Geometry

Jega | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B00004YR4S
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,857 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You Jega!, October 19, 2000

By 

Kenneth S. Baxter (Bloomington, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geometry (Audio CD)

The intelligent dance music genre is so lacking these days. How refreshing and dynamic this subtle release by Jega is! My first expectation was something rampant like 'Spectrum' but Dylan Nathan manages to meld the craft of Autechre, the minimalism of Plastikman and add enough of his own beauty-within-the-machine to make this a far more intriguing listen. Still, like 'Spectrum', Jega manages to be bold by never sticking to one particular feel or sound. On the opening track he rolls a heavy bass line and then suddenly awakes your alien memory with a wonderfully chosen sample from 'TRON.' Then by the time the title track stutters in, it becomes very easy to actually envision yourself sneaking around on some neon grid or finding yourself alone in space where distortion and melody create a paradoxical peace. I know this sounds a bit silly, but listen to "Geometry" and find out for yourself! An absolutely fantastic IDM release and easily one of the best of the year if not the best.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A so called "IDM" that could be used on the dancefloor., July 25, 2001

By 

richard bornyi (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geometry (Audio CD)

Yes, it is an IDM album. But no, it's not [their typical] music. There's definately an established breakbeat rhythm to almost all tracks on the CD, and the groove is really funky, in a sci-fi futuristic kinda way (James Brown in Afrika Bambaataa clothing). It could be played on a dance floor -or- listened to. The REASON why people would associate this EP more along the lines of an experimental album is because the overlaying melodies and tones around around the established rhythms are shifting in what appears, skin deep anyways, in chaotic flux. Listened more deeply to, [...], the chaos is removed to reveal a very lush dance album that makes perfect sense to both your feet and your brain. Trust me.

By the end of the album, your brain starts to hurt and the album will make you tired. You'll need a time to rest to get through this one. But it's well worth it. The textures used in Geometry that best stand out in my mind are: symphonic - strings und stuff; arcady - it sounds a little pacman/spaceinvaders-ish; and sometimes like someone it just sounds like a guy with a garbage can and a flailed drum stick. Great stuff!!!

Four stars? Why? Put simply, nothing's perfect. Besides the old lady down the street said it sounds like Noize, and I trust her opinion. Anyhow, i'm tired of seeing people putting five stars on everything. It makes you want to buy stuff; but try to get a chance to listen to this album somehow anyways if your into breaks or IDM, or both.

p.s. if this is a yin, than Boards of Canada's Music is Made for Children would be a very good yan. find that one too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional, October 15, 2002

By 

John Van Brunt (IL, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Geometry (Audio CD)

This cd is quite frankly one of my all-time favorites, It hasn't gotten far from my cd player in months. Jega really comes into his own in this album. The production value is just outstanding, quite an improvement from the slightly raw Spectrum. The range of frequencies you'll hear on this album go from the lowest bass imaginable to the highest gentle tones. The rhythms are probably the best thing about it. You won't hear beats like this on some house record, and melodies and general musical value are not lacking either. The really fascinating thing about it is the theme. It really *does* give you a feeling of geometry, and the names of the songs seem very apt at times. Recursion really does recurse. Inertia picks up steam.

When I started looking through some of the other reviews here, I was surprised to see that some people cited the title track, Geometry, as a standout track. I think it's decent, but possibly my least favorite on the record (either that one or Binary Space). When people cite a variety of tracks as being the best, it is often indicative of the overal quality of the album, and this is no exception.

IMO, the BEST tracks are (1)Alternating Bit, (3)Recursion, (7)Breakpoint Envelope, and (11)Post Mid Arc ... Breakpoint Envelope in particular is amazing. The landscape of sounds is incredibly diverse, but what really makes this song so unbelievable (yes unbelievable) is the mood it creates. It's dark and sinister and gives you a dirty kind of feeling that is very tough to describe adequately in words. And like many songs on the album it develops as it goes, building climax upon climax.

Provided you have an open mind, I really can't recommend this album enough. I'll tell anyone who'll listen to buy this album and keep playing it until they like it.