Customer Reviews

De-Classified

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

 

 

After several years, Eat Static have returned with a proper album of tough beats, innovative sounds and yes, alien weirdness. De-Classified will excite longtime fans, sounding closest to their classic Impact LP. From the start, we're prowling in familiar territory -- b-movie sci-fi samples swimming around plasmic funk, cosmic flights, tripped-out synth washes and buzzing riff attacks.

Starter "Invasion" touches down in breakbeat territory while "Sucker Unit" launches into a metronomic space groove and "Trantaloid" digs into classic extraterrestrial belches and burps. The fun doesn't let up as Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler bust into pulsing madness with "Deadly Amphibian" and the muscular trance of "Sin-Quest." Two-step action propels the excellent "Tractor Beam," it's drum `n' bass rhythms pulling the mind into a flashing vortex of undulating colors while the languid tribalism of "Pachama" and the ambient groove of the title track float you into zero gravity.

While De-Classified does not top Impact, it's still a worthy successor and proof positive that one of the world's most inventive electronic acts are back in fine form. It feels good to have the boys from Somerset once again blasting static through the matrix.

'Eat Static' returns with a killer C.D. that starts off at a 100mph and never really lets up. If you've never experienced this extraordinary band this will rock you like you should be rocked. 'Invasion' darts out the gate with dance beats hitting harder than ever before. Track after track shows us this duo has no mercy and don't intend on letting you slow down to take as much as a breath.
One doesn't have to wonder rather they'll get their $ worth just from all the hype surrounding this highly anticipated release from the best psychedelic, dance act around today. Does psychedelic even need to be mentioned? Both Merv Pepler and Joie Hinton come from the space rock heroe's 'Ozric Tentacles' and tour with them regularly. What a show if you haven't experienced it yet.
'Eat Static' have a long and excellent discography as well so picking any of their early releases up is a no brainer. 'Abduction' seems to be the cult classic but 'Implant' and 'Epsolyn' are just as killer. These guys know how to keep your attention rather your willing or not.
With 'De-Classified' they only rise their level of intensity above the best of the rest. By the way, Steve Everitt, Dave Skipper, and even ex 'Ozric's leader Ed Wynn jump on a few tracks to add some new sounds as well.
All said, which I could continue forever, this is one rockin' disc that was well worth the wait. With all their compilation songs from the 'Interchill' label and a few others, their singles discography is an incredible feat on it's own. 'Eat Staic' rules! No contenders on the horizon yet...

I can't compare this release against Eat Static's earlier albums since this is the first one I've owned, but I am very impressed with De-Classified.

This is great electronic dance music that is trippy, innovative, and doesn't get too repetitive or forumulaic. They incorporate a nice array of different styles -- trance, dub, ambient, breakbeat, etc. -- that keeps things from getting stale, and they ground it all in some tasty beats and basslines. And the theme of alien invasion is a consistently fun touch that seems to indicate that they aren't taking themselves too seriously. The musicianship, quality of production, and mixing are all stellar.

All in all, this is one of the strongest electronic music purchases I have made this year. It's a permanent fixture in my car stereo.

How this album earned a 4 1/2 star rating is completely beyond me. Spacey sounds? Check. Heavy beats? Check. Any creativity whatsoever? UNcheck. In short, Eat Static has sold out to the audience that favors completely repetitive music (the audience that also loves hip hop, probably). They have completely sold the soul that dominated releases like Implant (their best IMO even though it's over a decade old) and Science of the Gods (which had a couple of duds, but nothing like this lead balloon). De-Classified just has no heart to it; it's completely lacking the organic, cyborg sound that to me *was* Eat Static. Utterly robotic, uncreative, unimpressive. A total disappointment from one of my all-time favorite psychedelic groups.