Photek - Form & Function

Virgin: 1998

I guess this was the only, non-single item left in Photek's early discography I'd yet to nab. Granted, it wasn't terribly high on my 'must-have' list, the very odds-n-sods nature of it all. New music from Mr. Parkes seems mostly at an end though, save the occasional collab' and some score work. Which is fine, the Photek legacy well earned and deserved to rest on a bed of laurels. If I want to hear more of that vintage drumfunk sound, there's plenty of new cats more than willing and able to pick up where Rupert once led. Still, that lingering OCD of mine, itching to at least complete the Photek set, such as it is. Sure, I'll grab Form & Function, should I spot it for a dime in some Discogs Seller collection.

Unfortunately, there's no getting around the 'hodgepodge' nature of this compilation. When you round up a bunch of remixes and b-sides, it's difficult enough sorting them into a consistent flow. Never mind the fact this was coming off Modus Operandi, an album that, while perhaps a little vacuous overall, at least had an identity to itself front to back. Though hardly justified, comparisons are inevitable, Form & Function forever saddled with the big brother that is Photek's debut.

That albatross sorted, let's dig into what we do get with this CD. Separated by two halves, the first deals with the remixes, the second rare stuff. Your mileage will probably vary whether you want to hear classic Photek or other people having their way with his tunes (“why not both?” asks the little Mexican junglist girl).

Funny enough, the first remix featured on Form & Function comes from Photek himself, a little modernizing of his early single of The Seven Samurai. The original is included among the latter tracks, so you can hear for yourself Mr. Parkes' evolution. Like, from the jump, you can hear how he was finding ways to manipulate the tech-step sinister sound into something even twitchier, though his drum programming was still reliant on a few tear-out moments. Not so for the remix, stripping things even further so you can really feel that bass resonance filling in all the empty space between the drums.

Anyhow, enough of that, here's some remixes from Digital, Decoder & Peshay, and Doc Scott. They all take Photek's sound into more familiar DnB territory: standard tech-step, a little jazzstep, and, erm, jump-up, respectively. Seriously, it's almost funny hearing the Doc try to force the most critically ridiculed jungle genre of its era into the most critically lauded. That said, I rather like J Majik's go with UFO, adding some nifty sci-fi synths that would have fit perfectly with other Modus Operandi tracks.

And the remaining Photek tracks? A little heady (Knitevision), a little funky (Santiago), a little atmospheric (Rings Around Saturn), a little classic (The Water Margin). A solid assortment, proving Parkes could mix things up. Man, the album needed some of these...

Q-Burns Abstract Message - Feng Shui

Astralwerks: 1998

Michael Donaldson's project always felt bigger than it actually turned out. Maybe it's because his early tracks were appearing on several noteworthy labels via compilations and mixes, FFRR the most prominent of the lot. Also showing up on OM Records, Wall Of Sound, and even Mo Wax (kinda') didn't hurt in selling Q-Burns Abstract Message as an artist with an ear to the ground with what was hip and shakin'. However, he was seldom ever tidily pigeon-holed into any particular scene. Was he acid jazz? Trip-hop? Dubby breaks? Big beat? Balearic chill? A bit of everything, really, and coming up in a time when an eclectic style at least got you noticed.

Q-Burns got his proper break with Astralwerks, consolidating his wayward tracks onto a 'debut' comp' called Oeuvre. Oh my, doesn't that come off just a tad pretentious. If so, then titling his proper debut Feng Shui won't help. I get it though, this being the late '90s, and alternate interior design all the hipster hype. Yes, let's use Far East spiritualism as a guiding principle in how to arrange wall shelves. I jest, some practical use in 'feeling' how one's living environment should flow just so. Titling an album upon it though...

Actually, it makes sense, his music rather free-flowing in of itself. In fact, I can't help suspect Mr. Donaldson was reigning himself in. The sort of artist brimming with ideas, fully capable of crafting pieces exploring them, but also realizing not everyone would be down for an ultra expressionist outing for a debut. Gotta' lure in folks with traditional dance tunes, hook them in with the familiar, then throw them for a loop when you go off on a little key-change solo two-thirds deep.

That's the general approach to Feng Shui, but obviously each cut offers something different from the other. Opener He's A Skull does the big, funky breaks thing with a quirky vocal sample. Follow-up Solar Car goes even funkier in a Euro-hop, skippity sort of way. Jennifer gets on that chill-out vibe by way of French pop getting so very popular at the time (thanks, AIR). Some tracks are more catered to showing ear-wormy contorted sounds or samples (New Patterns, the titular cut). Others are just an excuse for him to jam things out (A.S.T., Talking Box). And in case you did come to a Q-Burns album looking for more of the acid jazz vibes, Kinda Picky and There Must Be Something have you covered.

It all sounds like a solid record (and I really dig his bass tones in several tracks), so why isn't Feng Shui brought up in talks of Very Important 'Electronica' albums of the '90s? Honestly, I think things are played almost too safe. It's a good album, but the decade was spoiled for great albums, good ones gaining fans who find them, but few of the plaudits that entrench it within the lingering scene consciousness. Which kinda' sums up the Q-Burns Abstract Message story in a nutshell.

Jonny L - Magnetic

XL Recordings: 1998

I didn't know Jonny L had a second album after Sawtooth. Heck, I didn't know he had the first one either, but I assumed as much. With so many choice tunes floating about his '90s discography - Treading, Piper, I Let U, Tychonic Cycle - it only made sense he'd consolidate them into an LP. Unfortunately, I only discovered Magnetic existed after adding Sawtooth to my Discoggian collection. I recall no promo, no hype, no big singles, no 'word on the street' discourse over Magnetic, but then, I was as far from those circles as one could get in 1998, so what do I know?

Still, ol' Jonny had a lot of competition that year to stand out from the pack. Gander: Goldie's Saturnz Return, Grooverider's Mysteries Of Funk, Ed Rush & Optical's Wormhole, E-Z Rollers' Weekend World, Dom & Roland's Industry, Photek's Form & Function, DJ Rap's Learning Curve (look, it was hyped), Amon Tobin's Permutation (sure, let's include him), Baxter's Baxter (who?), Talvin Singh's OK (okay, we're stretching now). Point being, Magnetic rolled out at a time when d'n'b was rolling hot, and with such a quick turnaround from his debut, it's small wonder Jonny L's sophomore effort got lost in the shuffle.

Not helping matters is just how relentlessly dark and grimy Magnetic is. You'd think this would make it awesome, and for the most part, this album is awesome! But it's rather singular in tone too, which at a time when d'n'b records had to show diversity for crossover success, didn't help Mr. L's prospects. You're either all in for this bridge between tech-step of old and darkstep of new, or will check out after the first four tracks. And even then, twelve tracks of this stuff may be a bit much. I know cutting a few of the standard bangers like Sight Unseen and See Red wouldn't have hurt.

Still, it's hard denying just how primal and visceral most of these tracks go. Opener Intrasound doesn't waste anytime letting you know you're in for a ride of frantic drums, gnarly bass rumbles, and swirles of sci-fi future-funk. It isn't until sixth track Accelerate we're reminded there's humans working in this studio, guest vocalist Lady Kier adding some jazzy soul, but her croon is warped in distorted into dystopian murk. Even Johnny Breaks dropping some bars in as blatant a jump-up tune as I've ever heard from Jonny L can't escape the grit and grime of Magnetic's mood.

A couple outlier tracks do spice things up a little. Focus features some gnarly didgeridoo action (has d'n'b used didge's often? I haven't heard much). Phase Shift features some wildly warped guitar shredding from Guitarminator (told you this was a robot apocalypse album!). A couple interludes slows things down to a trip-hop pace, but remain as chaotic as the rest. It still isn't enough to make Magnetic feel somewhat lesser of an album experience compared to Sawtooth, but nonetheless solid stuff for fans of this sound.

Various - In Trance We Trust 001: DJ Misja Helsloot

In Trance We Trust: 1998

Going back to the very beginning of this label's existence was inevitable, especially if I ever want to sate this bizarre desire to 'complete the set'. Oddly, In Trance We Trust 001 wasn't that hard to find for a reasonable penny, at least compared to the subsequent volumes. Is it because Mr. Helsloot has remained active to this day? For sure Discoggian data is utterly sparse for DJ Stigma and DJ Lars Holte, though that may be for other reasons I needn't get into here.

Anyhow, we should be plenty familiar with the story now. Black Hole Recordings established, DJ Tiësto quickly releasing a couple of his famed Magik mix CDs, fame growing, then *boom*! Sub-labels spring up aplenty. Actually, I'm not entirely sure how many emerged shortly after Black Hole's launch. I was honestly surprised to discover In Trance We Trust was birthed so soon after its parent label though, my head somehow thinking it wasn't until the year 2000. And yet, listening to the inaugural mix CD from this two decade-plus old print (!!), you could have easily convinced me it was launched even earlier.

I know the state of trance was somewhat in flux throughout 1998, but there's still an easily identifiable sound we associate with the era: sawwave anthems, gated pads, melodies that really get your gurn on. I was not expecting to hear vintage choir pads right from the opening in Hammock Brothers' Blaze Of Night. Even more confounding to my senses is this is one of Mr. Verwest's early collabs, in this case Roland Kramer. Right, it totally gets its Sash! on when the peak hits, but so did a lot of clubby trance back then, and not every one of them did the ol' school German trance thing while doing so.

Speaking of way-old aliases hardly anyone remembers, hoo boy are there a bunch of them here. M.I.K.E. and Deruyter (as Extreme Trax), Benno de Goeij (as Ceres), Taucher and Stenzel (as Red Light District), Transa (as Cascade), with Corsten (as Moonman) on the rub. Actually, this Transcend tune is one I definitely recall hearing 'back in the day', and a clear precursor to his massive Out Of The Blue, doing that 'hold the build e-e-e-extra long' thing.

That was 'the future of trance' though, and Misja fills this CD with plenty of old-sounding trance from names like DJ Philip, Solar Plexus, Warlock, and even his own E-Mocean. Elsewhere, tunes like De-Tuned from Reversed Twister, Did You Hear Me? from Red Light District, and, erm, Sakin & Friends' Protect Your Mind and Tiësto's own Theme From Norefjell point to where things were headed.

Which would make for an interesting set if Mr. Helsloot thematically arranged things to support this dichotomy, but he doesn't. Frankly, the mixing is shockingly abrupt, with key clashes and hard slams everywhere. I guess when everyone making the genre aren't all using the same presets yet (much less studio polished into label homogeneity), these things are more noticeable.

Robert Rich - Below Zero

Side Effects: 1998

I bought Equal Stones' Below Zero from Ultimae's online shop. When I received my order in the mail, I somehow ended up with two albums with that title, the other this particular item from Robert Rich. How did that happen? Did the folks at Ultimae HQ not know which Below Zero I wanted, and hedged their bets? Or did they figure, if I wanted one Below Zero, why not have another? This isn't the first time I got a 'bonus' disc from them either, the last time introducing me to Simon Heath's Krusseldorf project. That led me to some... interesting music tangents, believe you me.

And honestly, it's about time I dive into Robert Rich, isn't it? I've known of the man's seminal contributions to the minimalist side of ambient drone works for a while, but like others in this field (Steve Roach, Vidna Obmana), his catalogue runs vast and ancient. Where does one even begin with such a discography? Agreed upon classics? Multi-disc retrospectives? Blind leaps based on eye-catching cover art? Yes to all, but I'm starting out with the 'unexpected extra CD from online order' method.

I've also kinda-sorta stumbled upon a compilation at that, Below Zero a gathering of a half-dozen tracks from other compilations Robert contributed to. Simple idea, but quite odd in execution, as this comes care of Lustmord's industrial print, Side Effects. The two had collaborated for the Stalker album, but Rich was mostly a Hearts Of Space kind of ambient composer, with little dabbling in the darker side of the genre. There must have been enough stray works out there for such a collection as this though, but releasing it on Side Effects, a label shutting its doors so shortly after? Was no one else willing to do the deed of scouring obscure ambient compilations for Robert Rich material?

Anyhow, Below Zero opens with Star Maker, a multi-part cosmic dark drone piece lasting over twenty minutes that traverses cosmic desolation before morphing into something a little less sinister. Feels like we're bearing witness to the birth of a solar system, or at least its primary life-giver. Eleven-minute follow-up Dissolving The Seeds Of A Moment (apparently never released before) goes for the atonal assault of dark drone, the sort of sound that's right up Lustmord's alley. A Flock Of Metal Creatures Fleeing The Onslaught Of Rust and Termite Epiphany mostly follow suite, though are shorter excursions, and even have moments of respite in their runtimes.

Then things take a turn for the ...benign? I wouldn't go so far as to say Liquid Air is all calm and soothing as traditional ambient can go, some of the pad layers still somewhat discordant. That gentle keyboard tone though, acting like a settling rudder for the ominous feels lurking about, does ease the frazzle mind-state some. And despite a rather melancholic mood, Requiem's voice pad timbre almost sounds like an exhale of pent-up emotional tension. Goodness, a 'journey' album, out of a compilation? Wonders never cease.

Swayzak - Snowboarding In Argentina

Medince Label: 1998

Ridiculous that it took me two decades to finally get this album. I'll grant a general lack of info regarding Swayzak's discography in those post-discovery years, though not for a lack of wanting. I'd never have nabbed that Groovetechnology v1.3 without their name attached to the double-discer (!K7 Records association didn't hurt either). It wasn't that long after that The Lord That Knows All clued me into the rest of their catalogue, but for whatever reason, I kept kicking the can further down the road. Some hesitancy from dashed expectations, perhaps? It wouldn't be the first time I fell sway to the charms of an artist after hearing just a couple tunes, only to be let down by their expanded selections. Still, I can't go wrong with at least returning to the source, Swayzak's debut album that helped turn the ultra-niche dub techno sounds into something the tech-house crowds could vibe on.

I know it's a massive cliche to say it, but there really wasn't much else like Snowboarding In Argentina before it dropped. Tech-house itself was still in its feeling-out years, unsure how much techno it wanted in its house, then along comes something that strips things down further to its grooviest, toasty elements. Even Basic Channel, dub connoisseurs they were, remained fixated on techno's functionalist elements. Swayzak's all like, “Nah, guv, you gotta' put more 'sway' in that sound, Zachary.” I really hope that wasn't how they came up with their name.

Right from the jump in Speedboat, you sense you're in for a bit of a different ride than the expectant norm of ye' olde year 1998. Deep synth pads, crisp tight rhythms, pinging chords echoing down alleyways, an ever shifting track for its lengthy duration. All well-worn tropes of micro-house in the following years, true, but quite unique for its time. Follow-up Burma Heights keeps the 'deep house by way of dub techno' vibe going, while Low-Rez Skyline and Fukumachi envision late night cruises through classy metro streets. Damn it, future car commercials...

Elsewhere, Swayzak show off their downtempo chops with Blocks, their stab at a dubby trip-hop outing because late '90s. French Dub goes even deeper into the low-ridin' lane, and while Redfarm tries matching, its gets a bit too silly with its dub exploration. Also, because late '90s, here's a stab at d'n'b in L.O.9.V.E. Just couldn't resist chasing a few trends, eh lads?

Which became something of a criticism with Swayzak's later albums, especially with their forays into synth-pop. Whatever, we're still with Snowboarding In Argentina, so here's Bueno, a fourteen minute closer of goovey tech-house. Why, it could fit in a prog-house set, especially with that genre's growing interest with tribal-dub as well. Heck, it'd even sound good in a modern set. Despite so many artists jumping on this bandwagon, Swayzak's debut still stands strong all these years (decades!) later. This album really shouldn't be memory-holed, but the burn-out on 'minimal' has unfortunately rendered it somewhat forgotten now.

Carbon Based Lifeforms - The Path

Blood Music: 1998/2018

I'd heard whispers of music out of the Carbon Based Lifeforms camp that existed before they landed on Ultimae Records, but never felt much need to explore for it. I figured these early productions were simply lost artifacts of a duo still finding their feet, any choice material from those sessions eventually called into service on later albums. I had no idea their start reached all the way back into the tracker scene, from which evolved into acid techno as Notch. Along with Mikael Lindqvist, they released a couple albums of such on MP3.com, but they had aspirations for something grander, the sort of genre-bending, music-fusing, epic LP that might be said in the same breath as such classics like Lifeforms, U.F.Orb, Chill Out, 76:14, and whatever other under-heralded records you wish to throw in there (more love for Journey To The Sun, yo'!).

Okay, I'm overselling the story some, but compared to what the trio was doing prior, The Path does come off almost over-ambitious, full of ideas and influences but not quite able to pull it off. It's certainly fine for a debut from artists getting their feet wet, but compared to where Misters Segerstad and Hedberg went in the following decade, comes off strangely dated too. Still, even with Carbon Based Lifeforms and Sync24 their focus, The Path floated about the digital domain for those who were interested in hearing it, where it remained for two decades. Like, no way Ultimae would re-issue it into a spiffy CD. That Blood Music though... (Blood Music!!)

After a three-track intro that, honestly, should have been left on the cutting floor (those tracker roots really showing there), things kick off proper on Rise To Tomorrow, a moody little number of graceful pads, subtle vocal samples, dubby rhythms, burbling acid, wormy synths, and didgeridoo. Getting some serious Planet Dog vibes off it. Same with Sinful Things and Or Plan B. Meanwhile, Machinery and Submerged feel more in line with vintage Fax+, Dreamshore Forest goes pure dreamtime ambient, while Contaminated Area and Last Breath... Um, well, like I said, still figuring things out on the production front.

As for any musical hints of future CBL tunes, you can't hear Station Blue without immediately thinking their breakout MOS 6581. The subtle bassline, dubby beats, and distant samples are of the same genetic backbone, just not really explored much further. Station Blue is like a simpler, evolutionary step to the heights that MOS 6581 would soar to.

Which kinda' sums up The Path, to be honest. In a vacuum, it holds up pretty good as a lost artifact of '90s psy-chill, but can't hold a candle to CBL's future works. I'm glad Blood Music finally gave this a proper CD release, as there are a few gems that deserved unearthing. Just don't go into it expecting Ultimae levels of production. I don't think even Aes Dana's immaculate mixdowns could have rescued some of those piano tones.

The Chemical Brothers - Brothers Gonna Work It Out

Virgin: 1998

The Chemical Brothers became known as producers elite so swiftly into their careers, their humble DJing roots were almost entirely forgotten by Dig Your Own Hole. For sure the heady-heads remembered the dodgy 'Dust Brothers' era, but as the '90s came closer to closure, the millions of new fans Ed and Ted had gained remained in the dark of their past influences. Sensing a chance to perhaps educate all these fresh faces attending their concerts, Misters Simons and Rowlands released this DJ mix between albums, a massive mash-up of the tunes that were rinsed out 'back in the day' with a bunch of b-sides and remixes of their current big beat hitters.

I'm not sure if it entirely worked. Oh, the set is great, with plenty of wonderful moments highlighting all that made folks fall sway to the Chem'Bros' charms. I just don't think many of them knew exactly what they were getting. “Is this their new album or not?” they'd ask me in that little music shop I worked at. And I'd reply, “Eh, not really. It's a DJ mix.” After a moment's blank stare, I'd add, “It's not a new album.” Said customer of straw would then move on, leaving Brothers Gonna Work It Out collecting dust, brother. At least, that's how it went down in my backwater corner of Canadaland. I'm sure it sold gangbusters in Great Britain, as most Chemical Brothers merch did.

If there's anything that hampered this CD's general success, it was the fact there are only five indexed tracks. Eagle eye'd spotters may notice twenty-three listed tunes on the back, making this one of those mixes, where bits and pieces are spliced into hefty portions for maximum punch. Like, that mash of Freestyle's robo-vocals Don't Stop The Rock and Metro L.A.'s acid stomp To A Nation Rockin'... I can't hear one without the other anymore! Sure, it'd be handy to skip to specific spots on this CD, but that'd ruin its proper flow, now wouldn't it?

Other highlights? How about The Micronauts' utterly mental, over-driven remix of Block Rockin' Beats, practically right out the gate? It's almost too much awesome too soon, and one of the reasons I really can't ever go back to the original version, so tame in comparison. That, along with The Jazz being featured here, it's small wonder The 'Nauts had so much momentum going for them at the time. Fusing them with some juicy acid care of Sidewinder doesn't hurt either. Elsewhere, '70s funk and psychedelic soul get their looks in, while acid techno and big Meat Beat lock horns.

Yes, there's plenty of bedlam on Brothers Gonna Work It Out, but it also feels like they end the party too soon, the final stretch getting on that Private Psychedelic Reel vibe without playing the actual tune (which would be redundant coming off Dig Your Own Hole anyway). I suppose it works for a nice comedown, but this was a party I could have enjoyed 'till dawn's early light.

Various - Blade - Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture

TVT Records: 1998

Plenty has been said how this movie ushered in a new era of comic book adaptations. That it rescued a quickly diminishing genre of film from the downward slide of Schumacher Batman into something once again credible and financially lucrative. That the cinematic juggernaut known as the MCU would never have gotten on the beachhead had this relatively unknown creative property of theirs been a box-office dud. Yes, all these things have been brought up by people who make it their business/career/hobby discussing such things, but that's not what I'm doing here.

Instead, I wish to make my own hot-take proclamation about Blade. More specifically the soundtrack: this was the last of a small but vital run of scores that people intimately associate with exactly one techno track, which everyone had to rush and buy because of needing that one techno track.

You know the type I'm talking about. Your 'Mortal Kombat Theme'. Your 'Trainspotting Theme'. Your, um, The Saint Theme. For a time in the '90s, a wave of movies featured some big thumping anthem as its centrepiece of music, forever tying song and cinema to specific scenes. For sure there were plenty of soundtracks that featured electronic music, before and well after Blade, but can you instantly identify That One Track out of any of them? No, Zion doesn't count. Even if folks do remember that scene (for all the wrong reasons), they definitely can't recall how its techno track sounds, preferably forgetting anything associated with the Matrix sequels.

You can't shake the image of Blade's blood rave and the pounding acid of Pump Panel's rub of New Order's Confusion though. There were plenty of other great artists with tunes in the movie – Photek, DJ Krush, Source Direct, Junkie XL, Solitaire ...Polygon Window? - but its this specific one everyone knows. I just have to say “that movie Blade”, and you instantly hear the acid again. Aww, and here I am, thinking Expansion Union's Playing With Lightning is just as dope.

“But wait!” you say, “what's with all those artists you mentioned above? I have the CD and only a couple of them are in there. It's mostly a bunch of hip-hop!” Right you are, oh man of straw. In fact, only four tracks as featured in the movie made the cut of fifteen here. Save a couple clubbier offerings from Mantronik and Roger Sanchez bridging the gap, everything comes from the lands of gangsta rap.

Though as they are tracks 'inspired by' the movie, it feels more appropriate to call this 'gothic rap'. Lots of raps about Blade, hunting vampires, wars between heaven and hell... pretty cool stuff, with a good mix of stars and unknowns. Gang Starr is here! KRS-One is here (breaking fourth walls, no less)! Mystikal is here (his track was great at showing off the bass of the JVC Kaboom)! P.A. is... wait, Parental Advisory? Oh, wow, they were also on the first rap soundtrack I ever owned. Small world.

L.S.G. - The Black Album (2021 Update)

Superstition: 1998

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review)

Not much I can really add to that old review. Heck, I probably exhausted every possible simile in describing what The Black Album sounds like. Won't deny, I literally wanted to start this Update with a few more fun ones, but nothing came to mind. Nada. Zilch. How does one top “cyborg jembe drummers” or “Unicron having a tummy ache”? Or this fun little nugget: “This isn’t the kind of stuff you’d hear from guys like Marco V or Sander van Doorn; Lieb’s material eats their tracks as a midnight snack and takes a second helping without asking.” Oh yeah, that was around the time I was getting annoyed at folks calling those chaps 'true tech-trance warriors', or some bollocks. Some of their stuff was good, sure, but compared to what Lieb was doing half a decade prior? C'mon, man.

I remain flabbergasted that not only did Lieb take L.S.G. down such a primal techno road, but that it also holds up strong-style over two decades on. It's been quite a few years since I last listened to this album, so some of it had slipped from my memory. Hoo boy, once it got going though, with the relentless onslaught of aggressive rhythms and minimalist industrial sounds, all the feral feelings came rushing back. It's like, it unleashes the reptile part of my brain, long deep in slumber, stirred awake by the sounds of nuclear reactors going off.

Steadily it emerges from the depth of the spinal chord, making it onto the dry lands of the mammalian limbic portions of my cranium, crushing such things like emotions and values under talons and foot. Nothing stops it, only growing stronger and more determined in its path of destruction as The Black Album carries on, finally confronting the neocortex, the last line of logic and rational defence. The primate portion of the brain, if you will, an 800-pound gorilla of humanity taking on the unstoppable path of reptilian devastation. Who wins in this ultimate showdown of the psyche? I dunno. I think, by the end of The Black Album, everything's been abducted by aliens or something.

I still don't know what prompted ol' Oliver to go so hard into techno's domain. There was something of a movement burbling in the periphery of European clubland of techno bangers dominating the 4am timeslots, but it'd be a few years before the likes of Adam Beyer and Chris Liebing would truly dominate. And even then, they initially came at things from the Detroit angle, but I do find it interesting that Chris and Oliver both hailed from Frankfurt. Maybe there's just something in the water there, that makes their producers need to get their pure techno groove on, no matter what your main lane of music making may be.

So yeah, if you have never checked out The Black Album for whatever reason, I'm giving you a reason now. You want that epic confrontation in your brain. You need it!

VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater

Elektra: 1998

(a Patreon Request from Philoi)

I feel like I should know this album. Maybe not so much who the band is or what music is in it, but just the cover art alone. It's rather striking, the sort of eye-catching image that leaps out at you from store shelves, locking you in pupil-to-pupil, soul-to-soul. Okay, not that deep, but plenty 'nuff to grab wandering gazes in for a closer look. I never saw it though, and believe me, I was in prime territory to have spotted it somewhere in Vancouver shops when it first dropped. Did it languish in obscurity at first, only gaining notoriety once songs started getting featured in shows like Angel and Smallville?

But that's neither here nor there, as I usually like going into these albums as cold as possible, my initial impressions as pure as freshly fallen snow. And initial impressions sure had me transported back to the late '90s, opening song Here having heavy emphasis on industrial-grade rhythms, crunchy guitars, orchestral swells, and angst-ridden singing. This is the sort of stuff that, while I wouldn't say was popular, had more than enough grandiose production behind that it could get popular, if it got featured in the right movies or TV shows. Which is apparently what happened, after a while.

So I continue listening through VAST's self-titled debut (that is what 'VAST' stands for, right?), and I'm hearing an interesting mix of alternative rock, industrial production, and world music – so many looping Gregorian chant samples, I almost think I'm back in a rasion d'être album. And as is my tendency when listening to a new artist, my inclination towards comparison of other acts I'm familiar with begins. The one that first pops in my mind is Canadian band The Tea Party, who blended industrial and alt-rock as well, though that may be entirely due to the track Three Doors, which uses Arabic scales much like The Tea Party often did.

That's not quite right though. The Tea Party is a three-piece, where each member was part and parcel to the ensemble. Despite the expert production on Visual Audio Sensory Theater, I couldn't help but feel the songwriting was rather singular. Like, a Trent Reznor sort of deal, the music the vision of one man, with band members in support. Turns out that was absolutely the case, Jon Crosby the main mind behind VAST, and I'm far from the only person to make the Trent Reznor comparison. I just find it funny that I came to that shared conclusion before reading anything about it.

Does this put this album on the same plane as, say, The Fragile? Eh, not really. Though the NIN comparison is inevitable, Crosby isn't quite at the level at Reznor, especially in vocal delivery. It sometimes felt like he was struggling to reach the same level of angst ol' Trent effortlessly achieves. That leaves me with an album that sounds 'good enough', but not something I'm anxious for another playthrough anytime soon.

UNKLE - Psyence Fiction

Mo Wax: 1998

(a Patreon Request from Philoi)

Perhaps one of the most anticipated debut albums in the '90s trip-hop 'osphere. Heck, in all of 'electronica'? Okay, maybe not to that degree – I seem to recall endless hype for that long delayed Sasha album, but not so much this. That could just be my Canadian West Coast bias talking, only privy to the sort of hype that got imported my way. I feel, however, that while I knew plenty about DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, and Rob Dougan as the '90s wore on, I didn't know much about the label that supported them, much less the man behind it. Regardless of a teenaged Canuck's ignorance though, there had to be significant buzz surrounding James Lavelle's project.

Not just in seeing what the mind behind Mo' Wax could create. Lavelle had already released a couple UNKLE EPs earlier in the decade, so folks had an inkling of his production talents. Having cultivated such a roster though, plus creating so many high-profile connections within the music industry within that time, not to mention 'electronica' having enough crossover appeal that even the 'illustrious' rock world was taking an interest... Well, you can imagine Mr. Lavelle feeling just a tad over-whelmed by the pressure of producing nothing less than a magnum opus right out the gate. He almost got there too.

Psyence Fiction could have gone so very, terribly wrong, a potentially bloated album of over-stuffed musical ideas, all the while dependant on all-star collaborations in a show-off of Mr. Lavelle's super-awesome industry connections. Reading reviews from when this first dropped, that seems to be the impression too. And heck, had I heard this when it first came out, I'd probably also have thought as such. Thom Yorke? Jason Newsted of Metallica? The London Session Orchestra? Man, that just ain't propah underground t'ings, mate.

I didn't listen to this when it was new though. Heck, I've hadn't heard this album in full until now, for the purpose of review. There's been two decades worth of actual 'overblown industry records' in that time, many of which are of far less quality than what's offered on Psyence Fiction. Absolutely there remain a few instances of Lavelle doing more than was necessary – anything with the orchestra, really – but when these tracks slap, they slap hard!

We can thank DJ Shadow's contributions for keeping things level-headed, basically Lavelle's right-hand man in this project. Whatever wild idea James throws out, there's always a steady, rugged, scratch-happy rhythmic rudder holding it together. Rock freak outs (Nursery Rhyme / Breather)? No problem. Ol' school b-boy rappin' with Kool G Rap (Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death Part 1)) or Mike D (The Knock (Drums Of Death Part 2))? Right on! Cinematic electro (Celestial Annihilation)? Okay, getting a little opulent there, but cool. Desolate folk ditties (Chaos)? Straying kinda' far now, aren't we? Moody warbling with sluggish downtempo beats and psychedelic sampling (Bloodstain, Lonely Soul, Rabbit In Your Headlights)? What is this, a trip-hop album?

U2 - The Best Of 1980-1990

Island Records: 1998

Probably the most obvious item to have in one's music collection, if you've ever only been a passive fan of the biggest band out of Ireland. And weren't of buying age when their most famed albums were being released. So me then, by the late '90s. Those big hits of the '80s just kept playing on the radio, see, even cautiously appearing on classic rock stations now (then). Reminding folks of a different time in the band's lifespan, before all the weird, artsty, 'electronica' stuff took them over and oh, wouldn't it be nice to have all those '80s songs in one, handy place? Man, the 'Best Of' compilation market was such an easy game back then.

Thing is, it was about time for U2 to compile their greatest hits. The band was two decades old into their career, and while as globally popular as ever, perhaps starting to see some strain in their ambition. No, best to reflect on all that came before, the stepping stones that got you to wear you've gotten, and isn't it handy that there's enough material to divide each decade up into two separate releases? Especially for those who felt U2 lost the plot as the '90s wore on? Not me though, I was entirely ambivalent about it!

But yeah, this one was a no-brainer when it was announced, for me and several million other souls - so many classics all in one tidy place! Pride (In The Name Of Love)! New Year's Day! Sunday Bloody Sunday! The Big Three off of The Joshua Tree! A couple more off The Unforgettable Fire, including The Unforgettable Fire! There's even something off their first album, I Will Follow, which makes sense since that jam is quintessential U2 of the '80s, a strident rocker with wonderful melodic overtones. Amazing that they made that so early in their career. The only album not represented here is their sophomore effort October, at least officially. The titular song does appear in 'secret song' capacity, which I guess makes sense since the record never spun off any popular singles. Didn't want to totally forget it though.

So a straight-forward 'best of' collection from U2, but that's only nine songs, and there's still a bunch of space left on the CD? What else can we put in there? Hey, how about a B-side from The Joshua Tree, and make that the lead single for this? Yeah, that's the ticket! Not gonna' lie though, I kinda' despise The Sweetest Thing because as a 'new single' intended to remind the world of U2's '80s glory, it was ridiculously overplayed. Matters weren't helped when it seemed like all their music sounded like that in the following decade.

Okay, that's one more song, but dang'it, there's still more space. What to do, what to do... Oh, screw it, throw in four songs from the Rattle And Hum project at the end, that should be enough. Not like anyone listens to CDs the whole way through anyway.

Gas - Nah Und Fern: Königsforst

Mille Plateaux/Kompakt: 1998/2008

(a Patreon Request fro Omskbird)

I must admit, when I got this Gas box-set, my initial plan wasn't to review these CDs in chronological order. Nay, I thought it'd be cheeky fun to do the original request first, Königsforst, then come back to the rest in my usual alphabetical order. For sure I'd make it clear these review copies came from Nah Und Fern, but my OCD wouldn't allow me to do it in any other order. Or something.

When I threw Königsforst on for the first time, however, I came to the quick conclusion that I was gonna' have to hear the rest of the Gas catalogue for context. Yeah, I'd heard Pop in the past, but something led me to suspect that wasn't enough. And if I'm to play through Nah Und Fern for 'studying' purposes, I may as well get those reviews done while I'm at it too.

As an aside of quirky factoids, when I ripped the CDs to my harddrive, they all did so as part of Nah Und Fern, except this one. I get why that would have happened with Gas, significantly different compared to the Mille Plateaux version as it is. Zauberberg did have a slight change too, one of its tracks extended compared to the original, but surely the digital version included this change as well. Like, I'm assuming that's why Königsforst defaulted to stand-alone info rather than the box-set, and that re-reissue is more current than Zauberberg's. Ah, I'm dawdling.

I guess it's clear my thoughts and feelings over Königsforst are lukewarm at best. I thought it at least interesting upon first playthrough, with Königsforst V being a definite highlight in invoking some actual emotion out of my brain. Plus, those stereo-pan kicks in Königsforst II did a remarkable job of keeping me entranced while all those dronescapes droned on. Unfortunately, I couldn't shake the sense I was listening to music as concept over music as engagement. Par for the course with experimental music, especially on a label like Mille Plateaux, but given the endless adulation Wolfgang Voigt's project has generated over the years, I wondered if I was missing something (not the first time I've had an issue with Gas).

Yet, I found those older albums more interesting than this. The raw exploration of Gas and the conceptual journey of Zauberberg simply struck my cerebellum better, whereas Königsforst just felt like Wolfgang going through the motions. Here are more orchestral samples stretched and layered into dronescapes, here are more dubbed-out beats emanating from the deepest parts of the forest. This album certainly encompasses all the elements you'd expect out of a Gas record, and does occasionally reach the lofty heights the project's decades-long praise has generated. Still, it's mostly carried by One Neat Trick. A rather clever one but at three albums deep now, not showing much in the way of evolution. Not that it needs to either, just I need to hear something more from the project get more invested in it.

OutKast - Aquemini

LaFace Records: 1998

Like many, this was my first introduction to OutKast. Unlike many, I didn't actually hear this until well after I'd heard their follow-up album Stankonia, the first OutKast record I listened to. The logic in this admission is Aquemini had been a major hit in the little corner of Canadian hinterland I lived, the local populace quite enamoured over that Rosa Parks jam.

Upon returning to the music shop I worked at after a year away in The Big City, that snappy Aquemini cover art was there to greet me, one of the store's hottest items at the time. Interesting, thinks I, in that when I'd left the year before, it was Puff Daddy's tribute to the dead Biggy that was our hottest item. I was curious what could have supplanted that gargantuan single, but didn't throw it on before we sold through our stock, and forgot about it. Then I heard Stankonia, my head a'sploded from its awesomeness, and I remembered, oh yeah, they had that Aquemini album a couple years back too. I should check that out, if I ever find it again.

I bring all this up because context is key in how one forms an opinion on something, and because of my ass-backwards journey into OutKast's discography, my initial impressions of Aquemini wasn't so high. For sure I eventually dug what I heard, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Stankonia's wild genre fusion had me thinking the Atlantian duo were always doing such stuff, and instead I got a solid rap album with some southern soul and a smattering of dalliances outside the norm. Man, how I envy those who were listening to OutKast from the beginning, hearing Aquemini proper-like as yet another bold step forward in their musical evolution.

Honestly though, I don't have much to gripe with this album. I feel it drags a bit too long, my attention drifting after the two-parter Da Art Of Storytellin', but that was a complaint of almost ever hip-hop album in the late '90s: too much bloat. Still, it's hard denying Aquemini winds significantly down in the back-half. Prior to that, you have the aforementioned club hit Rosa Parks, the Raekwon guesting Skew It On The Bar-B (a big deal, considering few from the East Coast felt Southern rap had much legitimacy), the ultra-psychedelic titular cut, and the electro-leaning Synthesizer (George Clinton, yo'!). Damn, even without comparing to Stankonia, that's still a hot opening salvo of songs! Slump and West Savannah take things back to the easy-vibin' groove, while Da Art Of Storytellin' Parts 1 & 2 have some of the catchiest production on the whole damn album (the rappity-rap parts are pretty dope too).

What I'm trying to say is, Aquemini was a real slow burn for yours truly. It didn't mesmerize me like Stankonia did because how could it? I had to take it on its own terms, which I stubbornly did after too many years. My brain did a bad on this one.

The Herbaliser - Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks

Ninja Tune: 1998

I've enjoyed Ninja Tune for as long as I've known they existed, yet there's a significant gap of their catalogue within my CD shelves: artist albums from their early years. It was all about the compilations from the Ninja folk, see, the most eye-catching of the lot always featuring their logo splayed across the front, unmissable, unmistakable. Aside from a couple CD singles though (because cost), it wasn't until Coldcut's Sound Mirrors that I actually bought a proper LP from the label. I've since scooped up a few '90s releases, but more as explorations of specific artists than the fact they were on Ninja Tune. Well, time to rectify that, fill in more glaring gaps in my ever expanding collection, starting with one of the print's longest contributors that isn't Coldcut: The Herbaliser. Erm, by way of a CD single. Can't knock old habits, I guess.

Have I talked much about The Herbaliser, beyond the requisite name-drops? I don't think I have. Let's talk about The Herbaliser. First off, despite a handle assuming a single individual performing an action involving herbs, The Herbaliser is in fact two London blokes, Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba. They've added additional members over the years, but these two remain the core, turntablists rinsing out jazz and hip-hop with scratchtastic aplomb. Okay, maybe not ultra DMC-champion aplomb, but respectful enough to be included in discussion with many UK heavyweights of the '90s. I'm sure the Ninja Tune bump helped, though they'd been making the live rounds a couple years before getting their break with the Coldcut crew.

Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks was among the lead singles for their third album Very Mercenary. Ain't nothing fancy about this outing, Wall Crawl a straight-up hippin', hoppin', scratch breaks throwdown that'll get the b-boys pounding the ground - I don't know if that's the proper lingo. There's two versions of Wall Crawl, the first featuring a bunch of spoken samples about hip-hop's history, sound frequencies, time travelling, and some teenager astounded by his ability to scale a wall just as easily as a giant insect, like a wall-crawling human... spider! Ooh, I know this one, I know this one! The Blue Beetle, amirite? There's also a shorter, instrumental version just featuring the drum breaks, but isn't as much fun to hear without all the cheeky samples.

Instead of remixes, we get two live recordings of tunes from The Herbaliser's previous album, Blow Your Headphones. The first, Ginger Jumps The Fence, does more of the funk-hop jimmy jam with an earwormy string section in the lead. There's a scratch solo ('natch), a saxaphone solo (eeug, me ears), and an... organ 'n flute solo? Something like that. 40 Winks is more on that downtempo vibe, a smooth bit of soul-jazz for the end of an evening. Finally, an untitled Bonus Beats track replays a bunch of breaks from Wall Crawl, supposedly for your own turntable sessions. Wait, is that even possible in CD form?

808 State - 88:98 (2018 Update)

Universal Records: 1998

(Click here to bang your head against an impenetrable wall of text)

I've severely lagged in my 808 State gathering. Hell, it's almost shameful it took me until just last year to snag me a copy of at least one proper LP from the Manchester group, any LP. ex:el is a decent jumping on point, I suppose, but I'm certain most acid heads declare their first couple of records - Newbuild and Ninety - the only true 808 State albums you're supposed to have, even if you're not an 808 State fan. “But wait!”, say some, “Don't you dare dismiss their post-ex:el material either, Gorgeous and Don Solaris just as worthy of discussion as any of the band's seminal '80s work.”

Yeah, those too, though considering I've seen Gorgeous in the used-shops on occasion, I do have some suspicions of that one's overall quality. Strikes me as the sort of record that I would have stumbled upon back in my exploratory years, picked up to hear why 808 State were held in such high regard, and came away entertained but unimpressed. But hey, until I actually hear Gorgeous in full, I can't make that claim.

For now, all I have to go on is the fact only three of that album's tracks made the cut on this retrospective, whereas ex:el earned a whopping five out of thirteen potential slots. Not to mention none of the songs got a spiffy '98 update like Pacific and Cubik did. No, wait, this is bad logic on my part! Newbuild got jack-shite representation with 88:98, which follows that it's a completely rubbish outing. Well, we must concede it's the least commercially viable for a compilation such as this, but that's probably why so many True Heads adore that acid excursion compared to what came after. Only way you'd hear Flow Coma on the radio is via pirate options.

I cannot deny having 88:98 makes getting the band's post ex:el material a rather low priority. Yeah, you can argue this compilation also makes having ex:el redundant (or the other way around), but c'mon, tracks like Lift and In Yer Face are worth having as many times as possible! If this is meant to be a gathering of their best material though, then I've already heard all the highlights from Gorgeous and Don Solaris, everything else on those albums 'just for the fans' options. Then again, if I went by that logic, then I'd have assumed I wouldn't need anymore tunes off of ex:el, as there's no possible way the five on 88:98 are the peak. Then I heard ex:el, and realized they could have thrown even more on here than what's offered.

There, that should be enough circular rambling to sate anyone. As should be painfully apparent by now, I really have nothing else to add or update with 88:98. It's still a handy intro to 808 State, but far from a complete story. Besides, there's plenty of streaming options for that now anyway. Wow, the 'retrospective CD' market truly is dead, inn'it?

Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision

Hiero Imperium: 1998

Basically mandatory listening for anyone who figures themselves a 'true hip-hop head', though I wonder just how much weight such a proclamation carries in this day and age. Back in the '90s, the Hieroglyphics crew were one of the most respected underground collectives you could find. They were rappers who flirted with major labels, even found some minor success with them, but never compromised their integrity for that easy crossover money. They were thus dropped and forced them to go proper independent before they could release an actual debut with everyone involved.

3rd Eye Vision wasn't just the culmination of the years of hard work put in by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Souls Of Mischief, Domino, and Pep Love, but a mission statement that underground hip-hop could succeed on its own terms, supported by hardcore fans, with no major label backing sullying your vision. You had to work to find this music, and would be rewarded with hip-hop of greater class than what was polluting the charts. Heck, I only came upon this as a special request order in the music shop I worked for in the Canadian hinterlands, though the dude who wanted it couldn't pay the $30 for it. Me though, I had no problem snagging that CD for myself, after which the guy was quite sore about, but yo', I gave him a month to come through. Shit's too dope to just sit on our shelves unloved.

Of course, finding such music is now easy-peasy, so claiming righteous 'backpacker' cred in owning 3rd Eye Vision's a moot point. And as hip-hop has morphed and changed in the two decades since this dropped, does there remain much interest and necessity for an underground classic sporting some of the best MCs out of Oakland riding mint beats and jazz-funk samples while taking to task a culture long since removed from dated gangsta' tropes? Oh, you know that answer is a 'yes'!

The posse anthems - You Never Knew, The Who, Off The Record - are as earwormy as anything you might have heard from other rap collectives, each Hiero member proving just how part and parcel they are to the whole. Not that each MC doesn't get their own chance to shine solo though, each member given an eponymous short tracks to spit some bars scattered throughout the album. Hell, Del kinda' gets two such tracks, At The Helm a classic Funkee Homosapien sounding-off cut that ranks up with any of his best work.

While the album does run a tad long at twenty-one tracks, you feel it's warranted with so many skilled lyricists on hand. Heck, they probably could have done the double-LP deed, but considering every hip-hop artist was bloating the scene with such efforts, keeping things at a tight, sharp regular LP length was best. Get in, prove your point, get out, and reap the rewards as the hip-hop community celebrates your triumphant statement that underground rap could flourish in the new millennium. At least until crunk ruined everything.

ZerO One - zerO One

Waveform Records: 1998

I never realized this before, though it makes perfect sense with nearly twenty years (!) of hindsight available. Through the high times and the lows, it seems the two acts that have consistently kept the lights on at Waveform Records HQ is ZerO One and Sounds From The Ground, and now that I've taken in plenty of their offerings, I understand why. Kevin Dooley, he has a similar songcraft sensibility to Misters Elliot Jones and Nick Woolfson, striking that perfect middle-ground of competently made, easy-going, dubby downtempo vibes. Never have I heard anything from them that was bad, boring, or bunk, but seldom do they reach the upper echelons of their genre either. Very, very good, absolutely, some tunes doing that heart melting thing many downtempo acts have subjected the ol' blood pumper to. I can't say I'd ever recommend ZerO One or Sounds From The Ground as an introductory act to this scene though, their roles more like a hearty side-dish complimenting the main course. Buttery mashed potatoes to the beef-steak of Kruder & Dorfmeister and Higher Intelligence Agency. Yet, for as long as they've floated around each other's circles, it's surprising they haven't collaborated at some point. Strange, that.

Anyhow, it all starts somewhere, and for Mr. Dooley, that's with a two-decade old (!!) self-titled debut album. Amazing that the ZerO One brand has kept on keepin' to this day, as listening to this CD in the context of the year 1998, I'm surprised anyone gave it much notice. Ambient techno such as this hadn't been in vogue for at least a half-decade, vanguards of the sound like HIA and Autechre having moved on with their respective careers to other pastures. If you were making super-chill electro-dub, chances were you were adopting contemporary production tricks like glitch effects or retro synths into your arsenal. Not ZerO One though, his stuff simple and refined – no need for fussy gimmicks when your musicianship if perfectly fine as is. And Waveform Records, they like themselves some MOR ambient dub more than anything else. Keeps the label's followers sated while they indulge in leftfield shoegaze rock, or whatever it was that Liquid Zen dude was on about.

Now that I've reached the third paragraph, it's time for the obligatory particulars among the eight tracks that make up zerO One. Waken and Trust have nifty little acid lines playing throughout. Nothing To Fight About and Hell is Cooling Off playfully bounce along, while On The Threshold gets as close to ambient techno as I've ever heard Mr. Dooley go. If you want something straight out of HIA's cookbook, super-chill Mind Over Mind has you covered. And I can't complete this review without tying it back to Sounds From The Grounds somehow, so Seek Not Outside Yourself and I Like That reminds me of that duo, if they'd been brought up in electro's realm instead. Seriously, why haven't these two camps collaborated yet? I'm sure Waveform wouldn't mind in the slightest.

Various - X-Mix: Hardfloor - Jack The Box

Stud!o K7: 1998

This is the tenth and final volume of X-Mix, ending on a surprisingly retro note. However, Stud!o K7 had a new-fangled DJ mix series gaining steam - DJ-Kicks - and the market for trippy home videos full of tekno musiks was on the wane by the end of the century. Like, who'd have ever guessed ravers could actually watch such weirdness on regular TV channels? No, best to wrap things up, maybe initiate a label rebrand in the process, and let X-Mix slowly recede from the collective memory as but a quirky artifact of '90s nostalgia. Makes springing for the DVD editions that much more tempting, right?

If tapping German acid masters Hardfloor for a throwback acid house set wasn't odd enough, the accompanying video is remarkably retro too. For sure there's still computer editing and CGI trickery involved, but more than ever before, the studios utilized ample amounts of 9mm film footage, splicing, cutting, and layering with effects to such a degree that... well, they honestly look like the sort of underground visuals you'd often see at clubs at the time, and well into the here and now. Again, it makes sense, the CGI rendering of older X-Mix videos easily capable with computer screen-savers by '98. Oh, you know if you went to budget party at the time, you'd find a Windows Visualizer projection on a blank wall. Unearthing '70s Hong Kong movie footage, however, and syncing it to acid house? Now that's art!

One thing I wonder, though, is whether going old-school was Hardfloor and !K7's intent with the final X-Mix all along. Like, I've no doubt the label wanted misters Bondzio and Zenker regardless, but might have they been expecting a more modern take on acid? I'm not even sure they could have delivered on that front, most acid of the day the hard, bangin', London Tekno Crew stuff, which Hardloor generally eschewed. Acid house though, in all its original, late '80s form, was basically dead, and at least another half-decade away from any sort of retro revival.

So aside from a few newer cuts of their own (because Hardfloor wasn't a thing yet in '88), our intrepid acid duo break out their crates of all the acid alum. Phuture is here! Fast Eddie is here! Adonis is here! Sleezy D. is here! Armando is here! Steve Pointexter is here! Dudes who like 'Jack' are here! Oh, sweet, even Bam Bam's Where Is Your Child? is here, a right-proper mood setting in the early going of this set.

Folks tend to forget just how weird and evil this music sounded when it first emerged, what with ever weirder and eviler music emerging throughout the '90s. That Bam Bam cut though, it never fails to send the creeps sweeping through your spinal column. I can only imagine what actual parents thought of it then. Or, heck, even now! Forget the obnoxious noise of brostep, Where Is Your Child? will still panic conservative sorts.