Various - Influence 1.1: A Hardtrance Experience (Original TC Review)

Cleopatra: 1994

(2013 Update:
This was something of a turning point review for yours truly, in that I figured out how to detail a whole pile of music without resorting to the ol' track-by-track method. It wasn't the first time I did it, mind, nor would I totally shake the habit for a number of months later, but at least the result here was far more concise and easier to read. I really could write an informative review under 1,000 words! When you compare it to the hideous bloat I wrote about the other Influence Records compilations, it's night and day in quality.

Kinda crazy to consider most of the music here's now twenty years old. I wonder if it's the same feeling our parents had when they realized their hard 'dance' music (metal! punk!) had reached the two-decade mark. Does this mean we should be on the lookout for hard acid trance's version of Green Day soon?)


IN BRIEF: The start of Influence.

(2013 Edit: removed a pair of paragraphs that are no longer relevant)

So. Influence Records. The beginning. The was yet another of the many sub-labels of Talla 2XLC’s Music Research label. The main goal of this one was to provide an output for the burgeoning hard techno and trance sound spawned from the earliest hardcore days, a grittier edge to satisfy those growing tired of the goofier slant hardcore was being infected with. With Music Research’s goth and industrial background handy (sub-label Zoth Ommog), it was a tidy little marriage for a while.

Mind, it wasn’t all hard music in the early 90s. Influence also did some traditional trancers (traditional as in loopy, hypnotic stuff, kids), although most of which didn’t garner as much notice as the aggressive material. This compilation gives us a tantalizing taste of Influence’s various sounds from ‘92-‘94, all arranged in a decent little narrative to keep the diversity fresh (Cleopatra/Hypnotic were always great at this facet of their compilations).

Since the hard techno was the initial Influence output, let’s take a look at those tracks first, starting with the debut Influence release, Swamp from Influid. It’s grimy, abrasive, and noisy, with distorted, out-of-tune synths forming what could be construed as a hook. It ain’t pretty, but then what swamp is? Besides, Influid keeps the noises constantly shifting and tweaked with effects, a pretty nifty trick for hard techno in ‘92, though perhaps a bit dated today.

The track by Distortion is pretty similar in this regard, and you can definitely pick out the beginnings of full-out hardcore in Milk; although cruising along at a decent pace, the drum kicks are thick with resonance. When the song allows just the rhythm to get funky, their pummeling power is potent. Full Spectrum by Probe is effective with its aggressive rhythms as well, their rapid pace complementing the choking, mechanical soundscapes to be had within the track. The Postman’s Elysium plays ‘nice’ though, giving us a distorted hook for us to get into while his rhythms thrash away.

When not relying on abrasive noises, some Influence tracks went with the always reliable acid tweakage. Pain from Vene has some big hardcore beats, but the acid workout to be had eats the best offerings from Hardfloor any day. The amusingly titled track from Marble Cybos lays the acid on fiercer, although an accompanying ominous hook and dodgy quality of the track kind of dilutes its effect. For some reason, Fucked By A Vibrator sounds horribly flat. Did someone forget to master it, or was this just a crummy transfer? Who knows at this point.

As for the trancers, there are two types to be found on this compilation: spacey, minimal loop-fests, and brisk, upbeat melodic numbers. The latter are both produced by Reel X, and quite the classics as far as German trance is concerned. As for the former, the two cuts form Norman Fellar (as Phasis and with DJ Ufuk as Surface) have his stamp all over them: they both start out fairly unassuming with loops that don’t sound like much. However, as these tracks progress, the layers of loops that come and go draw you in regardless. The foreboding atmosphere of them in particular should be a nice bonus for those who like their trance sinister.

The two remaining tracks I’ve yet to mention, Unit 99 and Lighten Up, are also of the typical trance variety, and are probably some of my favorites from this time. Yeah, yeah, I’m always going on about how great trance was before the supersaws, breakdowns, plinky pianos, and so on, but when you listen to these two, their simplicity in sound truly is far more hypnotic. Gradual subtlety, spacey pads, and slight hooks: what more can an old trance fan ask for?

Well, consistent quality on a compilation I suppose. Despite the diversity on Influence 1.1, it really is all over the map with the types of music you hear. You’ll be cruising along nicely to a mellow trancer, only to be thrust into a distorted assault of techno without warning. Also, a number of these tracks really are starting to show their age, and their effectiveness as dancefloor weapons are probably going to have to rely more on nostalgia when played against current offerings of hard techno.

Still, as an archive of where this music stood in its beginnings, Influence 1.1 can be quite the fascinating listening experience. Times may have moved on, but it’s still fun to indulge in the past every so often.

Nas - Illmatic

Columbia: 1994

The only Nas album you’re supposed to have, even if you’re not much of a Nas fan. That’s what everyone will tell you, and given his storied career, that’s some incredible praise to be had for Illmatic. So like any good hip-hop head, you go and get the CD or vinyl (no MP3 cheating, son!), throw it on, and think, “Yeah, this some good shit, back when hip-hop was best. Lovin’ those Eastcoast beats. Damn fine lyrics, Nas. This truly is illmatic and- what, it’s already done? That’s it!?”

‘Tis true, one of the most essential hip-hop albums of the ‘90s is also one of the shortest, clocking in at under forty minutes of your time, including a near two minute intro. And once It Ain’t Hard To Tell fades off, you’re left hanging, hungry for more. Illmatic’s almost calculated in its succinctness, building hype for the next release with just a teaser, a taste of what Mr. Nasir Jones could bring to the table (as if live freestyles around New York weren’t already enough). Most rappers these days have to generate such hype by way of the mixtape circuit, and here’s Nas doing it as a proper debut.

I can’t say it’s worked for me, though, as Nas in general hasn’t interested me much beyond respecting nods on the tracks I’ve heard him guest-verse. This is going to sound totally lame on my part, but even though ol’ Nasir’s main strength’s long been considered his lyrics, he has a voice and flow I find boring and un-dynamic. Just because his style is more a storyteller than a hype man doesn’t mean he couldn’t show more enthusiasm. Maybe his albums have him showing more passion, but if Illmatic is considered his best, I’m kind of doubting it, as he exhibits the same flow here as I’ve heard everywhere else.

Whatever. I’m a twat for thinking this way about Nas, but along with the laid-back jazzy vibes this album holds, his flow is appropriate. I couldn’t think those piano loops on The World Of Yours, organ licks on Memory Lane, xylophone plinks of One Love, or mix-up of everything in N.Y. State Of Mind working any better if Nas was shouting a bunch over them. There’s definitely urgency in his voice as he narrates his tales – street hustling, recollections of youth, or prophesying the future; the topics covered are generally what you’d expect of Eastcoast rap – so he will keep your attention. It’s just, damn, them backing tracks are mint. Dealing drugs, are ya’ (One Time 4 Your Mind)? That’s nice, Nas, but let me focus on that dope bassline some more. Yeah, that’s the stuff.

Okay, this review’s been lacking, I admit it. Illmatic deserves its classic status, but I’m the last person to tell you since I’m just parroting the narrative. To give a more informed opinion of it, I’d have to digest ten more of Nas' albums. And, well… yeah.

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

EMI Music Canada: 1994

The Beastie Boys had been in the music business nearly a decade by the time Ill Communication hit the streets, utterly thriving in the world of hip-hop where a three-piece whiteboy posse should have miserably failed. Still, ten years is more than enough time for the rap game to see change, and much had in their region: Eastcoast-Westcoast rivalries heating up, gangsta rap emerging as the new hotness, and fresh New York-based upstarts like Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and Notorious B.I.G. challenging the old guard. And what's with this DJ Premier guy, sampling all these jazzy loops as a counter to the g-funk of the left side of America? Well shit, son, the Beasties are actual musicians. If that’s the way things are going, why not forget drum machines and raiding the past for samples? Start making your own original jams. Ain't no one doing that in hip-hop, is there? (Guru, but whatever)

And that’s what they did done. Throughout this album, you get funky Big Apple jazz licks galore, nearly a third of which are pure instrumentals. What is this, a blaxploitation soundtrack? Nah, guy, but it’s definitely a throw-back of sorts to the music the Boys undoubtedly grew up surrounded by in the ‘70s. The cheesy cop caper video for Sabotage was hardly a one-off fancy on their part; rather, part of a larger whole that is the homage to that era.

The Beastie Boys don’t let the b-boy antics fall by the wayside though. Root Down, Sure Shot, Freak Freak, and Alright Hear This find them as sharp as ever, with beats – whether sampled or played live by Mike D – keeping the boom-bap ever fresh. The star, however, has to be Get It Together featuring Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, a perfect meeting ground of old and (then) new Eastcoast hip-hop. The Boys were clued into what was shaking up within the Five Boroughs, even if their music didn’t always reflect it.

Yet, with all these positives, Ill Communication tends to get overlooked when discussion of Beastie Boys albums comes up. About all most folks know of it is that Sabotage is the big tune (wedged between Root Down and Get It Together no less, for an excellent string of tracks!), which is unfortunate but understandable. As the Beasties had entered that ‘experimental’ stage most long-running music groups go through, there’s ample genres indulged in here. Second track Tough Guy is a pure punk freakout, and while Sabotage oozes thrash rock too, going that far off the hip-hop road must of turned some heads away. Or what about the Bhudda chant funk-jam fusion of Shambala, delved even further in follow-up Bodhisattva Vow? Who do the Beasties think they are, Banco de Gaia? Darn Tibeten muses.

As such, the musical explorations renders Ill Communication somewhat lower on the “Repeated Play-Through” totem for most. It’s still an essential part of any fan’s collection though, so if you haven’t done got on this yet, then go get her done.

ICE MC - Ice' N' Green

Polytel: 1994/1995

I had no idea this Canadian cover for ICE MC's third full-length effort was so unique. I've looked everywhere online for an image of it, yet all I keep finding is the standard 'blue cover'. Maybe I just happened across a rare alternate version, but I recall only ever seeing the 'green cover' in shops around my neck of the woods. It's not like North American covers of other European acts are difficult to find either, but when even the almighty Lord Discogs draws blank (until now!), I have to wonder what's going on. Was ICE MC just not popular enough on this side of the Atlantic for anyone to bother uploading this cover?

That's doubtful. While euro dance in general may not have been the commercial juggernaut current EDM is, it still saw healthy market share on store shelves and radio play, especially here in Canada. ICE MC, one of the hottest acts overseas in '94, was no less in demand here. Hell, I recall seeing cassette tapes of this album in gas stations! When you're sharing rack space with the likes of Shania Twain and Bryan Adams, you must be doing something right on the commercial end of things.

Us Canuckians got more than a new cover (one that made better sense, no less). Ice' n' Green's entire tracklist was re-arranged, spreading the hits out for stronger album flow rather than front-loading everything. Also, as we didn't get this until a year later, an updated remix of Take Away the Colour was added (it's almost German trance!), plus two mega-mixes! Holy cow, if you couldn't get enough of Think About The Way, It's A Rainy Day, and Take Away The Colour, you'll be more than sated by album's end.

Wait, perhaps I should get some background details of ICE MC sorted. First emerging from the hip-house scene behind the tutelage of Italian mega-producer Robyx, Mr. Campbell's early career was respectable enough but hardly anything to write home about. Somewhere along the way, however, the two realized they could have super-hits by jumping on the euro dance bandwagon, but not without some changes. ICE began incorporating more and more dancehall lyricism into his persona, even going so far as to grow dreads and adopting other Rastafarian traits. No longer coming off as some generic rapper, his personality shone through, especially as ragga raps were all the rage in euro dance.

It also didn't hurt that Robyx' productions skills seemingly peaked around this point, every tune on Ice' n' Green memorable in that mid-'90s euro sort of way (having one Alexa belting the choruses didn't hurt either). The Big Three still hold up, the knock-off fillers are charming in their own right (except for Run Fa Cover ...bleh), and stabs at hip-hop (Funkin' Wit You), 'euro' garage (!?), and even world beat (Afrikan Buzz) help give Ice' n' Green a solid assortment of cheesy-fun dance tuneage.

Now, if I could only understand half the words ICE MC's saying.

Sven Väth - Harlequin - The Beauty And The Beast

Warner Bros. Records: 1994

Sven Väth is Sven Väth, a very important- wait, I did that joke for him already. Then let’s get right to it for this mega-maxi CD of Harlequin – The Beauty And The Beast. As the lead single to his sophomore effort, The Harlequin, The Robot And The Ballet-Dancer, there was quite the bit of expectation going in. An Accident In Paradise was hailed as a early classic of the emerging German take on techno (trance!), even with some of the odder sonic doodles hampering the album’s overall flow. Could Sven capture the same magic he and Hildenbeutel crafted with Ritual Of Life, Caravan Of Emotions, and L’Esperanza?

Not with a convoluted title like Harlequin – The Beauty And The Beast. What is that even supposed to mean? I realize The Harlequin, The Robot, And The Ballet-Dancer had something of concept going on, but the title is horribly clumsy. Not to mention just glancing at it along with the so-very ‘90s CGI cover art undoubtedly had some wondering if Sven had gone all prog rock on them. The music may be perfectly fine, but man does the presentation do it no favors.

In the end, the track with the longest title was picked for the lead single, annoying any scribes setting out to review it. It’s a decent enough tune, in that early Teutonic techno sort of way. Skitchy backing synths, a lead that’s easy enough to get hooked on, and some nods to goa trance that was catching on elsewheres in clubland (although the Club Mix is about where you’ll hear most of it, what with over ten minutes to work with).

Remixes then. Since this was intended to be Sven’s hot new single, there’s a pile of them. Underworld’s take on Harlequin – The blahblahblah works the group’s classic cool groove into a twelve minute excursion that plays to all of progressive house’s ‘back-in-the-day’ strengths, never feeling as long as it actually is. And as the original owed some sonic nods to psy, Total Eclipse offers a proper goa spin on the tune. C.J. Bolland’s also here, beefing up the beats if you like your techno hard and bangin’. And finally, Pascal F.E.O.S. gives us a remix that’s a little more bare and acidy.

No, wait, that’s not ‘finally’, if you got this American version of the single. All those other remixes, they’re just too Euro, man. What this tune needs is some proper, deep, funky garage-house from the likes of Murk. In fact, forget whatever the original sounded like, let’s get Marck Michel on the microphone, giving Harlequin – DamnitI’mnottypingitanymore more soul than those Germans could hope to craft. And you know what? This ‘remix’ is so good on its own, let’s have four versions of the same bumping, muscular vibes. ‘Cause that’s the ’merica way of doin’ things, boy.

Quite a diverse collection of remixes then, but unfortunately overstuffed, leaving the finished product a middling affair. Too many utterances of “the beauty and the beast” methinks.

Pantera - Far Beyond Driven

EastWest Records America: 1994

Whoa, when I said I was glad to be done with psy dub for a while, I didn't think I'd be going this far off the chakra path so soon! It’s quite a turnaround in tone from just a few CDs ago. Awesome!

Pantera’s one of those metal bands I seldom paid attention to when they were active, but should Metal Mike throw some on, I found my head nodding approvingly (sorry, never was much of a mosher; it don't jive with my rave-flailin'). As pioneers of the sub-sub-genre “groove metal”, it's little surprise my dance music trained ears would find some kinship with them. Those chugging bass lines and heavy rhythm guitar action… it’s the perfect meeting ground between thrash metal of the ‘80s and death metal of the ‘90s, with less of the technical wankery of the former, and less of the stupid of the latter. Well, as far as my limited metal knowledge is concerned anyway.

Far Beyond Driven marks the end of what many fans consider the Holy Trinity of Pantera albums, including Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display Of Power (is there any album cover more fucking metal than Vulgar?). Those first two had the distinction of breaking the band out of obscurity and securing their niche within the metal collective, but by ’94 that scene was going through plenty of changes, not to mention many bands had co-opted the bands style. If there was any time to make a stand, it was with this album. I’m assuming they succeeded if Far Beyond Driven’s held in just as high of regard.

Yeah, don’t go expecting brilliant analysis from this review. As I’ve said before, my enjoyment of a metal full-length only goes so far as how long I’m willing to put up with it. To be fair, I’ve come across plenty of such releases that do the trick, but if you want more intricate details regarding Far Beyond Driven, maybe check out Metal Reviews, or Metal Underground, or Angry Metal Guy, or… look, there’s plenty of proper metal review websites.

Anyhow, I like this album; or at least, it keeps my attention for the duration. Pantera expertly switch things up between all-out thrash and sludge-chug groove, such that I can’t even tell when songs stop and start unless there’s a studio fade-out. I seldom have a clue what sing-shouter Phil Anselmo’s going on about, and nor do I really care as “Dimebag” Darrell’s kick-ass guitar work almost always gets the spotlight. And those occasional nods to metal of old are also welcome changes of pace, including a cover of Black Sabbath tune Planet Caravan. D’aw, they can be mellow too.

Y’know, if the rest of Pantera’s discography is as solid as Far Beyond Driven, I should give it all a listen. Hm, the band’s been around since the early ‘80s. Didn’t realize that. What’s their first few albums sound like?

Oh my God! Aaahh…!!! *dies from spandex and hair spray*

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Nothing Records: 1994

One of ...oh, who knows number of industrial albums you're supposed to have, even if you're not a fan of industrial music. I've barely scratched the surface of that scene, so there may be at least two dozen releases the discerning rivethead will point you to. The Downward Spiral, however, received critical acclaim across the rags, properly exposing the rock world to the world of industrial ...again (oh, how the originators were forgotten because of EBM). All hail Reznor, then, for bringing respect back to the industrial scene! ...for a few years anyway.

Man, what the hell am I supposed to say about this one? I've only just recently heard this album in full, although I'm familiar with the big hits like Closer, Hurt, and March Of The Pigs. The fact it's taken me this long to check out an album that's hailed as a classic of the 90s – of any genre – leaves me soundly kicking myself. It even falls into my sphere of musical interests, being electronic and all. Yeah, there's thrashing metal and other elements of rock throughout, but that shouldn't have shied me away from it. I liked The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers, after all, and Trent Reznor's a far better producer and musician than either of those acts.

I have only the music industry to blame. 1994 was still reeling from the loss of their current rock poster child, Kurt Cobain, and left scrounging for another Next Big Thing. Instead of scouring for potential new stars in other scenes, they stuck things out with grunge, hoping acts like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, or, if you were Canadian, Our Lady Peace would be the next Nirvana. Or hey, how about that Brit-wave thing, with Oasis and Blur maybe rescuing rock from post-grunge doldrums! Oh please, anything but industrial, where only weird computer hackers enjoy it. They are the only ones that enjoy it, right?

After all, who could like this? Okay, so The Downward Spiral has some amazing production going on; an incredible attention to all the little details, yet keeping things smoothly flowing as each song progresses. If Reznor’s a good musician then, why can’t he make something more radio friendly? All that choking industrial distortion, creepy sound effects, eerie ambient passages, counter-pointed acoustic melodies, and shout-singing that sounds as though the machinery of society is holding all his angst back - that no matter how much he tries to make his voice heard, it will forever come through only in a digitized, garbled mess of noise. Geez, none of that can be played on any respectable airwave. Maybe that “fuck you like an animal” song, if he cleans up the language.

So thus, The Downward Spiral was initially relegated to the fringes, where yours truly never noticed it until the momentum it caused for industrial rock made it impossible to ignore. Would I have liked it had I heard it the year it came out? Hell no, I had ‘techno’! *kick, kick*

Pet Shop Boys - Disco 2

EMI Records: 1994

The whole of Pet Shop Boys’ discography seldom struck my fancy, but I cannot deny they’re responsible for some of the all-time greatest synth-pop hooks in existence. So seeing this little CD sitting in a used shop, my interest was certainly drawn - all the wonderful choruses of the Boys, given the remix treatment by some of the best in the early 90s business. “Like who?” asks you. “Like these,” says me. Rollo! Jam & Spoon! Junior Vasquez! David Morales! Farley & Heller! Coconut 1! Wait, who? Oh never mind. This should be good fun, right? Right!? Haha …ha!

The idea for Disco 2 was fine. Euro-dance was at its club culture peak, and the Pet Shop Boys had long enjoyed a comfortable relationship with DJs rinsing out remixes of their hits. It only made sense to try re-capturing the creative spark that made the first Disco album a success. The difference with that one, however, was it was more tightly controlled, with less remixers - not to mention dance music wasn’t quite so diverse in ’86. Even someone with passing familiarity with early 90s dance should realize quite a gulf had emerged between American house and euro trance. The Pet Shop Boys may have tied everything together, but the disparity between all these remixes is wide indeed.

That’s not such a big deal though. Plenty of remix albums are like that, and they’ve never- Wait, this is a DJ set too? Oh my… that can’t be good, can it? Danny Rampling was assigned the thankless task and does what he can with the material provided, but this mix is a mess. Ugly crossfade slams, tracks that abruptly end, and a bizarre arrangement hobble Disco 2’s package.

Most of these cuts were singles from the ‘93 album Very. The house remixes are a fine way to start, with Go West’s rub standing out from the pack. E Smoove, however, practically destroys Liberation, sounding like any ol’ Strictly Rhythm release rather than a Pet Shop Boys single. Vasquez and Jam & Spoon do serviceable remixes of Yesterday, but you’ve heard better from them too.

The only real highlight is Rollo and Rob Dougan’s remix of Absolutely Fabulous, probably intended as the highlight since the silly outfits the Boys wore for the video is featured on Disco 2’s cover. The original was a one-off charity single tied to a British sitcom of the same name, relegating this remix’s appearance here as the only ‘album’ exposure it got. It’s gloriously over-the-top and something of a precursor to the club anthems Rollo would be churning out with Faithless shortly after. I mean, that twitchy hook! It’s… it’s… absolutely fabulous! Perfect ‘reach for the lasers’ material.

Does Absolutely Fabulous make Disco 2 worth the price of admission? Hell no, as it’s horribly botched within the mix, abruptly cut out near the final peak. Get that as a single instead. In fact, get all of these tracks as singles if you can. This CD’s a turkey.

Pete Namlook - The Definitive Ambient Collection: Volume 2

Rising High Records: 1994

Pete Namlook’s discography remains a daunting one to dive into, thanks in no small part to the deliberate scarcity of his early work. Story goes he never intended his Fax+ releases to attain any level of commercial success, pressing limited runs of 1,000 whenever he invited someone over for a jam session in his studio and leaving it at that. It strikes me as a crafty entrepreneurial tactic within the ambient scene at large, all these limited run releases. Few things make tangible items more alluring than rarity.

Musically, one must consistently deliver for hard copy hunters to willingly lay down that extra cash, and Namlook’s output featured a plethora of classics and gems for early 90s ambient and techno enthusiasts. There was also a lot of middling dross, in that he and his collaborators seldom had specific visions in mind beyond broad ideas. Much of their output comes across like jazz for ambient heads: plenty of ingenuity and enjoyment for the die-hard, but noodly wank for anyone else.

Rising High Records did most of the UK legwork for Fax+ distribution, several releases appearing on assorted albums and compilations. Namlook was assigned the task of gathering leftovers into these Definitive Ambient comps, which doesn't make these terribly definitive, does it.

Though lacking any of the true Namlook classics, this second volume does feature some of his more memorable projects: Silence (with Dr. Atmo), Dreamfish (with Mixmaster Morris), Escape (Dr. Atmo again), Sequential (with DJ Criss), and Hearts Of Space (with Pascal F.E.O.S.), plus his solo work as Air. Not a bad roster, but the track selection's wonky, ultra-long pieces interspersed with short sonic doodles. Confounding the listening experience is, despite Namlook's presence throughout, there's little similarity between these collaborations, thus the flow's bizarre.

Case in point: the 22-minute long Garden Of Dreams, sitting at the third position, and surrounded by three musically unrelated tracks not even reaching the same length in total. The track itself is incredibly New Age, relying on soft crystalline pads and voices for half its run time before meditative percussion emerges. Despite its ambient nature, it leaves you exhausted, and you forget there's still over half a CD to go through. Saturn Cruises, just two tracks later and fifteen minutes long, leaves you in a similar state, though I can vibe on its slow space acid groove much better (plus, anything involving Saturn’s fucking awesome!). Fishology's position at the end is much better for a long track, capping the album off with fun bleepy ambient techno. Such behemoths unfortunately render nearly everything else forgettable, even though tracks like Duane Sky and 1st Impression are fine tunes.

This is far from a classic compilation, most of these cuts available on the original albums from which they were culled. Even the Pete Namlook ‘mix’ isn’t much of a hook, very little blending occurring between tracks. Get it if you find it cheap, but the odds of that happening are low.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Creepin On Ah Come Up

Ruthless Records: 1994

Just when I thought I was out of the 'C's, I get pulled back in. I'd actually hoped to cover this in proper order but circumstances dictated otherwise. While doing the two Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Collections, I realized an oversight on my part: a lack of owning their classic debut EP Creepin' On Ah Come Up, primarily due to never seeing much point in getting it when a pair of its songs already appeared on The Collection, Vol. 1. It became one of many, many releases filed under my “Get If Have Ample Disposable Income” list. Fast forward, and I have ample disposable income. May as well get on filling in some blanks, right? Shame Vancouver now sucks for music shopping, so yay Amazon, but boo waiting on delivery.

Even in my 'meh, rap, whatever' years, I was familiar with Creepin'. This and Bone Thugs' proper debut full-length E. 1999 Eternal were quite popular in the town I spent most of my teenage/young adult life, regularly selling out at the electronics store I worked at. I think this one sold better, on account it was the cheaper of the two so even the poorest of teens could buy it. I know I heard it at some point, but it never sunk in for me then, probably because Creepin' sounded too typical of West Coast thug rap for my untrained ears to appreciate. Man, was I ever ignorant to hip-hop then.

The two classics from this are Thuggish Ruggish Bone and Foe Tha Love Of $, which I already talked about. Rounding things out are two (yes, two!) intros, the proper first that Eazy-E and Yella produced, and the second Mr. Ouija, where the group makes their presence felt. Given the group’s known melodic harmonies, the occult themes surrounding these two are surprising. In fact, this whole EP lacks the gentle tones of later work, instead keeping things raw and aggressive while maintaining their cohesion as a tight ensemble (guess they’d yet to be swept away in calming weed bliss).

The other three cuts are No Surrender, Down Foe My Thang, and the titular Creepin’. No Surrender probably could have been included on all those ‘best of’ releases, but since it’s similar to Thuggish Ruggish Bone, I can see why it wasn’t; still, kick-ass talkbox action to be had there. Grittier Down Foe My Thang and the titular Creepin’ are strong tracks too, but strictly album orientated material. For a mini-album as strong as this one though, that’s hardly a bad thing.

If you’re ready to take the Bone Thugs plunge beyond their Collections, this likely isn’t the best place to start; rather, try the platinum edition of E. 1999 Eternal which includes Creepin’ as a bonus disc. As for myself, I wanted to get this separate because it makes my CD collection look bigger. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT A GUY WITH A BIG CD COLLECTION, AMIRITE!?

(he ain’t shit compared to the guy with the big vinyl collection.)

The Higher Intelligence Agency - Colourform (Original TC Review)

Waveform Records:1994

(2012 Update:
I wrote this over five years ago now. At the time, I figured Mr. Bird's brand of dubby electro-ambient was all we'd ever hear from that particular sound. Lo and behold, there's been a minor resurgence of it in recent years, the most notable I've noticed being ASC's occasional dabblings. Mind, none of these producers quite capture The H.I.A.'s quirkiness, but at least there's some attempt to keep the sound alive. More please!)


IN BRIEF: A different sort of downtempo.

Once, long long ago (well, maybe just one ‘long’, but it sounds more dramatic this way, eh?), ambient music with a house or techno rhythm underneath was all the fashionable rage. Compilations filled the EDM market with a mature take on dance music, offering a soundtrack for when the raving ‘mah’sive’ needed to unwind. Many producers were given the green light to show off their creative mellow side without alienating their core audience. In short, it was a good time to be a fan of downtempo.

But that was in the past, and a good chunk of what was considered groundbreaking concept music hasn’t stood the test of time too well. Looking back, it sometimes comes off rather self-indulgent and directionless. However, there are those who’s work sounded so alien to everything else, even their noodly excursions can grip your imagination.

Bobby Bird’s ambient project The Higher Intelligence Agency was formed around the Oscillate Sound System, a collective of music producers and promoters with an affinity for those downtempo techno sounds of the early 90s. The H.I.A.’s profile grew in prominence as word of these events spread, and Bird's tracks were even held in the same regard as Aphex Twin, The Orb, and The Future Sound Of London. Unfortunately, a lack of promotion after the initial ‘ambient dub’ surge relegated him to the underground. And although he’s cropped up in collaborations with similar space ambient names like Pete Namlook and Biosphere, finding new material with the H.I.A. tag has grown increasingly difficult. And now it seems getting his old material is tough as well.

The album you are reading a review on is H.I.A.’s debut, and appears to be out of print now. Being no longer available from its initial label Beyond isn’t surprising though, as it’s been defunct for some time now (although its legacy certainly persists to this day). However, it is quite surprising to see Colourform no longer available on Waveform Records, its American distributor. In fact, it’s the only release that’s ever been deleted from their catalogue, probably due to some sort of legal complication holding it up in limbo. Although this wasn't a terribly rare album at the time, its age has caused a slight inflation of its price through eBay. The question, then, is whether fans of ambient techno should spring those extra few bucks for this release should they be in the market for it.

Frankly, that can depend entirely on how serious you take this kind of music. Although Bird does ambient music as well as anyone, he also has a tendency to allow a quirky sense of humor into his works.

Probably most apparent of this is the breakout track Ketamine Entity. Throughout the entire track is a silly 808 bassline that bobbles about; it does drop in a few some wonderfully thunderous booms as well, but still lends the track to a goofy tone. Throw in tongue-in-cheek spoken dialogue (“This is from the Higher Intelligence; We have concealed the vital evidence; Of the reasons for your existence") and chirpy bleeps and bloops in the background, and you have an ‘anthem’ that’ll make you giggle. That’s probably the most extreme example though. Other tracks like Delta and Speedlearn, while lighthearted, aren’t quite as thick on the stoner humor.

There are those who take their ambient music very seriously though, and have no interest in such tomfoolery. Fortunately for such folks, most of the tracks on Colourform tend to stick to ambient’s strength: easy-going, unassuming, and quite calming. The middle section of the album dwells on such themes, where flowing pads, subtle melodies, and hypnotizing loops glide on gentle rhythms. Of course, this all sounds like any kind of typical ambient, so what makes The H.I.A. noteworthy? Aside from the odd vocal sample, all of Bird’s arrangements rely on the most synthetic of sounds. Most chill music, especially these days, attempts to keep an organic texture in their atmosphere; it keeps us feeling human in our moments of downtime. Bird thought differently though, figuring even the most cold-hearted sounds of technology could bring us the same feelings. And tracks like Influx, Conoid Tone, and Orange make a strong argument in his favor.

A couple of other tracks round out this album with something a little more uptempo, and while they bring interesting variations on the H.I.A. sound, you can tell such tracks really weren’t Bird’s strength. Opener Spectral sounds just like that, an opener putting most of his eggs into the same basket: it has all the trademark synthetic texturing that you’ll come to expect on Colourform, but with a tighter arrangement than the wandering tracks you’ll encounter later in the album. Meanwhile, Re-Echo is Bird’s go at more traditional techno. It’s quite good for what it is, with nifty trancey sounds and bubbling acid; however, it’s not really that different from what you’d hear from any number of similar acts of the era: H.I.A.’s uniqueness is noticeably absent here.

That overall uniqueness, though, is what makes Colourform the intriguing album that it is. There really isn’t much out there that sounds like H.I.A., and despite some of the patchiness on here, this is still a recommended release. One can hope we’ll eventually see a re-issue, but even at slightly inflated eBay prices, fans of ambient techno will be satisfied with Colourform.

Various - Club Europa (Original TC Review)

Quality Music: 1994

(2012 Update:
So this was going to happen eventually, coming across something I've already written a review for in my alphabetical listening order. Like those other old TranceCritic reviews, I'll just repost them here with an 'Update' paragraph.

To be honest though, there's not much to update - my thoughts on an 18 year old compilation isn't going to change much in a few years. It's interesting to note, however, that electronic music is currently seeing a commercial push that definitely exceeds that of the euro-dance era. Not that I'm surprised, as most current dance-pop reminds me of euro-dance, save production quality ...and the unfortunate loss of galloping rhythms.)

IN BRIEF: Typical.

These Random Reviews can be cruel sometimes, as it might expose material in our collections that we may be a little embarrassed to own. There certainly are a couple choices since TC’s inception that I’ve nearly shirked from doing, but I am wholly committed to honoring the rules of this unique feature we offer (for those just joining us, a Random Review is quite literally picked randomly from our personal music archives; I personally just close my eyes and reach out for one). I suppose one could argue if I don’t really care for such releases anymore, why do I still own it? Well, once you start a serious music collection, it’s very difficult to part with anything, even if you only pull it out to listen once every few years anymore. Humans: aka The Illogical Pack-Rat.

We all have to start somewhere, though, and for many North Americans first discovering electronic music, euro-dance from the early 90s was their catalyst. Simply put, the stuff was everywhere, promoted to a degree electronic music has seldom seen since. Mainstream radio stations had dedicated programs, music channels had regular hours showcasing videos, and it certainly was accessible for all to enjoy at safe gatherings like weddings, sports events, and high-school dances (unlike that questionable ‘rave’ music where people want to do, like, drugs, and stuff, heh). It also didn’t hurt that the music had some of the best pop-hooks ever written for electronic music in the post-italo era. A glance at the tracklist above will undoubtedly bring the choruses to songs like Get-A-Way and Go Go (Love Overload) rushing back into the heads of anyone who was within earshot of them fifteen years ago.

So, yeah, ridicule if you want that I still have something like this in my collection. I take no shame in occasionally enjoying the musical equivalent of Paxil, especially when the 21st Century variety of euro-dance is utter crap.

That bit of bloggy confessional said, Club Europa honestly isn’t that remarkable of a compilation.

Fact of the matter is there were tons of dance compilations at the time of its release, and many of the big hits on here could be found on countless other CDs. Get-A-Way, Let The Beat Control Your Body, The Key, The Secret, Go Go, Piece Of My Heart, Take A Freefall - all saw regular compilation rotation in Canada alone. A smattering of minor hits essentially rounds out the rest (Face II Face’s I Want You being the best of the lot), most of which is standard euro-dance fare: buzzy synth riffs, a chick singing on the chorus, a silly rap verse or two... Ultimately, Club Europa is a worthy used-shop pick-up if you’re missing a few key songs for your collection, but hardly essential.

With the critical analysis out of the way, now for some fun. It’s time to play Amazing Euro Trivia!

Sometimes one of the fun things when looking back at these old compilations is to see where a lot of the names ended up and who was often ghost-writing in the studios. For instance, 2 Unlimited producers Phil Wilde and Peter Bauwens were behind C.B. Milton, a singer who had quite a powerful soulful delivery considering he was performing dance-pop. Tatjana, who’s Feels Good introduced the former model to the world of euro (and would go on to have the hit Santa Maria), continues to release albums to this day. Most surprising is the inclusion of Eartha Kitt, a legend in the world of film, cabaret, and Batman; here, her disco hit Where Is My Man? is given a rather bog-standard euro spin, but her unique singing/purr is just as memorable as ever. And of course, dedicated happy hardcore fanatics should be aware of Q-Tex and their Power Of Love (presented here in what might be daftly described as ‘epic-euro’).

Perhaps one of the few things that does make Club Europa a little more distinct from your run-of-the-mill euro compilation is the inclusion of so many releases from Abfarht Records. Seekers of old-school house are probably quite aware of that collective’s classic moody single Alone (It’s Me), but Torsten Fenslau, Jens Zimmerman, and Nosie Katzmann would go on to produce several euro-dance hits before Fenslau was prematurely killed in a car accident. Their most famous, of course, was Culture Beat’s Mr. Vain, but Piece Of My Heart and River saw some decent chart action as well. Unfortunately, some of their other material offered here - The Sunny Side Of Life and Kim Sanders’ Tell Me That You Want Me - just don’t hold up well at all.

And I guess that wraps up this Random. Not really much here, to be honest. Club Europa is about as straight-forward a euro compilation from the mid-90s as you’re about to find in your used shops. I can’t give it a high recommendation since it doesn’t offer anything terribly unique, but euro fans will probably still enjoy it if they happen to have a couple extra bucks burning a hole in their pocket.

As for these Randoms, hopefully the next one will be better. Maybe I’ll pull that two-CD Platipus Records compilation next time. Worryingly, though, I know I have a Trance Voice lurking about somewhere too...

Nine Inch Nails - Closer

Island Records: 1994

Also known as that “fuck you like an animal” song. In fact, I think it’s all anyone knows about this song. Well, except for the opening kick-snare, which immediately alerts people that the “fuck you like an animal” song is starting.

And no, I didn’t go back on my word from the last review. This is electronic music. Nearly all industrial music is to a degree. However, because it’s primarily the rock scene that latched onto the sound, it's often overlooked when considering the whole of electronic music’s heritage. There’s more to it than that, of course, but I’ll get into it when I’ve an album more appropriate.

Meanwhile, let’s talk Nine Inch Nails. Or, maybe you can tell me more? Truth is I’ve barely given Trent Reznor’s band notice over the years. What I heard, I thought was cool (especially that “fuck you like an animal” song everyone was playing!) but my bed was firmly in the ‘techno’ camps back when NIN was blowing up, and my limited purchasing power reflected that. Fortunately, now that I have disposable income, I can go back and rediscover that which I foolishly bypassed. Or, in this case, gather up friends’ CD collections whenever they’re looking to offload them.

As a single, Closer is an odd one. Apparently it was released as a double-digi pack, but with only one CD within, the second of which had to be purchased at a later date. Guess that’s one way to test fanbase loyalty, and I’d be astounded if anyone could pull it off now.

Of the two CDs, there isn't much difference in terms of tone. The first has the version of Closer everyone’s familiar with even to this day (“Hey, Bro! It’s that ‘fuck you like an animal’ song!”), a funky Jack Dangers remix that almost sounds like what a Lenny Kravitz cover would end up as, and various other industrial-metal, noise, and sonic experimental cuts scattered about the rest. The second CD mostly reworks other songs from The Downward Spiral, the main highlight being an awesome EBM-thrash version of Closer called Closer To God. Compared to the first CD, these cuts are a nice break from hearing Reznor constantly telling me he wants to fuck me like an animal (wait, huh?).

Overall, this is a solid single for fans of 90s industrial - the ironic-fascist, angst driven, cyberpunk sort. If you’re just looking for the “fuck you like an animal” song though, best stick with the simply titled track Closer .

Maxx - No More (I Can't Stand it) (Original TC Review)

Quality Music: Cat. # QCDS 7062
Released 1994

Track List:
1. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Airplay Mix) (3:44)
2. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Club Mix) (6:09)
3. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Overworked Mix) (4:28)
4. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Welcome To The Terrordome Mix) (5:32)
5. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Paradise Garage Mix) (5:33)
6. No More (I Can’t Stand It) (Mr. Gee’s Mix) (4:54)


(2010 Update:
I really don't know what it is, but every time spring rolls around, I get very, very fond of euro dance again. Must have something to do with all that sunshine coming back and stuff. Even this year I found myself pulling out all my old euro compilations at the beginning of March. I actually intended to have an honorary March Euro Review every year, but when a number of those CDs in my collection kept cropping up in Random Reviews, I saw little point in doing so.

I still don't know who "Hands Of Fate" are either...)


IN BRIEF: No no, no, no-no no... Oh, wait, wrong song.

Around this time last year I went on a euro dance kick and reviewed every 2 Unlimited single I own. In honor of that bit of zaniness, I’ve decided to do the same with every Maxx single I own.

Um... this is it. Don’t go breathing a sigh of relief all at once.

Really, Maxx only had two hits: No More and Get-A-Way. They might have had more but, like so many euro acts, only managed a single album before folding. Reasons for this remain a mystery.

Catching the peak of euro dance just as it was about to begin its slide, Maxx managed to stick out from the crowd with two main ingredients: ‘tinny’ production and a ragga rapper who was white (German specifically I hear). The latter was a quirky gimmick, probably done to catch some of the momentum of white ragga rappers Snow popularized, but really not the group’s calling card. Rather, the former of these attributes was a strange gimmick considering just how polished most euro was sounding in ‘94. Maxx, however, had a hollow, flat sound, allowing their fuzzy basslines to generate the momentum. It was pretty unique at the time, and would go on to be copied a great deal. Personally, I feel that sound kind of ruined the old euro style, as producers saw Maxx’s success as a way to cut corners and get away with flat rhythms. However, this group managed to pull it off on the strength of their melodies.

While Get-A-Way was the breakout, No More was a worthy follow-up and contains all the charm you’d expect from old euro. The bassline’s simple and effective, practically carrying the whole track since the main hook, a tuneless, bleepy thing, doesn’t quite have the muscle to stand out. And, as with all of the best euro, the chorus sung by Linda Meek is super catchy, never growing annoying. Even after six variations of No More on this single, the chorus never lost its charm. Plenty of additional elements - ranging from synths, strings, pianos, and assorted sounds - pad the song’s duration, remaining well in the background as to merely complement the main features.

Four remixes come on this single, most of which offer a variation of No More’s format to appeal to different crowds.

The Overworked Mix takes No More into more typical euro territory. With softer, stuttery synths carrying the lead, the bassline is relegated to support status instead. Everything plays out as before, although the rap is more audible.

Welcome To The Terrordome Mix attempts to give No More an edge with aggressive rhythms and a hook that sounds like sirens, and is even more tuneless than the original hook. Besides that, it’s the same song. Does it succeed in making No More edgier, though? Well, compared to most euro, sure, but the gabber kids would be laughing their asses off should they have heard this.

Probably the most intriguing mix on this single is the Paradise Garage Mix. Much like many of the tunes being played in that club around this time, the mix goes into more trancey territory with dreamy, airy melodies and backing arpeggios. Interspersed throughout the mix are low acid burbles that help generate some extra rhythmic momentum. By no means a classic, I could still see this mix finding its way into an old trance set as a worthy complement to the heavier hitters. The remix credits for this point to “Hands Of Fate”, and yes, they actually have quotations. Considering there’s no record of such a name other than this single, I wouldn’t be surprised if this mix was done by a prominent trance producer of the time, but decided to hide behind an untraceable psuedonym. It’d be interesting to find out who it was.

And finally, we have Mr. Gee’s Mix. Who is Mr. Gee? I don’t know. This is also the only place I’ve seen the name crop up, but since his remix isn’t all that interesting, I’m not too anxious to find out. It’s pretty much the same song, but with his own style thrown in. Two words: circus music.
That wraps up this review. If you are a fan of that classic euro style, this is still a worthy addition. Of course, that time is long since past. So, unless you’re an adamant collector of this kind of music, the only thing of extra interest would be the Paradise Garage Mix, as the other remixes stick to the original’s template far too much to warrant any non-fan’s attention.

Score: 6/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.

Institute Of Frequency & Optical Research - Subspace Messages (Original TC Review)

Jump Cut Records: Cat. # cutupcd006 

Released 1994 

 

Track List: 

1. Subsonic Carrier Wave (23:00) 

2. Lightspeed Re-Entry (7:38) 

3. The Billion Dollar Conspiracy (8:41) 

4. Spaceport Evac (7:51) 

5. The Aliens Made Me Do It (10:36) 

6. Destruct Sequence Eco (11:05) 

7. Transfer Interface (8:07) 

(2010 Update: My second Random Review, and future whipping boy for many future reviews. Anytime I needed an example of how a release shouldn't sound, I just referred to this album. Probably ended up giving it more attention than it ever deserved.) 

IN BRIEF: Mastering can be your friend. 

With a name like Institute Of Frequency & Optical Research (or I.F.O.R. from here on out), you'll probably have some alarm bells ringing on your Pretentious Detector. Indeed, quite often producers or groups that take on long winded monikers with such egg-headed words like 'institute' or 'future' or 'radiophonic' tend to make serious conceptual music that only highbrow tech-heads seem to comprehend. Chart toppers are usually furthest from their minds, even if a few happen to squeak in every so often. 

This is actually interesting stuff at times, though. After all, I'm sure radio astronomers, quantum physicists, and Mir residents need background music too as they unlock the secrets of the cosmos. Heck, it was such technicians that started this whole electronic music thing in the first place. Chances are they'll still be making it as music for their elevators to the moon even as human society crumbles around them in the coming Apocalypse, clinging onto the last remnants of technology while the rest of us are forced to beat each other up with big rocks for little scraps of radioactive blades of grass. Well, maybe not, but you get the idea. 

This form of astro-physicist ambience grew quite popular amongst chill rooms during the mid-90s, finding a pleasant equilibrium with the trance and techno of the time. A great number of acts came and went (probably Pete Namlook the most prominent of the bunch) but very seldom made an impact on the more mainstream audiences. It was just far too weird sounding for most folks to latch onto, which probably suited the ardent fans of it fine. Why should lowbrow commoners be privileged to listen to the sounds of the future, after all? Hnn... bunch of stuck up- 

While I.F.O.R.'s music somewhat falls into this category, the duo don't. Comprised of DJ Decline and VJ Freewind, they were more known for doing a live music (frequency) and video (optical) show, melding the two to allow visual and audio stimulation on the senses. It's a presentation format I quite enjoy myself but, to be honest, has little to do with this release in particular. While details are sketchy over a decade since this release, Subspace Messages seems to be a collection of tracks used in their shows. The inlay is filled with all sorts of sci-fi computerizd pictures that are probably part of their show, but I can only speculate what I.F.O.R. actually did for their visuals. Instead, I'll just have to go by the music on hand here. 

Opener Subsonic Carrier Wave starts out with some distorted radio chatter -really distorted, in fact, as I can actually hear the sound clipping. It didn't garner my attention for a bit, though, as many producers like to use this trick as a quirky effect. However, as layers of sounds are gradually brought in, I came to an ugly realization: the clipping is a result of poor mastering. This becomes very apparent as the song carries on. Drum loops and samples are quite muffled while eerie pads and a bassline are incredibly overbearing. Nothing here sounds EQ'd properly. It's either too loud, causing clipping distortion, or too quiet, getting drowned out in the process. 

How on earth did such a bad master get by? If this was a live recording, I could possibly see why the sound would be muffled, but I couldn't find any indication it is. As far as I can tell, this was how the source material came, and the studio just transferred it to the CD like this. 

But let's ignore production gripes for a moment. If things had been properly EQ'd, would Subsonic Carrier Wave be a good track? Hardly at all, I'm afraid. At twenty-three minutes in length, there just isn't enough going on to maintain our interest for such a long time. The closest thing coming to any kind of hook is some repeating radio chatter going "We have a problem at 1000 degrees. Um, come again?" It melds quite nicely with the rhythm but the novelty of it runs out by the halfway mark since nothing else is done with it. 

In fact, that's the main problem with this whole track. Even with the bad mastering, if the song was decent there'd still be some enjoyment out of it. Instead, it just sounds like a couple of guys fiddling with two different drum loops, two different pad sounds, one bass loop, a few different samples and effects, and recording it using a tape recorder mic for twenty-three minutes. Maybe this would make more sense with a video playing along, but not for a CD album. 

As we move on from the tedious first track, the good news is the songs do get more intuitive. Lightspeed Re-Entry has more going on in its 'short' seven and a half minutes than the last behemoth. Brisk, electro breakbeats, chirpy acid getting an excellent pitch workout, and gentle pads make up the bulk, while additional effects and sounds work to provide minute melodies during the bridges. The bad news is the mastering is still whacked. The acid and rhythms drown out a lot of the other elements. If it weren't for the sparseness of those two features, you'd have a difficult time noticing anything else. In addition, the overall quality of sounds is kind of hollow. Well, at least it's better than muddy. 

The music quality gets better on The Billion Dollar Conspiracy, a kind of tweaky acid breakbeat track with samples and effects moving in time to the rhythm. Cool stuff but it's a shame the production doesn't do it justice. Things still get drowned out and distorted but at least this one isn't as tedious to listen to as the previous two. I really do wish the mastering were better, though. Then I might have been able to hear all the details of that opening bit of dialogue concerning the infamous Face on Mars. 

Moving on past the muddy acid-and-808 chug-a-lug borefest that is Spaceport Evac, we come across a pair of noodly ambient pieces that, really, aren't all that bad. As far as these kinds of soundscape tracks go, the minute twinkling melodies of The Aliens Made Me Do It, sprightly sounds of Destruct Sequence Eco, and clever use of speech samples and spacey pads on both make for some engaging, if at times indulgent, music. Oh, the production problems still persist, but they aren't as glaring here, if anything because less attention has been paid to the rhythms on these two tracks. It was always the percussion and bass that was causing the problems before. Without much attention paid to those elements here, things don't sound as bad. 

Destruct Sequence Eco would have been a nice track to end the album on but I.F.O.R. have one more trick up their sleeve: an actual properly mastered track! No, not really. Transfer Interface is pretty much a moody bit of acidy ambient techno with one feature that will grab your attention right from the start. Freewind makes no secret of his love of Star Trek: The Next Generation, giving a shout-out to the crew in his respects liner notes. There's been some speaking samples about that may or may not be from Star Trek, but the opening bit of technobabble being described in Transfer Interface most certainly is. Heck, I even know the exact episode that it... er, not that I am a big trekkie myself, that is. Um, moving on. 

Now, don't let the very low score be totally misleading. There's been some interesting stuff on offer here as I.F.O.R.'s talent at making acidy ambience does come through on occasion. Unfortunately, there's far too much needless meandering in some tracks and crummy mastering in all of them to make Subspace Messages all that engaging. 

Yeah, I'm still bitching about the mastering. I'm sorry, but it is just unacceptable in any official release within the last thirty-five years, no matter how small your label may be. I've heard tinny, I've heard mono, I've heard scratchy, and I've heard muffled, but that's bearable within reason. However, when you have to deal with unintentional bass clips ad naseum throughout a release, it can put you off in an instant. It just sounds horribly amateurish and whether it's I.F.O.R. or Jump Cut that are responsible, I can only deride them for such apparent lack of professionalism when bedroom kiddies with Fruity Loops can make more polished sounding music. 

Score: 3/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

The Aliens Made Me Do It 

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.© All rights reserved.

2 Unlimited - No One (Original TC Review)

Quality Music & Video: Cat. # QCDS 7073
Released 1994

Track List:
1. No One (Radio Edit) (3:27)
2. No One (Unlimited RMX Extended) (5:27)
3. No One (X-Out Remix) (6:19)
4. No One (X-Out In Dub Remix) (5:45)
5. No One (Doc Baron Mix) (6:58)
6. No One (The It Goes Underground) (6:36)

(2010 Update:
So it isn't The It, but rather some group called The Allen Street Crew taking on Larry Heard's moniker. Still an unremarkable remix though. Stick to the originals.)

IN BRIEF: Euro gets thoughtful.

2 Unlimited were on top of the euro house movement at the time of this release. Oh, sure, there were a number of one hit wonders floating about in '94 that have created more enduring tracks through time, but none had managed to string together more than a couple hit singles. No One was 2 Unlimited's eleventh in a row and, despite a stark contrast to their earlier hits, the quality of their pop dance music had not diminished one bit.

Leaving behind the more abrasive sounds of their ravey beginnings, producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster seemed to embrace the commercial aspects of euro music to remain relevant in the exploding scene. Thus, this single has a remarkably polished feel to it. The rhythm casually bobs along rather than energizes you and the main riff is barely noticeable, instead allowing the lyrics to carry the song.

And lyrically, this is probably some of 2 Unlimited’s best work. No anthem-like chants by Ray to urge the crowd on with this one. Rather, he is given three verses (normally he only has two) to provide some fairly introspective words. With Anita adding a gentle chorus rather than her usual belting voice, the tone of No One is quite pleasant. I can see why this one was one of the more popular radio hits at the time.

The Unlimited RMX provides the original with a more bouncy rhythm to make it more dancefloor friendly and adds a new riff to the fray to give it some driving energy. However, it is essentially the same song throughout. Even the added fills of Ray and Anitas typical, ah, MCing ('"C'mon, c'mon!", "Yeah-ya!", and so on) don't dilute from the overall pleasant atmosphere of No One.

Andy 'X-Out' Janssens gives the song some thick rhythms to move it along more effectively in his remixes (the dub is practically identical, just with a few less vocal fills). Complementing the heavy bass is, um, a triangle? Hmm, well, the use of a light piece of percussion amongst so many deeper elements does work, I suppose. He also makes use of his own added riff to supplement the main one, although it isn't nearly as catchy.

The last two remixes offered here are also quite similar in structure, which isn't too surprising considering they were both from artists on the old (garage house legend) David Morales label, 80 Proof Music; the first is done by Doc Baron, a name I'm not really familiar with. Stripping things down to the groove, only one line of Anita's chorus is retained and looped throughout as a thick, low-BPM, skittery beat chugs along with a simple old house riff. One of those classic high-octave string notes gets thrown in at points as well and we have a track that is very different than the original.

The second 80 Proof remix of No One is done by The It. Wait a moment... Not The It, as in (another house legend) Larry Heard; aka Mr. Fingers? How about that, eh? As for this remix, it could very well be just a dub version of the Doc Baron Remix, as it places even more emphasis on the thick rhythms and fades back most of the more melodic elements of the remix (of which were quite few to begin with anyways). It's interesting to listen to, and probably highly effective as a transitional track in the deepest of deep house sets, but those looking for something more akin to the original version will undoubtedly be turned off.

In fact, for a single that was quite popular for the radio, I'm surprised none of these remixes were really able to do much with No One aside from giving the song heavier, thicker rhythms. I suppose the lack of any driving big melodies didn't give the remixers much to work with. Such is the price 2 Unlimited had to pay for making a thoughtful song into a chart topper, it seems.

Score: 6/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.