Customer Reviews

Idiology

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While the ambiguous "IDM" genre has grown flooded with soundalike artists, it is refreshing to hear yet another milestone in the off-kilter career of Mouse on Mars. Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma have crafted eleven meticulous tracks on Idiology that begin with the post-rock suggestions of their last release (Niun Niggung) and push them even further.

When I heard that this was to be Mouse On Mars' first "vocal" album (excluding their collaborative single with Stereolab), it made me nervous; did they have anything to actually _say_, or would it be a mere attempt at a crossover for a larger audience? Needless to say, Werner & co. have done it justice. While only a few tracks incorporate vocals in any true lyrical sense, many tracks feature cut up and heavily manipulated vocal samples that blurt and sputter their way through the ether (the aggressive single "Actionist Respoke" being a prime example).

The real highlight of this release when compared to the Mouse on Mars discography on the whole is the unabashed incorporation of traditional instrument arrangements. "Presence" not only sports a melodic lyrical vocal line but also horns and strings, while the last track moves almost completely into post-rock (almost an epilogue variant of Niun Niggung's "Download Sofist") with its meandering guitar lines.

While indeed this release will probably win over new fans based on the crossover potential its vocals offer, on the whole there is little compromise in the artistic vision Werner and Toma present their listeners. Alongside the latest Matmos release, this most definitely will end up as one of the best electronic albums of 2001.

The greatest electronic band live. You know how it's so lame to wach IDM live? One or two guys expertly twiddling their knobs? Not very interesting. MOM are severly good live.

This is only one of Mouse on Mars's great albums. The fact that it's their newest only makes it great because it's so different from what came before it. My personal favourite is Autoditacker, which I can listen to non-stop.

This album is a bit crunchier, and has more edges than some of their earlier stuff. It's a bit more abrasive. MOM are not minimalists, but nevertheless their sound has reverberated through the whole Mille Plateaux catalogue, and the influence can be heard on the newest Clicks & Cuts discs and the newest Electric Ladyland Clickhop comp.

Mouse on Mars are like gods. They walk the earth but they are indestructible. I love them as if they were mine and mine alone. Don't touch them or else.

"Idiology" is a fantastic album in itself, and it is refreshing. I can't think of another album that quite sounds like this. However, as a whole, it just doesn't come together like "Niun Nugging" or even "Autoditacker". It just doesn't sound as good. While this is their most musically 'mature' album, and certainly their most innovative, the emotion that carried "Niun Nugging", and the melodic sense of "Iaora Tahiti" and "Autoditacker" is not present here. If you're new to Mouse on Mars, try the others I mentioned first. If you're an old fan, expect an extension of "Niun Nugging", but without the conviction. This album feels rushed.

My first impression with Idiology was its attention deficit disorder on methamphetimine level of energy. Its insane, even harsh at some points, but in the gentlest way possible (if that makes any sense). I bought this when it came out maybe a year ago, listened to it for a week. Nothing really gelled with me, so it became another piece of expensive plastic collecting dust in my apartment.

I rediscovered this album recently. You really must accept it on its own terms, few albums are this idiosyncratic. Its not just that MOM are in the post rock territory of bands like Tortoise, superficially blending genres for postmodernisms sake. Idiology is the opposite of what IDM was mostly known for at the time of its release, ie: self important, bleak, nihilistic, and architectural. Songs like actionist respoke and introduce are some of the most hilarious I've ever heard, amazingly without a hint of the cynical sarcasm that is typical of such outings. MOM are also capable of whimsicaly beautiful moments (catching butterflies w/ hands). Personaly I have no problem with Dodo Nkishi's vocals, they fit with the attitude of the disc perfectly. I can see why some of the prior reviewers are annoyed with him though. As for the lyrics, its difficult to tell whether they are parodying the elitist intellectualism of certain segments of the artistic community, or if they are serious. At any rate, they aren't bad. Technicaly, MOM are at the top of the game, they have an accomplished sense of nuance, detail, and a prodigious amount of inventiveness. Its a joy to listen to this album.

Here is some music electronic that WORKS!

That inversion of electronic music was on purpose. With a lot of "electronica" I find the music thins and the main novelty is the artiface which makes the music

With Mouse On Mars, I don't find that. There are great string sounding things, all kinds of intensely musical swiggles, and some mildly industrail material that reminds me of the first David Byrne and Brian Eno collaboration.

All great to listen to. As Roger Waters said in 1969 "I always found this distiction between sound effects and music to be a bunch of
sh---t. Wheather you make a sound with a guitar or a water tap irrelevent."

What is relevent is the music, and Mouse on Mars have the music is more than taken care of.

I was deciding between 4 and 5 stars, and the breaking point was the fact that this album is so hard for me to think about in a rating manner. That alone pushed it to 5 stars.

I hadn't heard of Mouse On Mars until someone recomended it in one of the electronica amazon.com lists and I gotta say, this album really impressed me!

Actionist Response - My favourite song; Slams itself into your ears with a bouncing beat that'll intimidate you at first but then will invite you to play in it's world. Sounds very much like Prodigy and the energetic hyped up vocals makes you wanna get up and dance your !ss off!!


other favourite songs are Subsequence (with its fun looped vocals and squishy beats fused with some piano and violins, its sure to make your head nod!), The Illking (very beautiful orchestra and has a Disney-Like feel to it), and Firstbreak (which is straight-up hardcore techno.. very awesome) !

Mouse on Mars have a track record, most Electronica / Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) artists would die for. Consistently producing albums extremely worthy of investigation, and steering clear of creative `Dry Spots' that other electronic artists can be prone to. Moving happy from the feel good Bouncy-Dub of "Doit" which sounds like Skewered `Ska' music feed through an energetic Drum machine, or the beautiful downbeat melodies of "Fantastic Analysis", reminiscent of a distinguished ambient album. Admittedly delivered with the same playful exuberance as someone like `Luke Vibert' (aka `Wagon Christ'), with loads of peculiar sound & effects cut & Pasted to form some beautifully abstract music (track 7 `First: Break' fits this description perfectly), so...all in all another justifiable deserved feather in the cap for Mouse on Mars. and yet another superb release to add to the pile if you're a Mouse On Mars fan.

I really like this album. First two tracks are great and make it definately worth buying. The rest keeps your attention. It's just one of those albums that inspires you to go outside and make some music with various objects. Good stuff!!

What can one say about one of the most intelligent and praise worthy duo's of the 90's? Since 1994, the combo of two enlightened German musicians, Jan St. Werner and Andi Yoma, have been pumping out dance-worthy, yet intelligent music for all to enjoy. This carries on to their new album Idiology. The cd comes out racing with the dancable Actionist Respoke. The 4/4 dance beats makes you want to get up and shake what you got! I'm not kidding. The first time I played that song, I almost ran my car off the road. With the addition of drummer Dodo Nishiki's vocals, the song is even more catchy. This whole cd is chalk full of stringed instruments as well. This is not your average "electronic" cd. Werner and Yoma have truly outdown themselves this time around with Idiology.