Customer Reviews

Programmed to Love

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The cream of the recent 'chill-out' tidal wave. On a par with Air's 'Moon Safari' and towering above Groove Armada and Kinobe. Read my track-by-track synopsis below to prove it's diversity in styles.

1. Exercise 1 Quirkily amusing Aphex Twin style outing that shares a similar tune to The Orb's 'Oxbow Lakes'. The intro is funny too.

2. Private Road Emotional synth sweeps over an Irish Beth Orton soundalike. *Very good*. Like much of the album, it has melodies that stick in your head and leave you humming them all week.

3. Cylons Of Love Very Air. Laid back track with Vocodered vocals and lush piano.

4. Chocloate Wings The album's low point. It just doesn't fit in that well with the other songs. Upbeat dance track with cheesy lyrics about wanting to look at some girls chocolate star (ooo-er).

5. Invisible Pedestrian More like it. Moody bassline with thumping drums over the top.

6. I Remember Johnny Tinkling pianos, breakbeats and a really, really smooth bassline.

7. Swollen The album's high point. Sorta like Air, it fits sultry, breathy lyrics over a hypnotic 'Bladerunner' type tune. I think this is being released as their next single.

8. Welly Top Mary Breezy Summer evenings wasted away drinking, smoking and making love to Welly Top Mary. Nice.

9. Irritating Noises I'm not so sure about the male vocal but it plods along nicely enough. What is he crooning about anyway?

10. Always (three parts) a)Always in my heart:

Club-style dance track with all the cliches: Operatic diva chanting over the top with a Euro type bassline. Saved by a truly mind-altering piano loop.

b)Toothless gibbon: Frenzied techno with a monkey screeching in the backround. Sorta amusing, but ultimately irritating.

c)To the bridge: Mellow hip-hop beats with children singing 'London Bridge is Falling Down' over the top. Nice album closer.

;)

Typically, in my reviews, I shy away from encouraging people to buy imports. Unless, of course, the album is very, very good. With Bent's latest, it's a case in point. This is one of the most exploratory, every song is good, albums I've come across in a long time. The second song, private road, I've practically worn my cd player out listening to. Bent successfully does what so many other chill-out/potpourri of sound bands attempt to do. It's upbeat without be down right dancey, and downtempo without being comatose. I urge you to dive in.

I was recently introduced into Bent by a friend at work who knows of my appreciation for material such as Everything But The Girl, Air, Zero 7, Tosca and Thievery Corporation. He wasn't wrong. This debut album by DJs Simon Mills and Nail Tolliday totally blew me off my feet! They make extensive use of loops and samples, as well as some robotic-sounding vocoders here and there, but still retain a very unique sound to them, thanks to the atmospheres they successfully create with the synthesizers in the backgound.

Most likely you have heard the two hits, "Swollen" and 19-minute-long "Always" with samples of Norrie Paramor in the first third of the song ("Always in my heart"). However the rest of the album is every bit as good. In particular the first half of it is my favorite: "Exercise 1," "Private Road," "Cylons in Love" (uhhh! Battlestar Gallactica times... they were, oh so good!) and "Chocolate Wings."

As a last comment, you might want to dig into the three versions available for this album: the US version which contains some tracks not originally present in the UK release from 2000, the UK version (which this review is about) and a "combined" version which contains a total of 18 tracks. All in all, an excellent choice to drive, read, write or program to, or if nothing else, simply to chill out to.

Bent's Programmed to Love is a leisurely sound collage, equal parts Air, Roni Size / Reprazent, and any manic DJ/Remixer you care to mention. The duo of Simon Mills and Neil Tolliday are of the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink school, and for most of Programmed to Love, this works in their favor. The kitschy opening samba "Exercise" moves from its loungecore origins to the dreamy "Private Road Laughing Gear". "Cylons in Love" marries Kraftwerk to Dido. "Swollen" is Air fronted by the Cocteau Twins. Etc. The songs are all too long by minutes (what is it with these ambient dance bands?), but good company nonetheless. ...

The cream of the recent 'chill-out' tidal wave. On a par with Air's 'Moon Safari' and towering above Groove Armada and Kinobe. Read my track-by-track synopsis below to prove it's diversity in styles.

1. Exercise 1 Quirkily amusing Aphex Twin style outing that shares a similar tune to The Orb's 'Oxbow Lakes'. The intro is funny too.

2. Private Road Emotional synth sweeps over an Irish Beth Orton soundalike. *Very good*. Like much of the album, it has melodies that stick in your head and leave you humming them all week.

3. Cylons Of Love Very Air. Laid back track with Vocodered vocals and lush piano.

4. Chocloate Wings The album's low point. It just doesn't fit in that well with the other songs. Upbeat dance track with cheesy lyrics about wanting to look at some girls chocolate star (ooo-er).

5. Invisible Pedestrian More like it. Moody bassline with thumping drums over the top.

6. I Remember Johnny Tinkling pianos, breakbeats and a really, really smooth bassline.

7. Swollen The album's high point. Sorta like Air, it fits sultry, breathy lyrics over a hypnotic 'Bladerunner' type tune. I think this is being released as their next single.

8. Welly Top Mary Breezy Summer evenings wasted away drinking, smoking and making love to Welly Top Mary. Nice.

9. Irritating Noises I'm not so sure about the male vocal but it plods along nicely enough. What is he crooning about anyway?

10. Always (three parts) a)Always in my heart:

Club-style dance track with all the cliches: Operatic diva chanting over the top with a Euro type bassline. Saved by a truly mind-altering piano loop.

b)Toothless gibbon: Frenzied techno with a monkey screeching in the backround. Sorta amusing, but ultimately irritating.

c)To the bridge: Mellow hip-hop beats with children singing 'London Bridge is Falling Down' over the top. Nice album closer.

;)

This album is full of interesting, diverse soundscapes that never leave you bored! The mere range of material on this album is fascinating. Just when you've absorbed one melody, another one pops right out at you. Vocals occur as melodramatic synthesized robots on the bluesy track "Cylons of love", meshed with it's beautiful piano and acoustic guitar melodies. One of the albums highlight tracks, "Swollen", has Sade-like sultry vocals over mesmerizing music which make you feel like you're floating on a cloud, as the song suggests. "Welly Top Mary" sounds like something you'd hear while viewing French models sporting new designer fashions down the catwalk. This track cleverly begins as an answer to a telephone ring beat that has morphed from the previous track. The track "Irritating Noises" has a strong resemblence to Lou Reed with it's artsy metaphors to love-hate conflicts with lyrics like "I like the orange glow, but I hate the irritating noices." A comfortable track of knowingness with a few "irritating" knocks as if someone is knocking on a ceiling or wall beyond the listener's domain. The track "Always" is an ever changing surprise of operatic vocals to hip lounge beats which later morphs to a juvenile, innocent "London Bridge is falling down" spoof. The only track I find unappealing is "Chocolate Wings"; otherwise, this album is amazingly consistent. I would definitely shy away from comparing this album to any of the other electronic artists like Bjork, Groove Armada, Moby, etc., for this is uniquely "mental." One of the best albums I've bought since Macy Gray! This album is the future of music! A Must-Have!

This was moder and melodic. Bent has made an album that lives and breathe the whole way trough. Chill-out albums have never really intrested me but to much roumors made me pick this one up. you can also call this easy-listening if you want.. the album balance on those two genres. well it flows nice and are very complex and the soundscape stretches far. It has pianos, samplings and some very ice vocals. check out "invisible pedestrians" a great piece with rythm and excelent drum piece. "Always" is maybe the one that seperates from the rest and brings it closest to more house oriented style. best vocal piece is defiently "private road". but this album drives harmonic. that`s the best with this album.

Best debut album 2000 "Programmed To Love". Creating soudscape atmosphere mixing ambient, funky jazz, pop-hop rhytmic lines combined with N. Mouskouri vocal Bent moved far from one more so called modern-electronic album. The best selection for real electronic music fans.

Someone who claims to be a real electronic fan has told you that this is a great album, saying this creats soudscape atmosphere mixing ambient, funky jazz, pop-hop rhythmic. Believe him? I can use these terms to describe Jimi Tenor, even Bjork. However, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this band does not sound like Bjork. OK, let me give you a succinct account of introduction, this lot, hail from Nottingham are often compared to Groove Armada and Moby, but most frequently, the British press call them the BRITISH answer to Air. However, the music they created here apparently does not sound like any of the above, rather than sounding like Air, they sound like Air's rival. Yes, you get it right, Kid Loco. Clearly, these guys have been putting 'Grand Love Story' beside their bed for ages, which is not a bad thing after all. 'Grand Love Story' is simply one of 1998's best, and in no way, can it be not as good as Air'Moon Safari'. Bent is interesting enough, just listen to the last track, 'London Bridge is Falling Down' ha... they are funny! Maybe the guy below is right, the is the SUMMER sound, that is why the band is featured in the latest volume of 'Cafe Del Mar'. Although they are not as good as Kid Loco, their music is still enjoyable. A more matured chill-out music consumer, would choose to buy some of the chill-out compliations around, like 'Serve Chill', 'Chillout Lounge', or the aforementioned 'Cafe' amongst many others. Mmmm, summertime is over, now we need the second volume of 'Winter Chill'.