Witchman - Explormenting Beats

Label: Deviant
Catologue Number: DVNT19CD
Format: CD
Date: 1997
Style: Dark Breakbeat
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Something strange must have contaminated the waters of Birmingham, something that has left darkness in the hearts of all the musicians whose lips it has past. Beginning with Black Sabbath, via Scorn and Godflesh, the West Midlands City has produced some of the heaviest and darkest music in a whole range of genres. Now Witchman (aka John Roome) has continued this fine tradition in producing one of the most chilling break beat albums in recent years.

What makes Explorimenting Beats more of a revelation is Roome's past musical career. As a one-time member of mediocre Cyber Goths Terminal Power Company, his past showed no real indications of the genius that was to come. The evolution from a being in a band that sounded like Jesus Jones on depressants to a DJ Shadow reared on horror flicks rather than a rare groove is one that truly astounds. Roome has since the release of this album remixed the Creatures and worked with the Orb and as if to give a nod to his roots, produced Ian Astbury of The Cult’s solo album. Showing that he is willing to cut across all genres.

The Witchman sound could be described as a mix of darkly cinematic atmospherics undercut with slamming break beats, nagging strings, deep dub bass lines, sub junglist beats, eerie fxs and twisted samples. Comparisons if any, can be made to bands like The Sabres of Paradise and Scorn for the dark dub, Photek for the drum and bass rhythms and dark omniscience of the fxs and the fore mentioned DJ Shadow and Amon Tobin for the over all construction and playfulness.

Explorimenting Beats begins with the angled Viper Flats, led by a dubbed out piano line and a deep bass and kicking it with the fantastic vocal sample "some new chaos, some new darkness" before the beats rip into the song. The sample line becomes a signature for the whole album. The rest of the song floats around a looped female voice as beats and the fxs almost trip over themselves.

From here onwards the album develops this theme of chaos and darkness, from the Red Snapper on downers of Amok. All jazz double bass and Kid Koalaish turntable manipulations the track sounds like a modern take on the Third Man theme before exploding into more runaway beats and a squelching electronic bass sound.

Other tracks like Stone Def and Order of the Dragon build on dark atmospherics and slower dub bass lines and weighted drums. Imagine Leftfield if they moved away from the dance floor and decided to make music for film noir soundtracks and your half way there. The thing is that Witchman has a way of twisting the sound and constantly introducing the unexpected.

Another indication for where Witchman is coming from is the song Chemical Noir (another film reference?) which sounds like John Carpenter's Halloween music lost inside Lee Scratch Perry's Black Ark studios unable to find the exit as the fires spread. This combination of dub and cinematic forms is
what gives Witchman a unique identity, no one has come close to matching the power of voodoo dub and horror film scores as well before.

Any other times Explorimenting Beats is influenced by more urban elements. From the muted siren that heads Hammerhead to the cityscape sounds of NY 23 with its fragments of jazz piano and horn and it's pirate radio jungle beats. Other tracks like No Place like Chrome blend sampled electric guitar with deep electro bass and hip hop samples all creating to a sense of urban paranoia and suffocation.

Explorimenting Beats is an album that once again proves that most of the grand musical ideas are originating from the electronic leftfield. It is supremely well crafted and constructed, and it’s imagination and innovation is matched by very few other electronic artists. Like the cinematic elements that have influenced Witchman’s music , Explorimenting Beats creates an audio world which sucks you in, only to leave you with a feeling of sweet asphyxiation. File under uneasy listening.

Tool - Undertow

Label: Volcano Entertainments
Catologue Number: CDFMN246
Format: CD
Date: 1993
Style: Alternative Rock / Progressive Metal
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Much has been talked about Tool in the rock press, mainly centring on how they are one of the few visionaries left within a conservative rock scene dominated by over hyped nu-metal bands. Most people will probably come in contact with Tool by their ground breaking Aenima album or via Lead singer’s Maynard James Keenan’s vocal contributions to the A Perfect Circle album Mer De Noms. Before the success of Aenima and the growing momentum of support and plaudits Tool released an album by the name of Undertow in 1993. An album, which gives a good indication of where Tool influences were germinated and the future directions, they were about to embark on.

The first thing that is noticeable about Undertow is that it is a far more linear album than Aenima. There is none of the strange experimental sutures that link together the longer tracks on Aenima. Also most of the tracks stick to a well-used formula: the slow/ fast dynamic. The moments of experimentation and use of different sounds and tones is also very minimal in their appearances. If anything Undertow sees Tool developing a sound rather than pushing at the limits of rock music. However comparing them to a lot of their co-patriots at the time (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and the Seattle scenesters) Tool sound highly original and innovative.

So what we have sonically with Undertow is a album that although nods a head in the direction of the then buoyant Grunge scene is different enough to be seen as forging a new musical direction for rock music. What really separates Tool from the other bands at the time was their lack of histrionics. Where as other bands showed a direct lineage to 70’s metal and 80’s underground alt rock and punk, Tool manage to pull these influences in a new direction. However what stops Undertow from being an all out classic is that is all a little bit one dimensional.

What we have with Undertow is an album that gets stuck in a rut. Although it’s not a bad rut it’s one that limits the initial potential of Tool (This was resolved by the time of the release of Aenima). Undertow is therefore marked by a trademark sound all the way through like the name in a stick of rock.

So what is this sound? What we have is a heavy rock sound lead by the drums and bass which create a rhythmic undertow (pun intended) to Tool’s music. Over this we get harsh grinding stattcho guitars and Maynard’s high and rich vocals. We also get much use of the fast/slow dynamic with most tracks following this pattern. The first two tracks Intolerance and Prison Sex are could easily be interchangeable. With only the fact that Prison Sex deals with Maynard’s abuse by his father giving it uniqueness. It’s just a shame that with the rise of nu-metal that this topic has been overused and cheapen.

The album begins to really come alive with Bottom although sticking to bass lead fast /slow formula. However variation is added with echo being added to Maynard’s voice. Add to this a spoken word middle section and a explosion of sound at the end of the song, and you get some idea of the potential that Tool where to show in the future.

Other attempts to mess with the formula see Tool adding a thrash out start to the track of Crawl Away, the use of an eastern sounding chord progression on 40. Also on the title track Undertow, we see Tool using soaring guitars and a fantastic-attacking vocal from Maynard. All which helps push the track in a more progressive direction. The only track that sees Tool really truly escape their approach is the final track Disgustipated. This track sees Tool laying down a heavy tribal rhythm matched with a repeated chant of “This is necessary, Life feeds on Life”. Add to this strange metallic clanging and down tuned guitars. The song then finishes with a swirl of static looped into its self. This acts, as a fantastic link into Aenima when both albums are played back to back and almost seems as a deliberate act by Tool.

Undertow can be seen in a similar light to Radiohead’s Pablo Honey. Both albums are an example of bands that haven’t yet completely shaken off their influences but are trying to achieve something new. Both albums also show the potential of the bands but are limited in radical ideas. However both bands proved with their second albums that they had true and unique visions. Undertow is worth your pennies and a must if you’re a hardcore Tool fan, for the new listener I would recommend Aenima as an introduction to the wonderful and frightening world of Tool.

Tool - Lateralus

Label: Volcano Entertainments
Catologue Number: 9210132CD
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Metal / Progressive
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Tool are finally back to save the world from the rise of mediocre Nu-metal bands, or so the music press would have you believe. One thing is for certain Tool do stand head and shoulders clear of the majority of the pack of rabid rock bands breaking through into the mainstream. Tool are not a band happy in following the latest trends in rock music, there’s no concessions to hip hop beats and white boy rap to be found in Tools sounds. Instead Tool plough a musical route uniquely their own, adding a degree more intelligent and innovation to a genre to happy to dum itself down to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

On Lateralus, Tool resume their musical journey which began with the average Undertow (1993) to the sprawling experiment of Aenima (1996). As you may have noticed there is a gap of five years between the release of Aenima and Lateralus. Normally such a gap in time is a worrying sign; for most bands such a period of inactivity normally spells disastrous results. Tool have however managed to use this span of time to regroup and strengthen their music. Leader sing Maynard James Keenan presence in A Perfect Circle and Tapeworm (Trent Reznor’s on hold side project) may have caused rumours of Tool’s demise, but Lateralus proves that Tool are back stronger than ever.

Lateralus begins with ‘The Grudge’. A track grounded in low end rhythmic funk and subdued electronic pulses and swirls. The song slowly builds with layer upon layer of structure being added, firstly the drums added a tribal weight to the track, then the cut off guitar riffs cut in , bringing with them Maynard’s unique voice. The song then chains itself to an ever evolving dynamic (a typical Tool ploy) moving almost mathematically from slow to fast and back again. The song then explodes into a controlled violent collapse towards the end. Even though the song clocks in around the eight minute mark it still maintains itself for the duration. ‘The Grudge’ sets a precedence for the whole of Lateralus and that is of the epic song, the majority of the songs of the album weight in over six minutes. Some could claim this was verging on prog rock style indulgence, sure this would be a fair enough claim if Tool’s music was over elaborate but instead it stripped down to the bare essentials, no fat just pure muscle.

The next two tracks ‘Eon Blue Apocalypse’ and ‘The Patient’ blend into each other so smoothly that I was unaware they were two separate tracks until I checked the CD counter and found out I was mysteriously on track four. ‘Eon Blue Apocalypse’ acts as an atmospheric intro to ‘The Patient’ all fragile guitar lines, subtle bass and drifting electronic sounds. ’The Patient’ then erupts from this gentle stillness with heavy riffing and a low end bass drawl. The song then builds and falls like waves slamming into a beach as small guitar breaks spiral in and out like flotsam carried within.

What follows is like the uneasy silence after the storm, the track ’Mantra’ is full of electronic drones and cut up eldritch voices that act like sutures joining ’The Patient” to the next epic track ’Schism’. ’Schism’ is another mammoth song, marked by clever use of rhythm and counter rhythms. The song seems to tumble through a library of different beats as guitars are reduced to soaring repetive chords, which suddenly attack with immense power only to disappear within the blinking of an eye. Tool manage to keep pulling off the trick of sucking the listener in an undulating vortex of sound.

Following the pattern set by the rest of the album, the next two tracks ‘Parabol’ and “Parabola” are part of the same beast. ‘Parabol’ is another slow atmospheric track, all echoing cymbal crashes and twanging guitar lines which creates a mystical feeling. Then ‘Parabola’ begins with weighty guitars that sound like they are tearing apart the sky. Tool couple this to more dynamic twists and turns and Maynard’s soaring vocals creating a listening experience that sounds like a modern take upon the best of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Just as your think you’ve sussed the song it ends by transforming itself back into the quiet moments of ‘Parabol’

One thing to say about Lateralus is that it doesn’t contain many (if any) potential singles. The nearest we get is ‘Ticks and Leeches’ which could be a release if it wasn’t for it’s length. The track begins with more tribal rhythms, this time laced with feedback laden guitars. Maynard’s vocals move from a scream to a sigh in the length of a verse. The lyrics seem to be an attack on the parasites in the world and in particular the music industry, especially the people who want to shape Tool in their own image. I could be wrong but the line “I hope your choking, I hope you choke on this” is delivered with such venom, you don’t want to be at the receiving end of it.

As seems common place at the moment, the album moves onto the title track. ‘Lateralus’ itself stretches well past the ten minute mark. It also follows the now (un)familiar Tool formula of building on rhythm and dynamics. Again it’s a good track but it’s hard to separate it from all the other epics that appear on the album.

The next two tracks ‘Dislocation’ and ‘Reflection’ see Tool slip on their experimenting heads again. Both tracks see the use of Middle Eastern melodies and percussion. ‘Dislocation’ is a quieter number, all trippy beats and eastern string sounds. I strong psychedelic number that sees Tool experimenting in a highly successful way. The lyrics “Watch the weather change” fit perfectly the metamorphosis of Tool’s direction.

‘Reflection’ starts with a liquid drum sound, phased electronics and stuttering guitar riffs. Middle Eastern strings are then added to the brew adding another layer of complexity. Maynard’s vocals are also placed through a variety of effects and at one point sound like they are being sucked backwards. ‘Reflection’ sits perfectly with ’Dislocation’ as stunning pieces of psychedelic influenced metal for the new millennium.

‘Triad’ then brings the album to it’s logical conclusion combining the best moments of the previous two tracks with the rhythmic assaults of the earlier tracks. A perfect ending to the album, which can not be spoilt by the strange alien conspiracy sampling noise experiment of ‘Fraaip De Oiad’ that closes the album.

Lateralus is probably going to be one of the benchmark rock albums of the year. It also provides that metal doesn’t have to be about down tuned guitars and adolescent rage. Tool prove that ideas and ambition are far more important than the size of your trousers or how down with the kids you are. If you want to be impressed by the power and innovation of rock music look no further than Lateralus.

Snog - Dear Valued Customer

Label: Machinery
Catologue Number: MA14-2
Format: CD
Date: 1995
Style: Techno-Industrial
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Originally released back in 1995, Dear Valued Customer was Snog’s second album and clearly showed that they were miles ahead of the third generation of Industrialists who were set to dominate the dance floors in the latter half of that decade.

Like fellow Aussie Tom Ellard, Snog main man David Thrusell has developed a sound that is identifiably his own. Be in the rich film soundtrack inspired noir of his Soma project, his noisy Techno as Black lung or the John Barry-esqe film score to the movie The Hard Word. Consistently high levels of song writing mark all of them and composition, something, which is mainly unheard of in the murky world of Industrial dance, where the four to the floor beat, and the distorted vocal are King.

With Dear Valued Customer we see Thrussel at a crossroads. The cut and paste electronica of the debut album Lies Inc has been replaced with a harder techno inspired sound which nods in the direction of Black Lung (which was born when Thrussel decided to release the Hey Christian God E.P.) as well as the twanging cowboy guitar soundtracks of Soma’s Hollow Earth.

However unlike these two side projects the main focus in Snog is Thrussel’s vocals and anti-capitalist lyrics. Both of which may put a lot of people off, firstly because a lot of people don’t like their politics and music to mix and also because Thrussel’s voice can grate on first listen with its nasal pitch.

Those who are not put off by this combination are in for a real treat though as “Dear Valued Customer” is a tour de force of electronic music. Covering everything from the banging techno of “Cliché” and “Langley, Virgina” to the rich electro of the Vangelis sampling “Empires” to the short bursts of dark ambience of “The Yuppie Shall Inherit to the Earth.” All of it is immaculately constructed and has not dated since its release. Nothing is wasted and the sampling is skilfully blended into, rather than being something stuck in as an after thought.

After “Dear Valued Customer”, Thrussel took Snog on an industrial country trip, and took its hard-hitting techno sounds into darker and noisier routes with Black Lung. Dear Valued Customer was the springboard that really launched Thrussel as one of the key players in the last days of the Industrial music revolution. Its just a shame that so few joined him on his quest and decided to take the easy route of making goth friendly club music.

Rammstein - Mutter

Label: Motor Music
Catologue Number: 549639-2
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Industrial/ Metal
Rating: 6/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Nothing like a bit of controversy is there? Well Rammstein have caused a great deal within their musical journey. Accused of being Nazis (which the band has always denied), staging shows full of stimulated sex and pyrotechnics and selling a neat 4 million albums in the good ol’ USA . Not bad for a band that sings in German and produce music that makes that other so called heavy bands sound like a fart lost in a hurricane.

So after the triumph of the kinky sex ridden Sehnsucht the German Industrial ubermensch decide to release a concept album based around the Oedipus complex called Mutter and no this doesn’t mean Rammstein have suddenly turned into a prog rock band. Instead we get an album that continues Rammstein’s Panzer like conquest of the Industrial rock scene.

Like it’s processors Mutter is an album that heavily borrows form earlier (and far less successful ) German Industrial bands like Die Krupps and Oomph! However unoriginal Rammstein maybe they still manage to both get away with obvious plagiarisms and produce something that is uniquely Rammstein. In fact it could be said that Rammstein are the German Oasis, instead of a rewriting of The Beatles and Slade back catalogue we get a reconstruct of the bands who pioneered the German Industrial scene. Like Oasis, Rammstein manage to blatantly steal too create something new and exciting out of the wreckage.

Mutter begins with a strong indication of Rammstein’s purpose and direction with the track Mein Herz Brennt . After a short spoken intro dominated by the low rumbling voice of lead singer Til Lindemann, the song kicks in with heavy grinding bass and a strong 4/4 rhythm . This builds to a chorus dominated by low end guitar riffs and eastern sounding strings. Tills vocals perfectly matching the thundering drums and pulsating electronic bass.

Next up we have Links 234 a song that shows Rammstein at their most direct and corrosive. Following a short intro of a sampled rally, the song erupts into life with fast paced heavy guitars and Til’s low Teutonic vocals. Subtle Wagnerian choral samples are added in the background (recalling Oomph’s Ice Coffin) adding a more complex liar to the track. Imagine Metallica strip of all superfluous guitar work whilst jamming with Beethoven and your halfway there.

The next song Sonne was the first single off the album and has a video that must be seen (A Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs scenario) It begins with a count to ten in German before the heavy guitar riffs crash in again . Again we have the presence of sampled voices in the background, this time a beautiful drifting female vocal. The song again builds towards a strong chorus as all the elements in the song rise to the occasion.

What is it with German bands and the words Ich Will, I must have at least 3 albums with a song which feature these words in the title, and Rammstein make it one more. The song itself is perhaps the strongest on the album and sees Rammstein finally producing a truly original song. The track is dominated by a strong techno pulse that leads the song as the grinding guitars and the choral samples build themselves around the throbbing electronic rhythm.

There is always one problem that I face when attempting to review German bands and that is my German is extremely poor, so when in the middle of Feuer Frei I hear Til sing ’Bang Bang’ I can’t but help chuckle to myself. For some reason I keep thinking of dodgy Eurovision songs, even though the electronic sweeps and speeding guitars make the song sound like the only prize it’s going to win will be plucked deep from the burning embers of Hell.

If Feuer Frei makes me think about Satan’s Eurovision entry then the title track Mutter has a even stranger effect on me. It makes be fill like I’m trapped in a soft rock gig. Why? Because the song is a completely overblown epic , laced with cheesy guitar solos and overwrought keyboards. Mutter may have been Rammstein’s centre piece to the album but comes over as an Industrialised 80’s power ballad.

After the misadventure of Mutter, Rammstein soon hit form again with the Speilhur. The track begins with a nursery rhyme like keyboard riff, before guitars bounce over a undulating techno rhythm and a pulsating low end bass. Child like voices appear at the chorus creating an unsettling feel to the song which is helped by the return of the opening keyboard refrain towards the end of the track.

The next couple of tracks Zwitter and Rein Rous follow the Rammstein formula of heavy riffing, strong drums and choral samples but don’t really add anything to the whole overall formula. Both songs neither fail or really leave a lasting impression. More filler than succulent morsels.

However the final tracks Adios and Nebel prove that Rammstein are capable of pulling the add trick out of the hat. Adios begins with a gentle acoustic guitar and piano intro before a guitar riff that Motorhead could call their own takes over. Add to this same vocal sample as use in the Happy Monday’s Hallelujah and a strange brew is indeed created. Nebel on the other hand is a slow lament build around shimmering electronics and stunningly beautiful strings that prove that even when Rammstein hold back the reins they are able of producing music of power.

Mutter may put many people off because of the German lyrics and the alien nature of the music to the average listener. But given a few listens there is a lot of subtlety and beauty amongst the harsh Germanic beats and guitars. It will defiantly appeal to any one who likes their music powerful and weighty but at the same time acts a perfect Teutonic to the mass of Rap rock that it cluttering up the charts and the alternative dance floors.

Radiohead - Amnesiac

Label: Parlophone
Catologue Number: CDFHEIT45101
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Alternative Rock/ Electronica
Rating: 7/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Radiohead's Kid A split fans and critics in half. One side embraced it more experimental approach, whilst the other side was shocked and disgusted that Radiohead had failed to delivery O.K Computer part two. One thing for sure those who were not taken in by Radiohead's new approach on Kid A and going to find very little on Amnesiac that will change their minds that Radiohead have completely lost the plot. Those who saw Kid A as a brave step into new territories where anything is sonically possible will embrace Amnesiac with open hands and minds.

The rumours surrounding Amnesiac were mainly centred on the fact that it was going to be the logical follow up to OK Computer with Radiohead switching the emphasis back towards a more guitar orientated sound. Kid A was seen by many as a hiccup and a means in which Radiohead would cleanse themselves of their experimental bent. I can now report that the rumours were misguiding as Amnesiac sees Radiohead continuing their journey into experimentation with only the smallest concessions to the sounds they produced on OK Computer. Guitars are scarce in their appearance with the concentration again placed on more electronic and computer generated sound.

Amnesiac begins with the sound of metallic percussion and a deep electronic bass line of 'Packt like Sardines in a crushd tin box'. These elements are soon met by a groundswell of electronics and minimal shredded guitar riffs, which surge around the tripping beats. The song initially comes across like a cacophony of uncontrolled discordance and a peculiar tonal melody. Thom Yorke's vocals however are clean of any processing a skate over the beats and electronic like the last lament of a fallen angel. The lyrics are centred on the simple repeated lines "I'm as reasonable man, Get off my case". A snide attack on those who have attacked Thom's alleged strangeness, perhaps? 'Packt' recalls the beats and melodies of Autechre and the Aphex Twin and works as a strange and compelling intro to the album.

Things become easier to place with recent single 'Pyramid Song'. The song is lead by a sombre piano and sweeping strings whilst Thom this time sings of "Black eyed angels". A strange off kilter beat is then added which adds a complex rhythmic flow to the song. The song is closer to Thom Yorke's
collaboration with Unkle on the track 'Rabbit in my headlights' than any previous Radiohead tracks. The song succeeds in being experimental and accessible at the same time, and it's easy to see why it was released as the first single from the album.

Time for stranger spelling again. Radiohead have definitely been reading the same book of strange words that most Warp artists seem to dip into. ‘Pulk/Pull revolving doors' also sounds like it should be on Warp as well. It begins with harsh Aphex Twin like beats and a weird alien sounding vocoded voice. Soon they are joined by tinny cut up jazzy electronics and piano. The song is an experiment in a kind of stark minimalism, with no real structure apart from the harsh industrial strength beats.

Just as you think, Radiohead have completely forgotten about guitars, 'You and whose army?' arrives sounding like a forgotten extract from the musical score of a David Lynch film. The song has been well reported as being an attack on Tony Blair and the Thom's lyrics confirm this with mentions of cronies and betrayal. The track itself has a strange jazzy blues atmosphere with Thom's dubbed out vocals meeting another sombre piano line and echoed drum rolls.

More guitars appear on the next track 'I might be wrong'. The song begins with electronic drones and rim shot hip-hop beats before the U2esqe guitars enter the affray along with a booming electronic bass. The strangest thing about the track is that the instruments and vocals sound like they are being played in separate rooms. Thom's vocals especially seem to be working on a separate level form the rest of the track. Somehow this separation seems to work and the various levels seem to blend into each other towards the end of the song.

Radiohead then decided to metamorphose their sound again with 'Knives out' which could be a long lost OK Computer number. The track is full of the chiming guitars that formed the basis of that album and will definitely acts a solace in the experimentation for those who prefer Radiohead's more straight forward approach. The track however stands out like a sore thumb in context with the rest of the album.

'Morning Bell/Amnesiac' has again it's roots in the Radiohead of OK Computer, but mixed with the more experimental side of Kid A. Piano and acoustic guitar are gently plucked and stroked, while a floating electronic refrain beckons in the background. The song is high of atmosphere but low on dynamic even Thom's call of "Release me" support the fact that the song is really going no where.

Things again mutate with 'Dollars and Cents' which sounds like a film score from a classic 60's/70'S spy movie. The song is lead by a throbbing bass line and a slow drum beat, on which lush orchestral sweeps soar over. The song builds to a high where all the instrumental elements build to a peak before falling away again, leaving only the gorgeous strings and beats.

Next track 'Hunting Bears' is highly forgettable in that it contains no more than wind blowing and a lone electric guitar sending out chord spasms. All a bit pointless, really.

Then it's back to the sound of new Radiohead again with 'Like Spinning plates'. Once more we have Warp style glitches and beats this time with added sucked backwards sounds (similar to The Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows) and a strange Kraftwerkian vocal loop. Thom’s vocals are massively distorted making any words unidentifiable. The over all effect is to create a very alien sounding ambience where electronic sweeps battle with a jittering rhythm.

The album closes with ’Life in a Glasshouse’ which sees Radiohead combining their take on electronica with 30’s style Jazz. The song builds from simple electronic pulses which are soon joined by a lone trumpet (courtesy of Humphrey Littlejohn) and then a whole laid back Jazz group. The song for me seems to be a modern update on the classic Jazz standard ‘Gloomy Sunday’ something that fit’s the Radiohead persona to a tee.

With Amnesiac, Radiohead have again pushed at the boundaries of what is expected from them. Amnesiac is an experimental album that proves that Radiohead are far away from their humble Indie beginnings. They’re now closer to bands such as Tortoise and Autechre than Shed 7 and Muse, which depending on your musical preferences is either a good or bad thing. One things is for certain if you didn’t like Kid A there’s nothing (apart from ’Knives out’ maybe) that will make you thing that Radiohead have disappeared up their own back sides. However if you want a challenging and rewarding listen than Amnesiac will be right up you street.

Rae & Christian - Sleepwalking

Label: Studio !K7
Catologue Number: !K7096CD
Format: CD
Date: 2000
Style: Breaks / Downtempo / Soul
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

I've only previously encountered Rae and Christian as remixes for the likes of Moby , Lamb and Red Snapper. Their remixes had never really annoyed me or made me stop and catch my breath. They were one of those bands that I would have easily passed up upon, with neither having a negative or positive opinion. Sleepwalking doesn't do anything to change this.

First up the background. Rae and Christian alongside their multiple remixing duties, also run Manchester based record label Grand Central (A label I always remember getting confused with the Beastie Boys Grand Royal records). They have also released one album prior to ‘Sleepwalking’ the highly acclaimed ‘Northern Sulphuric Soul’ an album I had read about but never heard. Rae and Christian consist of DJ Mark Rae and beat merchant and lyricist Steve Christian. Hence explaining their name, shame I always prefer the origins of band names to be a bit more clouded in rumour and half truths.

So down the music on ‘Sleepwalking’ . The first thing that you notice is that the majority of the music on ‘Sleepwalking’ is done in collaboration with a galaxy of guest artists including Hip Hoppers The Pharcyde, Soul legend Bobby Womack and the Portuguese singer Tania Maria. This means that Rae and Christian take a back seat for most of the album steering the production around their collaborators.

This leads to an album which has a very diverse sound, ranging from the soulfully smoking (Rae and Christian’s collaborations with Mr Womack) to the more upbeat work with The Pharcyde. However the bulk of the album works on a very relaxed almost laid backed vibe. Close to the more down tempo work of Massive Attack. The song ‘Not Just Anybody’ could have easily appeared on Protection. Unlike Massive Attack , Rae and Christian’s work lacks the darker side which gives Massive Attack that extra edge.

For me it is the instrumental tracks that really stand out, proving that Rae and Christian are capable of producing interesting music without relying on the presence of other artists. The track ‘Trailing in the wake’ a song lead by a strong drum line and atmospheric sounds and strings. Quiet surprising as it started off as a remix of a Manic Street Preachers song. The other outstanding instrumental is ‘Ready to Roll’ which matches Isaac Hayes style funk with an eerie vocal sample and solid break beats. Creating a Shaft goes wandering through a haunted house kind of vibe.

The album over all leaves me with two over all impressions. The first is a feeling of drifting away from the hustle and bustle of a normal boring working week . The song Val Viver A Vida with it’s Portuguese vocals in particular has my mind transporting itself to Mediterranean beaches and warm summer nights, something necessary on a cold March evening. The second is of that Rae and Christian have let themselves become too heavily lead by their guest artists. Sure use guest vocalists but don’t let their sound dominate your own, especially when you’ve got an obvious talent of your own.

Sleepwalking seems the most apt title for the album as it t works greatly as an album to chill out to. Rae and Christian’s production is also superb, with fantastic layering of rhythm and melody. However the album is a bit too nice for my liking, my preference is for something a little harder and darker. Sleepwalking will appeal to those who like a smooth groove and it has defiantly got a lot more soul than most of the stuff we are fed as being soulful.

Pitchshifter - Infotainment?

Label: Earache
Catologue Number: MOSH137CD
Format: CD
Date: 1996
Style: Alternative Rock / Industrial Metal / Breakbeat
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Most people will probably first encountered Pitchshifter via their last two albums 1998’s www.pitchshifter.com and 2000’s Deviant. Infotainment? sees Pitchshifter in a process of rapid evolution and sonic development. Acting as it does as a transitory album between Pitchshifter’s early industrial grindcore sound and the punk and bass sounds of www.pitchshifter.com. It also marks the end of the relationship between Pitchshifter and Earache records before the band’s unsuccessful adventures on two major labels.

Sonically Infotainment? is a combination of heavy guitars , hip hop influenced beats and samples. This may make sound like a thousand nu-metal bands. However considering that Infotainment? was released in 1996 it predates the current crossover sound by several years. Also the truth is that all the sources of Pitchshifter’s sound maybe similar to the current crop of bands, their approach is and manipulation of these sounds separates them massively from the sportswear wearing hordes.

Infotainment? kicks off (following a short sampled intro) with the fantastic Underachiever. Bass and drums create a mutant hip-hop rhythm closer to the sampled rhythms of Ice and God than to Korn or Limp Bizkit’s Wigger beats. Then shock of all shocks, J.S Clayden’s vocals kick in and they are initially they are free of distortion and death metal influenced grunts of Pitchshifter’s early work. Then the guitars appear with the weight of a Juggernaut in free fall and Clayden’s vocals metamorphose back to their previous form (a transformation just as impressive as Fear Factory’s Burton C Bell’s vocal tricks). The over all effect is to make you want to mosh uncontrollably.

Next up is (We’re behaving like) insects, where the hip-hop beats start to become almost jungilised as the guitar and bass grind around the drums. The lyrics are typical Pitchshifter attacking the conformity of society and the promotion of individuality against the collective. All of course done in the typical tongue in dead pan tongue in cheek manner associated with Pitchshifter.

The following track Virus (my all time favourite Pitchshifter track) kicks off with chugging guitars and the familiar metallic hip-hop beats. Add to this grinding electronics, samples, Clayden’s growling vocals, a start/stop rhythm and somehow (and I don’t know how) you have an amazingly example of controlled aggression. Strange how such a great song can be made from some many missing links. The lyrics again are full of dark humour and irony, the chorus ‘Kill, eat, exploit the weak’ being a shining example.

More ironic lyrical attacks against mainstream capitalist society appear in Product Placement. Again the familiar musical elements are there, however this time around samples from TV documentaries are added to the musical stew. The strong acts as a raging missive against the way in which advertising and product placement and sponsorship have became dominant in a dog eat dog social environment.

Following another short interlude the album storms in within Bloodsweatsaliva which is the track closest in sound to Pitchshifter previous album Desensitised. This time Clayden’s lyrics promote the existence of a counter culture in a society where non-conformity is ridiculed and alienated. The song acts as a call to stick to your beliefs against all adversities and non-believers.

Just when you think you’ve got Pitchshifter sussed they throw you in a curveball, this time it’s the pure drum and bass song Hanger 84. A stunning track where the tripping jungle beats are melded with samples about the Roswell incident and the minimalist of guitar noise. Hanger 84 is a drum and bass track that is easily up there with the classic Valley of the Shadows by Origin Unknown. It also acts as an indicator to the type of music that Pitchshifter were to produce on their next alum.

The final two tracks Whiteout and Phoenixology continue the guitar and hip-hop beat aggression of the earlier part of the album. Again the use of clever vocal samples and Clayden’s polemic lead lyrics rise them above he average. Phoenixology sums up the whole message of the album that of globalisation and the dehumanising nature of modern capitalist. Its mantra of ‘This Town could be anywhere’ sums up the concepts of homogenisation that Pitchshifter are challenging.

For all you budding bedroom musicians the CD finishes with a whole bunch of samples and loops used on the album. We are a nice touch and it’s always impressive to see a band making their music available in a more hands on form. Also if your lucky you may still be able to find a limited edition reissue of the album that came with a bonus disc of remixes and promo videos.

If you have recently discovered Pitchshifter, I whole heartily recommend it. It’s combination of caustic hip-hop beats and grinding guitars still sound fresh and innovative today. It’s just a shame that others have co-opted to style of this album and erased all the radical elements and left an empty husk. Infotainment? much just clock in over 30 minutes, but when something is as good as this, do you really need more?

Pitchshifter - Deviant

Label: MCA
Catologue Number: 112254-2
Format: CD
Date: 2000
Style: Nu Metal / Industrial Metal / Alternative Rock
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Let’s start with the obvious, Deviant is another Pitchshifer album, and like other Pitchshifter albums the band have changed their sound again. Where as previous albums have seen them go from grindcore to industrial metal to “punk and bass’. Deviant sees them go in another new direction mainstream alternative rock. www.pitchshifter.com was a stunning album; Deviant just leaves me stunned. It’s not that Deviant is a bad album, it’s still offers so much more than the bulk of alternative rock bands, it’s just the feeling that I know Pitchshifter are capable of producing much more interesting and innovative music.

Gone in the main is the electronic undercurrent of www.pitchshifter.com replaced by live drums and a lesser use of samples. The guitars also sound cleaner and lighter, with the normal punishing grind pushed out of the mix. Part of this change is partially due to the change in the membership of the band, with a new guitarist and a drummer bought in for the first time. This formula makes Deviant the most accessible release by Pitchshifter.

Pitchshifter have managed another transformation, which I initially was sceptical about, but recently going back and listening to Deviant again, I was actually pleasantly surprised. There are a few outstanding tracks from the attack on conformist society that is Dead Battery (a phrase used by the late great comedian Bill Hicks) to the sub www.pitchshifter.com track Hidden Agenda with its programmed breakbeats. Also credit most go to the track 'As seen on T.V 'featuring a long time hero of mine, Jello Biafra (ex Dead Kennedys). Where Mr Biafra gives another one of his observational rants, over a punishing track.

The other main factor than makes Deviant, a worthwhile is that Pitchshifter have lost none of their uncompromising political stance, again the various problems and failings of modern society. A necessary voice in an industry where your dance routine and your level of personal banality are the dominating factor. It’s just a shame that Pitchshifter fury against the modern condition is not always matched by fury of the music on Deviant.

The main question that Deviant leaves me is where no go from here. Will they succeed in their attempts to infiltrate and corrupt the mainstream, or end up as a slightly pissed off version of Feeder? Only time and Pitchshifter can give us the answer. (2007 Update: Well the answer was to come up with the even more commercial PSI album which failed to make the band any bigger and just pissed off their older fans even more).

Pitchshifter - www.Pitchshifter.com

Label: Geffen
Catologue Number: GED25163
Format: CD
Date: 1998
Style: Industrial Metal / Punk / Drum & Bass
Rating: 7/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

www.pitchshifter.com saw Pitchshifter once more undergo a metamorphosis in style. The chameleon abilities of the band may have always been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. From the grindcore sounds of Industrial and Submit via the post Ministry aggro rock of Desentized and Infotainment? Pitchshifter have never stayed stationary in their musical approach. With www.pitchshifter.com they moved in a direction more influenced by Drum and Bass and Punk, which another reviewer aptly named “Punk and Bass”.

This approach led to Pitchshifter creating a monster of an album, closer to the breakbeat guitar meltdown of Atari Teenage Riot than to the previous Industrial metal sound that they had been associated with. The guitars maintain the heavy grinding sound that is almost trademark Pitchshifter, but it what is going on beneath this where the real change has happened. Pitchshifter have always been interested in the rhythm of music, with JS Clayden saying that he was always more influenced by Public Enemy than bands such as Biohazard. On www.pitchshifter.com the beats are more in line with drum and bass and the prodigy, with programmed bass and beats speeding and twisting around the guitars. This is used to great effect on tracks like Microwaved and Please Sir.

The other instantly notable and welcome change on www.pitchshifter.com is JS Clayden’s vocals once they lurked in the realms of the death metal grunt. Now they have been replaced with a punky snarl, which fits comfortably with the change in musical approach. If anything they are actually make it easier to understand the diatribes and political polemic that Pitchshifter deal in.

Even though with www.pitchshifter.com, the band had signed to a major label, there is no end to their rage and fury against the injustices of modern capitalist society. A brave move in a climate where politics and music are both dominated by style over substance. Some people will argue that there is no place for politics in music, but we need bands like Pitchshifter not only for their musical explosions but also their uncompromising stance in a world where apathy has become a marketed lifestyle accessory.

Primal Scream - Riot City Blues

Label: Columbia
Catologue Number:82876831652
Format: CD
Date: 2006
Style: Indie Rock, The Rolling Stones
Rating: 0/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Dear oh dear oh me, another beautiful relationship comes to an end, just because one of those involved can’t escape making the mistakes of the past. Bobby G you have really fucked me over. You have made 2 of the best albums by a UK act over the last 10 years (Vanishing Point & Exterminator) as well as a third (Evil Heat) which had moments of genius, but instead of using this as a blue print to make something sonically majestic and powerful you decide to go back to the bad old days of Ivy Ivy and Rocks. Back to the days when you were a laughing stock, because of your feeble Stones pastiche which you resurrect here.

To say Riot City Blues is rotten is an understatement. It’s the worst album I’ve bought and heard it years. If I was by a new band it would still be a steaming heap of retro clichéd rock bollocks. The fact it’s been released by a band who have pushed the boundaries of rock music makes it worse. The Scream have recently claimed that they are the best rock band in the world and could play anything and make it rock. Sheez! Riot City Blues rocks about as much as the coma ward in my local hospital.

With its horrible honky tonk pianos, worn out blues riffs Riot City Blues sounds like one of those rotten jams that Jools Holland has on Later. As for the lyrics, Bobby G has always been a man challenging for the most rock n roll clichés in one album. He actually sings “there's no sun in the sky, no love in my life/ since I lost my baby.” Shit even Ian Astbury didn’t sink as low on Electric as the lyrical quagmire that is Riot City Blues.

The fact that this album has been praised in some quarters of the press highlights another unrelated problem I have. The UK music press is full of retro obsessive cunts whose mouths have been firmly attached to the cocks of Oasis and what ever unchallenging “Indie” band with attitude is thrown up by the even bigger cunts that run the record industry.

Any way back to Riot City Blues, maybe its because Kevin Shields has left the band (not a good excuse) or that Primal Scream are on the wrong drugs but the album is stillborn only worthy to be listened to cretins who don’t realise music has progressed since 1974.

My advice is to avoid it like the plague and hope someone gives Bobby G some drugs that kill the Stones addiction once and for all.

Photek - Solaris

Label: Science
Catologue Number: CDQED6
Format: CD
Date: 2000
Style: Breakbeat / Electro / Drum & Bass
Rating: 7/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Photek (alias Rupert Parkes) second album sees him making a giant move away from the dark mathematical drum and bass approach of his debut album ‘Modus Operandi’. Where as this previous work has seen Photek lurking in shadowy alleyways twisting and distorting noir jazz breaks into new forms, ‘Solaris’ sees Parkes striding into the sunny uplands. Everything from the sleeve art featuring blurred pictures of palm trees and airport terminals indicates that Parkes has escaped the lure of the dark side. However when an artist’s previous work has been touched by blackness it is very hard for them to fully pull away from such devilish delights. All this makes ‘Solaris’ a strange enigma of an album. Although it seems to be a million miles away from the urban decay and paranoia sonically created by Photek on his earlier work, ‘Solaris’ is still tainted by the musical demons that forged those releases. Underneath the veneer of clear blue skies and palm trees lies the darker side of holidays in the sun; the sunburn and the drink, drugs and heat induced paranoia. ‘Solaris’ could be seen as the dark psychotic yang to the euphoric yin bliss of the Ibiza dance floors.

‘Solaris’ conceptually begins with the arrival at our holiday destination with the track ‘Terminus’. The track is underpinned by huge echoing metallic hip-hop beats that sound like they were recorded in a steel foundry. The beats are soon met by the sound of sampled jet engines and heavily delayed, distorted synth washes and strange compressed and backwards dragged electronic effects. The over all effect of the song is that it is futuristically claustrophobic, perfectly fitting the sterile environments of the track title.

If ‘Terminus’ heralds our arrival then ‘Junk’ represents the discovery that all is not right in paradise. The track itself is carried on a sea of buzzing tripping beats and a heavily filtered 303 bass line. On top of this surfs a simple electronic motif and a repeated dubbed out sample of a cry of ‘Jah’. The song moves forward with a powerful electronic rush before crashing down and building again around the dirt encrusted bass.

Just when it seems that Photek has recorded his version of Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ as seen from the eyes of a madman trapped on a Mediterrian package holiday, things begin to lighten with the arrival of ‘Glamarama’ and a huge change in the direction of the album. ‘Glamarama’ is a minimalist techno track, dominated by a heavy clonk beat and a low end 303 bass pattern. Layered over this are echoed synth sweeps and a sample of a woman speaking Spanish. (As my foreign language skills are poor, I have no idea what she is saying). After the rush of the first two tracks ‘Glamarama’ comes over as a fairly uninspiring and ordinary.

The next two tracks see Photek maintain the more positive vibe and at the same time producing the most commercial and uninteresting tracks on the album. ‘Mine to give’ and ‘Can’t come down’ feature the smooth soulful vocals of Robert Owens. ‘Mine to give’ follows a tech house direction and is only really memorable for having a tuneful and deep bass line. ‘Can’t come down’ meanwhile sees Photek using a two step beat to create a song that comes over as very up and positive but at the same time is to saccharine and meaningless to hold any real interest. The lyrics are particularly cringeworthy and full of cliques. The perfect background music for a tacky holiday romance perhaps?

Just as you think that Photek has taken to many happy pills, the sky begins to darken again and the bleaker side of Photek begins to insert its influence. ‘Infinity’ begins with a rumble of dark synths and a lock groove vocal loop before another thick slice of deep filtered bass enters the mix. Hammering drum and bass beats that recall the Photek of ‘Modus Operandi’ quickly joins this brewing maelstrom. The only problem is that the storm of beats and bass falls to really go anywhere.

Next track ‘Solaris’ again fails to create any real movement and excitement. Photek again plays around with tech house beats, merging them with atmospheric ambient sound layers. However the track just drifts without any purpose or direction. To use the holiday analogy, this current trip has become trapped in a rut of the mundane, sitting in a seedy bar drinking weak lager and sangria as the rest of the world passes you by.

The rest of the album then moves into a more dark ambient direction where paranoia is your only holiday companion. It begins with the 45 second wash of ‘Aura’ all synth whirls and ghostly melodies. This leads into ‘Halogen’ where slow motion beats and a droning synths create a track that sounds like it represents a car crash caught in bullet time. Metal seems to strain and break as the sound of exploding glass punches the sonic backdrop. If a musical comparison can be made it would be to the urban dub decay of the Sabres of Paradise circa Haunted Dancehall.

The track ‘ Lost Blue Heaven’ hints at some kind of redemption, and in deed gives some break from the bleakness of ‘Halogen’. The song again takes a ambient approach as sci-fi synth waves blend again with the sound of jet engines and a dubbed out hip hop drums. The vocal talents of Simone Simone then float over the top of this mesh, producing something that is as glorious and gorgeous as it is chilled and chilling. A perfect track to drift away into sleep too.

The album then closes with the ironically named ‘Under the Palms’. Again the name conjures up images of a pastoral holiday resort, the music again is darkly ambient. A cold synth sound dominates the track rising and falling like black waves against a jagged shore. ‘Under the Palms’ reminds me heavily of the more structured atmospheric work of Coil or the dark ambience associated with the Cold Meat Industries label.

‘Solaris’ sees Photek pushing forward in new directions and producing an album that is varied in approaches. Some that work others that don’t. ‘Solaris’ would have been a stronger album if Parkes has dropped the attempts at a more commercial sound on ‘Mine to give’ and ‘Can’t come down’ and stuck with the power of the opening tracks ‘Terminus’ and ‘Junk’. However it will be interesting to see which way Parkes takes his Photek project next.

Orbital - The Altogether

Label: FFRR
Catologue Number: 8573877822
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Breakbeat / Electro / Techno
Rating: 6/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

There’s always been a part of me that’s respected the work of Orbital. From the cool futuristic techno rhythms to the great use of a wide range of samples (How many other bands could get away with sampling the Butthole Surfers, Crass and Scott Walker and do it with dignity). However there is also was a growing part of me that had begun to get bored of Orbital. The last two albums Insides and Middle of Nowhere had seen Orbital treading over familiar ground and not pushing their sound any further. Apart for a few tracks (The Box from Insides for example) Orbital seemed to have lost their magic and appeared to be bands who were stuck in a musical tar pit.

Many it’s because of blind loyalty or maybe down to have an insatiable appetite for consuming music that I decided to give Orbital another chance to impress. So with a degree of anxiety and caution I decided to buy The Altogether, expecting an album that was going to continue Orbital’s journey through the familiar with the odd flash of brilliance. However as seen as the album started to seep out of my speakers I immediately knew that Orbital had recorded The Altogether with a different approach in mind. Instead of heading towards a brighter future, they had decided to steal from the past to create a new hybrid of a sound, part 80’s Electro and one part 90’s big beat.

The Altogether begins with the excellent Tension; all Warp style twisted beats and a deep dirty buzzing bass line. These underlying rhythmical elements are soon joined by bursts of sampled guitars and chopped up vocal loops (the best being a rock n’ roll oom bam a bam sample). The track works exceedingly well and recalls a more up-tempo and aggravated Orb. The initial impact is too show that Orbital have moved away from the more pastoral sounds of their last two albums.

Next up is Funny Break, which was released, as single previous to the album release. Funny Break sounds closer to traditional Orbital than anything else on the album does, closest to classic tracks like Halcyon and The Girl with the sun in her hair. A bit of variation is added with the use of neat brass samples. Like classic Orbital it’s one of those songs that is great for drifting away to on a sunny day.

Orbital have always been a band for sampling the famous and the infamous. On the third track Oi! they use a sample of Ian Dury and the Blockheads as the centre piece of the track. The track begins with typical Orbital style beats before a nice fat 303 bass line kicks in. Add to this funky breaks and cheeky sampling of whistles and horns and Orbital manage to create a huge party choon. The song also shows the first knowing nod to Orbital’s musical heritage; with the song showing a great deal of influence from the late 80’s Electro funksters like the David Howard Singers and Stump.

Just as you think Orbital have hit a seam of brilliance, they lose the flow with the tacky and frankly outdated Pay Per View. Groaning sex samples and slap bass may have been all the range in the 80’s, but they just sound cheesy and overdone now. Pay Per view may try to sound sleazy, but ends up a premature ejaculation rather than a frenzied orgy of a track.

Orbital then try to redeem themselves with the Tool sampling cybermetal spasm that is Tootled. The song is all runaway beats and short bursts of mangled guitar. As an experiment in combing rock and techno it fails miserably and has me reaching for my Young Gods albums to hear how it should be done.

Things get back on form with Last Thing a track that manages to combine the better elements of Pay Per View with the more traditional Orbital sound. The track manages to blend female vocals with another phat squelching bass sound. It’s a good track than manages to pull The Altogether away from the pit of novelty it had nearly fallen into.

Right this is when I lose all my cred and admit total bias. You see Orbital have done of a cover of the best theme tune in the world ever. What is it? Doctor Who you fools that’s what. Yeah, Orbital have covered the classic BBC Radiophonics signature tune. Already a staple of their live show, Doctor Who is kept true to the original with a few techno elements added to the beats. Suddenly I’ am taken back to the Saturday evenings of my youth, were hiding behind the sofa from Daleks and Cybermen was the order of the day.

And if one Doctor Who influence is not enough, the next track Shadows is book ended by samples of Tom Baker (the best Doctor). The track itself consists of dark electronics and the favourite weapon of the post rocker the glockenspiel. The song then develops into a very cinematic number with urgent beats adding to the atmosphere of the track. It stands out as one of the true great tracks on the album, and sees Orbital clearly stepping away from their usual sound.

Waving not Drowning, sees Orbital using a variety of sounds to create an interesting track that recalls the better moments of Bentley Rhythm Ace. Samples of acoustic guitars, phone tones and fat 70’s synth sounds are mixed to create a very playful song that any sometimes sounds like a combination of Cowboy music and techno beats. More Midnight Cowboy than The Grid’s Swamp thing.

Just when things are looking up again, Orbital unleashes something than is cheesier than a fondue party in an Edam factory. The track in question is Illuminate, which features everyone’s current favourite MOR balladeer David Gray on vocals. The music in the track recalls the incidental music used in BBC educational programmes and sitcoms with Mr Gray’s syrupy vocals floating on top. The second time I listened to the track it was as bad as the first time, but the track feeds my mind with images of Level 42 jamming with Sting. Not a pretty sight.

An Orbital album wouldn’t be an Orbital album unless it contained one long epic of a song. The final track Meltdown firmly fits this bill. It begins with cybernetic chirps and bleeps, before the sound of breaking glass and the sound of typewriters are added. The track then covers a myriad of styles including Industrial dance, techno and experimental. Which all help to create a track which does actually sound like society is melting down into one homogeneous mass. Again Orbital prove than you can experiment with your sound without resorting to avant-guard retardism.

The Altogether is a brave step by Orbital to try to add some more colours their musical pallet. When it works it works well, when it doesn’t it slips into the world of 80’s embarrassment. The Altogether is also not as directly geared towards the dance floor as other albums and can probably be closest compared to Orbital’s debut album than any of Orbital’s album. It’s just a shame that the album is let down by the weakest tracks that Orbital have ever recorded.

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Label: Nothing
Catalogue Number: HALO09
Format: CD
Date: 1994
Style: Industrial Rock / Alternative Rock
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

With the release of The Downward Spiral, Nine Inch Nails really began to push at the boundaries of Industrial rock. Where Pretty Hate Machine had been held back by it’s influences, The Downward Spiral sees Trent Reznor break away from the gravitational pull of his peers and move in a innovative and ground breaking direction.

In some ways the song remains the same, Mr Self Destruct which kicks off the album could easily have appeared on the Broken mini album. It mixture of thrashing guitars and runaway drums fits in with what Nine Inch Nails had created before. However the Next track Piggy slows the pace down and breaks in quieter musical elements to the Nine Inch Nails sound.

From there onwards The Downward Spiral peels off into a spectrum of different styles and approaches. From the short blast of energy that is March of the Pigs (it’s piano breakdown still being one of those classic moments), to the dance floor cyber slam of Closer and Ruiner. Throw in the Birthday Party style stomp of Big Man with a Gun and the unnerving ambience of a Warm Place and you have an a diverse but balanced sound

While most attempts at creating a diverse sound by many bands, sees them dropping the proverbial banana skin, Nine Inch nails successfully manage the task with great aplomb. Sure most of the music is painted in shades of black, but it maintains a balance, which makes the album a riveting listen from start to end. The contrasts between the tracks acting like the ebbing tides of the ocean.

A criticism, which I will hold against Trent Reznor, is that he is not one of the great lyricists. Closer and its dubious lyrics still make me cringe ever time I hear it. Tie this in with the Manson (Charles not Marilyn) obsession and it seems that Mr Reznor is not often out to shock, which might work in the Mid Western American Bible belt, but to the more cultured European ear is just comes across as crass and infantile.

If you can forgive the lyrics (I know I can) and you will find a deeply rich tapestry of sounds and ideas verging on the dark side of music, but at the same time acting as a guiding light in a world of mediocrity. The Downward Spiral is the album that finally proved that Trent Reznor was a man with a unique and masterful understanding of music rather than being another player in a crowded marketplace.

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

Label: Island
Catologue Number: ILPS9973
Format: LP
Date: 1989
Style: Industrial / EBM / Synthpop
Rating: 5/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Pretty Hate Machine was seen by many critics as a major breakthrough in rock music, with its blend of electronics and rock aesthetics. It also made Trent Reznor a household name and dragged Industrial music form its underground ghetto into the bright lights of the mainstream. Pretty Hate Machine may be seen by many as a radical step into new musical territories, however for those who know their musical history, Pretty Hate Machine was in the main a imitation of other less successful and innovative bands.

Musically Pretty Hate Machine is not a bad album. It’s combination of synthetic beats and bass with more obvious rock dynamics is extremely well executed by Mr Reznor. The problem for me is that I can too easily hear the influence of other bands in the majority of the tracks on the album. A criticism, which can be, levelled at many bands first releases and Nine Inch Nails like so many others fail to escape this trap.

The album begins with the alternative disco favourite ‘Head Like a Hole’ The song takes it's structure from the Al Jourgensen school of cyberpunk thrash. All slamming electronic beats and slashing guitars as Mr Reznor sings a hymn to domination and the work ethic. ‘Head Like a Hole’ transparently comes across as a Ministry/Revco hybrid with a side dish of extra-added angst added. It however lacks the dark humour and tongue in cheek attitude associated with Al Jourgensen and his band of merry delinquents. It however still rates as one of the classic early Nine Inch Nail tracks

The rest of the album consists of a mixed bag of down tempo synth ballads and more aggressive dance floor numbers. Down In It, Sin and Ringfinger are some of the other more up-tempo bass heavy tracks. All show a major influence of the Electronic Body Music style of the late 1980's popularised by the Wax Trax record label. The influence of bands like Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and Skinny Puppy undercuts these tracks.

On ‘Sin’ the heavily sequenced bass lines could have been directly lifted form Nitzer Ebb's Belief album. Whilst ‘Down In it’ is merely a aggressive pop reworking of Skinny Puppy’s ‘Dig It’ a fact that Mr Reznor has fully acknowledged. ‘Ringfinger’ is helped along with a dollop of funk and a Jane’s Addiction sample and moves in a brisk agitated manner.

The other overriding influence for me is that of Depeche Mode many of the tracks recalling the dark synthpop of Black Celebration and Music For the Masses. Tracks like ‘Sanctified’ and ‘Terrible Lie’ take the Mode template and leads in down seedy back allies. Unlike The Mode, Nine Inch Nails dwell in the realms of angst and despair rather than the highlands of redemption that The Mode offer.

‘Something I can never have’ touches on a more reflective sound. The track is also more Gothic in its pronunciation, and offers a welcome rest bite from the over familiar electronic rhythm patterns and the air of disillusioned love that haunts the majority of the other tracks on the album.

Maybe it's because I can see these influence of other bands throughout Pretty Hate Machine, that it never had the impact on me as it did on other people. Trent Reznor may had made his name and moved Industrial music into the mainstream with Pretty Hate Machine but for me it was done by taking the elements of other bands music and reforming them into a more palatable form. The strange thing is unlike other bands Trent Reznor pushed the later Nine Inch Nails material into a less mainstream direct. The following albums saw Mr Reznor begin to create his own sound and identify and every album since Pretty Hate Machine has been a massive step forward in terms of originality and song writing.

Pretty Hate Machine was a sum of second hard parts ever so slightly remoulded into a more accessible form. The legacy of Pretty Hate Machine is one that saw many bands attempting to sound like Nine Inch Nails circa this album. A weird scenario where many acts ended up sounding like a pale imitation of a band that was initially shadowing the works of others. It’s only a shame that some of the bands that Mr Reznor was influenced by never received the critical and financial success that Nine Inch Nails have enjoyed.

Nine Inch Nails - Further Down The Spiral

Label: Nothing
Catologue Number: HALO10
Format: CD
Date: 1995
Style: Industrial Rock/ Electronica
Rating: 7/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Further down the Spiral is the remix companion of The Downward Spiral. Like the Fixed album of Broken remixes, the songs are treated with a sonic sledgehammer by a selection of artists including members of Nine Inch Nails, Jim Thirwell (aka Foetus), Coil and rather surprisingly the Aphex Twin.

With the array of talent on board, you just know that this is going to be a startling album. The fact that the remixers have been given a free reign also means that some of the album sounds incredibly different to The Downward Spiral. Apart from a live version of Hurt and the remains of lyrics the musical similarities between the bulk of the two albums is incredibly small.

First up is a remix of Piggy by Rick Rubin which turns the song into a more trashy number with a constant techno pulse and break beat behind it. This is one of the remixes that sounds closest to what is expected of Nine Inch Nails.

The song that receives the most remix attention is Mr Self Destruct, which appears as three versions as self destruction all remixes are take the original's cyber thrash and add more layers of sound, The Art of self destruction slows the song down into an experimental ambient noise before metamorphosing into a massive wall of sound at the finale. However it is the final Jim Thirwell remix that really stands out, stripping the track down to it's rhythm and twisting the guitars and vocals around this twitching beat.

For me the best remixes are those by Coil and the Aphex Twin. Coil take the track the Downward Spiral and make it sound like it's been recorded underwater and in space at the same time. The synths are glacial cool and a trance like feeling dominates the remix. The Aphex Twin on the other hand takes the track at the Heart of it all and produces a sinister low groan of a remix, where eerie horns meet a steam hammer drum sound, creating a track that is dark and sinister.

Further down the Spiral proves again that Trent Reznor knows which remixers to bring in. The remixers all bring out different elements to the Nine Inch Nails sound and prove that the art of remixing is not just about slapping a cheesy disco beat under a vocal track. Next time someone argues that all remixes suck, just point them in the direction of any of the Nine Inch Nails remix albums are prove them wrong.

Nadja - Radiance of Shadows

Label: Alien8 Recordings
Catologue Number: ALIENCD72
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Post Rock / Post Metal / Noise
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Just when you thing that the whole post rock / metal quiet loud thing has become old rope a band comes along that pushes things to the outer limits of that genre. That band is Nadja, the project of Aiden Baker. Radiance of Shadows is the third release by the band this year and is the most monstrous release so far.

Firstly it’s monstrous in its length. Three tracks fill the 79 minutes of the album, but this is no voyage into prog meandering or conceptual ambience. This is secondly because the album is monstrous in its sound. Where as most post metal starts gentle and builds into something louder, Nadja’s ambience is that of noise. Feedback drones, buzzing amps. Then it builds and builds like a jumbo jet taking off inside you head and then plummeting into the ground.

However Nadja aren’t a noise for nose sake band. There is subtlety and beauty amongst the sonic eruptions. Just when you think you are going to be overwhelmed, Nadja manages to bring you back from the brink of chaos just to push you to the limits once more.

If there is a criticism of Radiance of Shadows it is that at 79 minutes it’s can be overbearing especially for the casual listener. Nadja are probably best experienced by the novice by listening to the shorter and more direct Guilted by the Sun. However those wishing to push the musical limits and experience Nadja at full blast then Radiance of Shadows is the album to get. Just don’t expect any niceties or any apologises.