Customer Reviews

Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue

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

 

 

It's quite funny that another reviewer mentioned Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" as the title, "Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits 1972-2006" is an obvious mockery of that very title, and in years to come may be considered just as revolutionary as Aphex's former work. Those who condsider it so, will be wrong. This album is not at all about introducing something new. It continues Arron Funk's (VS's) earlier work of cutting and pasting samples to crate new beat expressions, (hence the glue,) but is meant for one express purpose. It is a direct challenge to everyone who has ever made or played drum and bass.

Each track spans a different style of DnB, and mimmics (mocks) a different producer. Venetian Snares goes song by song using all of the production tricks that other producers use to make their DnB tracks as badass/exciting as possible, and he does it better than they ever could. Then he proceeds to mash them to bejeezus and back. It's like he's saying "Ooh look I can make that better than you can! And now I can light it on fire and spit on your mom!"

This is a full on assult on the world of drum and bass. From the dance hall calls preformed by a female opera singer on "Dance Like You're Selling Nails" to the mock Panacea/Dj Scud stlye breakcore on "Cobra Commander" which just gets so out of control that it almost becomes too whitenoise for *ME*, (and i love noise,) he covers every every style of DnB that's worth a listen. He even *almost* one ups Squarepusher on his Go Plastic styled track "Deadman DJ." Finally Mr. Funk ends it up with three incredible tracks of his own creepy theatrically alligned style.

Incredible.
This man is an absolute monster in the world of contemporary music.
If you like DnB enough to know it has gone stagnant, or if you're just sick of the other Junglists being snobs, then this album is worth checking out.

Those of you who are well acquainted with the contemporary electronic music scene have certainly heard the name Venetian Snares by now. If you haven't purchased something by VSnares yet, then you are doing yourself a great disservice. Hearing Venetian Snares for the first time, it reminded me of the first time I heard the 'Feed Me Weird Things', 'Selected Ambient Works Vol 1' or 'Chiastic Slide'; I was simply blow away.

Before I proceed, I would like to caution the fans of dreamy atmospherics (Plaid, early Ae and Aphex's SAW) - you may not like this. This is aggressive, smart music that mixes equal parts wit, violence, humour and musicianship. His beats are a mix of jungle, hardcore and IDM. Impossible to describe. Impossible to resist.

It all starts with "Dance Like You're Selling Nails" where we find Snares working with an opera singer who is singing all the classic jungle shout outs. She belts out "Rude boy" and "Junglist Massive" over production that can only be described as sublime. Manic junglist rhythms and a melody that can only make you smile.

That said, things really don't get started until #4 "Make Ronnie Rocket" which is arguably the best track on this album. This is vintage Snares. The man at his best. The aggressive flow lifts your spirits - leaving you unable to catch your breath until the end of track #8 "Walmer Side". These five tracks are as good as anything you'll hear this year. The final two tracks are soothing and simply don't live up to the five previous. But still, this is a mindblowing release.

I haven't been this excited about an artist in years. We've got another madman on our hands folks. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Experimental jungle? IDM? Glitch? Some twisted form of drum and bass? Who knows? Or cares? All I do know, as a fan of rock music for the most part, is that Venetian Snares aka Aaron Funk is one of the most exciting musical artists to have come my way in some time. Funk totally rejects the repetitive, stagnant drum and bass beats and the same old bass lines for twisted, unpredictable ever changing drum patterns that often don't even have a time signiture. Frequently its the melody or bass line (if indeed, either are used) that keeps the music together.

But don't be under the misconception that Venetian Snares is random noise. Ever wondored what it must be like ramming 9 inch nails through your ears? That experience is probably similar to this. But in a good way. The percussion is staggeringly complex with all sorts of weird noises added to the mix. The music is often stop/start - some parts seem to have a rythm while others a flurry of noisy effects. But the most important thing is that it works. And it works really well.

If you're not familiar with drum and bass then this will change your perception of it completely. If you are, it may even do the same. Either way, this is an album worth hearing if only for the shock factor alone, but its really much more than that.

Venetian Snares (A. Funk) impresses the hell out of me. The man has released approximately 7 albums in the last 2 years (what do you think about that 'Boards of Canada?'). And they all rock. Aaron Funk seemlessly incorporates wicked drum and bass, noise, free jazz, hardcore, and electro-acoustics in a wicked, rolling package. I love this record (I have the vinyl- ha ha!). It happens to be one of Venetian Snares most straight-up drum(drill) and bass releases. The programming is of course wicked, sonically aggressive, rythymic, and off the MFin' chain. Big props to Mike P. for Planet Mu- a label worth checking out (try Warpmart). Planet Mu is host to a diverse array of top notch electronic artists, inluding: Jega, Luke Vibert, Electric Company, Boards, Hellfish, Kid Spatula, Hrvatski, Doormouse, and Bit_Meddler. Now that is a wicked roster. Fight the Power!

Aaron Funk at his best. Aaron masterfully sculpts strange order and structured chaos in impossibly beautiful fractal-like sonic creations. This guy is in a category all by himself: no one comes close to the genius of this talent.

If I bought this cd as a token indie-braindance-IDM cd then I would give this 5 stars. As far as messed up programming, creepy samples and general lack of meter, this cd has it all... As far as listenability tho...
I of course love V.snares just because of the frenetic programming and odd meters - 7/4 jungle beats and like 14 measure phrases (in 4/4) and what not really challenge my mind which by now is quite accustomed to 4/4. But after a while its just like... ok hes messing up the beat some more... hooweee... All I can really feel on this is novelty brain destruction. So after maybe 3 random songs I've gotten my "fix" of it... I can listen to the whole cd no sweat but I'm never driven to listen to it...
I will say that I LOVE the song banana seat girl, that song is near perfect. When that flute solo comes in it is so tight, but just like that whole song really seems to depart from teh whole "evil evil drum n bass raaaargrrrrr" thing and get almost a tropical feel???

Anyway Funk is a killer producer, hes really hardcore. After this cd my quest for frenetic jungle was over, basically> Whenever I want chaos, I put on this cd. :)

I first heard VS on a Lowres comp 2X12, then checked out his solo album Lowres#7 and was thinking to myself, We are now traveling to a new realm of aggressive broken beat. I limit my self to mostly Austraillian breakcore and industrial hardcore (Bloody fist records, Exteme electronics, Power violence records, ect..) I was very much getting into Epsilon's tech style so once i heard VS it took it into another level. He's truly a gifted man when it comes to making his music. The amount of sounds and albums he has created in the past 2 years is incredible. Insanely off the wall and disconnected from your everyday break beat time frames, get it.

My god this is soo awful, how can the above reviewer compare this shiet to dnb, it's like you put a two year old having a tantrum in front of a synthisizer. Pure Shiet IMO =) Each to their own!