Customer Reviews

Isdn

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This record is usually overlooked in discussions of FSOL's work because it's considered a "live album" and hence different from their studio productions (which, it seems to me, is completely wrongheaded given the nature of the medium - how exactly is an album of remixes different from a real time dj set, especially if it's transmitted direct from a recording studio?) Another reason might be its lack of snappy album graphics. Too bad, because it's far more sophisticated than Accelerator (a basically competent trance record) and much more consistant than the self-indulgent Life Forms, whose length should have been halved. The only other FSOL record that's at the same level is Dead Cities. FSOL's strong suit is its ability to layer several strata of sound, creating dense aural environments which reward attentive listening, preferably on headphones. Unlike other composers, FSOL often avoid the pat maneuver of building tracks on top of rhythms; this lends some of their compositions a uniquely organic or formless quality (think of an audio version of Abstract Expressionism or something). These are typically bridged by beat-oriented passages which are described elsewhere as jazz- or hip hop-inflected. The latter impose structure on the former, creating a complex yet legible whole that transcends arty preciousness or heterogeneous chaos. It's a tightrope act and FSOL got it exactly right on this album - ISDN is basically perfect in every respect and I've yet to find anything as completely satisfying.

the first time i heard FSOL was on the Wipeout XL soundtrack. The only CD i could find of theirs was Accelerator. THat was okay, but not exactly to my fancy. I looked 'em up on the ol' AMG and they recommended Lifeforms. Lifeforms was great, but only if i was trying to meditate or fall asleep, it was too sparse for normal listening. I was reluctant to get ISDN, but after seeing it at Circuit City for 10 bucks, i said "what they hey" i must admit i was pleasantly surprised! what they seem to have done is boil down the innovations from Lifeforms (yes i know Lifeforms was made AFTER ISDN, so sue me) into tangable, dancable even, songs. ISDN is simply a feat of modern music, encompassing every genre of music imaginable (though shying away from the FSOL maligned 'rock & roll') but concentrating on mostly techno, ambient and 'trip-hop'. A great buy to techno ambient and 'trip-hop' fans as well as anyone interested in progressive electronic music or free jazz. Magnificent!

This was the first Future Sound Of London album I bought. I absolutely love it. I'm not a huge fan of electronic music, but this cd is defintely an exception. FSOL has such unique sounds that no one else can seem to capture the way they have done. The shining works of art on this cd are: The Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman, Smoking Japanese Babe, Amoeba, A Study Of Six Guitars, Snake Hips, and It's My Mind That Works. If you are a fan of almost any genre of music, then you will be able to appreciate this album.

Of all the FSOL albums, this one is my personal favorite. Wild ambience to say the least. "The Black Hole" (Disney film) samples galore, and it's incredibly interesting, and varied.

Comical at times to boot. I just laughed with track #1 really hard the first time I heard it, and everything about this album is just awesome.

When people talk about soundscapes, a lot of times you think disparagingly of those ambient chillout recordings that play in National Park gift shop, the ones that feature mindnumbingly simplistic classical arrangements with "nature sounds" in the background, sold at $25 a pop to gullible faux New Age tourists. Rest assured, this album is not like that.

Unlike the lightly echoing textures of the Future Sound of London's previous release "Lifeforms" this disc is a dirty, driving sonic mess, anchored around grindingly distorted samples of horns, guitars, voices, horses, space phasers and goodness knows what else. The result is a gritty, disorganized audio space that's far more visceral than any previous FSOL works. Funny how an album called "Lifeforms" can sound so electronic and detached while an album whose title is dedicated to a soulless, purely technological means of audio transmission (ISDN cables) can sound so down-to-earth and organic. In essence, this completes a major, 3-album shift for FSOL away from their early techno club roots to what I must hesitatingly liken to ambient, experimental dub. (And who could have guessed when this came out that within a decade they would have shifted completely from dub to neo-psychedelia!)

Granted, the length of this (70+ minutes) will drive a lot of listeners bonkers, but the end result is more rewarding to those who possess the patience for it. When the blips and squelches coalesce into a driving backbeat with gorgeously cascading samples, something the listener can actually almost identify as a "song," (Son of Lung, Slider, Dirty Shadows and Egypt are the best examples) the music feels more alive than ever. This is a unique and memorable release.

FSOL's ISDN is beyond comparison. The hybrid jazz-techno-ambient in it is different from any other album I have ever heard... and to think that FSOL did most of this album live is incredible. They are talented progressive musical artists and their sound transcends the pop techno that little teeny-boppers think I'm referring whenever I say that I like "techno." "Eyes Pop..." is a personal favorite.

Keeps you transfixed in wonderment all the way through. Hard to pause this one. Can't stop listening to it.

Although this album is classified as ambient techno, it sounds as though Brian and Gary are experimenting with hip hop and industrial. The whole album is set at one distinct mood which you could easily identify by examining the cover sleeve. Still there's plenty of variety as that mood takes on 14 distinctly diffrent shapes. "Just a fuckin idiot" sounds like Armageddon from a robot's point of view. "Slider" sounds like a phone sex conversation turned into music. And as for "Far out son of Lung..." well, it's indescribable. To call this album cool would be an understatement and an insult.

Ive been using amazon.com for 5 years. This is my first review. This CD is absolutely amazing. It is scary, psychedelic, emotional, whatever you want to call it. Do yourself a favor and get it. Listen to it with the lights off. Why hasn't anyone made an album this powerful since then? If they have, please help all of the lost souls looking for more and compare this album to it in a review!

This is one serious headtrip for the connoisseur. All the sounds blend in and out of each other. It feels almost darkly sensual how the sounds wrap around each other that it is slightly evocative of haunted house and ghosts in the mirror ( admittedly to my twisted imagination ). It manages to sound totally psychedelic ( to me ), haunted and truly emotional on occasions.

Some of you may remember my review of Lifeforms being less than impressed with it. This, however, is something to be impressed with. This truly is awe-inspiring. It truly is my favourite FSOL album of them all ( bar The Isness/Otherness because I haven't got it yet ). This is an album that works on many different levels. If you are feeling introspective, this is the album for you. If you want to take psychedelic drugs, it may not be the album for you but then it again it could be ( depends on how it affects you ). If you want to be lost in the sound of an album, this is the album for you. In fact, just buy the bloody thing. It'll be worth your while, trust me.