Euphoria

Euphoria | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 13, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 13, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Six Degrees
• ASIN: B00000JLJ9
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,919 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Euphoria make slide-groove "guitronica," blending spacey beats with looping spoken word, breathy vocals, multilayered guitar wash, and intense yet playful drum and keyboard programming. Featuring more fingerpicking and strummy noodling than their electronically centered genre sisters, Euphoria are a stylistic hybrid that works due to their low-key yet pointed adherence to aesthetics. The brief "Notting Hill Gate," for example, opens with deliciously blues-inflected fractured slide à la John Fahey and adds Dobro, ney, and swell cymbal to make something both exotic and altogether familiar. "Lost on a River" places Maddie Willis's multitracked soulful vocals at center, gorgeously complementing the unusual "orchestra" of funk guitars, Hammond B3, and acoustic bass. Elsewhere, Euphoria go all oozy with melting ambient drips of sound or forge new means of rhythmic travel (think Pell Mell) as on the beautifully orchestrated closer "The Road," featuring reverberating and chiming guitar work, harmonica, shattered key and drum accents, and brilliantly utilized bagpipes. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh sounds at last!, December 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Euphoria (Audio CD)

It's about time a fresh sound came into the electronica section of the music stores. I have purchased several albums from the Ambient/Techno/Rave section at Sam the Record Man and I must say that this one stands out as one I had no trouble listening to right from the start. Other electronica stuff has beats and grooves that just don't fit sometimes (ie: Statik Sound System, brutal! ) but Euphoria was the first album I've bought in a while that I didn't have to skip tracks on. This is a definite must-have for those who are tired of the same old same-old. Great disc!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This album is a masterpiece, October 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Euphoria (Audio CD)

I heard this album on the KCRW show. `Morning Becomes Eclectic', where the listeners of the station had voted it to #1. After purchasing the album, I decided to check out one of the re-mixes of "Delirium" by Fila Brazilia (this mix is not the single, by the way) on MP3.com.

While the re-mix on Mp3.com is fun in a light kind of way, it in no way compares to the depth and power of the version of "Delirium" that opens this album. This is an outstanding track with truly original instrumentation. The 12-string guitar and that U.K. Big Beat really reminded me of Michael Hedges and the Chemical Brothers rolled into one. "Guitronica" of the highest order.

The album then embarks on a tour-de force of songwriting weaving this kind of slide guitar meets beats and voice tapestry. "Sleep" with its' haunting slowed down voices and delta groove take slide guitar in a new direction, but manage to stop at Paris,Texas and Ry Cooder along the way. "Lost on a River" reminds me of that great Traffic, Dave Mason era. "Elevator To My Soul" is great soundtrack. The guitar looping is reminiscent of Robert Fripp in his "Frippertronics" period.Fripp was the original infinite guitarist but Euphoria manages to make it their own sound too. Vocalist Maddie Willis should be praised for her work on this album. It all closes with "The Road" with Ann Dudley and Geddy Lee.This track has a bit of the U2 thing going in it along with Arabic vocals and ...bagpipes! They pull it off in a big way.

Albums that can breath new life into a genre , or start one , are so, so, rare. Fans of the previous mentioned bands should listen up and check out a band with some serious writing chops. Pink Floyd should pick up a copy (not a stretch at all ) they might even learn something. Finally a guitar album that's a breath of fresh air. Buy this album... it is one of the best

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A completely unique mix of guitars and electronica, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Euphoria (Audio CD)

If you like Ry Cooder, Pink Floyd or the Orb your mind is going to be blown by this completely unique mix of guitars (mostly acoustic slide) and ambient electronica. REALLY well produced. There's even a guest appearance from Rush bassist Geddy Lee of all people. (Don't worry he doen't sing only plays bass). If Pink Floyd had any interest in keeping current and actually moving forward musically, this is the CD they might make.