Customer Reviews

Accelerator

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

FSOL Accelerator

FSOL have, for me, always produced the sounds that best reflect what's happening inside my head. This album is a classic, pure genius. and with the signature track being Papua New Guinea. This track has haunted me since I first heard it years ago, as a deep hum in the background to a BBC radio documentry on House and Rave culture in the UK. I had no idea what or who it was. All I knew was I had to hear it again. This is THE CD in my collection.

FSOL's first album (released in '91)and also one of my favorites. Their early 90s work differs a lot from their ambient techno of the mid 90s - it's comparable to the work from Moby and Orbital around the same time. Fans of their ambient style might prefer their later work. This album was probably the first techno that I listened to, so for a long time it has been the standard to which I compare other albums. The track 'Papa New Guinea' has to be one of their best known tracks and one of my all-time favorites. For the fans that like all of FSOL's work also check out their alter ego Amorphous Androgynous.

When it all comes down to comparing "Accelerator" with other FSOL works, it becomes apparent that the same ratings systems cannot be used. Afterall, "Accelerator" is FSOL's most accessable album, something which appeals both to hardcore FSOL fans, and the average techno-loving Joe who may not be into the whole "Ambient-Trance" genre which FSOL's "LifeForms" basically defined. And where "LifeForms" is full of natural sounds and music which is hypnotic and almost not music at all, "Accelerator" is full instead of beats, structure, and the usual odd sound clips which are thrown in on occaison to add variety. And while this does make it a good album, it is not FSOL's best; rating third, after "LifeForms" and "Dead Cities".

FSOL have, for me, always produced the sounds that best reflect what's happening inside my head. This album is a classic, pure genius. and with the signature track being Papua New Guinea. This track has haunted me since I first heard it years ago, as a deep hum in the background to a BBC radio documentry on House and Rave culture in the UK. I had no idea what or who it was. All I knew was I had to hear it again. This is THE CD in my collection.

All in all, a very good first effort, although, in light of thier later releases, a very atypical one in that it is very "club-ready," with a lot of pounding dance beats and simplistic melodies, entireely unlike later relases such as "Dead Cities" and "Lifeforms," which concentrate less on establishing dense dance beats and more on melodic development.

The opening track, "Expander," is a vibrant one, with smashing dance beats and beautifully conterposing melodies. "Stolen Documents" has more of a jazzy feel to it, while "While Others Cry" expresses Latin and Afro-Cuban influences. Tracks 4 and 5, "Calcium" and "It's not my problem" are rather boring drones. "Papua New Guinea" is a lush, evocative, beautiful, almost sensual song, with its choral vocalisations and its tribal breakbeats. "Moscow" is an angry song with a punishing rhythm; it foreshadows "We Have Explosive" in some ways. Both "1 in 8" and "Pulse State" are two more uninspired droning bores. "Central Industrial," with its industrial-tribal breakbeats and choral accents, is one of the best dance songs ever released.

The next few songs are remixes: "Expander:Remix" is one of those rare remixes that is better than the original, "Moscow:Remix" accentuates the gentler aspects of the original while retaining the punishing drive, and "Papua New Guinea: Grahm Massey Mix" is far too busy for my tastes.

Very, very nice..... Accelerator is the best work FSOL has ever done. A must-have for techno-music listeners. For those of you out there that liked Lifeforms, you'll love this ( either that, or you have bad taste :-) )

I took a shot with Accelerator because a friend of mine really digs their stuff(plus I really like Papua New Guinea). So when I found out that Ambient Works Vol. 1 was too rich for my blood(and Druqgs for better or worse just plain ...), I bought it with a little hesistation. While I can't say that it was completely worth it, a few stand out moments make this debut worth a look.

Once again like so many other ambient acts, Accelerator is rooted deeply in old ways of Tangerine Dream, but with more sampling and a lot of dancing grooves(Very similar to Orb in many ways). Complex shifting synths are matched with dub-like drum loops and some great audio production techniques. The result creates intriguing dance grooves but some interesting audioscapes as well. All and all, its quality stuff but...

I find myself really digging to figure how this competes with other contemperaries that do the same thing but less panche so to speak. It lacks that certain something that makes groups like Red Snapper, Autechre(whom I really dig), Underworld, or Orbital themselves. It just feels too conventional too really take off.

But don't let my skeptism sway you too much. I've been buying way too much music to really give anything a real indepth listen any more. However, the stuff that stands out on top, really stands out. FSOL certainly has some ideas that with a little polish could certainly lead to something great. I'm giving their two disc epic a chance to see if this band has anything more to offer. I'm going to keep trying to see if this CD has a few more suprises but still as it stands, you really could do better than this.(3 1/2).

P.S. Although its still better than Drugqs....

Despite being released at the turn of the 90's, 'Accelerator' sounds less old-fashioned nowadays than either 'FSOL' or 'LifeForms', and if they are remembered for anything it will be 'Papua New Guinea', their mixture of dub bass, breakbeats and Dead Can Dance. A well-balanced halfway-house between intelligent techno and ambient, 'Accelerator' is frequently gorgeous, and extremely nostalgic. In 1992, it seemed as if intelligent electronic dance music would precipitate an irreversible shift in musical culture, and although FSOL didn't leave much of a legacy, this makes Basement Jaxx doubly pitiable.

This cd is true trippiness!! It has funky, ambient, acid, breakbeat, and trance mixed in with futuristic sound! If you listened to the recording and thought it sounded a little off, then don't worry, I thought the same thing, but when you listen to the whole tracks then you'll love it, belongs on the shelf with classics like, The orb, Orbital, and Juno Reactor. By All means buy this tripnotic cd.

This high performance album by FSOL was a ground-breaker when released in the early 90's. Some had heard the phenomenal track, "Papua New Guinea" with angelic singing by Riz Mazlin (AKA Neotropic, and Small Fish With Spine) on the "Cool World" Movie Soundtrack and wanted more. Well, this album delivers a sonic bouquet for the senses, that is sometimes harsh, dreamy, and does not disappoint. It has not left my CD changer in over 7 years.