Effector

Download | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 2009)
• Original Release Date: October 24, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk
• ASIN: B00004ZDMH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,772 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very well executed, but not returning to Stanley Pain style., October 24, 2000

By 

DA KUCH (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Effector (Audio CD)

Effector is a very solid release for Download, and will prove to be the most accessible material Key and Philth have released yet. However, I can't help but be somewhat disappointed with 'Effector' for the same reasons that I disliked 'III': as it lacked the industrial ambition and raw noise experimentation that "Stanley Pain" had. Reading all of the hype leading up this album, and reading quotes from Key himself, I admit that I was expecting a return to the angry noise aggression style Download had on stanley pain. Just to clarify things for everyone else - Effector follows in the same direction as III and does NOT pick up where stanley pain left off.

This does not make Effector bad though. What Ive come to realize is that Download will never return to the style on Stanley Pain for the simple reason that all those crazy noise samples that made you wonder "how the f@&k did they do that???" were courtesy of the now deceased Dwayne Goettel. Even Key himself claims that Dwayne was capable of things no one else was capable of - so rather than dwell on the fact that Download is going in a different direction, let's admire what Key and Philth have to give us in the present, and give the respect that is due to Effector.

In my opinion, this is just a tad better than III. For one thing, Effector has some really catchy hooks that make the album an entertaining listen rather than just something you have in the background, as was the case with III. (especially the last track "affirmed" which kind of resembles a noise unit track). The dark ambience and evil serene feel is almost exactly the same as that felt on III, only this time it has the melodies to complement it. There's also a great deal of vocal sampling, which makes Effector more interesting as well. But most importantly, Effector presents s sonic structure that is much more complex than the one III, and it consequently paints a stronger vision: the dark samples and ambience contrast very well with catchy melodies that fade in and out, and some really unique hip hop and acid house beats. Be sure to check out "Carrier Tone" for the epitome of this mixture - that's one killer track! The mixture of these elements just combine so much better than they did on III. It also makes Effector a more fluid listen - as I dont feel compelled to skip tracks like I did on III. In other words, Effector is more of a perfection of the style on III, as opposed to a direct growth out of the stanley pain era.

But honestly, I liked it better when Download was about making noises purposely intended not to be melodic whatsoever, and when their beats where hard and pounding. (which is why I cant help but rate this as 4 stars) But now they've evolved into a more mature, laid back and accessible territory sort of along the lines of DJ Spooky or Juno Reactor , and they are now a cut above the rest, whereas I wouldn't ahve said so with III. So rather than yearning for those old hardcore industrial days, appreciate the fine piece of mastery Effector is, and enjoy it for what its worth.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 6 months later, it's still in my CD player, June 15, 2001

By 

"robynmh" (Richmond, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Effector (Audio CD)

Rather than rephrase everything that has been said so far, I'll give you my personal thoughts about each song of what has to be one of Download's most impressive albums to date:

1. Carrier Tone: soothing, yet malicious patterns of electronics and beats... great ambience yet enough energy to create a terrific intro to the album.

2. Muscaria: Haunting vocals, reminiscent of the Skinny Puppy era morph their way into the introduction, fading out into a random array of electronic noise, then bound together as the beat finally sets in, and you can't stop feeling like you want to start moving your body in time to the music... The song changes enough that what you hear at the beginning of Muscaria is definitely not the same song it finishes with.

3. Vagator: A hilarious prank phone call starts off the song - in come the happy-go-lucky pop-music synth bleeps, and the sounds of an authentic drum kit (as opposed to the electronic variety)... you can imagine cEvin Key and Phil Western grinning like goofs as they wrote this one! If this song doesn't get everyone up and dancing, nothing will...

4. Ego Dissolve: Distant sounding noises form the intro... very atmospheric, but it soon wears away as a heavy bass beat enters... very tribal sounding B'BOOM-BOOM with fitting noise scattered here and there.

5. The Guide: Another song with great energy, one of my personal favourites. Random words that come to mind when I hear this song: clockwork, springs, Asia, positivity. The song's extremely energetic almost with a hint of reggae, and I remember it had everyone dancing like lunatics on the dance floor when they played it in Vancouver during their recent winter 2000 tour.

6. Chrysanthemum: Dirk Diggler Saturday night jam party music. ;) Seriously though, this repetitive (though catchy) song has a strong flavour of the 1970's. It's essentially a great song for chilling out.

7. Ayahuasca: Yet another song to chill out to. Soothing sounds fade in and out over the beats, and chiming piano-esque notes ring through... if I were to describe a setting to this song, it would be that of a misty beach on an overcast day along the Oregon coast... until of course, when energetic drumming finishes the song off... one of the highlights off the album.

8. Two Worlds Collide: Probably the most "industrial" sounding song off of the entire album with its use of bizarre modified samples. Two Worlds Collide could perhaps mean "Fritter: Stella's Home meets the year 2000" ;) A very unique soundscape, unthreatening at first, until the warped "I'll kill you" sample repeats over and over. Near the end, a fresh burst of intensity climaxes and continues for a good minute, where you can't help but blast this song LOUD.

9. Reggae meets Download (sort of). *grin* There's really no song like this one... simple, yet catchy beats and rhythms... with atmospheric synths and samples playing in the background. Another song which left the crowd on the dance floor moving in a flowing form of energy...

In conclusion? Effector is fresh, energetic and a "must have" for fans of cEvin Key, or fans of the electro-ambient music genre. After 6 months it's still in my CD player. Enough said!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cevin Key did it again, September 18, 2002

By 

Kimberly Ripley "stoopidgerl" (Mount Clemens, MI United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Effector (Audio CD)

Anything that Cevin Key does is generally good. This guy never ceases to amaze me- he is a musical genius. Each track on Effector is unique and good in its own way. My only complaint about this CD is that its too short (just under fifty minutes). By the time I listen to this CD from start to finish, I am left feeling like I want more. My favorite track is The Guide. I also recommend "Music For Cats" by Cevin Key.