its own against the whole of electronica.

Regarding D&B household name Goldie with mild dislike, being able to name few other artists, and having heard of none on this album, I'm surprised and pleased not be able to dismiss D&B as a one-horse electronic subgenre. I did so before, having heard little more than the club nonsense, to which the title D&B does justice. These, however, add a wealth of instruments and even utilize vocals effectively (minimally), which is apparently very difficult. The first, third, and eleventh tracks are my favorites, largely fitting a pattern of waiting a moment before adding the drums or the bass. These kinds of tweaks are needed to spice up rhythms which, like the wall-thumping beat of most other electronica, are very similar. Almost enough to make me seek full-lengths by these artists.

i lOve this cd :)
i heard this cd playing earlier today at retro viva...it was soOoOooO dope so i had to ask one of the workers what cd it was they were playing :). the samplez dont give you enough to consume seriously...just buy this cd and let it go into your soul :). Its dope...its pretty funky/groovey/chill/with a dash of darkness on the side (darkness in a few songz). it can totaly make you wanna get your groove on on the dance floore...but then again you can just chill to it and let it take over your mind body and soul. anyway... i love this cd :).

An absolute classic of this genre. Smashing!
I was turned onto the original artcore comp. by seminal Colorado DJ John Chamie, along with other phat sounds in DnB back in 93/94 or so. The original was a groundbreaker to some of us in the US scene (i have been doing big parties since '90 and have caught almost every big touring act in Drum 'n ' Bass live and direct..) No. 2 in the series takes us someplace a little darker than No. 1. It is an intimation that this music is serious, it is relevant, it is now. The beats make your mind move seamlessly at low volume, but are versatile enough to jam out at high volume. For the newcomer to our scene, pick an artist you dig and follow that back to the source album/EP. Then repeat as necessary to really let the music into your mind. This album is rewarding and fairly accessible to the uninitiated. I highly recommend it, especially if you like jazzy stuff bordering on dark. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pure Majik!!1
Steve from Miami...How right was Goldie when he reffered to J-majik as the Luke skywalker of dnb,I stand behind the statement because i think he still has alot to prove before reaching Goldie status but yet he proves enough to show you thats he's way better than most artists.Neways this Album is very well mixed i consider this album a midnite album(perfect album for when your cruising around high as a kite on a late nite)He has a very good selection of musik that shows off his majikal wits.I like it I bought it and i'll recommend it.COP this cd it's hot.

good songs do not a CD make
j majik puts out awesome tracks. no one disputes this. as for this CD though, the set he chose is not that great. individually the songs are good, i have a lot of them on vinyl myself. but there isnt a nice "flow" to the set that is easily apparent on sage's or dieselboy's CDs. one major ditinguishing factors that sets the pros apart from the amateurs is their ability to build sets, in addition to tight mixing. undoubtedly j majik can build a great set, but i dont think this CD is one of them. id recommend buying something else.

Strong but not Classic
This CD is a very strong mix. It has several tracks that are excellent. I think some of them go a bit overboard on the noise side of drum & bass, but for someone who wants nonstop pounding beats, this is excellent. Much better than the Goldie CD that was recently released. J. Majik should be the leader of Metalheadz.

Great Demonstration of madd skillz
I find this CD to be a prime example of how a genius in track production can also be an excellent live DJ... Too many times I listen to a DJ produce tracks and then stink up the dance floor when it comes to parties... J Majik is by NO MEANS one of them, this CD is a perfect example of it! MUST HAVE for all the true DnB headz out there!

Almost good, but not quite
I wanted to love this CD because Majik has traditionally given the compilations he's been on some of their best tracks (particularly the otherwise uneven "MetalHeadz II" comp). This disc, while fine for a running party mix, isn't the thought-through smashing of ideas and tones that I hear in his own work. It's got some decent tracks on it (most notably #2, #3 and #9), but overall the disc seems a bit wanting. It's noisy, but where's the soul? Where's the mix in tone and speed? It's unrelentlessly thick on power, but thin on individuality. Would have liked a better mix of stuff that didn't seem to pull from the same soundscape pool. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

His best work to date.
I believe this is so much better and so much more complex than Timeless ever tried to be. This is premium stuff. Represents the sound of drum n' bass perfectly.

my favorite Goldie album...seriously
So it seems that everyone likes 'Timeless' better than this one, but I'm not sure why. I'm sure everyone will disagree with my review, but I don't really care. Goldie conquers new ground with this extremely brave release. 'Mother' is superb, although I must admit...I seldom find myself in the mood for a 60 minute track. However...I'm always in the mood for 'Chico', 'I'll be there..' and 'Demonz'. 'Timeless' was great when it was released, but it is already sounding a bit dated, and I find it a bit dull. My only complaint with this album is that the Grooverider remix of 'Temper' is a hell of a lot better, and so are the remixes of 'Digital'. Although that was probably intentional to sell the singles...regardless, this is dope.

No big deal, actually no deal at all
i have heard a zillion ambient DnB compelations and this album would fall neatly in that catagory, thats if i totally forgot who Goldie was, and what hes done for DnB. the first Goldie album i bought was "Amazing sounds of DnB." that album is uncanny to me; it has been my expierience with some of my favorite artists, when i purchase backward in time, the sound of the artist tends to get alot more raw. in Goldies case its the opposite. this album and timeless make me want to sleep. Goldie has great samples, and his talent is with out question. but this these albums are just as boreing as the other wanna-be-futureistic Dj's on the metalheadz label of the time.

Behind It's Time
This album is a work that shows you how a novelty act can run out of ideas and originality. This is no step forward from Timeless, it is a huge step backward. There are only two quality songs, "Believe" and "Dragonfly". Other than those, the first track "Temper Temper" features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and is a product of irritation-art (which is not really a bad thing). "Digital" features KRS 1 and "Letter of Fate" has a melancholic edge to it, so they both can be tolerated. Other than that, all you can find here is mediocre drum 'n bass. The funny thing is people were saying that Goldie was making music ahead of his time. This work is pretty behind the time...

future shock
This record, like 'Timeless', is a masterpiece. It goes wider and deeper than any other single-artist drum and bass record, including Timeless, paradoxically without diversifying. When Goldie tries something new, like the ugly, tense knot of angst that is tempertemper, it just seems to constitute a hardening of his objectives.

Goldie is the Leonardo da Vinci of drum and bass where people like M J Cole are fiddling with their chunky markers in advertising agencies. He handles the painterly aspects like a master, but also gives the strong impression he could solve the matter transference problem if he so wished. There is a sense here of limitless creativity, squeezed into music quickly and desperately, before, like an animal, it disappears.

dragonfly is a summing up of one form of Goldie's music (sisters: sensual; sea of tears): hard, extended, relentless - but also delicious, visionary, and full of colour and nuance. There is a dry titanium feel about his production, but at the same time the music is something soft you can sink into. believe represents another angle - soul music catapulted beyond the sugary blandness of contemporary R and B into a dry, elegant future where artists can survive only through intelligence (sisters: what you won't do for love; crystal clear). truth is a magnified view of breath and despair, drumless, which folds around you like a slow hallucination (sisters: bowie's small plot of land). letter of fate is astonishing for any artist working in dance music, an open wound rendered as a shifting set of plate glass panels (sisters: none). This goes well beyond the emotional intimacy even of 'confessional' artists like Joni Mitchell. Like all Goldie's work, it sounds otherworldly and utterly modern, as if information for musicmaking had been downloaded from another, future dimension, and no-one else can afford the connection.

This brilliant selection is just Da Vinci cartoons before you come up against mother, Goldie's Madonna and Child. This 60-minute magnum opus truly IS a mother, matching and exceeding anything in the history of rock in terms of ambition. It makes Pink Floyd (comparable symphonic masters) look lacking in expansiveness, emotional connectedness, creativity, and focus (note: I like Pink Floyd). As enormous as a cathedral, this track is like the New Testament in music. It's exhausting, but mind-expanding and inspirational at the same time (precedents: none).

When people say drum and bass is dead, I don't think they understand what kind of gauntlet Goldie has thrown down. He is one of the really major artists in popular music - a historical figure. Perhaps, one day, Goldie's records will be correctly estimated as being the creative equivalents of 'Sergeant Pepper' or 'Pet Sounds'. Dance music is where innovation and creativity has gone now; and Saturnz Return represents the absolute zenith. ... Read more

Album Details

1998 Dance Compilation Album Including Songs by Ltj Bukem featuring MC Conrad,. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Absolutely Amazing...
This first Progression Sessions is an incredible album. Both LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad are definitely at their best and it is well worth buying. After all, this album launched a phenomenon that has produced many more fantastic Progressions Sessions that seem to keep getting better and better. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

nOiSy And dArK
If you like a lot of noise and a lot of darkness in your drum and bass, then Panacea's "Low Profile Darkness" has what you are looking for. His music is about as distorted as music can get. Sometimes this "noise" actually drowns out the growling basslines and this happens to be the downfall of this CD- too much noise and not enough bass.

killer gods on the rise......
Matthieu Mootz is a small, pudgy German who can drop audible A-Bombs like nobody's business. Man, when i saw him in Modulations and heard his music, i was hooked, much like i have been with a whole bunch of other artists. Anyway, I like finding ungodly, demonic drum'n'bass like this anywhere at all. Mootz' gonna be an influence on the way i do my music for a long time....

Panacea raises the bar when it comes to dark drum&bass
"Low Profile Darkness" is the most terrifying musical experience I've ever heard. My ears are still ringing. Yeah I liked it, can't wait to hear the new one.

dark nihilistic rollers - music for the new millenium
when i heard this album first time, i though my speakers are broken or sumthing coz every sound was totally *ucked up. well, my speaker were ok, it was this rekkid. most distorted, apocalyptic and freaked out drum+bass i've heard. if u like no u-turn and other dark labels (like prototype etc.) you wanna have this album. check also other (position) chrome stuff. wikkid, wikkid!!

One of the best of the genera
Techstep/terrorstep at it's very best. Dark, moody, brooding jungle. This is one of my favorite disks... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not your typical Photek...
Although Photek is an excellent drumnbass dj/producer, this album (or track and remixes) is, in my opinion, terrible. If you're looking for good drumnbass, don't buy this CD! This CD is nothing like Photek's Modus Operandi, (which, in my opinion, is his greatest album). Instead, the songs here are slow, unlively, and annoying. They reflect poorly on the talent Photek really possesses. If you're still curious, however, download the track online to see what I'm talking about. Remember, this is just my opinion; you might like the CD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

DJ Krust has long been the power behind Roni Size's drum &bass throne, and despite a dizzying array of 12-inch releases and compilation tracks, this is Krust's debut full-length. It's both a bit overdue and well worth the wait. The Bristol wing of the U.K. drum & bass brigade has maintained strong connections to its hip-hop roots and never entirely sacrificed the idea of a group to the imperatives of a producer's music. In this case, Krust has partly ceded the drum & bass auteur's privilege, that of crafting the beats, to a live drummer, Soul Coughing's Yuval Gabay, whose unadorned devotion to forward motion makes for a relentlessness that any beat programmer should admire. The CD's centerpiece is its title track, wherein Gabay and Krust's propulsive rhythm and an ominous keyboard riff reminiscent of Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express" provide the backdrop for Saul Williams's declamatory spoken vocal, which aims to sweep the entire history of breakbeats and poetry into one apocalyptic rant. The beats are left behind for a couple of interludes of moody string arrangements, and there are five female vocal tunes (sort of a Krust trademark) by a singer called Morgan, who adeptly adds an R&B edge without getting into full-fledged diva territory. --Bob Bannister ... Read more

Reviews (11)

beauty of devotion
krusts coded language is one of the very truly cignificant pieces of music made in recent history .i have seen some bad rewiews made by people who apparently don`t recognise a talent when they hear one .this album has so much qualities in it that one has to listen it several times to even get a glimpse of the underlying brilliance.musical diversity is one of the albums strongest points by combining drum & bass with hip hop and classical music krust has created musical pieces to stand the test of time. the classical elements of this record evoke the same kind of feelings as some of kronos quartets very powerful works .i recommend this album to those intelligent enough to have an open minded approach to music .

Coded Language doesn't live up to the hype
Krust has always been known for his excellent production with Reprazent and on his own tracks, particularly "Warhead" and "Soul In Motion". With Roni Size & DJ Die working with Leonie Laws as Breakbeat Era, Krust like Size & Die has taken time off from the Reprazent project to work on this his debut solo album. Unfortunately it is a bit of a disappointment.

When people think of the super producers behind Reprazent's "New Forms" they think of their work as being far more superior than most drum & bass artists today, with that said, Krust's debut has been one of the most anticipated drum & bass albums of the last few years. And like a big budget Hollywood movie, the Hype has been big for "Coded Language". The album is not the groundbreaking monster people expected.

First off is the fact that female vocalist Morgan is featured on 5 of the 13 tracks, not exactly what I expected from a DEBUT album. Morgan is a great vocalist when she doesn't have to stretch her voice out, at times when she hits a high note it's almost as if the track goes out of tune for a few seconds. When Morgan first appeared with Krust on the awesome "Maintain" her voice worked well because she didn't have to push her vocals that much, here on tracks like "Re-Arrange" she seems to be hitting high notes way too often. Unfortunately "Maintain" along with "Warhead" and "Soul In Motion" are not featured on this debut album. Morgan sounds her best on the tracks "Soldiers" and "Overture" which has her voice echoing in the distance over some great trip hop beats. Trip Hop? yes trip hop and there is another downtempo number called "Guilty" and this time both Morgan and the production sound out of tune. "Guilty" is a song that shouldn't have ever been made, your ears will bleed listening to it. There is a symphony piece called "One Moment" that features strings conducted by Simon Hale, this is a very moving track that doesn't disappoint, but again, why a song of this calibur is featured on his DEBUT album puzzles me, you might be wondering at this point where all the drum and bass is.

The best drum & bass tracks can be found on Krust's productions without Morgan. "Coded Language" featuring poet Saul Williams is the best track on the album, Williams is ferocious here. His spoken word genius comes at you with full force as he goes on a non stop tangent dropping tons and tons of names like Coltrane, Cosby, Morrison, Joplin, Hathaway, Hendrix, Nostrodamus, and Shakespeare! (just to name a few). It is a flat out masterpiece of a track featuring some of Krust's best production in a while, and William's lyrical perfection. Another standout is "Second Movement" a jazzy d&b track with lots of futuristic sounds heard hovering back and forth. "Tribute" is another good tune that has a great bassline, more futuristic samples like lazer noises, and also some sounds from the jungle. The other efforts like "Noble Assassins" and "Spoils Of War" sound similar to Krust's older drum & bass productions and that is truly a good thing.

Overall, this is a bit of a disappointment but it still is a really good album, it just isn't an excellent one. Krust's production shines brilliantly but Morgan just doesn't fit well here, and "Guilty" IS guilty for being made. Out of the 13 tracks featured more than half are good, but this could have been so much better.

Good, but nothing stellar.
So I picked up "Coded Language." Krust played/s an importnat role in the D&B world and Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughing) is playing drums, so it's gotta be pretty good, right? Well... after a good number of listens now.. I think I can make a fair judgement. Gabay does do a great job with the drums here, amazing stuff and Krust does an adept job of mixing everything together. What ruined it for me, however, is Morgan's vocals. Not only do they not fit well with the music, but they are lyrically contrived and boring, and quite frankly just plain bad. I must admit, they work well on "Re-arrange" but "Soldiers", I mean, does any one else think this is just a horrible piece of music? The lyrics are insipid and they do not fit whatsoever with the music. For some good stuff, check out the tracks without Morgan on them, especially the last two tracks, which are quite quite good and almost redeem the album. Over all, a slightly less than solid release, but it's listenable. I suppose Morgan's voice is one of those Love-it or Hate-it kinds, so I suggest utilizing the handy [samples] and see for yourself. If you dig the druming, Yuval is starting what should prove to be a wonderful LIVE D&B band called "Uv Ray" (A clever deconstruction of his name). They are recording/touring as of this writing. Check them out if you get a chance...

Interesting Breakaway
it occurs to me that people are trying to make the assumption that much of what the people in Reprazent should sound even slightly like, is what they will get. Not so. I am proud of D.J. Krust for trying to break away from the ordinary. It takes a while to get used to, but when you really start to listen, you get a beautiful compilation of ordinary sound. It's not every day you can hear a member of a famous group going off and doing something that just doesn't sound like the group. People need to have a little more respect. I like this album a lot, and I don't ever intend on sampling to try and see what I could get out of it. I mean maybe he did it on pupose. Anyway, This album is a pleasant change from the ordinary, if you ask me.

not a good beat, and you can't dance to it!
I am an amateur DJ, and purchased this CD hoping I would be able to mix it. It is a disappointment. There is some here that is danceable, but it is too sparse and grim-sounding to be any fun on the dance floor. I am pulling it from my CD box.

The sine-wave bass gets numbing after a while, and the little samples that fly in and out distract you a bit from the boredom, but don't serve to make it fun. Some of the female vocal bits are nice, but the tracks themselves aren't memorable at all. The ranting title track is aggressive but excessively long and incoherent, and the words completely dominate the track.

Much of "Coded Language" is dark, arrhythmic, and spacey, and these slow, string-backed tracks are pretty much filler as far as I'm concerned. Just because a musician _can_ arrange a piece for strings... does not mean he _should_. This makes it sound like some kind of crossover New Age, not drums-and-bass. Whenever things have slowed down too much, the drums kick back in... in exactly the same way.

I could not tell that the drummer was a human rather than a drum machine, so what does that say about the drumming? After that identical-sounding drum bit kicks in for the twentieth time, you might find yourself wanting to scream... this release may be significant, it may be innovative, it may be edgy, but that doesn't make up for the fact that it isn't any fun. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good...butnot as good...
I do indeed believe this is a good CD... but If you have ever heard their older CD's you would wear them out instead...I think ever since Ray and Ronnie left the Band... they are lacking something... classic shindig is better...

eyes wide n amazment!
ok ok everyone if u are out there looking for a cd to buy but just cant make up ur mind well shindig is it there great i fell n love w/the band the 1st time i herd them! there great my fav song by then would have to be 'what would u say' but all there music is good well its beyond good its the best it surpasses fuel it stomps lifehouse and hey n-sinc needs to watch out caz here comes shindig and there here to stay! its 3 guys from wv who have great voices stunning lyrics and very good instermental so if ur looking for a good band look there way!

great
i love the band now its one of my fave u guys are great!

help me
I have never actually seen shindig play ,but a friend of mine saw them at a coffee shop or something and she just loved them . so,I talked to some of them the other day in mineral smells. From what my friendsays and from what little of the cd I,ve heard everyone should own this cd and if you dont like the music looking at the guys on the cover is enough. I cant find there website or anything so if anyonme can help me, please do!!

hear these words...you should own this album...
I've never owned another CD that makes me MORE happy.From "Again Tonight" to "The Ocean and You" this CD is filled with 8 tracks that are the soundtrack of my life.Shindig has been one of my favorite bands for some time now and I believe this CD is a display of their musical talent as a band."One Last Chance" shows that these guys are not just "pop punk."Tracks like "After the Lines" and "The Ocean and You" show that these boys have the ability to go above and beyond your typical catchy riffs and bass lines.Shindig isn't power chords and mainstream treads, Shindig is musical and lyrical talent at its finest."One Last Chance" is a must own CD, hands down.My personal favorites on the CD are "08.13.00," "What Would You Say?" and "The Ocean and You."Don't hestitate to purchase this album! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a surprising cd from a mainstream label
i bought this cd at the mall after i noticed a few of the names on it. i was suprised to see the likes of origin unknown and ed rush & optical. it's not the best jungle compalation out there but it is still good. i would recomend it to anyone just getting into drum&bass as a starter to here a few good names. over all the cd has some very good tracks. it is on a heavy rotation on my cd listening list. buy and enjoy

As good as this CD is, the only track that TRULY.......
...matters is the T-Power - Amber (Shy FX Extended Remix).

That's it, it's a god-like track from an artist who never got the credit he deserves for what he accomplished in the scene.

T-Power (aka Marc Royal aka Bass Selective aka Atomic Dog aka Potential BadBoy (?)) is the first Jungle artist who really created the best sound for a completely new genre. Light years ahead of any Jungle/Drum & Bass sound out there now (yes, better than any of those quote "big names" that are even on this album), if you don't know the name T-Power and you listen to this music, be ashamed, be VERY ashamed, and then go buy his sound.

Don't even call yourself a Jungalist or a D&B fan if you don't have anything by Marc Royal.

Fantastic Drum'n'Bass Tracks... (em português)
This CD simply will get you out of the floor... A really great compilation of drum'n'bass sound, buy'it... The only thing is that is only 1 CD, I think that Digital Empire next time brand a new 2 CD Album...

(em português)... Esse CD é uma loucura, muito bom, você ouve e ouve denovo, e não se cansa, o melhor do Drum'n'Bass com faixas alucinantes, da pra fazer uma festa irada. A única coisa que faltou foi fazer um album de 2 CD's, o resto está perfeito, pode comprar ai que você não vai se arrepender...

Definately worth buying
This CD is a great combination of electronic drum and bass sequences and hip hop vibes. It's a great CD to relax to and to just be wowed by the skillz of these DJs.

Awesome Drum N Bass
This is a great commercial drum n bass compilation. As usual, DJ Trance delivers a kickin' beat that will keep you going. We even get a bit of the raver theme with DJ Hype's "Peace, Love & Unity." All in all, very good collection. I'd recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sublime beauty
A wonderfully sublime collection of tracks. Bukem has put together a masterpiece of aural candy, ranging from dark and brooding tracks (Blofeld and Black Widow; suitable to read a Raymond Chandler novel by!) to the etheral jazz-esq (Soft Focus) to the downright funky (Amigo Mio). The album is perfect blend of the instrumental and vocal and features the best of the GLO label artists. Definitely a 'must purchase' for those who like clean presentation without the the hard cut and thrust of stronger d'n'b. Danny Bukem's jazz and classical influences are all over this album - fused perfectly!

Another Earth Classic
The fifth cd in the Earth series, and the music still lives up to its early promise. This time, the d'n'b is flavoured with a touch of hip-hop - that's what's so great about Earth, the music keeps developing and changing. Music that's made to be played loud - but also to relax with. Each time I get the new Earth cd I think 'no, this one's my favourite' - and this time I think that number 5 might just stay that way...Unless vol 6 really pulls out the stops and comes up with somehing special. Bukem's GLO can do no wrong, really - check out Logical Progression and Progression Session series as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Well, it's a bit complicated...
Hrvatski's latest release is playful, and a bit soulful at times. It's also glitch, which means if you're reading this you probably have an Aphex Twin poster in your room. This album is comparable to Twin's 'Drukqs' (barring the piano interludes), in that it offers much variety, from machine-gun snares to ambient texture experiments. It may get too experimental at times for some, but the standout tracks make it worth the purchase.

Launching the CD is the biggest standout, 'Vatstep DSP', where what sounds like a built in reggae preset on a cheap synth keyboard, featuring computer-generated Rastafarian vocals, turns into kickass drum'n'bass just before undergoing a very creative barrage of filters. And guest vocals by a cat. This song is pure short-attention-span entertainment; you can't help but smile at this one.

'Paint it Black' gives you a moment to recover, trading off between slow guitar and malfunctioning-atari-with-reverb. Mellow. Trippy.

'2nd Zero Fidelity Mandible Investigation' comes at you strong enough to trigger war flashbacks. One realizes at this point that Hrvatski's drum machine is rigged with a jet engine. This also employs the above mentioned filter barrage. As a big drill'n'bass fan, this song is pure gold for me.

'Ewc3' and 'Re: When was the last time you were violent?' are percussion-based tracks that play around with rhythm in some unique ways. These showcase Hrvatski's creativity with drums but are a bit minimalist.

'Marbles' consists of sqaure-wave video game melody and changing beats. It's a fun, simple track.

'Ewc4' starts with electric guitar ping-ponging from left to right, creating a driving rhythm that is picked up by various other sounds in this transitional track. The brilliant cohesiveness of this track is missing from most of the CD, but the skill with which he does it here give you the impression this was intentional.

'Gemini (early)' is a Boards of Canada-ish synth interlude, and is quite pretty.

'Anesthetise Thineself' sets a stirring guitar melody against chopped-up sound samples and glitchy clicks. Think Venetian Snares' 'Winter in the Belly of a Snake.' Or, for the unfamiliar, think of a robot wondering if it has a soul.

And the album closes with 'Tegenborg', apparantly a recording of a solo electric guitar act at somebody's Bar Mitzvah. Um... whatever.

Overall this album is best taken as a sampler rather than a cohesive listen. There are only two really fast tracks on it, but they're great ones. The slow ones are compelling if a bit confusing. Fans of Kid606 or any of the names i dropped in this review ought to consider it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great intro
While I agree with some reviewers that Photek can be a bit too loopy at times, especially in the LP format, as a single this is a great listen and a perfect dose of his dark and careful sound.The beats are absolutely addictive on the title track. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

more rockers - select cuts
this is an amazing collection of songs from british drum and bass heavywieghts More Rockers. Any fan of ragga style jungle will flip over this stuff. This is not the hard style ragga that many may think of but rather the More Rockers crew let the singers really come through to the front of the songs. Amazing singers and amazing beats. One of the best albums of this genre period!!!! ... Read more

Album Description

Aussie standard edition of the UK dance act's 2001 album.Includes 11 audio tracks & features the first single'Gabriel'. Also included on this Australian edition is anenhanced component which features the video to 'Gabriel'along with a live performance of 'Cotton Wool' & 'LittleThings'. 2001 standard jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Not Lamb's best... but good nonetheless.
Lamb is a wonderful, unique sounding group. Deep drum & bass beats lie underneath beautiful melodies... and Louise has an incredibly raw-sounding voice.
Their third album, "What Sound", while a good album, pales in comparison to their first two. If you are already a fan, than i do reccommend it... but if this is to be your first Lamb purchase, i recommend their first, self-titled album.
The second disc in one of the versions of the Australian double disc import contains 5 remixes of songs from their earlier albums... they're pretty good, and well worth the extra cost of the import.
(And if you can find it, the single CD for "Gabriel," the first single off of the new album "What Sound," has a really fun dance remix of the song... well worth it!)

gets on my nerves
many may disagree and call me a purist (and, of course, I am deeply hurt), but the obsessive-compulsive production on this album just ticks me off (though I should've seen it coming w/ Fear of 4s)...don't get me wrong, at points it is pure sonic bliss ('Gabriel,' 'I Cry'), but I feel like I'm listening to mathematical formulae. I'm not saying meticulousness is bad, but it could've been less conspicuous and artificial. if you listen to mark van hoen (locust) carefully, you hear the same crisply constructed soundscape, but the production never takes the frontstage. Lou's mature voice and Andy's musical instinct are too perfect already to be glossed over w/ excessive icing. lamb's then-chaotic nature is what makes their debut and some of Fear of 4s not just beautiful, but also unified. all this extra 'stuff' rounds off their edge, making Lou's lyrics at times sounding no different from those of britney spears's, all sugar-coated, w/ no angle. I understand the need to reinvent ('Sweetheart' tries very hard to sound like 'Cottonwool'), but lamb seems to have forgotten 1 thing: less is more. I was a die-hard lamb fan; now I'm merely lukewarm.

Pleasant Sound
Lamb`s third album, while neither as adventurous and risky as their debut nor as impressive and strong as its follow up "Fear of Fours", is still a captivating and innovative offering.
Here, the british duo reduces the drum n` bass / trip-hop/ jazz influences of their previous records and goes for a more dream pop-oriented sound.
"What Sound" presents an ethereal, innocent feel, adopting a more sweet and melodic perspective than the band`s earlier experiments. The electronic beats here are soft and subtle, adding a nice touch to the fragile and child-like Louise Rhodes` voice, creating lush and beautiful songs like the addictive title track, the heartfelt "Heaven" or the contemplative "Small". The instrumental "Scratch Bass" is a great moment either, proving that Andy Barlow is a terrific sound manipulator.
Although this album doesn`t bring nothing particularly new, it still shows that Lamb are an impressive tour-de-force and one of the most exciting creative forces of the (now tired) trip-hop genre. So, "What Sound" one deserves a few listens since it has much to recommend.

Getting better with time
When I first heard this album, I would have given it three stars, and that would have remained the case for the next couple of months. The songs Sweetheart and Gabriel stood out immediately. Given the time since that first listen, I now find this to be Lamb's best work. More concise than Fear of Fours, more focused than their first work, and emotionally stronger than both. This is only my humble opinion though. This album offers what I most enjoy in Louise's singing, and that is a plaintive sweetness and heartache all in one dose. It is hard to recommend this album across to just anyone, because it takes the time to adapt to and enjoy. It is like culturing the tastes to enjoy coffee or scotch. Once adapted though, it is a pleasure that is most uncommon.

Imaginative and compelling
I don't think every track on this record is perfect -- but the ones that are can be incredibly emotional and beautiful. I think "Gabriel" and "Heaven" both capture an amazingly romantic, dreamlike feel. I find this album very inspirational and listen to it often while writing. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"Best" kept
Lamb is an outstanding trip-hop band. Come on, admit it -- their music is beautiful, polished and textured, and it's a sign of the world's unfairness that people like Celine Dion outsell them. But I digress. "Best of Lamb 1996-2004: Best Kept Secrets" is a surprisingly good look back on the history of... well, one of electronica's best kept secrets.

A lot of "Best Of" albums stagger under the weight of personal preference -- meaning that the fans keep asking "Where is...? What happened to...? How could they not include...?" I didn't feel that way when listening to these sixteen chronological songs. While most Lamb songs are beautiful, these songs do a good job of showing their evolution from rough trip-hop to smooth, almost jazzy electronica.

The self-titled debut was a mix of the epic and rock-y -- "Cotton Wool" and "God Bless" are superb percussion-pop song with some trip-hop edge. "Best of Lamb" starts off dark, but gets... not exactly light, but more upbeat and less sprawling. One exceptional example is "Bonfire," a passionate, sweeping song that perfectly showcases Louise Rhodes' beautiful vocals.

Their style changed even more later on, moving further from their debut and into the realm of purer trip-hop -- less orchestral, less rock-y. "Gabriel" is a pretty song, and "Angelica" a gentle trip-hop-piano melody. They took that sound even further, and it's reflected in the finale of this album -- the trippy "Stronger" and the airy "Wonder."

It's definitely a good place to investigate if you're a Lamb virgin. If you have all four albums, however, it won't yield much that's new to you. But it's also a pleasant capsule look at their evolution as a band -- they started off sprawling and dark, and have (so far) become much jazzier and airier. Some of the song choices are a little obvious -- "Gabriel," for example, which apparently is a hit among romantics.

Lamb will probably never break into the No. 1 slot -- although stranger things have happened -- but their songs remain rich and beautiful, no matter which album you listen to. And as an introduction, either to the band or to albums you don't have, this is a pretty good one.

Best Kept Secrets indeed...
I listened to Lamb for the first time a long time ago (1998-9), for the first and only time I saw their "B-Side" video on MTV. Back then it was one of the coolest things for me, the video and the song. Unfortunately this type of music isn't very popular in Mexico when groups like Portishead, Massive attack and Tricky are practically unnoticed. Since I'm a big fan of their music, I actually own all of the other CDs, but I couldn't resist on buying this one to get the DVD with their videos... Money well-spent

Best trip hop jazz fuision folk groups around!!
I discovered lamb about four years ago,what a suprise a strange fuision of jazz,folk,eletronic and triphop.Great vocals with tons of emotion If you like Billie Holiday,erikha badu,portishead,triky and etc,you will find lamb to be a journey of soul that in it's self is orginal.One of the best groups this decade,Very Under Rated!!!

Save your dough, buy something, anything else...
This group has been overrated by many, and I've been conned. The only great song is Gabriel and the video Sweet is cute, and the rest ranges from mediocre to hit-the-skip-button. This is after 8 listens trying to like them. Do try Mandalay's Solace instead. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good, but not great
What I look for in D&B is a nice varied pattern in each song, that is unpredictable, yet still follows the rhythem. Also important are the spacey sounds, which is what makes it "atmospheric" and lastly, flow between songs (which I'm sure is difficult in this genre).

There are a few good tracks that I really like on this set. The first CD starts out with a couple good ones that give you that certain good feeling you get from D&B. It's got some pretty good variety, but the flow from song to song is not very good. The second CD is not as memorable and I hardly ever listen to it, although it also has some decent tracks.

Much better than this set is Atmospheric Drum & Bass, Vol. 2. Unfortunatly, Amazon does not carry that set, because it is phenomenal. With a few exceptions, the songs are excellent, as is the flow. I am always on the lookout for that kind of D&B, but its exceedingly rare. If I could review Vol 2 I would give it 5 out of 5.

Tasssty
Beatiful record!! Chilling & relaxing. After decent editions of Progression Session (Good Looking Rec.) the only good series that left.

Money's worth!!!
It's been a minute since my last review and I apologize. Life had me busy for a while. Nevertheless life is good. I have been up to my usual and by that I mean updating my cd collection and purveying some of the finest compilations out there for those that will listen. Recently a dear friend handed me a copy of "Atmospheric Drum n' Bass: Volume IV". Talk about smooooth! I haven't been taken aback by such a smooth blend since LTJ Bukem released the last of ...well, whatever he releases. This is nice, so nice even I won't waste time picking it apart song by song. If you even remotely identify with smooth and jazzy drum n' bass, also called "intelligent" D&B, then sample this. To date I haven't steered anyone wrong. I believe in taking chances with my music. Kinda like buying a cd on a gut feeling, a whim, only to realize your instincts were on point again. This one is a keeper. Watson

One Of the Best D&B Compilations - Get It If You Can...
If you love Bukem-esque atmospherics, this is definitely the 2 disc set for you. I own volumes 2, 4, and 5 and feel that of those, this is absolutely the best. I bought it over a year ago and am still not tired of it. Unfortunately, this series is very hard to find - I have been looking for volumes 3 and 1 for nearly a year and have not had any luck. If you can find volume 4, grab it immediately! You won't be sorry.

Great "Intelligent" Drum & Bass Compilation
Fans of LTJ Bukem-style jazzy, spacey, intelligent drum and bass should like this two-disc set--especially for this low price. I don't know where I was when the first three volumes came out, but I'm sorry I missed them. The overall feel of this compilation reminds me of the "Lost In Space Drum 'N' Bass" series (available on import only). If you've heard any of those and liked them, you'll love this. ... Read more