Hinterland

Aim | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 5, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Grand Central
• ASIN: B00005UUXC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,113 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Even Better Then The Debut!, May 25, 2002

By 

Ian Creamer (Dublin,Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hinterland (Audio CD)

There seems to be an overabundance of these sort of albums coming out right now from artists especially in the U.K. and France. The key reference point for all these albums seems to be Air's debut album "Moon Safari". Basically they take a certain line of lounge/jazz/chill out instrumentals and the other half brings in guest vocalists and rappers. Fortunately for Andy Turner-the main man behind Aim, this album has some originality and is not short of quality. It's not quite as jazz influenced as 4 Hero's last album nor is it as lounge styled as Kinobe's last album either. It sort of falls neatly between the two stools. The originality comes from some of the song structures and the unusual beats and rhythms used. In fact Mojo magazine aptly described this album as being 'Beatific'! The album encompasses a great variety of styles. It's amazing to hear track 2 the wonderfully titled "The Girl Who Fell Through The Ice" which is brilliantly sung by Kate Rogers. Here we have 6 minutes of pleasure where jazzy sounds meet trip hop beats all against a backdrop of glorious strings. It's one of the albums real highlights and there won't be many better individual tracks on albums this year. Then track 4 we have the complete contrast of hip hop beats fused with lounge sounds all furiously backed up by the rapping of the Souls Of Mischief. Ghetto/lounge sounds I haven't heard that combination to often if ever. I did enjoy the guest contributions more then the instrumental tracks. Track 7 has ex-Babybird singer Stephen Jones. It's another magical track. He sings with the gentlest of falsetto voices and his style has a certain funky quality. The music has lazy sax and gentle organs. At times this track reminds me of the last Cousteau album-just pure late night sounds to be played in a dark smoky bar somewhere. Track 11 "A Twilight Zone" is a simply beautiful track and again it sounds so different to everything previously heard on the album. The vocals are wonderful too-they almost have a folky sound but they seem to be uncredited on the sleeve notes. It's all backed with flute, cello, drums and a bandoria-it's almost like a fuller sounding Nick Drake sort of track. Of the instrumental tracks I love the title track. It sounds like Morcheeba meet early Air. Chilled out vibe, strings, flute good strong bassline and for that added extra spice the shimmering sound of the sitar. Many of the other instrumental tracks are a bit too long and dull for my liking-they seem to lean closer to a jazz fusion sort of sound. "Guimar" does have an interesting clash of guitar styles-from Spanish to funk and even slide. This is all mixed in with brief brass sounds and some flute too. It's a very original track and the pot-pourri of sounds make it compelling.

This c.d has been acclaimed by a wide range of music critics over in Europe. It's just such an interesting album packed with originality, great contributions and some awesome tracks. Worth investigating!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars turn left at Greenland, March 15, 2002

By 

Russell E. Scott "futurestar" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hinterland (Audio CD)

If you're wondering when the best albums of the year come out, wait no longer. Along with Charles Webster's excellent BORN ON THE 24th OF JULY, Aim has set the marker rather high with his second solo effort, HINTERLAND. Following closely in the steps of his initial COLD WATER MUSIC, we start to get an idea of where the term "chilled" comes into play when fused with hip-hop of this nature. Urban beats are tempered with downtempo soul. Excellent vocals abound. Country side sensibilities kick in and add a touch of refinement, class, and polish, although not in a commercial sense. What we have here is something that emanates from the center out - touching many worlds. Kate Rogers is on board again as a guest vocalist and almost second member. Her "The Girl Who Fell Through The Ice" sets the tone for the album and the many worthy contributions that follow. The Souls of Mischief help spice up "No Restrictions". A major hip-hop statement; east coast, west coast, any coast. Steven Jones gets down into a boss 70's soul groove with "Good Disease". Not to be outdone, Diamond D does a splendiferous word-of-mouth on "The Omen". The real strength lies in the songwriting though. Cuts "What Do People Do All Day", "Fall Break", "Vipco", "Twilight Zone", and "Hinterland" take you on a musical journey unlike any other. The outer reaches of sonic bliss, some ethereal soundscape, lit only by the aurora borealis. The eternal night soundtrack.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "AIM" are one of my all time favourite acts......here's why:, October 29, 2003

By 

fetish_2000 (U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hinterland (Audio CD)

Producer "Andy Turner" followed up the wide acclaimed "Cold Water Music" debut with 2002's "Hinterland"....sticking Closely to the formula that won him so much critical acclaim, he creates another batch of songs, that work just as tremendously well as they did on "Cold Water Music" (possibly tracks that couldn't have fitted onto the first album). Maybe it's the reintroduction of mainstay "Kate Roger's" phenomenal vocal abilities, maybe it's the tighter production, or even the selection of underground rappers lending vocals to several tracks, or even possibly the unarguable magnificence of melodies & beat construction on display, but I personally give this album the very, very, very slimmest of margins, the nod over it's predecessor (although I'm in the minority), but either way!!!...this undoubtedly proves that "Aim" is a Trip-Hop act of par Excellence.