Various - Electric Dance Floor

Quality Music: 1992

Another Quality compilation. Hey, it's not my fault the label was so omnipresent with dance music in my country. I'm sure elsewheres had similar labels that monopolized genres. These days everything with commercial success is routed through the majors, but for that early 90s period, electronic music was somewhat specialized, requiring specialized labels. Still, I never realized just how much Quality pushed EDM, assuming rock, country, and other 'adult music' was their forte. Way back it was, yet for some reason they were the first Canadian label to properly jump on dance music, shaping the tastes of many a potential doe-eyed raver.

That all said, this Quality compilation isn't much quality. Best I can tell, Electric Dance Floor was intended to be a running series focusing on house music. Makes sense, as Quality was establishing many compilation series in '92: top dance hits with Dance Mix, underground techno with Radikal Techno, Chris Sheppard’s releases, and so on. This coming out just before the euro dance explosion, the emphasis on thick American grooves is abundant. Also, the occasional nod to UK rave pops up, but nothing overt.

Unfortunately, house music in '92 wasn't in the best shape. The first three tracks definitely owe some thanks to Frankie Knuckles, but his style by this point was coming off rather dated; ironic, then, that as generic as Aly-Us' Follow Me, Nightmare On Wax’s Set Me Free, or Gypsyman's Hear The Music might have been, that style is all the retro-hip fashionable now. Strictly Rhythm was almost on the verge of shaking that scene up, but here they’re still going with what worked before. Oh, and we also get that damn Living In Ecstasy track from B.K.S. again, because it’s Quality, y’know.

And those are mostly the best tracks. Much of Electric Dance Floor contains generic house trying to cash in on whatever novelty trends it could. Walking In Memphis lamely jumps on that year’s bandwagon of sampling the Marc Cohn song of the same name. Robyx (as Scattt - yes, three ‘t’s) attempts a scat-dance cut, beating Scatman by a few years in that at least. There’s a weak remix of Double You’s charming Please Don’t Go, dull Belgian beat in Ole Ole, a pointless dance cover of one of Bryan Adams’ few great songs in Run To You, Mood II Swing hiding under a pseudonym to deliver rote garage... cripes, this is a bad compilation.

Okay, two things do stand out for the good. Liberation’s Liberation (Liberty) is a fun bit of UK acid house, and highly recommended if you’re a fan of that sort of thing. On the utterly daft side of dance is DSK’s remix of 2 Unlimited’s Get Ready For This. Truthfully, a proper title should be Get Ready VS Stella. Yes, that J&S track; 'Majan Noops' indeed. It’s by no means a great mash-up, but if you ever wondered what it might sound like, there you go. Has to be heard to be believed.

The Tea Party - The Edges Of Twilight

EMI Music Canada: 1995

Also known as that band that sounds like The Doors. What kind of silly comparison is that? Never have I heard a Ray Manzarek keyboard solo anywhere on a Tea Party song. And what’s that in the low frequencies? Why, an actual bass tone! The Doors don’t got no bass tone. Eh, what about their singer Jeff Martin? Well, okay, I guess he sounds like Jim Morrison - heck, he even looks like him too - but The Doors were more than just their wacky frontman, right. Right!?

Never mind. We’re focusing on The Tea Party here, one of many, many, many former Great Canadian Hopes. Part of the fun living in this country is, anytime a major label notices a potentially bankable band emerge, they’ll push the ever-loving hell out of them. Towards the late 90s, The Tea Party was yet another in such a long list of bands to receive that push, their first major exposure coming with the 1997 album Transmission. Prior to that, however, they were simply known as a good indie band that sounded quite different from the sort of rock you’d typically hear on the radio or TV. Oh, and they kind of sounded like The Doors too.

Actually, that comparison’s more apt when it comes to The Edges Of Twilight, as there’s a heavy Middle-Eastern influence running through the album, and thus the sort of ethnic fusion that was mighty popular in psychedelic circles of the '60s. Aside from Correspondence and Turn The Lamp Down Low, which lean more towards regular blues-rock, you have an abundance of un-Western cultural instrumentation and song craft (I’m stretching MS Word’s thesaurus, aren’t I?) mixing with standard hard rock galvanizing (yep). So basically, all that mystical mumbo-jumbo Morrison espoused, except now with a touch of Robert Plant pretention too. But hey, all three of the band members went out of their way to learn those oddball Indian instruments, and everything comes through sounding quite excellent in that mid-90s sort of way. It may sound derivative to seasoned rock fans, but the world music attributes tickle my ears the same way the best from the world beat camps often do.

The funny thing, though, is after Fire In The Head and The Bazaar (the first two songs), I can never remember how this album goes. Granted, it’s not like I have it high on my rotation; truthfully, I can’t recall when or how I picked it up, only that it was recent. I know I liked the first couple songs whenever a friend of mine would throw the album on though, but that was when it was new. I guess this would make The Edges Of Twilight an impulsive buy based around teenage nostalgia? Dear lord, I’m not that close to midlife, am I?

Anyhow, The Tea Party didn’t make much noise beyond my native country (and Australia, apparently), after which they’ve disbanded in ’05. They recently did a reunion tour though, so let’s see The Doors do that!

Various - Echodub Loves, Vol. 2 (2013 Update)

Echodub: 2010

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review)

Oh hey, looky here. It's the last release I wrote a proper review of before I went on that two-plus year hiatus. Funny how it's also the last review for TranceCritic, and looks to remain that way. That website sure ended with a whimper, though I guess I'm partially to blame since I never did officially declare my writing tenure there to be over. I wonder if anyone still goes there expecting something new.

So what did happen, anyway? Sorry, nothing scandalous or the like, but with TC having not evolved much during the time I promised to commit, I saw little point in carrying on if it was just going to be me writing reviews; it’d be nothing but a glorified blog, and I already had a middling blog for myself at the time. More than that, however, was I found myself less and less interested in whatever the latest electronic music had to offer. My ears kept turning to the past, not so much for familiarity, but to unearth what I’d missed before, and what I could discover further back. Not exactly conducive to a website aiming for coverage of the latest releases.

“But, Sykonee,” you might have said back in the Summer Of 2010, “there’s plenty of great new music too!” Hey, I wouldn’t doubt you. Echodub Loves 2 certainly was proof of interesting things going on in the elsewheres of electronic music. Listening to it again today, I’m actually rather saddened dubstep didn’t explore these roads more, instead venturing further into bro or... whatever else it did in the UK. Or maybe it did, and I’ve been missing out on a bunch of great atmospheric material.

There entails the other frustration I had towards the end: being overwhelmed by releases, and never knowing what I should be listening to for coverage. I’m quite proud we were able to review such a wide range of electronic music at TC, but without ample manpower, it’s a self-defeating process when you don’t specialize. What gives precedent over something else? Do you buy into PR hype about what “will” be the next greatest thing? Not bloody likely, as almost every fucking release comes with such ridiculous marketing. Going through new releases becomes a chore, and the passion and enjoyment that comes from listening and writing about music evaporates. Ask any music journalist and they’ll likely tell you similar feelings of futility when swamped in promos; however, they’ll plug on, because that’s their job. TC was not my job (I sure didn’t get paid to write), but nor was it a hobby. Ultimately, it became an obligation, one I felt fulfilled after five years.

Of course, there was a lot of other bullshit I was dealing with that year too (2010 was not a happy funtime for yours truly), but that’s chit-chat for another time. As for Echodub Loves 2, I’m pretty sure it’s still available for free at the label’s website. Some good tracks available, you should check them out.

Various - Earth Dance

CyberOctave: 1999

A glance at that cover will undoubtedly have you thinking this is some festival tie-in, and seeing as how many smaller electronic music festivals at the turn of the century often skewed towards the hippie side of the scene, so too will the music contained within. And you'd be right, at least half so. Also featured on Earth Dance are several of the biggest names to grace the commercial side of electronic music: Fatboy Slim, Orbital, Underworld, Überzone, and Meat Beat Manifesto all provide tracks.

It'd be easy, then, to peg this compilation as yet another 'electronica' collection: big stars, a couple token drum 'n' bass tunes, etc. That's far from the case though, some serious digging occurring with these cuts. Okay, Push Upstairs and The Freaks made the rounds, but how many of you are familiar with Next To Nothing from ol' Norman Cook? Unless you happened across that limited 2-CD edition of You've Come A Long Way, Baby (or the American version of Better Living Through Chemistry), I'd wager not many. Most surprising is just how chilled-out it is, considering Cook’s popularity at the time come from big obvious beats, but then given the target audience with Earth Dance, perhaps not. In fact, the chill vibes are aplenty on this CD. Omni Trio and Dune remixing Gus Gus provide us with the jungle, and right there you know it’s gonna be on the LTJ tip. Not to be outdone, Art Of Trance’s meditative Requiem comes near the end.

And exclusives! Nowhere else will you find Meat Beat Manifesto’s Anon or Loop Guru’s Sleeping From The Bag, plus a breaks remix of the already rare Doublecross from Q-Burns Abstract Message. Not to mention Orbital’s charming Mock Tudor and Eat Static’s abrasive Elephant Man aren’t exactly high on the radar of most folks. Elsewhere, tunes from Banco de Gaia and Medicine Drum round out a solid package of music that the more adventurous of global-conscious music users out there won’t soon be disappointed with.

So what is the deal with Earth Dance anyway? Founded by Medicine Drum member Chris Deckker, it’s an annual global event where dancers join up across the Earth at different locations, its primary goal to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian efforts (and still going strong). During the course of the event, at the exact same time at each location, the track Prayer For Peace is simultaneously played, everyone joining in planetary unity for- ugh...

Sorry, I dig the intent, but that’s too corny for me. Sending out positive vibes is all well and good, but I prefer the hands-on approach to incite change and well-being for our fellow man. Donations do far more good in this world than joining hands in prayer. Fortunately, all money earned from Earth Dance goes towards charity, and hey, you get a great compilation out of the deal. It’s an old CD now, but should you happen upon it, there’s far worse ways to spend your money.

Laurent Garnier - Early Works

Arcade: 1998

Laurent Garnier isn’t a very important person in the world of techno, which is a travesty. He is, however, a highly respected person in the world of techno - the difference being, though he’s produced several classics in his lengthy career, the Frenchman has never led the way. At best, he’ll latch onto whatever contemporary techno’s doing, add his own flavor to the template, and come away with something incredibly memorable, to be rinsed out by discerning DJs for years to come. At worst, he’ll… well, let’s not get into that here.

Fortunately, when you gather up your early work for a double-CD release titled Early Works, chances are you’ll get the cream of the crop. Oh yes, there’s some choice material to be had on this collection, including the one-off Choice tune, Acid Eiffel. Fuck me sideways if that isn’t a blinder of a track! The way it just builds and builds and builds, adding unexpected twists and turns for its thirteen-plus duration (that bass drop in the middle, hot damn!), and never wanting it to end… why can’t all techno be like this?

Actually, most of the tracks off Early Works are. Garnier typically lays his rhythms out early and brings ever-shifting elements out and in, never falling into dull loop-techno monotony. Often he’ll utilize repetitive backing pads to lull you into a pleasant trance as crafty drum programming maintains the momentum. While the structures of these tunes do fall into familiarity, they’re so expertly arranged that at no time will you grow bored of what’s coming from the speakers. Garnier basically hit the sweet spot between Detroit techno percussion and old school trance melody with his earliest productions, which is why he often found compilations duty on releases for either scene. Back then though, I think he was regarded more as a trance guy, which makes sense seeing as how he’d do remixes of other trance releases (like Vernon’s Wonderland, included here), but other cuts like Virtual Breakdown and Lost In Alaska finds him just as adept at the genre as any sort of techno you could find in the early 90s.

And he could do house! His remix for Reese Project’s I Believe is fine, but Join Hands is a hoot, perfectly capturing the spirit of both italo and American diva house (there’s also a minimal techno remix included too, which is, um, minimal in comparison). Closing out is the ambient-techno track Go To Sleep, which is okay, but rather overindulgent on the nature sound effects for my taste.

Is Early Works essential listening, then? Eh, aside from Acid Eiffel, not really, as your life won’t be any lesser without these tracks. Still, there’s very little out there that sounds as distinctive as what you’ll find in his discography, this collection no exception. Garnier has his style, and this double-CD is a solid showcase of what the man was capable of at the beginning of his career. Some claim he was never better.

Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman

Junior Boy's Own: 1993

As far as most folks are concerned, Underworld’s discography starts here. Speak not of the ‘80s albums, for they are weak and undeserving of attention. You may, however, point and snigger at Hyde & Smith’s former group, Freur, and the ‘classic’ Doot-Doot. No, don’t listen to the other songs. They can’t compare, they’re not worthy, they- Hey! I said stay put! What do you mean they’re actually interesting? Come back, come back!

Ah, forget him. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah, those of use getting into 'electronica' in the '90s, and finding a soundtrack or two that had an Underworld anthem, almost always the highlight on the CD. For most, it was Born Slippy on Trainspotting, but for those a little more in the know (or just a little older), it was Cowgirl on Hackers.

Of course, if you were really in the know, Cowgirl was just the icing on delicious cool cake, a proper LP climax to this here album (yes, I was going to get back to it). Dubnobasswithmyheadman tends to keep things chilled and low-key, even when the tempo has vigor to it. Much of that has to do with Underworld's aesthetic, relying on dub production so their music has plenty of sonic space, and thus being less in-your-face compared to other dance acts (not to mention some of their later work).

Another thing that helped dnbwmhm stand out from the crowd was how unique it sounded. The UK acid house scene having crumbled, a dearth of practiced Brit musicians making house music formed. Say whatever you want about their prior work, but by the early '90s, Hyde and Smith knew how to craft a proper tune, provided they had good support. Darren Emerson was the spark they needed to find their way into dance music's scene, though he came just a bit too late for them to cash in on UK acid house. Still, the track M.E., originally released in '92 as Mother Earth, suggests they would have fit right in.

Mostly though, Underworld's strength is in their groove, finding a rhythm with enough of a hook that it'll lock you in, and you're ready to go for the ride for as long as they deem fit. Dark & Long, Skyscraper, Spoonman, Cowgirl, Dirty Epic... all great, uptempo tunes that never oversell. Even River Of Bass, despite being downtempo, finds the mark with cool groove (and, might I add, should have been the proper closer to this album). Sweetening the package is Karl Hyde’s odd lyrical style, almost poetic gibberish so long as it complements the beat (not surprising he’s apt at it, because seriously, “doot-doot”). It's all quite different from what UK house music did before. It's forward-thinking; like, 'advancing house', or something.

Definitely this is an album that deserves its classic status, but those in the know already know. Then again, those in the super-know, know the EPs off here are where the true gold lurks.

Sly & Robbie / King Tubby - Dub Reggae

Proper Records: 1999

Here we go. Nothing gets to the roots of dub music better than a compilation featuring three of the most influential tastemakers the genre has to offer. Hell, King Tubby basically invented the damn thing, after experimenting with studio mixing techniques. Story goes, in an effort to make instrumental versions of various rock-steady and reggae records stand far and apart from competing soundsystem jocks, ol' Tubbs would play multiple copies through multi-track mixers and boost the rhythmic sections, thus creating cavernous echo effects that would define dub music forever after. Of course, only four-tracks were available at the time, so what we get here sounds incredibly simple compared to the sonic roads dub music would later explore, but it is a fascinating listen nonetheless.

The King's material on this particular release comes from music provided by The Aggrovators (though not necessarily written by The Aggrovators – case in point, the No Woman No Cry Dub). A band founded by reggae legend Bunny Lee, it featured a rotating cast of several more reggae musicians, many legends in their own right. Amongst them was one Robbie Shakespear, a bassist, and Sly Dunbar, a drummer. With dub music often highlighting drums and basslines, it’s no surprise that these two would go on to great success within the genre as Sly & Robbie.

Yet, their contributions to this Dub Reggae CD isn’t quite as interesting. The messy experimentation of King Tubby’s work is part of its charm, but Sly & Robbie’s production is crisp and clear in comparison. I suppose it can’t be helped, as by the time the duo began releasing records of their own, studio mixdowns must have improved significantly compared to ol’ Tubb’s day. Say, when were these tracks released anyway? *made up sounds effects of Discogs searching*

Huh. No wonder Sly & Robbie’s tracks sound so clean-cut. This is just a re-pressing of their 1991 album Dub Rockers Delight, only the tracklist is backwards. Really, Proper Records? You couldn’t clear the rights to any of their ‘80s material? You know, the records that would have been a superior showcase of the genre’s origins? Alexander Gelfand wrote such a lovely little essay in the liner notes covering dub reggae’s history, giving the CD proper class. Finding this out, though, makes me realize Dub Reggae really was nothing but a quick cheapy release after all. Guess that’s why it was lurking in the bargain bin along with several other Absolute Best compilations featuring other odd, obscure genre music from Latin America like ‘new wave Brazil jazz’ and ‘ska’.

And frankly, aside from the historical interest, Dub Reggae’s rather dull. The cuts are short, and I can only take listening to a bare-bones echoing instrumental for so long before the aesthetic grows tiresome. It’s like listening to a Dub Remix on Side B2 over and over and over. The King Tubby tracks are worth the look, but there are undoubtedly releases out there far more comprehensive of dub music’s history than this one.

Bill Laswell - Dub Chamber 3

ROIR: 2000

Wow, another Bill Laswell release. Over-exposure, much? Now you know what it’s like following dub music, period. The bassist is quite literally everywhere, cropping up at times even when you least expect it. You’ll be listening to some world dub vibes when suddenly, that bass tone makes itself known. Rushing to the credit notes, you realize, yep, there he is again. Quite the mercenary, Mr. Laswell be.

Dub Chamber 3 is one of his solo efforts though; or rather, him and whoever he invites over for a jam. Don’t bother looking for a Dub Chamber 1 or 2, as they don’t exist. This was, however, his third album released on Reachout International Records, the two prior being his Sacred System material. To confound discographers further, his fourth ROIR album was once again as Sacred System, but also titled Dub Chamber 4 (subtitled Book Of Exit, a nice call-back to the first album). And, that’s not even the end of his ROIR output, where he released a compilation of Sacred Dub System Chamber material, plus a collaboration project with Roots Tonic, not to mention- help! I’m being swallowed by Laswell’s discography! It’s so massive, it has a gravitational pull of its own!

Back on this release, we have only four tracks to deal with. Yep, they’re long ones, and oh are they ever jazzy. Aside from second tune Cybotron, I can never remember how any of these go. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, as they’re currently occupying a slightly hazy corner of my brain, but that’s only because I just listened to them. Mark my words, within a day or two, they’ll be forgotten again until I happen to hear a clip (“Oh yeah, that one has that bit with the spacey trumpet. Now I remember, that one has the nice guitar tones. Oh, I didn’t know it slowed down there. Didn’t I hear this before?”).

Cybotron though, that one sticks out for me for a couple reasons. Obviously first, the name, but more than that, it’s one of Laswell’s spaced-out dub-reggae jams, and as a point of personal preference, I enjoy his material the more outworldly it sounds. Plus, the bass tones used are a deep rumble, some of my favorite under the Laswell name, and probably due to this being a collaboration with Jah Wobble, another bassist of significant note (are they dueling basslines? Awesome if so!). I recall Muzik Magazine often ripping into Laswell, calling him the “poor man’s Jah Wobble”, but as I’ve only heard sporadic material from the guy (much of which also paired up with Laswell) there’s no way I can back that claim up.

As for Dub Chamber 3, it’s not a terrible release, as all the musicians present are highly skilled at their craft. Unfortunately, if you don’t fancy the jazz side of downtempo dub jams, this album has little that might win you over. In the end, it’s just another drop in the endless sea of Laswellian downtempo dub-jazz jams.

Bob Marley - Dreams Of Freedom: Ambient Translations Of Bob Marley In Dub

Axiom: 1997

Dreams Of Freedom was something of a stoner’s classic back at the turn of the century, many a pothead owning a burned CD containing tracks from this release cobbled from P2P search inquiries. Heck, I was such an individual, using AudioGalaxy to find more Bill Laswell and ‘ambient dub’ musics, only to discover tunes off here high in search results. It really is a can’t-miss idea: Bob Marley, dub remixes, and ambient textures; the prefect late-night, crash-and-spark album for ganja smokers.

This isn’t just a generic remix album either; rather, it’s a concept album, using classic Marley songs to create a journey of sorts. It helps that the driving force behind everything is Bill Laswell, thus maintaining a consistent tone throughout. There are a couple guest collaborations with Tetsu Inoue, but by and large, it’s Laswell’s show. And yes, his discography is incredibly hit-or-miss, but much of his Axiom output was class, and Dreams Of Freedom's no exception. He treats the source material with enough respect to let it shine through, while his deviations enhance the calming atmosphere.

The best way I can describe Dreams Of Freedom is “Marley In Space”, as Laswell makes ample use of his outworldly pads between the songs. Each segues into the next, as though drifting through alien landscapes before settling at a stage where another Marley song is being performed. Sitting nearby with his bass is Laswell, jamming away between the choruses as dub rhythms dance about. Come for the memorable melodies, stay for the spliffed-out music sessions.

So this is a nice little album, but an elephant doth dwell in the room; or rather, a Mr. Bob Marley is missing from it. Yes, his face is on the cover, that’s his name on the title, and these are songs that he wrote, but aside from Midnight Ravers at the end, he only sparingly crops up during choruses, if at all. Of course, this is because Dreams Of Freedom is a dub album, of the traditional sense. Dig into the works of the genre’s founders, and you’ll find many dub releases were just instrumentals of reggae singles; in fact, the whole notion behind dub music was giving the music itself freedom to breathe between the spaces. This album doesn’t hide the concept, explicitly stating these are ‘ambient dub translations’ right in the title. If you know dub music, the lack of ol’ Bob shouldn’t come as a surprise. Still, I maintain it’s kinda deceiving having a photo of someone known for his singing barely show up in the album proper.

I cannot deny the 'dub translations' scene being at times tedious, producers seldom adding much of note to the originals. And to be fair, Dreams Of Freedom falls in this category too. Fans of vintage Marley won't find anything new, and Laswell's style's long been 'like it or leave it'. Still, this album executes as expertly as one can hope, given the players involved. If anything, it's a great sleepy-time CD.

Robert Miles - Dreamland

BMG Music Canada: 1996

Right, Robert Miles. Children. The Dream Version. *cracks knuckles*.

I hate this whore of a track. Loathe it. Despise it. Every time I hear the first plink of piano, I cringe, but know I cannot escape the saccharine journey that is about to unfold. Maybe, just maybe, it might be okay. There must be something to enjoy, somewhere. Strings? Yeah, those are nice, but- What? That's your rhythm!? Holy hell, I thought the melody was sap, but this is pathetic. How do you ruin off-beat basslines and kick drums all in one shot? I know trance isn't the funkiest groove out there, but there was still some jump to it, some energy. This has nothing. It's just... there, sucking.

And I hate Fable even more.

That's only the first two tracks though, and seeing as I'm reviewing Dreamland, it can't be a total write off, right? I have kept the odd crap CD over the years after a used-shop haul (collector's obsession), but I bought Mr. Miles' debut album when it was new, hence me covering the original version without One & One (thank God!). Part of it was the lack of options living in the hinterlands of Canada while getting into trance-proper. Dreamland was about the tranciest thing one could find in any shop in 1996, and beggers can't be choosers.

More than that, I actually rather like the other tunes on Dreamland. Okay, they don't deviate far from the 'dream house' template Miles made popular, but it’s enough that it shows he can craft a half-decent beat. Fantasya: a bouncy bassline! Landscape: the rhythm has skip to it! In My Dreams: breaks ...that are funky! If you can craft a rhythm like this, why you no be funky elsewhere, Mr. Miles?

I should also bring up that plinky piano. I’m not a fan of it (shock), but Miles does sometimes put it to good use as a melodic counterpoint. In My Dreams starts with lovely, mournful string pads, which thus become the focus of the whole song - the piano merely dances around it to wonderful effect. He pulls a similar composition with In The Dawn, once again backing pads driving the melody, with his piano making only a brief appearance; not to mention the rhythm in this track’s got a nice shuffle to it. It’s not revolutionary, but for the ideas Dreamland presents, it’s far more intuitive than the big hits.

And that’s not even getting into the two tracks just about everyone agrees are good, the Original Version of Children and Red Zone. They’re closer to the sort of trance most folks enjoyed at the time and worth a look-see even if you wrote Robert Miles off because of Fable and the like.

Oddly, most of Dreamland has been forgotten, many disappointed there’s not more generic ‘dream house’ bilge. My God, those are the crap tunes. When Miles goes beyond the ‘limp-beat-plinky-piano’ template, that’s where this album get’s interesting.