Customer Reviews

Risc vs. Reward

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

 

 

This album is essentially the 2 singles "The Hidden Camera" and "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu" together on one disc.

"Ni Ten Ichi Ryu" is truly the greatest piece of d'n'b ever written; everything just falls into place exactly. The bassline acts as its own piece of percussion, in among the drums and the swordfighting sound effects. Truly the standard to which all jungle should be compared.

"The Hidden Camera" is an amazing piece of breakbeat; has a very spy-movie vibe to it. All in all, this is a don't miss album. If you're a fan, you owe it to yourself to hear these singles.

This is hands-down my most valuable CD. An absolute CLASSIC. Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu is one of the most addictive dnb songs I've heard yet. It never gets boring. The Hidden Camera makes you feel sinister and voyeuristic. Buy it now!

Photek is the end-all-be-all in this genre. He concocts vivid sound/imagery with beats, tones and subtle bass lines. This, to me, is the express purpose of drum & bass, and no one comes close to matching his skill. Minimal, yet complex, astounding, yet refined, this is the perfect introductory album to drum & bass. Die-hards may want to pick up the full-length "Modus Operandi," but this six-song collection will suffice for the just-curious. (Careful listenings may induce utopian illusions.)

Photek can get a bit too loopy for me sometimes, but Risc vs. Reward has his best, especially 'The Hidden Camera' and "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu', both on top 20 UK lists throughout '97. A must buy, especially if you don't plan on picking up Modus Operandi.

While the other tracks on the disc hold up well, Ni Ten Ichi Ryu is pretty much exquisite. The pinnacle of its genre and reason alone to buy this item. It hasn't aged a second since it's release and I am still blown away by it.

As side notes, look up the video (easily found via y.t.). I saw it only once on MTV's amp show years ago and was thrilled when I realized I could see it online finally. It more than does the track justice. Also, AFAIK, Photek is one guy.

If you want esoteric static atmospheres to act cool in this is not for you.

But if you want to venture back to the 90's and see how DrumnBass was done before people smoothed it out into pop music then check this CD out.

If you like pop music with no intelligence but a cool groove then dont buy this CD.

Yaddidamean?

fantastic cd: anbody that knows anything worthwhile about D&B knows photek are true pioneers of the genre and infact are one of the most talented around.. not obvious mainstream D&B at all...some people just do not get it and the last review is just that....epic release, being brought down by the preverbial "nob"

I bought this CD because four others at amazon.com RAVED about it. What was I thinking? First off, this CD has a frenetic feel to it so don't expect to groove out at a relaxed pace. The pace is much more: hurry up hurry up -with an irritating rather than sensual feel. Drums & Bass? Hardly. It's more badly programed drum machine with bass samples on top. Add atmospheric heavily reverbed noises and a few pads on top et voila. A real drummer would have been nice. A real bass player would have been nice too. At least hire a competent drum programmer and slow the beat down to a pace that listeners not on speed or crystal meth could listen too. This CD is more for speed metal freaks who want to try dance music. I disagree with one of the reviewers, i find the beats on this CD extremely repetitive, and unlike minimalist music that slowly changes beat variations, this drum programmer is of the "set it and forget it" variety. Yawn...

What would i recommend instead? Crystal Method is infinitely better at everything this CD tries to do. Try their CDs Tweekend , Vegas, Legion of Boom, Millenium Remix. Those CDs are amazing at conveying a very cool electronic groove. Even William Orbit, Thievery Corporation, Transglobal Underground, and, to a lesser degree, "Uberzone" by Freaks. All would put to shame the lack of talent and attention to detail that the anonymous Photek brings to the plate. I like atmosphere not the slap dash sound of a band sitting behind computers & samplers playing coked-up music without a cool groove in sight.