Ultra-Obscene

Breakbeat Era

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 30, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00001QGL1
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,177 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Roni Size is a man with a mission: to bring drum & bass to the world by any means possible. With his first full-length, Reprazent's New Forms, Size ably took a few small steps for mankind--and a huge leap for the jungle nation. Taking the acclaimed Mercury Award was only the first step toward world domination, but Breakbeat Era just might be the key to unlock the public's ears to drum & bass. Armed with vocalist Leonie Laws--whose snapshot lyrics fit like a glove with the sharpshooting drums and bass--and with coproducer and boy wunderkind DJ Die, one wonders after a listen to this exceedingly catchy record, is there anything Size can't do? --Tricia Romano

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe a snapshot into the future of pop..., December 22, 1999

By	"melodic" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

On paper this sounds really promising--DJ Die (jungle phenom), Roni Size (junglist with shrewd pop/jazz sensibilities), and Leonie Laws (a brooding, forthright singer in vain of Shirley Manson of Garbage). In fact that is what "Ultra-Obscene" (which it is not really that obscene) sounds like--crossing jungle with the vocal stylings and lyrics of Garbage. Leonie has the perfect pop/alt cadence to sing over jungle, and her style is a welcome contrast to the typical diva-esque crooning over atmospheric drum 'n bass. Most of the time, it works wonderfully. However, the longlasting influence may from the catchiness of Size's and Die's stark and rich beats programming, that may seap into the mainstream music conscious.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I like my DrumandBass Roni Style, November 16, 1999

By A Customer

Any album, which contains songs that send shivers of pure delight through your body must be amazing. ULTRA-OBSCENE by Break Beat Era does just that. Oh my gosh, one second your being pulverized by the phattest breaks on earth while in the next your mind goes into sensory overload upon hearing the Ultra-obscenely awesome vocals of Leonie Laws accompanied by some of the most innovative D&B Bass lines ever! If you even mildly like DrumandBass, BUY THIS ALBUM. And if you don't like DrumandBass you will after hearing this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Soundtrack for a Femme Fatale, March 1, 2005

By	Math 27 "pnvrgrn" (baltimore) - See all my reviews

I'm surprised I had not heard of this album before, being a fan of Roni Size and most of the well known Bristol UK musicians. I was reading a critic's review of Roni's new 'Return to V' CD on another website and it mention this side project, Breakbeat Era as being arguably the best CD to feature Drum & Bass plus female vocals, even better than LAMB.

So I thought, no way, who can be better than LAMB, I mean who can top the drum assult on 'Cotton Wool'. So I decided to check this out. While there is no 'Cotton Wool' in Ultra -Obscene, and Lamb's Louise Rhondes' voice is far more lovely than Leonie Laws', I still enjoy listening and moving to this CD. What Breakbeat Era has over Lamb is character and attitude.

Programming by Roni Size and DJ Die is tight, with mysterious jazz basslines and jungle beats on all tracks, changing momentum and effects at the right moments. Leonie Laws comes across like a Femme Fatale, ready to kick butt and take on the world. She does not scream and nash her teeth, but states with conviction in 'Anti-Everything' that she was "..Raised a double agent" and "I'm ah walking Animal Machine and you ain't safe with Me" in 'Animal Machine'.
Her delivery reminds me of the commanding voice of Toni Halliday, the singer for Curve.

Spinning this CD is like watching an episode of Alias, or watching Brain De Palmer's 'Femme Fatale' or La Femme Nikita.

If you want attitude with your drum n' bass (or drum n bass with your attitude) then check out Breakbeat Era: Ultra -Obscene, which does not let up, straight up DnB, unlike Lamb who mellows occasionally. Though I still have a soft spot for LAMB, which I think is better that Breakbeat Era over all, because Louise is an awesome singer.

Breakbeat Era is a more exciting ride.