Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stands alongside Orbital's "The Box" EP as an electronic magnum opus, September 4, 2008
"My Kingdom", the shorter version found on Dead Cities, is a magnificent track in its own light. What's so special about this EP, in addition to the demoscene-like cover, is how it teases out the innards of "My Kingdom" and unfolds them into something haunting, emotional, and ultimately wonderful -- don't be fooled, this is definitely not a set of boring remixes where a 4-on-the-floor kick is lazily put over repetitive samples. There's a lot of rich artistry and craft here which speaks highly to how well this work has stood up over time... and it's been over a decade!
Electronic works which are symphonic in scope (like "The Box" EP) are pretty rare -- the various parts of "My Kingdom" reach out into areas which sound experimental and improvisatory, while never losing the flow of an overall structure. As contradictory as that seems, FSOL masterfully makes it work. There are parts that are more aggressive, offset by beatless gazes into space, and even a near-venture into drum 'n' bass (which was still newborn and rising at the time).
Things culminate with a harkening to the source in "(Part 5)", which brings its skippy breakbeat menace, ominous "BONG!" chimes, flute loops, and of course, the infamous Vangelis "Rachel's Song" sample, which has been repurposed for the greater good.
I love electronic music which is both alien and familiar, and this is one of the finest examples of that.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great (new-ish) progressive electronica, March 28, 2008
I was extremely impressed with this 1996 EP, which constitutes my first exposure to the English electronica group Future Sound of London (FSOL). My understanding is that the group, which is comprised of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans, has been around since the mid to late 1980s - it appears that I have a bit of catching up to do.
The lineup on this album includes Garry Cobain (synthesizers, guitars, effects), Brian Dougans (synthesizers, guitars, effects) and Richie Thomas on drums. Although not in any way a big part of the overall sound on this album, I especially like the use of a real drummer- he is a decent player and works well with this material. At times, the drums are processed electronically and synthesized drum parts are used. All of the processed and synthesized drum parts are very natural and "organic" sounding however.
These guys have augmented their compositions with various samples including a guitar sample from Ozric Tentacles (off of Pungent Effulgent), a pan flute sample (Zamfir), a voice sample from "Rachel's Song" (Bladerunner soundtrack/Vangelis) and the voice sample from one track off of the FSOL album Dead Cities. I have to say that if samples were used on this album I do not hear them - they have been so significantly altered that they are essentially unrecognizable. Besides, the compositions are very busy and feature layers and layers of whooshing, buzzing and fizzling noises of all descriptions - if there was a recognizable sample in there somewhere, they were buried deep.
Although this EP is short by current CD standards (a shade over 30:00), I actually appreciate the shorter length (I grew up listening to LP records) and found that it was the perfect amount of time for the piece to develop. In terms of styles, the music primarily consists of a swirling, swooshing mix of ambient and creepy 1970s electronica along with tiny bits of techno, trip-hop and "bass and drum". As it appears on the EP, the five parts of My Kingdom (which first appeared on the Dead Cities album) actually work very well together as a whole - there is a nice cadence to the work and it is not choppy. Specifically, the My Kingdom "suite" opens with the (expanded) original theme, passes through several sections that feature spacey and at times, psychedelic, synthesizer parts and then finally ends by restating the opening theme.
In addition to their skills at putting an interesting, large-scale electronic composition together, I was also impressed with the range of dynamics and even more impressive still, the textures and timbres used. A seemingly infinite parade of synthesized tones, low frequency rumbles, percussion, and other sound effects create a very rich and full soundscape; the complexity of which is furthered through layering. In general, I found that my attention was maintained at 100% and although I have listened to this album several times already, I hear something new every time.
As an EP, there is not much in the way of liner notes and the insert consists of a single page. The sound quality is excellent however.
All in all, this is yet another fantastic newer group that is not only making clever music, but is apparently interested in exploration. Highly recommended to electronica fans.
|
|
|
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No drugs, thanks, just this disc..., September 13, 1999
By A Customer
This EP (as it is more than a mere single) should be given out to heroin junkies as a safe alternative. Long, gritty and sexy, this is the perfect "driving through the bad part of town at 2 AM" soundtrack. Parts 1 thru 3 put you in that sorta tranced out but still kinda edgy mood, and then Part 4 comes in to grab you by the soul and shake you like a ragdoll. A must have.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
