Amazon.com

These scrappy young Brits sound like the bastard children of the Stone Roses and Public Enemy, with a quick Chemical Brothers tryst on the side. All blaring sirens and ruthlessly scratched-up vinyl, shouted slogans and cheeky lyrics, their impact on the placid late-'90s U.K. music scene has been dramatic. How to Operate with a Blown Mind is packed with attitude and irreverence, but what really sets its blissful racket apart is its complete disregard for musical class. On standout songs like "Kool Roc Bass" and "I Used to Fall in Love," the group casts off pretensions and allows real emotion and melodies to shine through the tough exterior. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (66)

By far, the greatest album I've heard in a LONG time!
I remember the first time I popped the album into my CD player...it started up "Dear God...the paitents best intentions have sadly faltered. Despite the patients newly installed varnish brain, and being force fed gallons of viscus demented liquor, he is determined to obtain the new chrome spiders trophy...", well, we know how it sounds...or most of us do, I'd think by now. If you've heard the album. But anyhow, I was just like, "What in the hell?", and then it led into the song. BRILLIANT! The horns boomed in and the turntables were magnifcent in the scratching techniques...Coming from a fellow DJ, atleast. Then we go to "Kool Roc Bass". A seemless lead-in from "Warming Up the Brain Farm". Better that the previous track, in its respect. The 3rd track, "Kasrov's Revenge" was something of a treat, also. Almost like a good old rock song w/ some techno mixed in there. I loved the next 3 songs (I'd explain them, but I'm eager to talk about these next two songs...) Then we hit "Battleflag" (Yeah, I have to mention the one that got them fame in the states. The echo on the word 'Karma' is worth hearing the song everytime. Furthermore the Wrekked Train's screwed up lyrics. Lyrically they're upon the level of Beck...And suddenly we hit my favorite song on the album, if not one of my favorite songs ever...."Lazer Sheep Dip Funk". The name alone implies that it was going to be a ride, but then when the funk bassline gets going, as well as the guitar, you say to yourself "I like this! its, like, funk music.". And now the lyrics begin. I think I spent countless hours trying to figure out what he's saying through the voice filter. Its like an instrament w/in itself. I've figured out PARTS of it...Just not alot. "Will I Get Out of Jail" begins the descent into almost ambience music. soulful R&B almost meshed w/ loud drums and bass lines sounded incredible. And then we hit the 'epic' "Vision Incision"...I'll admit I didn't like this one the first time I heard it, but then I finally really listened to it. Now, save Lazer Sheep Dip Funk, its one of my favorites. You have to hear it to know what I mean. And then the last song, "Nitetime Story" was twice as good as the song prior to it. Almost like a synth piano in the backround, and a mournful woman crying out the lyrics. And then the 70 minutes of bliss ended..."I had no idea it would end in such tragedy", indeed...

Allstars taking over!
One of the most innovative dance albums of 1998, this album is weird, wacky, and rather brilliant. It's intelligent, and thoroughly classy. There are slamming breakbeat numbers (Warming Up The Brain Farm, Kool Roc Bass, Kasparov's Revenge), moodier numbers such as the super-fuzzed I Used To Fall In Love and the title track, , super-funk (of the Lazer Sheep Dip variety) which all builds up nicely to the epic Vision Incision. Since their insane vocalist the Wrekked Train has now left the group, don't expect to hear another album quite like this one ever, this is definitely worth it. Only one fault I can pick as a long-time Lo-Fis and Skint records fan: possibly the "Many Tentacles Pimping on the Keys" version of Blisters on My Brain might have been a better choice... it's a little funkier. Apart from that it's flawless, and one of the most innovative cross-over albums around. A classic.

Overrated and Overhyped
I've had this CD in my collection for a while, and finally decided to get rid of it. I'm a big fan of big beats such as Fatboy Slim and Prodigy, but I don't feel like this CD has any soul. It has more of a rock edge.

The single Battle Flag is great, and I also liked track one. But, I found the rest of the tracks boring and unimaginative. I hate when I buy a cd, and find that there's really only one good track on it. I find that that's the case with this CD.

crack, you're under attack
The reason that a cd like this has garnered so many bad ratings is because people keep trying to classify it. They want to call it dance, dj, hip-hop...whatever. What makes this album great for me is that it defies classification. Its as if rap, trip-hop, house, techno, and disco had an orgy, and the Lo Fidelity All-Stars gave birth to the b-stard child of it all.

Yes, "Battleflag" is an incredible track, and it may be the best track the album has to offer, but its certainly not the only thing worth listening to. For people who just want straight forward dance tracks, there's "Kool Roc Bass", "Blisters On My Brain", and "Lazer Sheep Dip Funk" (which is still one of the funkiest tracks I've ever heard). For people with a desire to bump/grind, there is no better track than "Will I Get Out of Jail", which has a final minute and a half composed of orgasm noises. And "I Used To Fall In Love" is a slow-dance with an open-minded significant other. But with the changes in tone on the cd, it becomes painfully obvious that this doesn't work as just a background cd at a party.

Aside from "Battleflag", my two favorite tracks don't fit the idea of this as a party disc at all. The title track "How To Operate With A Blown Mind" is astounding. Minimal music for the first few minutes, while vocalist The Wrekked Train walks through the streets with a microphone and a bottle, ranting like a quiet maniac. You hear him cough, lose his place, f--- up the meter, and curse randomly, but its natural. It's real freestyling. Likewise the last track, "Nightime Story" has a sound more like Portishead than Chemical Brothers. While the All-Stars could have easily ended their cd with another funky dance hit, they instead sampled Three Degrees and made a somber lament which still plays well with the bass cranked to 11. Its a great end to a great, and vastly underrated cd.

How to operate with a blown mind
Lo-Fidelity Allstars is one of the handful of break beat artists/groups in dance music that I can tolerate. I always thought that they put out some of the most interesting dance music in recent years. Although they haven't really broken through the states with the exception of the minor hit "Pigeonhead" at least they aren't the one-trick pony that Fatboy Slim turned out to be. The group's debut album "How to Operate with a Blown Mind" is a sonic bombast of street poetry and corrosive techno beats. The results is combustible. A former roommate of mine didn't like most of the cd but I didn't think it was as bad as he thought it was. I enjoyed "How to Operate with a Blown Mind". It may not be in heavy rotation in my stereo but every now and then I like to throw it into the stereo to blow off steam. I personally wasn't turned off by the profanity in the album. I must say that the group's second studio album is better because the music is more diversified and mixes other genres of music into their sound. Of course I love "Pigeonhead". I can never tire of listening to that song. "Lazer Sheep Dip Funk"is a pretty cool track in my book. Overall "How to Operate with a Blown Mind" is a solid techno album. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Wow!
Why are Icelandic musicans so creative? With the exception of Beastie Boy-ripoffs Quarashi, musicians in Iceland just seem to do things right. From Sigur Ros to Bjork to Mum, they just know how to invoke emotions hidden deep inside like no other. Maybe it's because of the cold, sterile nature of their surroundings they feel a need to explore and communicate through the warmth of emotive, intelligent music. Or maybe there's just something in the water over there. Either way, Mum's new album Summer Make Good is a gorgeous voyage through the oceans of serenity.

Summer Make Good opens with "Hu Viss - A Ship" and "Weeping Rock, Rock," a song reminscent of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven and sets the pace for rest of the album-ominous and brooding yet offering a small ray of light. This anchor of hope is provided by Kristin Anna Valtysdottir's tender vocals moving in and out like small waves of tranquility while treacherous floods capsize you to the ocean floor.

It's no coincidence these songs sound more like melancholic water lullabies than the jubilant ditties found on Finally We Are One and Yesterday Was Dramatic Today Was Ok. The songs were written in a remote lighthouse in Galtarviti and then recorded in an empty weather station and a lightkeeper's cabin below another lighthouse. Sounds from these eerie locations are dispersed throughout Summer Make Good creating a level of natural atmospheric bliss amongst spectral electronics.

While Valtysdottir does sing in English, like fellow Icelandic musicians, Jonsi Birgisson of Sigur Ros and Bjork, there is no need to know what is actually being said. The vocals are used more as an instrument than as a poetic device. Emotions are evoked without any sad tales of broken hearts and slashed wrists-just soft whispers spoken in the most innocent, delicate soprano voice.

The ghost album
This is by far Mum's spookiest album. This one I refer to as the 'ghost album'. I love the oceanic theme and overall haunting atmosphere. The howling winds and crashing waves evoke a profound sense of loneliness and fear. This album also features new interesting sound textures and more minimal orchestration than 'Finally...' and a lot more eerie baby-like vocals. The only disappointment is that it's only about 45mins long. I was hoping the would be at least one of those tracks which extends up to 12mins or more. I love those.
The music conjures mental images of a greenish ominous sky like in 'The City Of Lost Children' and many blurred apparitions (mostly women and children).

the longest, most pretentious sea chanty in the world
I love the first Mum album. It is genius, there is no doubt about that. Their second album was good. Some highlights, some blooper reels. This album is really quite awful. It is ridiculously monotonous in mood and ambience, and it depenends heavily on some of the band's worst musical elements, such as the singing (which is absolutely unbearable after more than a few moments), and clumsy live instruments (which are uninteresting, and poorly composed). I saw them perform in Boston a few weeks ago and had endure twenty plus minutes of crap from this album before they played anything decent. What an utter disappointment. By far, the let-down of the year.

mildly intriguing
mum's Summer Make Good creates the same moody, dark and childlike atmosphere that made Finally We Are No One so good. However, there's a greater focus on real instruments instead of electronic elements, an alarming trend that currently seems to be taking over the electronic music scene (see two lone swordsmen's from the double gone chapel or funkstorung's disconnected). The electronic elements I loved so much that popped, bubbled and percolated are almost nonexistent on this release. Even the vocals have a different feel, forced into the forefront on many of the tracks with a stark, jarring and almost frightening quality to them. The ethereal harmonies of Gyda and Kristin are sadly missing. Instead, we're left with minimal electronics that hum and reverberate around a bevy of acoustic instruments and Kristin's sparse vocals.

Hu Hviss- A Ship, Weeping Rock Rock and Nightly Cares start the disc off with the promise of something exciting just waiting around the bend. A sense of anticipation is created as you wait for the blissful climax, the one track that sums up the entire disc, the one track that gives you goosebumps but sadly, when the disc closes, it is anticlimactic. Summer Make Good is a fairly even listen. Most, if not all, of the tracks are interchangeable and almost indiscernible from the next. Nightly Cares, the first single and rightfully so, is the only track worth its weight in salt.

It's hard not to compare this with past efforts because their last two were brilliant. This falls short of past brilliance and one cannot help but think that it has something to do with the departure of one of the twin sisters. Now, instead of running on a full creative tank they're running ¼ empty. Even the inclusion of guest musicians can't fill the void that is evident with the departure of Gyda.

Summer Make Good is not remotely close to emotionally touching me in the way that Finally We Are No One did. At best it is an interesting listen. I can appreciate it for what it's worth but at the same time I'm left longing for something more substantial.

Enter Mum territory once again
First off, I'd like to comment on everyone who claims this is a "slower" (and therefore, more boring) album. I find this album no different in the variety of tempo as in their previous releases. With that being said, any Mum fan who fell in love with "Yesterday Was Dramatic..." MUST get this one! And I'd also HIGHLY recommend getting the limited release version (available at amazon.co.uk...5000 copies). The limited version comes with a book containing drawings by the band which eerily complement the atmospheric quality of the music. I'm very glad I waited for it's release.

I'll admit, when I first listened to "Yesterday Was Dramatic..." I absolutely HATED it. About 3 years later, it made it's way to probably my 2nd favorite album of all time. Strangely, I have no recollection as to how this came to be. I suppose every "click", "blip", "snap" and "woot" was implanted in my brain. "Smell Memory" to me (and many others), is a standout track on this release. However, I was somewhat disappointed after the release of "Finally We are No One". It is still definately a worthwhile release, and shows progress from the previous. The first half of the album caught me, it nearly always lost my attention through the second half. It seemed to have "lost" the originality of the instrumentals in "Yesterday Was Dramatic...".

"Summer Make Good" still possesses a mature "fairytale"-like quality, as in Mum's previous work. This IS the Mum I fell in love with, and my first time listening was a joy. Many of the tracks start with slow ambiance and "build-up" to memorable, complex layers of melodies and rhythms, with a more "grittier" overlay. "Summer Make Good" contains the old-world instrumental quality (but more developed), remniscient of "Yesterday Was Dramatic...", PLUS the distinctive vocals like that in "Finally We are No One".

Unlike so much of the mundane, contrived music we are surrounded by in this world, Mum still manages to focus on the raw essence of music. Overall, I'm very pleased that Mum has moved in this direction. They continue their vividly "antiquated" sounds, though ironically contemporary at the same instant. "Summer Make Good" is like entering a storybook you read as a child, sailing on a ship to the past via the distant future...while never growing a day old.

See them live! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not in my days
This a diss appointing view purchasing this in 2003.

A Magikal Journey
This is not an album, it is an adventure. Thousands of years from now when they look back at the music at the dawn of the 21st century, they will undoubtedly hear this brilliant and gourgeous music. Words truly cannot express Tiesto's brilliance. I hope you trust me and the thousands of others who have heard it and will never be the same. Start the journey with this....

Absolutely flawless....!
Music to uplift your senses to another level, Dj Tiesto puts your conciousness towards a state of eternal bliss..!

Beautiful
I love this CD... It starts out with great beauty and then the energy builds. Even on my commute from San Jose to Berkeley and back, I can always imagine driving out into the desert out side of Moab with the sun's glow pushing the midnight sky further and further west, before its first rays pierce the eastern horizon...

get it. let your imagination take you there.

-rex

Great Female Vocal Trance
This CD has got a great mixing, by one of the greatest DJs of this time. The track selection is wonderful. It's got many uplifting progressive tunes. Most of them very melodic and in all very enjoyable. If you like DJ Tiësto or other Trance DJs such as Ferry Corten or Armin van Buuren, this one won't dissapoint you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steeped in placid, retro innocence, the updated sounds of Mono may have you nostalgic for pastel plaid patterns in a tripped-up Brady Bunch groove. Nonetheless, Formica Blues offers plenty of modern tricks that won't leave you hanging on the dance floor reaching for your platform shoes. Oscillating between current trip-hop standards and blameless wanderings, the album presents harpsichord turns, abstract jungle beats, slithering guitar, and spacey whirls. Perhaps the most notable distinction is the dainty female vocals of Siobhan De Maré which suggest influences ranging from St. Etienne to Hooverphonic. On the whole, it's a striking album with enough cross-generational reference to keep the masses cultivated. --Lucas Hilbert ... Read more

Reviews (73)

A slow, sexy retro groove
Of course, "life in mono" is known as that song from Great Expectations(the movie), but this cd has much more to offer than just that. The beats are just deep and float perfectly with Siobhan's whispery vocals. You get great grooves and sexy vocals which all build up to wonderful music to chill to. Portishead fans, chew on this while you wait for the next portishead album. Although be warned, the music is a lot different-more 60's inspired, like spy movie music, and more upbeat, not at all depressing. "Silicone" is a great pop song that gets stuck in your head, "Playboys" has a bit of raunchy power guitar that makes you wanna get up and conquer the day-and my favorite, "The Blind Man," is quite simply: music to get busy to!! Pop this in next time your love is on their way over, and it's sure to set the mood. The songs that have choruses like girl groups of the past like "Slimcea Girl" are great, although the one low point in the album for me was "High Life," because it was a little bit TOO bubblegum for me, and didn't pick up any of the great beats. Otherwise, i heartily tell you to BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

Hooked like everyone else, caught for different reasons.
Like most who own this album, it was the haunting need to hear "Life in Mono" that made me buy it. However, after a year and a half of life in Mono, I automatically skip the first track. While I still love that song, it definitely belongs on the sound track, its simply not what I want to hear when I want to listen to Mono. The other tracks are with out equal. Nothing I have found before or since brings to light the true, sweet agony of lost loves and broken hearts. Not mearly some form of electronica, Formica Blues blends beautifuly the sounds of Blues, French Jazz, Bosa Nova, and yes, electronica. The electronica, though, is really only used as another sort of instrument, or perhaps simply a way to join the other sounds in a new way. Essential to Mono's particular sound, but hardly the main element. Its the deep basses, horns, piano, guituar, and esspecialy that most heavenly of voices, that make this a must for anyone who has truly loved and lost. If you haven't, you most likely won't understand.

A work of genius
This is a superb album, full of brilliant poetry (the lyrics) set to evocative music....the words and music perfectly matched to each other in every instance. This is art in sound. And look at these reviews: 73 of them, all full of praise. Get the message: This is a special, special album. It's a joy to listen to, sometimes funny (if you 'get it') sometimes profoundly touching, always brilliant, engaging, ethereal, transporting, full of meaning, a scene-setter you will want to come back to again and again. You will not regret purchasing Formica Blues by Mono.

HELP, SOMEONE--I'VE GOT MONO!!!
I seem to always be the late bloomer when it comes to what's hot--the Hotel Costes series, Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, BOC, Radiohead, and a couple of other folks--and now I've recently discovered MONO who have been out since 1996...Although you couldn't tell that "Formica Blues" is that old by the albums very contemporary and up-to-date sound. At any rate, this CD floored me at first listen with (...) vocals from super siren, Siobhan De Maré and outstanding production from hip cat, Martin Virgo. MONO has of course been compared to other more well-knowns of this genre (albeit needlessly). The difference in MONO and others of their ilk is they're more accessible and have a purer sound. Their music isn't overdone or distorted beyond recognition. There's emotion in the music and lyrics that range from sensuous to joyous to melancholic to uplifting. It's hard to pass up a song on "Formica Blues" which is a testament that MONO has put out a pretty solid debut! Highly Recommended!!

A wonderful sense of style...
I listened to this cd for the first time today and I ultimately love it's jazzy/blues foundation. There are a lot of jazz instruments used in this music which give all of the songs a wonderful, sexy groove. On top of the jazzy foundation lies the smooth, serene and pleasing vocals along with the drum and bass rhythms. Groups like Portishead and Massive Attack (whome I love) can sometimes be too overwhelming with their more legato pieces whereas this group tends to find the happy medium. I really enjoy this cd and the casual scenes that enter my mind from listening to it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For years before the release of Exit Planet Dust, the production duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons were cranking out slabs of the biggest sounds around on the U.K. label Junior Boys' Own. Before screeching guitars and massive breakdowns were par for the course in dance music, they were unleashing monsters like "Chemical Beats" and "Song to the Siren"; their distorted beats and rock mentality were years ahead of their time. And, not surprisingly, they still hold up today, collected and rereleased, along with several newer tracks, on Exit Planet Dust. All the singles that established the trademark Chemicals sound are present, as are explorations of pop-song forms with vocalists Beth Orton ("Alive Alone") and Tim Burgess ("Life Is Sweet").While a more evolved sound can be heard on their follow-up, Dig Your Own Hole, the roots of big beat can be found here. --Matthew Corwine ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Best Techno Album Ever!!
Okay, maybe that is a little strong to say, but Exit Planet Dust by the Chemical Brothers definitely ranks as one of techno/electronica's greatest CDs ever. I remember that I bought this a month ago and after already having Dig Your Own Hole to go by, I was a little disappointed on first listen. However, I decided to listen to it again and really concentrate on the music. I saw this album in a completely different light and it is in heavy rotation in my Maxima with its Bose system right now. The first 4 tracks are outstanding especially Leave Home and Three Little Birdies Down Beats. Then you have other great tracks like Chemical Beats, Chico's Groove, and Alive Alone sung by Beth Orton which is my favorite track on the album and one of techno/electronica's greatest songs. This CD is a little more focused than DYOH and a little more chill-out and ambient but in a frantic ambient way. Much better than DYOH--I should have gotten EPD first. A must-own album!

Decreasingly awesome
It's been a while since the Chemical Brothers released Exit Planet Dust, and things have changed. "Big beat" techno, which this album practically created on its own, has since departed for wherever it is that dead music goes. The chems now seem headed in that direction as well, but let's see how this disc has held up.

"Exit.." isn't as focused or effective as 1997's Dig Your Own Hole, but that's not always a bad thing: it's interesting to hear the Chemical formula being explored, and the tracks meander into one another fairly well. Unforunately, the momentum from bumpin' earlier tunes like "Leave Home" and "Song to the Siren" dissipates midway through, with the badly-arranged "Three Little Birdies Down Beats" and fairly conventional "Fûck Up Beats". (<-- trying to avoid Amazon's confusing profanity filter)
Similarly, "Chemical Beats" tries a rave construction, but the instrumentation is too sparse to get excited about. The slower, wandering tracks like "Chico's Groove" and "One too Many Mornings" are somewhat dull, but pleasant enough.

All things considered, think of Exit Planet Dust as a test run for the Chemical Brothers. It definitely has flaws, and is starting to show its age, but the fact that it spawned "Dig Your Own Hole" forgives all that, and more.

Some fresh air on the scene
How do you describe music that is a very successful mixture of many styles?
Chemical Brothers rocked the world with this debut record. It's a very inspired and energetic album. It's electronica based on break-beat rhythms, which occasionally change for hip-hop-style beats. On top of that there are plenty of driving, rocking your seat, bass-lines, a whole lot of interwoven synthesizers, and many sound samples taken from "real life". It's all plastered together in a very intricate and crafty manner, immediately making sense, and taking you away. While mostly uptempo, a couple of slower tracks do not spoil the atmosphere.

This is an almost-perfect electronica release, which has the potential to rock the listener who wants it, or to be an unobtrusive background music to those who prefer it that way. Superb effort by Tom and Ed.

Excellent example of Chemical Brothers
This is an album you can listen to for a long time. A great cd to listen to while driving. Surreal, out of this world sounds.

Ths shortest but smoothest Chemical Brothers album
The songs on Exit Planet Dust are smooth, fast-paced and beautiful sounding. You should definetly check out Chemical Beats and Three Little Birdies Down Beats. ... Read more

Album Description

On his fourth proper LP, KIERAN HEBDEN returns with his most musically challenging record to date, a drum-heavy explosion of boombasticism, marches, breakdowns, and space. Placing abstract into a container of beautronica, this is an album of hope, experimentation, & reach. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Surrender kicks off with a nervous, vibrating whine that brings to mind the first three seconds of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady." But it's just a tease; on their third album, techno's Chemical Brothers have all but turned their back on the rock muscle that earned 1997's Dig Your Own Hole gold status in the U.S. Oh, there are guest rock vocalists galore--New Order's Bernard Sumner, Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval, and Oasis's Noel Gallagher--but only the latter brings out the crunching big beats that the Chems all but invented. The rest of Surrender hews closer to the thinner, synthesized textures of the electro revival that's swept the dance-music world. Much of the time that's just swell. The leadoff track, "Music: Response," is a seamless trip back to 1985, complete with vocoderized singing and Morse-code beeps. And Sumner's "Out of Control" replicates the thrill of hearing the gloomy Joy Division morph into a swell synthpop band. But without the propulsion that their trademark aggression usually provides, the Chems just barely come up with enough ideas to carry the listener all the way through an album, much less rock a dance floor for an hour at a time. --Jeff Salamon ... Read more

Reviews (228)

Kudos to the Chemical Brothers
I think it's too bad that customers buy a new album, like Surrender, and expect it to be another Dig Your Own Hole, and trash it if it's not. I take my hat off to the boys for trying something new rather than stay with the same old Block Rockin' Beats routine. I enjoy "Hey Boy" because it seems more sarcastic than egotistical (their references to 'superstar DJs' and the cheerful 'here we go!'.. sounds like they are making fun of the hype rather than basking in it) I also enjoyed the retro 80s flavor of music:response. My favorite song on this album is Got Glint?... it's a simple song but there's something fresh about it and the 80s flavor about it really appeals to me. Some of the melodies in this album also have a nice eastern ring to it that is subtle but refreshing. Someone who prefers the older chemical brothers might come away dissappointed but if you're willing to listen to something new and different, give this one a try! P.S. See them live if you can. They are wonderful and the concert's what got me into them!

Stayin' fresh
In an age of comercializing, conforming, and making all music sound like 'pop,' it's nice to know that while other artists are changing over to the pop sell-out side, the chemical brothers are still pumpin' fresh beats. Although this album is a great deveation from their earlier works (DYOH, and Exit Planet Dust), I was delighted to see a brand new sound that didn't flow like a generic "TRANCE-MANIA VOLUME 1 (through 10)." Surrender has by far the most diverse sound I have ever heard on a CD. It would be imposible to put into a certain genre of electronica, because it explores all of them. From the slightly retro Music:Response, to some killer trance in Out of Control, to down-tempo, progressive, and the amazing finale, this album rocks through all genres with equal force. If you're a true block-rockin'-beats fan, you might not like this album because only tracks 4 and 5 mimic the Brother's truly original sound. If you are trance-obsessed, you might be a little better off, but not by too much. Yet, if you love a very diverse compilation of music on one disk, GET THIS NOW!!

P.S. When I saw the Chemical Brothers live, they started the show with Hey Boy, Hey Girl, mixed into Block Rockin' Beats; and then mixed the vocal chorus of Block Rockin' Beats and Music:Response TOGETHER to a background mix of the two songs' beats. These guys are TRULY FANTASIC live.

great begining but trails off
let forever be and out of control are possibly the best tracks ever from the brothers. other tracks are ok but last half of cd is suspect with slower songs and are somewhat weak. music response is a crazy track check it out.

I wouldn't call this a follow-up to Dig Your Own Hole at all
Ok...sure, this album has its UPS for Under The Influence, Out Of Control, Let Forever Be, and Hey Boy Hey Girl...but...I was rather dissapointed on the "style" that they chose to make this album make you SURRENDER to them after hearing the Grammy Award Winner of Dig Your Own Hole. Music: Response was an excellent introduction to the whole CD, but, after that, things started to go a little downhill with songs such as Orange Wedge and The Sunshine Underground. I didn't feel that those songs went anywhere except for in their layed back way...even the song Surrender was terrible. I gave this album 3 stars for a lot of the downfall songs in the album. It is still good to have though if you are a die hard fan of The Chemical Brothers.

Thanks.

My first Chemical Bros. album. Really good stuff.
This was my introduction to the Chemical Brothers. I didn't know what to expect. I heard a few songs off of Dig Your Own Hole, but I kept hearing that this album was completely different. Well, that's not exactly true, but it is a good listen. "Music: Response" is quite interesting. It sounds like 1985 rap beats with some weird robot voices. Under The Influence seems to most liked song from the album. I find it to be ok. Nothing spectacular. Out Of Control has the singer from New Order singing and playing guitar on it. This one is quite entertaining. My absoulte favorite songs would have to be Orange Wedge, The Sunshine Underground, and Hey Boy Hey Girl. Those 3 songs alone are worth the price. Orange Wedge is a attempt to do DJ Shadow-like material. The Sunshine Underground is a very pshycadelic song that just builds and builds. And Hey Boy Hey Girl just rules. The only song I didn't like was Asleep From Day. It never went anywhere. I reccomend this album if you're mildly or really into electronica. Enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

If techno ever does become the sound of young America, don't expect Richard James to be its poster boy, deserving though he may be. A native of Cornwall, England, James is obsessed with the mechanics of music making: As a kid, he took apart and reassembled the living room piano. Under the names Aphex Twin, Polygon Window, AFX, and other aliases too numerous to mention, he showed that he could make entire tracks with the sounds produced by tapping on a Coke can. Like the indie rockers of yore, he revels in his marginality because of the creative freedom it gives him. His full-length U.S. debut, Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994), includes some of the most serene sounds this side of the Orb, but his favorite hobby is the not-at-all-blissful pastime of driving a Daimler Ferret Mark 3 tank through his parents' backyard.

None of his recordings have captured the competing impulses to lull you to sleep and blast out your eardrums as well as Richard D. James, his third and best album. As the title indicates, James has turned inward for inspiration, painting aural pictures of real and imagined scenes from his west country childhood. "Goongumpas" is a fanciful, playful tune that wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. As his adventures with the family upright indicate, James was a bit of a devil even as a child. "Beetles" is the sound of a boy frying bugs on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass, and "To Cure a Weakling Child" shows flashes of the sort of sadism found only on preschool playgrounds. If you still doubt that young Richard developed early on, the romantic Nino Rota-style strings on "Girl/Boy Song" are just made for passionate seductions, and the tune appears in three mixes, each one hot and hornier than the one before.

The raucous undercurrents of even his calmest tunes and the sources of many of his most common sounds are what link James to the rock tradition. With Richard D. James, the artist solidifies his position as an electronic music mastermind who has earned a spot beside such well-respected innovators--whether or not he's destined for stardom. --Jim Derogatis ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Just a note:
Richard D. James Album is the first ten tracks of this album:

1. 4
2. Cornish Acid
3. Peek 824545301
4. Fingerbib
5. Corn Mouth
6. To Cure a Weakling Child
7. Goon Gumpas
8. Yellow Calx
9. Girl/Boy Song
10. Logon Rock Witch

When bringing the album to America, the record companies decided that 32 minutes was too short for an album and added on the (entertaining, but IMO inferior) 5 tracks from the Girl/Boy EP.

11. Milkman
12. Inkeys
13. Girl/Boy Song [£18 Snare Rush Mix]
14. Beetles
15. Girl/Boy Song [Redruth Mix]

Those five tracks are BONUS TRACKS - they are NOT part of Richard D. James Album. Please consider this when reviewing the album.

As for my opinion, RDJ Album is a masterpiece of Drill n Bass, which is the term for the lightning quick, spastic drumming that is so prominent in this work. Note that this rather up-tempo drumming isn't always intense...it can actually be quite soothing (For the best example of this, see Flim from the Come to Daddy EP). For this, I couldn't do anything but give it 5 Stars. Once again, Aphex Twin has released something completely alien to my ears and I love it.

Absolutely Amazing.
I recently purchased "I Care Because You Do" and this album and already I'm addicted to the work of Richard D. James. Although this album is somewhat short, it still packs an immense impact on your ears.

Songs like "4" sound like he took music from the nintendo game "Zelda: The Adventure of Link" and completely rearranged it and added some fast, happy beats. "Peek ..." is my favorite song by far, however. I can't explain it except that it is chaotic and beautiful at the same time - which I can only imagine is hard for any elektronik artist to acheive. "Corn Mouth" is insane - enough said - but I do like it. "Cornish Acid" and "Fingerbib" are great as well - and "Milkman" is HILARIOUS. "Logon Rock Witch" is a compilation of noises and bings, bongs and rings. It's cool. "Girl/Boy song" is cool - but actually, it's one of my least favorites. Sorry.

Also, the import version of this album ends after "Logon Rock Witch." The American version of this album has added the "Girl/Boy EP" after track ten which includes tracks 11-15. I hope that that clears up some questions. Also, to find out why RDJ is a genius - play this music on a disc player and put in headphones. When the albums over with you'll know why he's a genius... but - only if you have an open mind.

way too overrated
the sound of this cd is incredible. Aphex Twin made it off of his analog studio but where did he get this sound. If you read the back of squarepusher's "Feed Me Weird Things" Richard D. James gives him all the credit. I love this cd but i don't like the fact that all of his songs are under 4 minutes. He couldn't hack it. Here he is doing drum loops on an 808 through a filter bank while squarepusher has cruddy equiptment making the most out of it and doing 6 minute long drum solo's. Thats talent.

Richard D. James: A Genius Of Electronica
I bought this excellent CD a long while ago, and I still love this album. Even though it falls short compared to his earlier works (ex. Selected Ambient Works 85-92), this frenzied fusion of ambient, drum n' bass, drill n' bass, and some hardcore techno elements make this album a must buy. But this album should be heard only by people who are accustomed to the Twin's sound, otherwise newbies might like it, but think, "Good Lord, this is crazy!" It's such a shame that A great country like America is bogged down by (in my opinion) foolish, pop-rap. Techno should get a much bigger recognition. It's about time people listened to more competent music.

My feet, my arms and my ears....ARE MELTED OFF!
I was introduced to the Aphex Twin after I saw the videos on the Chris Cunningham DVD...and was blown away. I couldn't breath after I heard and saw the "Come to Daddy" video. I knew after that, I had to find all of his music. This was the first album I bought because according to most, it is his best. Some people call him a musical genius, perhaps even the next Mozart. I believe it. Richard D. James and his self-titled album are spellbinding. He is a true visionary. James' songs not only have amazing drum and bass beats but have heart and soul. Each track connects the listeners with a different aspect of his psyche and even his soul. I cannot express how much his music has touched me. The Aphex Twin is one of the most influential musical talent that exists on the earth today. Each track is terrific but these are the ones that stand out to me:

4
Fingerbib
To Cure a Weakling Child
Girl/Boy Song
Logon Rock Witch (Most original musical composition I have ever heard)
Milkman

It is a must buy for those who wish to experience the masterful voice of the Aphex Twin. ... Read more

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Already own the entire Kruder & Dorfmeister disography? No worries. The city of Vienna is sending more blunted beats your way in the form of Dzhian and Kamien. The downbeat capital's latest exports are much more than K&D clones, however. This is their own special brand of Sunday morning headfunk. Turkish-flavored tracks such as "Slowhand Hussein" and "Just You & I" open the Outcaste crew's bag of table tricks and let it breathe on the back porch of the Cafe del Mar. The jazz-laced "Where Are We?" and "After" imagine the Thievery Corporation out of their trademark debonair threads and in rainbow wigs and clown shoes. Dzihan & Kamien even try their hand at slightly more traditional pop structures on "Smile," in which an Edie Brickell-ish vocalist trips over a shifty typerwriter-as-rhythm-track beat. Equal parts quirk, groove, and experimentation make a pretty savory tonic. --Bob Michaels ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Cool stuff in K&D vein!
Here is another downtempo duo from Austria in the same vein as fellow Austrian duo Kruder & Dorfmeister.(They got a lot better since Falco :))

Kamien is Swiss, and Dzihan is Bosnian. They are apparently very much influenced by Turkish music.(turkish zither samples on some songs, samples from an instrument sounding like an electric saz on others) This influence is especially obvious in "streets of istanbul" , "slowhand hussein" and "just you & I". The last one is one of the best tracks in the album along with "after","homebase" (also in a cafe del mar compilation) and "dabudei" in my opinion."Just you & I" and "after" are also the most danceable tracks in the album. The rest is perfect for after-party chill-out.

Buy this album! Also check out Kruder&Dorfmeister's and Thievery Corporation's (especially last album "Mirror Conspiracy") work.

An essential purchase!
I actually discovered these guys with the remix version of this CD. (Refreaked) Naturally I took a step back and bought this title. I have been a K&D (Kruder & Dorfmeister) fan for a while and I do have to recognize some of the similarities between the to groups. However D&K (dZihan & Kamien) offer a seemingly more youthful/experimental/energetic approach to the style. Within the loungy downtempo world I would have to categorize K&D as chill and D&K as upbeat maybe even danceable. If you are a fan of jazz, techno, and world beat you will love these guys. If your not sure if you like the styles I mentioned then just pretend its trendy lounge music and your friends will think you are really hip. And if you do dig it, then you probably are really hip.

Wonderfully smooth
The tracks flow effortlessly from beginning to end, without a filler song in the bunch. After listening a few times you will never have the, "ugh, I hate the beat on the this" problem that plagues some lesser-quality dubby bands.

Highlights, after listening to the CD for awhile, are pretty much every song. I became really interested in dZihan & Kamien after hearing the song "Streets of Istanbul," though, which is a good introduction to the CD. "Slowhand Hussein" is also another good string-tinged tune.

These beats are great for studying to or falling asleep - this CD was a heavy part of the soundtrack of my just-finished semester of college, and it was good soundtrack music!

I am HOOKED!
I can't say enough about the funky and fantastic mood that dZihan and Kamien's music puts me in! I LOVE this stuff! Even my 7 year old daughter is into their groove. If your into letting music make your mood, or you just want to just chill out to some groovy tunes, give them a try! You'll be glad you did. Oh, and dZihan and Kamien, if you ever read this, you guys rule! Your tunes have more than saved my sanity in several stressfull situations, thank you!!

Dowtempo beats that keep grovin'
What a great mix of beats. Gran Riserva and this one are two of my favorite downtempo/lounge cds. These guys really know how to mix the sounds up. You won't be disappointed with this one, trust me and the other reviewers that have highly recommended this one. It is a new classic. ... Read more

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Best known for their dance-floor hit "Spin Spin Sugar" and cracking 1997 debut, Becoming X, the British trip-hop quartet Sneaker Pimps have delivered a marvelous third album that bristles with inventive, shimmering electronics. Evoking slivers of old Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, Moloko, and Marilyn Manson, the Pimps meld and manipulate samples and snippets into smart trip-pop that hits on every level. Highlights? All of it, but "Sick" has a rudely addictive, airy loop in its upbeat refrain, while "The Fuel" is a Wim Wenders desert movie filtered through the Pimps' trip-hop conscience. With Bloodsport, the Pimps have successfully made their very own groovy alterna-dance-punk masterpiece. --Steffan Chirazi ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Masterpiece Theatre ...again
Another extrodinary follow-up to "Splinter." Although, "Bloodsport" contains hit tracks resembling their preceding album, (such as "M'Aidez" and "Loretta Young Silks"), it seems more radio friendly for new listeners. Tracks like, "Fuel", "Sick", "Kiro TV" and "Bloodsport", seem more upbeat; a bit commercialized. Being a huge fan of "Splinter", it's hard to place them both on a scale and compare them. So I recommend to any new listeners, buy "Bloodsport" first, and "Splinter" next. The Sneaker Pimps are the only band I know that could get pigeon-holed into a trip-hop genre, then release something different / fresh / orginial, only to still impress and sound amazing!!!

Good follow up
Since the last CD I was waiting anxiously for the next recording from Sneaker Pimps. After maturing from the lightweight sound of Becoming X the Pimps came up with a modern music masterpiece in Splinter. How do you top that? You don't. Bloodsport is a great effort and clearly better than most music out these days. I always shake my head when I read reviews comparing a band to someone else. In the comparison to Depeche Mode I must say, it's pretty accurate. Bloodsport uses alot more of the standard electro pop rhythms although the textures are cleverly mixed. I still need to give this a few more listens but Loretta Young Silks stands out so far as my favorite song. Some positive and negatives: the female vocals on several tracks do nothing for those songs. Corner's voice is so unique and well suited for this music it should be left without the addition of other voices. Corner does begin to stretch out a little more vocally but the lyrics are no where near as emotional and intricate as Splinter. This album will keep the Sneaker Pimps exactly where they are, pretty much unknown and underrated. Still, really good music.

Mediocre at best
Well, actually, it depends on what you're looking for. I was looking for something a little more like "Splinter", a previous release. The album is well-done, but it failed to grab me as "Splinter" did. Lyrically, musically and...whatever else you can judge an album by, "Splinter" is just superior to "Bloodsport".

boy-band trip-pop
It gets a "4/5" because I don't think the lyrics are as profound in their off-kilter view of gender politics as those on their freshman issue, "Becoming X."

But then again, The Sneaker Pimps have become an all-boy band, never so obvious as in the realization that it's a GUY singing on the song "Bloodsport." He tries to sound as much like a girl as possible, but it just points up how sorely the songs miss female phrasing!

HAVING SAID THAT, the guys have forged ahead to create a couple of trip-pop beauties: the titular marvel, "Sick," "Kiro TV" and "Small Town Witch." They are similar in feel to Nine Inch Nails on "The Fuel" which seamlessly incorporates symphonic samples from the 1990 "Gorky Park" film soundtrack written by James Horner ("Enemy At The Gates," "Sneakers," "Aliens," and "Once Around"). On ""Becoming X" their composer of choice was the brilliant John "Born Free" Barry.

It takes a few listens, but this album's groove eventually sinks in and takes hold!

Kelli? Kelli who?
I am included in the list of those who dimissed Sneaker Pimps even trying to make another album after Kelli left, but then Splinter came out and I realized that they are better without her.

Bloodsport is a continuation of this. Trip hop in general became very bland over the years. Portishead hit the world with Dummy and it seemed to be downhill from there. Sneaker Pimps are the only group out of many who were able to keep the music dirty and not sound like lounge music with a soul singer. This is trip hop at it's best until the next Portishead cd comes out. ... Read more

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Meet Neil Barnes and Paul Daley, the two crafty Englishmen that comprise Leftfield. Their debut, Leftism, is amazingly diverse, ranging from chunky electro, complex textures of beats, to radio-friendly accessibility. The album's 1995 US release helped open up the states for techno-electronic music: The classic single "Open Up," which features ex-Sex Pistol/PIL ranter John Lydon, was one of the first dance singles to push popular radio barriers with its high energy beats and b-line hooks. "Original," with a guest vocal from Curve's moody crooner, Toni Halliday, delves deep into breakbeat territory with purging lyricism and rhythms. --Daniel Shumate ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Best Album for Electronica Newbies...
This should be an "essential" recording. If you're one of those people who suspect that electronic music has no soul, this is the album that will change your mind (somewhat ironically, it was made by two white guys!) Suffused with tribal rhythms and reggae vocals, the album never strays into D+B predictability, or the stoney tedium of dub. It's a proud album with a lot of heart, and magnificent breadth. The more dance-oriented tracks are balanced by truly beautiful instrumental compositions like "Melt" and "Song of Life". Many electronic acts struggle to incorporate vocals into their music successfully (think Plaid), but Leftfield does so effortlessly. From the incomprehensible chanting of "Afro-Left", to the world-weary, black-widow vocals of "Original", everything is spot on. They even manage to make John Lydon listenable (OK, semi-listenable!) There's my only complaint: on "Open Up" the political sentiment is little bit overdone (a chorus of "burn hollywood burn" doesn't exactly light my fire), but that's only one song. Overall, this album is positive, exhilarating, and as others have stated, accessible without being commercial.

Release The Pressure -
Next to Robert Mile's DREAMLAND, Leftfield's LEFTISM is one of the best dance albums to ever be created. You may not know it yet but when you listen to this album for the first time ever you are likely to have heard at least 3-4 of these songs before for most of these are national anthems when it comes to the dance and electronic field. To put this under one catagory, however, would be wrong, for this album is quite diversified. You've got your aggressive techno (Black Flute) as well as your dreamy trance beats (21st Century Poem, Melt) along with some african and reggae influences (Release The Pressure, Afro-Left) along with the occassional breakbeat (Storm 3000). The 3 most rememberable songs, however, would have to be "Original", which features the moody vocals of Toni Halliday from Curve, "Inspection (Check One)", which pulsates with the most addicting beatlines ever heard, along with their huge dance single, "Open Up", which features the ex-punk singer John Lydon from the Sex Pistols whom is electrifying here with the high-energy beatlines.

I don't know what else to say other than my prompt to persuade you to buy this, for this is the ultimate dance party all rolled up into a single CD.

This is HIGHLY recommended... ENJOY!

L as Leftism
Don't just this album by the cover, it's actually very good. "Leftism" is Leftfields masterpiece in music, not only a exellent techno/electro album before it's time but it also lead the way for band/artists like The Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Prodigy and Moby. "Leftism" was perhaps not as big commercially as the others but it's a original album with many good songs and influents, never cared for their other albums and eventually they split up in 2002 but this one is topclass. The sound is a mix of diffrent genre's, the best songs are however the slow beautiful ambient tracks like "Release the Pressure" and "Melt". Some of the songs also has other influents like african music and ragga. The album never get's boring and still wouldn't feel dated even if it's from 95. I remember it as it was yesterday. "Leftism" is class.

Original. Never Gets Old.
The song "Original" on this cd has become my personal anthem - and this whole cd is top of the tops. Such excellent melodies and good beats, and so danceable all in one. Good for driving to, or just chilling out with.

This album has to be one of the greatest of the 20th century, and I know that is saying a lot. I don't think it will ever be "dated".

I haven't heard the second album by Leftfield - I've heard it's not as good but part of me doesn't want to be disappointed so I've not gone out of my way to hear it.

good-better-best-BESTEST
Having heard this album wayyy back in 95, enjoying a amsterdam-blended herbal cigarette, it blew my mind. The blend of styles and influences of electronic/house/industrial/africa etc.etc. is still fresh and it just doesn't lose it's musical magical touch. It remains a MUST-HAVE even though my music tastebuds have evolved in the past years, I couldn't depart from this album. I severely recommend this album, (it's just a pitty their second album coulnd't live up to this icon). But that's just what it is: a brief& rare moment of genius in time, touching our inner ear leaving you longing for more. It's the BESTEST!! Enjoy:-) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

There's still good music being made
Despite what's overplayed on the radio and MTV, there is still awesome music to be found out there, you just have to look for it.Neuroticfish are one of the better synth bands out today, and they continue to improve with each new album.Gelb is great from start to finish, although I didn't like this album as much when I first listened to it as I do now.There were 3 songs that I instantly liked:the Bomb, I don't need the City, and Suffocating Right, and eventually, I ended up liking all the stuff in between also, it just took some time to grow on me.What I really enjoy about NF are Sascha's vocals.At times he almost sounds like Dave Gahan---very mellow and soothing.At first some of the more dancier songs kind of turned me off.It was almost a blurred line between synth-rock and straight foreward dance music, a line which is certain death for me if it's crossed, but I soon decided this was a whole lot deeper and darker than your average crappy club music.This is the best NF material that I've heard to date, though I don't have a lot of their earlier stuff.This is really a good album, and if you love 80's bands like Depeche Mode, OMD, New Order, Fad Gadget, or Kraftwerk, this is for you.The only complaints that I have about this are some of the corny voice-overs and samples at times are kinda cheesy, and the run-of-the-mill cliche keyboard sound thats prevelant throughout most of the songs, but by no means do these things ruin this album at all, it's really quite good.

Absolutely amazing..
This is a WONDERFUL CD.It's very rare that one can sit (or dance) and listen to each and every song on the album and not skip over a single one.Each track is maserfully done and perfected with haunting beats, emotional lyrics and sweet synths.Okay, if you appreciate VNV, APop, A23 and Covenant, GET THIS CD!I mean it!It's PERFECT for you!Mmmm I love EBM.
Goth is dead.. it always has been. ;-)

~DJ Raven~
KBGA

ahhhhh, nothing like sweet electronic music...
ok, do yourself a favor and pick this album up. it is so incredible! Sasha is a genius and a madman. this is really dance-friendly and also very enjoyable, so if you are looking for a solid album, full of aural splendor...score this cd. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Another nice "sampler" from Nettwerk
The latest in this Chillout series from Nettwerk is another nicely balanced sampler that manages to mix tracks by more familiar artists (Chemical Brothers, Bjork, Delerium, Radiohead) with cuts by less heralded artists (Alpinestars, Motorcycle, IIO). My personal favorites are the remixes of Massive Attack's "Butterfly Caught" and Conjure One's "Center of the Sun" (I'd buy the CD just for this track alone - the vocal by Poe is amazing and makes me even more anxious for her next release!). Yes, there are more adventurous downtempo compilations out there (try the Ministry of Sound series or the Buddha Bar series if you're looking for something a bit more "underground") but the Chillout series has its charms. I also recommend Nettwerk's Ultimate Chillout 2002 and, especially, Ultimate Chillout 2003, which has LHB's impressive "Olivia Newton Christ" - a track that is hard to find on a non-import.

An amazing compilation
This really brings out the best songs of a poorly defined genre. It sounds like Sirius's channel Chill (64) running for about an hour. The more popular artists on this CD (Bjork, N.E.R.D., etc.) are the tracks I tend to pass over for the standouts like Motorcycle, Alpinestars, BT (the original of this is great, too).

Some tracks could have been left out, as most people who buy this probably would have gotten the CD in its entirety anyways (specifically, Massive Attack, the quintessential trip-hop group).

My major complaint is with the choice of the U.N.K.L.E. track; the CD has a couple of really great songs, especially "Lonely Souls," "Bloodstain," and "U.N.K.L.E. Main Theme" that greatly overshadow the "Rabbit in Your Headlights," which is also a bit redundant for the sake that the singer on that track is the lead singer of Radiohead, who also have a track on this album. Had one of the aforementioned tracks off the "Psyence Fiction" CD been selected, this CD would definitely merit a 5 stars.

In short, highly recommended. I especially recommend it for studying; listening to something like this, I find my college work infinitely easier.

good one
Cool mix. I am surprised no one mentions "One too many Mornings", by the chemical brothers as a fav. It is such a cool song I think. I also dig "As the rush comes", "Butterfly", "At the end", "center of the earth", and even this "weak become heroes song" by whoever the Streets are...
There are a couple of bad songs out there (UNKLE and NERD uhh), but other than that most of the songs are pleasing and cool to listen to. And I think the fact that you fall asleep with a chillout CD should be a plus...that is the point, right??
Fell asleep nicely with this one a few times...even though I didn't mean to...

Later,
El Dundee.

Chilling
This is a cool album (pun intended). Hard to place it in a genre. It is not quite psychedelic, not punk or retro, not pop. Kind of a mix of Miami Vice, Roxy Music, grunge, soft soul, mood, and synth. Not a brand-new genre, but certainly done well on this album.

However, I would have left out tracks 2, 13 and 14. Although not bad in their own right, they just do not fit into the theme of this album. I usually just skip over those. Some tracks are not my favorites (e.g., 4, 5, 8), but are tolerable. With all the tracks mentioned, you might think I do not like this album, but I do.

Overall, a good album that is done decently and should be given a try.

Cool mix
If you're looking for a mix that's more interesting and up-for-it than most chill-out stuff...than this is the CD for you! I listen to this all the time--before going out, after going out, at my desk at work, etc. Go for it. ... Read more

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Air's European-label five-song EP, Premiers Symptomes, may have been a collection of early singles, but when it first came out in 1997 it felt all of a piece. Deploying an array of vintage mid-century instruments (Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, Clavinet), as well as a tuba, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel created a cloistered, lulling sound world that was entirely their own (although, think The Percy Faith Orchestra Covers Brian Eno's Music for Airports and you get the basic idea). By contrast, the recent rerelease of Premiers, with two bonus tracks, sounds like exactly what it is: a collection of early singles. It's not that newcomers "Californie" and "Brakes On" are unworthy, just that their overt funk shatters the tranquil atmosphere this French duo so painstakingly establish elsewhere. Most electronica fans are usually more than happy to bump 'n' grind, but when they're in the mood to play Premiers Symptomes, all they want--all they need--is the Air that they breathe. --Jeff Salamon ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Early Air is good Air
After having purchased "Moon Safari" and grown to love the sound, I picked this up in a search for more Air music. I was impressed. The original singles as a whole are at least as good as most of "Moon Safari", and "Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi" is almost as sublime as "Ce Matin La". The rest of it is wonderful, too, especially "Casanova 70" and "Les Professionnels". Unfortunately, the closing two tracks ("Californie" and "Brakes On") destroy the mood of the album. They're simply too jarring and lack any of the charm of the downtempo material. This alone is a one-star deduction for ruining the end of a great EP. But there's still 5 great songs, so it's worth picking up if "Moon Safari" isn't enough Air for you.

A really nice change of pace
I am new to Air. Through my love of Bjork's music, I was introduced to some of the wonderful sounds of techno and electronica. In deciding which of Air's albums to buy, I read all the reviews of this album and Moon Safari, and I am glad that I bought this first because this album is filled with music that you'll like whether you're into ambiant/electronica or not. It is SO soothing and SO beautiful. Whether you are using it as background music, or something to lie down and watch the stars with, it will add a smooth feeling to the room. Each track is so layered, and has its own personality but the album as a whole fits together very well with the possible exception of the Brakes On track (it is quite loud compared to the rest). One of the track titles translates to something about sleeping underwater. I think that explains Air perfectly. They are a modern funky French group, but this album seems to hearken back to the 70s with a modern sound. I truly recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautiful music (and that can fit anyone from Depeche Mode to Sarah Brightman to some of Metallica's quieter songs).

First 4 songs realy good, last song really good, 5 and 6 not
I love the first 4 songs and last song. 5 and 6 aren't that good, though. The last song doesn't sound like Air at all but still good. If you are an Air fan, buy this cd.

Got "Talkie Walkie" and "Moon Safari" already?
Good. Then get this next. Premiers Symptomes is a must-have time capsule of a duo before Moon Safari put them on the map. It's interesting to hear AIR begin to find their sound in this record. The track "Les Professionels" clearly evolved into the very recognizable hit "All I Need", and songs like "J'Ai Dormi Sous L'Eau" are a great example of AIR's irresistable blend of synthesizers, digitized vocals, and horns. Worth the purchase if you like AIR and want to know more!

THE album to lay your lady down to..
Upon the release of "Moon Safari" Air managed to avoid the typical stereotypes of their genre by redefining the requirements and, in essence, establishing themselves as a musical act without peers or any true category. In the years since, they have continued to dish out discs that enable their listeners to fulfill all the virtues that Air had opened us up to initially. This has never been more evident than on the charming and smoothly flowing "Premiers Symptomes." An assortment of previously released singles and two new tracks that were sent out to the American public after the masterpiece "Moon Safari", these tracks offer an inside view into a group that is much more than the sum of it's parts.
Capturing the same vibe as their debut, this EP entrenches the listener into a world that shows the liftoff for the eventual "Moon" excursion. And it furthers itself track after track up to "Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi" which ironically thereafter leads into the less enjoyable new tracks but by no means to utter disappointment.
So dim the lights, flicker some candles and start off your seductive mood with this most pleasurable piece as you take your woman to a place where this completes the ambience. ... Read more

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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

Album Description

Nude Dimensions was pieced together by Naked's own BrunoYbarra and Petalpusher (Miguel 'Migs') to showcase thejourney so far - deep, delicious, sexy unreleased cutsalongside industry standards by the likes of CharlesSchillings, Bob Sinclar, Atjazz and more. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Breakin' It Down......it's da Bomb!
What can I say, this CD has now become a Classic in the world of Naked Music releases. Talk about Funkdafied, this CD covers everything you ever thought Funky was and should be when it comes to House. This CD is mixed by one of my favorite dj's and that is the wonderful Miguel Migs. The standout tracks on this disc are "Breakin' It Down" and "Music & Wine" the rest of the CD is also great. Naked Music has made a big niche in the world of Dance Music, and this disc was they're step in the right direction. Nude Dimensions Vol 1, has set the standard with it's trademark being deep soulful vocals and funky bass filled beats.
You can't go wrong with this gem as it will be a permanent fixture in my dance music collection.

incredible, fun, deep loving music
I just recieved Nude Dimensions Vol 1 in the mail yesterday....
Oh my goodness, this cd rocks

my fav tracks are
1) Li Sha - thats why Im here (Migs Transporters vocal)
2) Lovetronic- you are love (si brads playback dub) and the (jayus afrotronic ext. vocal) mix
3) weekender- spirit in your soul .... (absolute fav track on the cd)

I found the energy in this compilation fluid, never letting up, soothing, and relaxing. The mixing is excellent, inticingly driving you to the next track.

Overall 5 out of 5 .....

a must for deep house lovers!!!!

Metro Gnome
Man, do you MEN need to have $ex with a metronome? If that's workin' for y'all better than Cialis, then by all means, get this CD. Me, I'd be smashing the cd player during foreplay. Monotonous, but sexy. Gimme Barry White instead. Now that's nekkid muzak. Uh-hmmm.

A worthy addition to your dance music collection
Miguel Migs has put together a very good dance mix CD. It has the generally high quality that we have all come to expect from him and, of course, Naked Music. I have to stop just short of giving this a perfect 5-star rating because it's not as consistently excellent as Miguel's superior effort, Nude Tempo I. Although I listen to this CD often (almost every day), I often find myself skipping past certain tracks, especially track 5. Nonetheless, if you like dance music with a sophisticated feel to it, you can't go wrong with this CD.

THREE DIMENSIONAL NUDE DIMENSIONS!!!
The Nude Dimension series has got to be the hottest and most sought after dance CD on the market today! It's easy to say that with the mix of smooth house grooves and incredible vocals from the likes of Li'sha and Janet Rushmore! If you're a club head, DJ or just like good house music with sass-appeal, this is the CD for you! ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Doesn't really qualify as a "greatest hits" album
I empathize with the AON fans who once owned the illustrious "blue cover" version of this title. I'm fortunate enough to still have my copy which, to set the record straight, is basically the 12" mixes of most of the titles on this release. It is true that removing "Moments In Love" from this album is a crime, but I also believe that the original version of "Legs" was a much better single for Art Of Noise than its evil twin, "Legacy". Finally, I have never been able to locate a CD with the original version of "Beat Box" (the version on the Into Battle ep). Even the Daft CD, which compiles Into Battle, the Moments In Love ep, and (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! left this version out, which should have also been included on this compilation of their 7" singles. Keep your eyes open for the hard-to-find "blue cover" version.

Good collection not great
In the early 90's "The Best of The Art of Noise" was released with a blue cover. I wish that was the extent of changes to the CD. For some insane reason "Close to the Edit"(the song that first brought them attention) has been removed. The version of "Peter Gunn" is now the regular mix instead of the Twang remix. This is a good CD and I would recommend it to anyone but if you spot an Art of Noise greatest hits with a blue cover-jump on it. That one is the real deal and a 5 star collection.

Bring on Da' Noise
The original (blue cover) version of this collection, loaned to me by a friend, was my introduction to this group. I was instantly enthralled by the incessant rhythm and the touch of whimsy (most notably in "Paranomia" and "Dragnet"). Now, around ten years later, I am at last able to get my hands on a copy of my own.

Almost.

The two significant changes are the addition of "Yebo" and "Instruments of Darkness". The first is a welcome addition blending AON's trademark drums and electronic loops with vocal chanting into a sort of techno-tribal melange. Unfortunately, the second is an incredibly disappointing remix of the In Visible Silence track with the music sped up to unrecognizability and the original political undercurrent blanched away.

With that one exception, this CD whisked me back to my college days with its organized anarchy and brought back a nostalgic look at the future. A good deal of fun.

A place where art and noise do belong in the same sentence
One of the off-beat bands to hail from the UK was the trio of Ann Dudley, J. J. Jeczalik, both keyboardists, and Gary Langan doing various instruments and sharing production chores with Jeczalik, while Dudley handled the arrangements. Billed as the Art of Noise, their music can be classified as experimental keyboard music using bizarre sounds, sound loops, and computerized vocals. The material on this compilation takes the group following their departure from Trevor Horn's ZTT Records and onto China Records.

An example of their unconventionality can be heard in "Opus 4," in which the phrase "nous sommes, das", "nous nous" are repeated over and over and overlapped for the first couple of seconds, and the same process is repeated with different phrases and many of them while a keyboard melody is played.

"Yebo" has a running and throbbing Jan Hammer-like rhythm, with some African vocals and words rapped and later sung, while a long-drawn Steve Lukather-like guitar is played.

"Instruments of Darkness" is an exercise in early 90's rave, with the words "all of us are one people" and other rave shouts included. Also noteworthy is one of the producer/arrangers: Liam Howlett, later to form Prodigy.

A complete contrast can be seen in "Robinson Crusoe," with its saccharine high-pitched Percy Faith-like string arrangements.

The years 1986 and 1988 were two of their better years. Their rendition of the Henry Mancini-penned Peter Gunn theme, with Duane Eddy's surf-guitar, and weird squealing sound fills for the main rhythm, became a UK Top Ten hit.

"Relax, you're quite safe here," says a sensuous female voice to Max Headroom (those who remember the computerized spokesperson for New Coke who bore a strong resemblance to Red Dwarf's Kryten) in "Paranoimia," which features the usual keyboard while Max performs a spoken stream of consciousness soliloquy to a lightly swaying rhythm, and even his shot at poetry: "come sweet slumber and shroud me in your purple cloak. Doesn't rhyme."

And then: "DRAGNET! THEIR JOB--TO ENFORCE THE LAW AND PRESERVE THE SAFETY OF DECENT CITIZENS. DUM DA-DUM-DUM!!" Their instrumental exercise on the Dragnet soundtrack for the Dan Aykroyd/Tom Hanks movie is not the version on the soundtrack or the one used on MTV, but an extended mix with more vocal samples that are looped, particularly Aykroyd ("My name is Friday. I carry a badge", "Just the facts, ma'am.") and Hanks ("You got a lot of repressed feelings, don't you, Friday?") amid a sea of keyboards, drum machines, and other effects going amuck.

"Legacy" is a bizarre mixture of odd vocals, keyboards, drums, and samples that's also in place on a Yello album.

A song with mixed results is a cover of Prince's "Kiss," with Tom Jones on vocals. It strips down the original to drum machines and keyboards to a minimalist sound. But the backing vocalists and bursts of brass work somewhat, with a brief improvisation on the Peter Gunn theme included.

"The Art of Noise is weird" says a female voice on "Something Always Happen." An A for truth on the other tracks, but not for this exercise on drums, airy synths, vibe-like synths, which is more conventional.

Following their dissolution, Anne Dudley would go on to work on soundtracks as well as a collaboration with Jaz Coleman on some Middle Eastern music, Songs From The Victorious City, more exotic, but less conventional than the material in this collection, a testament to the noise...I mean the art present in the Art of Noise.

Best beat ive ever known
Best album, very dificult to find in Mexico, was first purchased by (I must say)my mother, a tom Jones fan, some old parts, I was interested first qhen Iheard Peter gunn, some similitude to C64's spyhunter. when y heard this cd fopr the first time (complete) it got me. incredible remix, e4ven a little old. I only have problems with the first and last songs, but I must include... all in my favorite, just I need to find the other albums. ... Read more