Lost in Space

Laika

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 21, 2003)
• Original Release Date: January 21, 2003
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Too Pure / Beggars
• ASIN: B00006YXDB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #188,660 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From URB Magazine
For the better part of 10 years, Laika’s been one of the best kept secrets in modern electronic pop. This retrospective is irrefutable proof. Comprised of Margaret Fiedler on vocals and former My Bloody Valentine engineer Guy Fixsen on everything else, Laika skipped through the UK charts during the ’90s on a fertile mixture of post-New Order synth heaviness, lush ambient harmonies and dastardly complex jazz rhythms, creating many memorable singles and three top-notch albums. The selections on Lost In Space, however, illustrate exactly why the group glanced off the American pop bubble: They’re too clever. From their biggest hit, the sprightly dour "Uneasy," to the rampant melancholic poetry of "Breather," Laika flaunts syncopated, unorthodox rhythms like 5/2 and 7/4 with as much melodic aplomb as Dave Brubeck. The release boasts a second disc with remixes and Peel Session cuts, but the first disc of Lost In Space is proof enough that Laika deserves serious reconsideration on their 10th anniversary.

Heath K. Hignight

Product Description
Culled from their first three albums, this is a double CD collection of Laika favorites, Peel sessions, re-mixes, rarities, and a new unreleased track. 'That perfect point between melancholy and renewed optimism' - Time Out. 'Bewitching, confounding, and very often unique' -NME. Too Pure. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to some brilliantly original electronica, September 14, 2005

By	GraceNoteX (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Laika is a unique blend of ambient, electronica, and trip hop. "Tasteful restraint" sums up their approach to the genre. Guy Fixsen's choice of sonic elements and his arrangements make these tracks more timeless than most of their trip hop contemporaries. Portisheads' "Dummy" is still a work of genius, but many of its production elements already make the CD sound sadly dated. Laika's songs don't share that problem.

The underlying tracks are a mix of synth based soundscapes, atmospheric samples, live instrumentation, ambient percussion and border-line d-n-b drums (Laika crossed that border on the more recent "Wherever I Am I Am What Is Missing").

Margaret Fiedler's vocals float like a wistful mist over the top of these tracks one moment and cut through them with a gentle urgency the next. Her voice has just that right mix of female-chill-out smoothness and original personality to work within this context. Purely ambient music is intended to create atmosphere, allowing the listener give the music itself as much or as little attention as they choose. Most vocal music makes poor ambient, since vocals and the narrative nature of lyrics tend to demand attention. But even Laika's lyrics have an ambient quality. The listener can tune them out altogether and let the vocal be just another element in the soundscape, or focus on them at any point be rewarded with intriguing, poignant images that add to the atmosphere.

The melodies are sparse. Laika approaches vocals as an equal partner in the total piece. Rather than instruments and arrangement merely framing and supporting the melody, they share equal responsibility for the listening experience, and the sparseness of the melodies maintains balance.

Disc 1 hardly sounds like a compilation. Even though the tracks were recorded over a nine year period, the CD is as coherent as the best concept album. Hard to believe some of these tracks are more than 10 years old. It's best to think of disc 2 as a bonus CD, as it is a little more uneven from track to track. But as a bonus CD, it is quite a plus to the package.

A nice listening experience that can fit quite a range of moods.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars electronic pop bliss, March 15, 2003

By	J. Persh (West Bloomfield, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In a perfect world, Laika would be the most popular band in the world. Would you expect anything less from a genius like Guy Fixsen? For those of you who haven't heard this band- they have a very exotic sound. Vocalist Margaret Fiedler's velvety almost spoken word-like voice is the perfect compliment to Fixsen's rhythmic exotic syncopations. These songs would work great as instrumentals for the most part, but Fiedler takes them to another level not only vocally, but with her clever and unique lyrics. Laika have currently released 3 studio records all of which are superb. This record is a nice addition because the remixes of familiar songs don't sound so familiar after all and there are some unreleased tracks. For all their knob twiddling and programming expertise, Laika is definitely a band of superior musicians as well as -witnessed by their live performance. What else can I say - Laika are truly a band to be treasured.