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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Damn you, Mr. Tobin., October 3, 2004
I really haven't been much impressed by what I'd heard of Amon Tobin. I hadn't heard much, but to me, it didn't justify the hype I'd heard about the guy. (I think it was in the Xen Cuts set I have lying around somewhere). But, out of the blue, I picked up Permutation out of sheer boredom. I probably shouldn't have.
This is the kind of album that makes me want to punch the creator in the face. In an entirely good way, to be sure. This album shouldn't be possible, it's unnaturally good. Amon Tobin must have signed a deal with the devil. Insane (...).
It has all the precision and mutations of it's Warp cousins of the time, but damn this man's taste in grooves. Such technical music shouldn't make me want to dance this much. I've heard few artists with such skill at manipulating drum lines who can also have such skill with an instrumental track. Portishead and Aphex Twin were probably cleaning their drawers from "Like Regular Chickens" alone. Blood stains and back alley mayhem. Asskicking has rarely been this cerebral. And it unfolds, one twist after another. For 70 minutes of debauchery and technology. Along with Squarepusher, some of the most intense music ever recorded. I'm not lying either. Even the heaviest of metal is overload. It's dulling. Yeah, you can hammer your guitar and drums hard. Great. It sounds like crap. Seriously. Technical, yeah, but apply it with finesse. Most drum/drill and bass, jungle, and hardcore techno will scientifically make you retarded. Yeah, the beat's hard, but it's a 3 second loop repeated for 4 minutes. My 13 year old cousin can do that with Hammerhead. But, back to the CD. "Reanimator" is insane. F*cking belligerently insane. HARD. Yeah, the twinkly noises at the beginning are cute, but yeah, this track will beat you the hell up. Relentless. The tasteful thing, he's courteous enough to spend his time changing the music up. Tempo, mood, and key changes?! A sign of a most skilled artist. The fact I've seen NO movies with "Fast Eddie" playing during a car race/chase scene means either the general populace cannot stand music of Amon's caliber, or that filmmakers are generally retarded.
"Permutation" is a lot to handle. It's one of the most sonically dense albums I've ever heard. Every millisecond of time feels filled with sound. It's almost impossible to lost interest once you stop listen. And most people would be horrified to have it come out of their speakers. Therefore I must say this gets at least 20 stars, but I can only give five.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Timeless Classic., May 8, 2000
When I took a deeper listen to this in the record store, I immediately fell in love. It's now two years since I picked it up, and I can honestly say that this is a timeless work of art. Not every track grew on me immediately - "Nova" is a good example. However, like most classics, they took time to reveal themselves to me and I feel immensely blessed for my patience. Each song reeks of creativity and takes you to a different world. My absolute favourite track is "People Like Frank." It starts out innocently - but then the track gets WARPED with the hyper percussion and eerie soundscape. Everything Amon touches is pure gold, and like fine wine, Permutation gets better with age. I almost never use the words "timeless" or "classic" when I review discs; the fact that I used them in the same sentence (see title) should speak loudly of my adoration. If you're not initially impressed by every track, then take a deeper listen. Like Talvin Singh's "O.K.," you'll eventually understand Permutation's inner beauty. It just doesn't get any better than this...that is, until Amon's next album falls from Heaven.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bop-drum fans' entry into 'electronica', December 30, 1998
I stumbled upon this CD as I prepped for my radio show this summer. After having heard some bossa nova rhythm ala Joao Gilberto, some trumpets from uncle Miles, and then hard-bop drumming from Art Blakey, I put this lil gem on the player -- and it blended right in. Loads of listeners called in to ask about the album; Tobin makes jazz listeners of the 90's very very proud. He puts Blakey on speed and produces physcially impossible drumming solos that bop-lovers only've wet dreams about. Tunes're melodic, if not too catchy. It's consistently tasty throughout. Although I'm a complete novice in electronic music, after listening to this, I found myself growing impatient with Plug and Photek's repetitiveness. If you like jazz drums, are open-minded, and think -- as i used to -- that all electronic music has thumping uninspiring beats, give this candy a try.
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