Under The Influence

We were having a dinner party the other night and I had a mix on that I've been wanting one of my very well educated electro mates to hear for years. This track came on and those of us who had heard the mix before all agreed that it's one of the great moments of the mix. Said well educated Person identified it instantly as Hale Bopp (something of an old track as it turns out).

There are a number of phases that build and build during the track. It's the moment right at 1:43 where everything pulls together and it really kicks off. It's interesting how subtle the changes are throughout but somehow they give the whole thing a great momentum. Thanks to Gabriel and Dresden for throwing this on to their essential mix a few years back (and top work to the man that identified it). The rest of their album is downloading right at this moment.

Not writing about classical much I'm not sure how to credit it. Really, the Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Jean-Jacques Kantorow are covering Arvo Pärt here. Performed by a different artist this work could sound quite different. Anywho, it's a lovely addition to my collection.

Rather mathematical - there's actually a full rundown of the formula for Fratres. It's a fantastic piece. Close to a lot of this electronica stuff in it's construction - subtly changing looped patterns. Kind of dark and menacing but not exactly, not exactly dissonant either but somehow teetering on the edge of something. Maybe it uses those twisted ninth intervals that Trent Reznor is so keen on. Sure is a nice thing to sit down and close your eyes to.

This is Kool Keith right? Or is it MF Doom? Are the same thing? Or is that Dr. Doom? I'm in confusing territory.

I like it anyhow. I like filthy low synth bass. Earth People smacks of dirty club nights.

He's gone for a whole medical theme with this one (I guess that's probably the idea with this Dr. alias). There are some wicked bit of scratching on here. A Visit To The Gynecologyst ends with a fantastic little scratch solo. The following song, Bear Witness (a rather Public Enemy like affair), has some wicked scratch work going on too for that matter.

This is the kind of hip-hop that intellectual hip-hop heads like. Crazy to think this is ten years old. The rapping is really not so different from what the likes of Murs and Atmosphere are doing these days. I'm probably still mixed up... it's probably all the same guy.

There's a very good reason these guys won a Mercury prize for their work back in the 90s. It's because they were innovative - they made DnB good (along with Goldie of course). It still sounds relatively fresh. I can pick this album up at any time and enjoy it straight away. It works on so many levels.

The beats are nice and clean. They have room to breath - unlike most the crap the genre is spitting out these days (it's not all about trying the rattle the speakers guys). I mean - just look at the moment that rich dark double bass drops (1:54 in) on 'Brown Paper Bag'. Simple and clean but with so much impact.

I actually get a tad angry thinking about it. With such great examples aspire to why did DnB go so wrong? I take refuge in the fact that this album, and songs like Heros and Watching Windows, will be around forever for people to get re-inspired by.