Basic Channel

Basic Channel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 7, 1998)
• Original Release Date: April 7, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Efa Imports
• ASIN: B0000067BU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,279 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Q Pop

2. E2e4 Basic Reshape

3. Cutisc

4. Quadrant

5. Radiance II

6. Not Recix

7. Presence

8. Q 1.1

9. Q 1.2

10. Radiance I

11. Radiance III

Editorial Reviews

Originally released in 1995 and out of print for quite awhile – this groundbreaking album laid the foundation to the Rhythm & Sound sonic aesthetics with its echo heavy atmospheric density. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview...but..., May 2, 2000

By 

DAC Crowell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Basic Channel (Audio CD)

OK, I'll admit up front here that this is a good sampler and intro to the Basic Channel sound. For those uninitiated, BC was a mysterious Detroit + Berlin (maybe) partnership that turned out a short series of utterly amazing, trance-inducing 12"s up thru the mid-90s. The sound of these things ranged from pure ambience up thru a pulsing minimal techno beat, with a sizable emphasis on atmosphere. These, plus such things as Jeff Mills' Axis releases, did much to define 'minimal techno', but the BC material always seemed to go much further than just that category. Anyway, about the missing star here...see, some of these tracks in their full versions can go on for full album-side lengths, perhaps 16-18 or so minutes. And there is _no way_ you can cram some of the most spectacular of these on one single CD without some editing and chopping, and that's what's been done here, sadly. Plus there's some astounding work missing here, such as B-side of Cyrus's "Presence", the 'Phylypstrak' pieces, and so forth. No...what needs doing is to release the uncut Basic Channel work as a box CD set, to be honest. Then I'd give it eleventy-nine stars, if I could! But for those looking to get a taste, this isn't bad...but my recommendations at this date would be to go hunt down the actual 12"s if you've got vinyl playback.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic? Yes. Simple to do? NO!, January 16, 2003

By 

The Blue Raja (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Basic Channel (Audio CD)

I'm writing this as a music lover AND musician, and my first reaction to this CD was "ok, they have a drum loop run with a few sound effects for 6 minutes and call it a song." Boy was I wrong! The movements, progressions, and, if you will, melodies are on a hypnotic level that is easily missed at first, heck even third listen. Basic Channel has mastered the art of tapping into your psyche and giving your brain a ride through the dulling effect of a techno club downtown.

Speaking of "techno" clubs, since the word techno itself is very vague, I believe Basic Channel actually sounds more like you are OUTSIDE of a club, hearing the muted electronic kick pulse through the wall, but the echoing, wabbling synth tones seep through the ventilation cracks enough to entice your interest. Most cuts fade in and out, and I believe this is a collection of some abbreviated works that originally existed only on vinyl, so in some ways, you almost feel cheated that you don't have the whole thing... sounds crazy considering you just may have listened to an 8 minute track that a casual listener would say "sounds repetative."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Minimal, September 4, 2002

By 

A. Andringa (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Basic Channel (Audio CD)

The ultimate in barely-there techno. Very minimal but very very very deep too. At first listen its repetitive and lengthy, but thats the beauty of it, such subtle changes in the songs, that you barely notice them before the tracks are over. You can get lost in this cd over and over again.

Truly is art