Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Five

Ultimae Records: 2005/2008

Five editions of Fahrenheit Project deep, it's safe to say Ultimae had found a formula that worked. Fresh material from their regular roster, a few contributions from outside sources, and an excellent mix of mellow trance, ambient techno, and cinematic chill keeping the music varied and interesting. Oh, and release it after a fallow year, a handy tactic in building anticipation for the next entry in the series.

By 2005, however, the need to take it a step further must have been on their minds. Mostly fuelled by the popularity of Israeli full-on and Swedish prog psy, the psy scene was enjoying a resurgence of interest, and those into the downtempo side of things were cluing into the label's potential. The buzz generated by their early material had grown into a steady murmur now, but Ultimae had long been a cut above their musical peers, so it's not like they had to up the ante. Besides, Fahrenheit, Part 4 was such a good compilation, I doubt anyone expected them to top that one. Could they even top it?

They fucking smashed it.

For one thing, Ultimae noticed psy's changing trends, and capably found a footing within the realms of prog psy. Not that the label was adverse in dabbling with an upbeat tempo, but it was mostly a sort of 'slow trance' style they were comfortable with. Here, Aes Dana's Purple and Solar Field's Water Silence could easily find DJ set duty with any of the Iboga or Spiral Trax offerings of that year (though probably better suited early in such a set). Wedged among those two are the returning Jaïa and Aural Planet, each providing a different tone of psy dub, keeping variety high and class.

At the other end of the spectrum (and CD) lurks the other Ultimae regulars in Carbon Based Lifeforms (including two solo outings from CBL member Sync24), and Hol Baumann. The former’s sound often skewed in ambient techno’s favor, but even that was seeing changes with the trendy emergence of minimal, drone, and glitch by the mid-‘00s. Following suit, they along with Hol explore such music to great effect. Heck, Baumann’s Final could have made for an excellent capper with strong drum programming and guitar strums complementing the glitch, but Sync24’s suitably named ‘Epilogue Edit’ of Wake takes us out in fine fashion.

And then there’s the middle section! Holy cow, it’s the best string of music I’ve heard out of all these Fahrenheit Projects, no small feat considering how strong the track arrangement usually is. Processing Lights from H.U.V.A. Network is a lush piece of ethereal chill, then Cell somehow outdoes that with his own haunting Blue Embers. Joining them is prog psy vet Marius Katz, bringing a touch of actual ambient techno funk to the proceedings, and sounding not a touch out of place in the process. How he do that!?

Okay, that’s enough enthusiastic rambling from me. If you can only get one Fahrenheit Project, Part 5’s the one. Trust.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Four

Ultimae Records: 2003/2007

Even as a label known for infrequent releases, releasing a mere two in 2002 is a small amount for Ultimae. Did a busy tour schedule not allow for it? Financial strains? Albums sat on for perfectionist’s sake? Perhaps that last one, as sophomore efforts from Solar Fields and Aes Dana, plus a (proper) full-length debut of Carbon Based Lifeforms were all released in 2003. Oh yeah, and the fourth installment of the Fahrenheit Project series came out too.

Come to think of it, I wonder if the young Ultimae was having finance troubles too, on account this (and the second limited Aes Dana album) initially came out as a CDr. Like most of their early material, it was reissued with new artwork, and perhaps due to the odd fashion it was first released, Fahrenheit, Part 4 had the honors of being the first receiving such treatment in ’07.

Which makes sense, as Fahrenheit 4 is easily the best of the series yet! If Fahrenheit, Part 2 found Ultimae with some swagger of confidence in their sound, this one has them in a full-on strut (no, not full-on psy …although that was growing popular too). Whereas Part 3 noodled about too much with an over-exposure of but a few producers, this one comes off focused and driven, unique music from the Ultimae mainstays rubbing shoulders with new and established talent from abroad.

Of the non-Ultimae contributors, it’s an interesting mix. Mostly on a psy dub tip, Ochi Brothers and Aural Planet were well established by 2003, and their music reflects the spectrum of organic and synthetic sound the genre could run; newcomer Puff Dragon meets them somewhere in the middle with his Chinese Radio. Also returning to the series is Vibrasphere, who, along with Spiral Trax, were quickly establishing themselves as a force to reckon with in the scene. Say, sounds like another label at the time, doesn’t it?

And speaking of Ultimae, the regulars all come correct this time in standing out from one another. Solar Fields’ Union Light finds him dabbling in space synth, while Aes Dana returns to his industrial roots with a cold bit of ethereal techno in Memory Shell. After their strong Ultimae debut, Carbon Based Lifeforms’ don’t lose a step, Epicentre (Second Movement) working a similar looping, building melody as they did with MOS 6581 while adding more instrumentation and a didgeridoo. Awesome! Not to be outdone, Cell combines the best elements of Aes Dana and CBL in the form of Audio Deepest Night, a cold yet lovely slice of bleak ambient techno; the ol’ ‘winter canvas’ sound. Also returning is Hol Baumann, closing Part 4 with another fresh take on the psy dub template. Still no Asura, though. Where’s he been, anyway?

Still, by 2003 the buzz surrounding Ultimae was growing, and I can easily see Fahrenheit Project, Part 4 converting many a curious listener back then. A decade on now, I’ve no doubt this compilation would have the same effect. It’s that damn good.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Three

Ultimae Records: 2002/2008

Let’s get something out in the open: Ultimae ain’t perfect. They’re very good at what they do, great even, but sometimes they slip. For instance, you know the little incense stick included with your orders? Well, they sent Lavender Bliss in one of mine, and dammit, I was countin’ on Summer Rain. Fail!

Okay, I’m being silly there, but yes, not everything they release is gold. Though I’ve never come across an Ultimae CD that’s anything less than bronze, when a label maintains such a high level of quality, even ‘just okay’ can be disappointing. Credit due where it’s deserved though, as their first year of operation saw a string of strong releases in the first two Fahrenheit Projects, plus the debuts of Asura and Solar Fields. To kick off the following year, they released Part 3 of their flagship series, and it’s… well, not as good as the first two.

The trouble lies with one of the few critiques one could find in Ultimae as a whole: their roster has a tendency to sound all alike, indistinguishable from each other. To be fair, this is a complaint one can make for nearly any smallish label, in that cultivating talent with shared musical aesthetics is standard business practice. The first two Fahrenheits got around this potential hiccup by bringing in established acts to spice up the musical variety. Now that Ultimae had gathered a respectable roster of their own, however, they gave their homegrown talent most of the spotlight for Fahrenheit 3. It unfortunately renders much of the CD down to a pleasant-but-mushy gloop of psy-chill music indistinguishable one artist from the next. Even after playing it just now - maybe the third or fourth time since I got the whole Fahrenheit package - I still have trouble remembering much of significance.

As if to drive the point home, the first track that always sticks in my mind comes from one of the non-Ultimae posse, Nabab by Toirés (who’d also cropped up on Fahrenheit 1). It’s a fairly standard bit of Indian-flavoured world beat, but oh such a respite from everything else. Mystical Sun also contributes with Blue Magnetic Ocean, a tune that’s far more uptempo for the chap’s style.

Another thing of note with this compilation is the debuts of Carbon Based Lifeforms and Ultimae ‘supergroup’ H.U.V.A. Network. CBL actually had an MP3.com release a couple years prior, but with a proper label behind them now, the duo makes good on their opportunity with a lovely slice of ambient techno in MOS 6581, plus a chill-out closer with Metrosat 4. As for the Aes Dana/Solar Fields collab’, it’s suitably cinematic given the players involved, but one suspects they’re capable of better.

That, along with another solo outing from Aes Dana, plus two more from Solar Fields, is likely why so much of Fahrenheit 3 sounds interchangeable. It’s not a deal breaker, but if ranking the series, Part 3 takes up the rear. Oh well, one of them had to.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Two

Ultimae Records: 2001/2008

Striking while the opportunity was hot, Ultimae completed their transformation from Infinium and released Fahrenheit Project, Part 2 the same year as the first, using the tried and tested method of exposing your new label by flooding the market. Nah, that's not it. The first volume was such a success that it attracted high-profile talent eager to contribute to the project, and Ultimae was happy to oblige, even if a quick turnaround was odd. No, wait, that's probably not it either. Maybe a combination of both?

Whatever. The second in the Fahrenheit series is unique amongst the others, in that it features artists that are quite recognizable even without the Ultimae association. Nuclear Ramjet had a minor hit with Deep Blue that year, while Vibrasphere and Khetzal would turn out highly regarded careers within the psy trance scene in the ensuing decade. Oh, and ambient luminary Robert Rich contributed a new track, which is nothing short than a coup for a fledgling ambient label like Ultimae was. Rich’s music career traces back to the scene’s earliest years of the ‘80s, and though he never quite reached the same status as Roach, Braheny, or Stearns, he still carved out an important niche within space music’s history. So yeah, Rich... Ultimae... good stuff. So good, in fact, that the tune he provided, Somnium, bookends the whole compilation, first as an intro, then in its full version to close out in dark, mysterious droning fashion.

And the rest of the music? Pretty darn good, I’d say. The above artists all turn out typically psy leaning downbeat tunes, while Chi-A.D. returns with an even better psy dub jam with When The Effect Came. Another regular contributor to these early Fahrenheit compilations was Mystical Sun, who’s meditative blend of ambience and world beat provided a nice contrast to the CDs’ upbeat moments, offers a typically calm track with Waters Of Life.

As for the Ultimae regulars, their productions find them on much stronger footing than the last outing, their music hinting at newfound confident swagger. Solar Fields opens Fahrenheit 2 with Electric Fluid, mixing psy and ambient techno to great effect. Elsewhere, Aes Dana’s Summerland shows off the ‘slow trance’ sound that would become another of Ultimae’s trademarks, and Bénarès from Hol Baumann gets into funky world beat, which wouldn’t sound too out of place on that Elemental Chill: Earth compilation. Cell, another frequent Ultimae contributor, also debuts here, his Keun Yung showing that classic ambient techno was far from dead even at the turn of the century. Shame there’s no Asura on this one, but after two tracks on Fahrenheit 1, a step back for the other Ultimae artists to shine is fine.

Not much else to say about Fahrenheit Project, Part 2. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a better CD than the first, as it’s missing a truly knock-out track like Asura’s They Will Come, but overall it’s a slicker package. Going from strength to strength: the Ultimae manifesto.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part One

Ultimae Records: 2001/2008

Damn it, Ultimae, stop being so classy. Purchasing your material is already a worthy investment, but you offer bulk packages too? How can any fan of the label resist gathering up all that back catalog? So yeah, snagging up the entire Fahrenheit Project set was a no-brainers for yours truly, which means ya’ll better settle in, folks, as we’re in for a long one here. But first, some backstory.

In the beginning, Ultimae wasn’t Ultimae; it was Infinium. This is why CDs carry an “inre” for catalog numbers. It was little more than a promo-copy outlet, but they did manage a couple proper releases before the change, including the first Fahrenheit volume, a series primarily highlighting exclusive music from their roster. Fast-forward some years later, and Ultimae's done pretty well for itself. May as well reissue those early CDs with new artwork and updated sonics, which is what we get here.

Actually, I'm just assuming Fahrenheit 1 was given a fresh mixdown, as the production quality is on par with later material. Few releases sounded this good back at the turn of the century, much less a start-up label within the psy scene. To be fair, Ultimae has never been strictly a 'psy chill' label, dipping their toes into ambient techno, space music, glitch, dub, and so on. Still, the label’s primary link is to panoramic psychedelics, and their earliest work doesn't hide this fact.

Almost every Ultimae regular make contributions to Fahrenheit 1, some of whom had yet to even release solo work of their own. Asura already had an album out by this point (through Infinium), and gets two tracks here, the second of which, They Will Come, is a blinder of a tune. Label co-honcho Aes Dana offers an early work called Skyclad, a brooding bit of dark downbeat befitting of someone with an industrial background. Hol Baumann, an occasional Ultimae chap who’d finally make a solo album all the way in 2008, shows up with some ambient techno in Another. There's also some dude calling himself Solar Fields here, with a track titled Outlined Surfaces, an unremarkable mish-mash of psychedelic chill that doesn’t lead to much. Still, I think he'll do alright for himself in the coming decade.

Rounding the compilation out are several established acts from the psy and ambient camps. Craig Padilla’s Beyond Beta harkens to the sort of calm padwork one might find on a Steven Roach label, Chi-A.D. goes proper psy dub on our ears with Slide, Distortion Orchestra’s Fire Maiden sounds like a long lost +Fax tune, and… what’s this? An old licensed track from True Frequencies to close out? I thought Fahrenheit Project was all about fresh material?

Ah well, Ultimae was still new (technically not even in existence yet!), so a little feeling-out process is expected. Considering how unknown many of the names involved were at the time, this first edition of a flagship series is as solid a starting point the label could have hoped for.

Various - Fabric 48: Radio Slave (2013 Update)

Fabric: 2009

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review.)

Um, yeah. This and 29 are the only Fabric mixes I have, both acquired for the purpose of review. As always, I have my reasons, and since you can follow that little link above to read my (not-so old) thoughts on Radio Slave’s contribution if you so wish, I shall now blather on about such reasons.

The thing about these Fabric CDs is they usually arrived new on Vancouver shelves with jacked-up import prices, upwards of the thirty dollar range (yes, that’s quite a bit for a CD here in Canada). I’ve been buying myself music for a good twenty years now, but personal purchasing power’s been poor for most of them, thus rendering my selections ofttimes rather picky. If I’m dropping nearly thirty for a single CD, it better be for something greater than ‘just another DJ mix’, especially at a time when freebies and podcasts are wildly available online.

Still, I’d occasionally splurge if I thought something should have coverage on TranceCritic, hence why I’d bought the Tiefschwarz mix, figuring it necessary for the website to finally jump on that wagon. Fortunately, a British chap by the name of Will Alexander joined our crew for a while, and he took care of the Fabric mixes afterwards, leaving me to instead cover twisted forest psy, or whatever. He only stayed for a year though, but when he left I saw no reason to carry on with TC’s Fabric reviews. They weren’t heavy traffic attractors (trancecrackers don’t like tech house, what?), and besides, I’d noticed a general trend developing with the releases: they made for incredibly boring reviews.

Always, there’d be plenty of pre-release hype, a good chunk of forum dwellers posting such thrilling, anticipatory comments like “Massive!”, or “Can’t miss!” or “This’ll be huge!” (plus an occasional dissenter). Then a website like Resident Advisor or Pitchfork would throw up their review, awarding it a customary six-to-eight out of ten, depending on the reviewer’s particular taste. Posters would cry “too low” or “too high”, then forget about it until the next edition. Rinse, repeat. Fabric was becoming just like Global Underground had: an avenue for solid yet unremarkable DJ mixes.

Okay, that’s a gross overstatement, as Fabric at least keeps its selection of selectors reasonably varied, but what else was there left to say about them? Almost every fresh angle had been covered with the series long ago, rendering reviews of new mixes little more than dutiful recaps. Well, there is one angle still…

Most of the old Fabric CDs can be found cheaply through Amazon now, many going for less than a tenner; ironically, my purchasing power’s never been better, so I can gorge on a bunch of them if I so choose. It might be fun to go back to a few and see how they’ve held up, whether to highlight an overlooked gem or eviscerate an overhyped flop. With so many out there though, which ones should I go after? Let me know in the comments!

Various - Fabric 29: Tiefschwarz (Original TC Review)

Fabric: 2006

(2013 Update:
Yay, another dated review. It's not my fault though, as the Fabric series was going from strength to strength in the mid-'00s. Who'd have thought they'd settle into a predictable rut as the years wore on, not to mention get outclassed by the burgeoning Balance series.

Still, this particular edition remains solid enough, if anything for a tracklist filled with a 'who's who' of this scene - Tiefschwarz may not have accomplished much since this came out, but they knew their tech-house that year. It also captures the brief period when the minimal aesthetic had creativity, before the dominance of plink-plonk-hiss annoyances (re: the Dubfire effect). Though it was written for the benefit of TranceCritic readers not boned up on minimal, my detailing of its influence still holds up pretty well, though obviously a different tense is required.)


IN BRIEF: Minimal sounds without the pretentiousness.

Before I start, I’d like to give some much deserved props to Fabric. Of all the DJ mix compilations over the years, theirs has to be amongst the most daring. Never have I seen a series exhibit such a wide range of musical styles, all the while equally giving the spotlight to superstars and underground darlings. Fabric isn’t interested in pandering to the progressive elite or the deep house elite or the techno elite. They release DJ mixes for folks who enjoy dabbing in everything. And bloody prolifically at that. At the rate Fabric kicks these mixes out, I’m surprised the quality control has remained as consistent as it has.

It’s interesting that Tiefschwarz’ go was the one I should have come across to review for our first dip into this series. Some could point out tapping the German brothers for a mix was nothing more than Fabric jumping on the ‘minimal’ bandwagon, which might be a vali-

Eh? Oh, you noticed those apostrophes around minimal. Perhaps I should explain that. Y’see, folks, minimal is the new buzzword promo people and clueless scenesters are jumping on. Much like ‘electro’ before it (and to some extent, still), the term is annoyingly ambiguous in what kinds of music it refers to, but generally these are them: minimal/dub/deep techno; simple tech house; micro house; deep prog house; nearly anything with a 130 bpm groove and the cliché “rewards paying attention” is apt. The perversion of their pet genre’s name has raised the ire of purists, an all too common result of an underground sound becoming popular. It’s grown large enough that some long-time minimal artists distance themselves from the sound altogether. Heh, you can always tell a buzzword is getting big when those associated with it claim they produce anything but.

Was Fabric merely cashing in on the hot underground sound of the summer when they released this? Perhaps a little, but it’s hardly the first time the series dipped into these waters, and now’s as good a time as any to expose some underrated talent now that folks will be more interested in it. Tiefschwarz - Alexander and Sebastian to the tax men - have been around for a good decade, earning their keep in the house and techno trenches with various singles and remixes. I’d say they deserve a bit of time in the spotlight since their sound is all the hipster rage.

The brothers kick off their mix with some dark dubby tunes. Minimal? Tech house? Either or, really, as the tracks are quite sparse in arrangement, yet contain a definite groove one can shuffle their feet along to. Claude VonStroke’s Whose Afraid Of Detroit? is especially nice with a grumbling bassline and a bleepy hook - love those ominous pads lurking in the background.

Now this is where things get tricky in covering a release like this. How, pray tell, does one describe what goes on in a mix that contains lots of bleepy clicky sounds and groovy rhythms, but scant little in the way of noticeable hooks? By way of feeling, which has always been the appeal of minimal sounds in EDM. The drawing power of Tiefschwarz’ track selection is in the atmosphere they create and maintain rather than dropping big tunes after each other. A song like Touane’s Bassic is quite, um, basic on its own, with a good shoulder-shakin’ rhythm but little else. What it does do though, is keep your interest with intriguing soundscapes, piquing your curiosity as to what may follow. While their choice of Schumacher’s Rotor may be suspect in this case (those are some really drab sounds going on here), the track’s tone nonetheless matches what came before while providing a unique twist. Interest maintained, curiosity grows, onto the next smooth mix to see where we go next. It’s a winning formula, and Tiefschwarz execute it admirably during the course of their mix. Rotor is probably the only real stumble in this middle chunk; each successive track after displays a quirky wit in their choice of music while never losing the darkish overtones laid out in the beginning.

Of warning though: because Tiefschwarz have opted for a mix that expresses their muses with atmosphere, truly energetic moments are rather rare as a result. Yes, the rhythms do groove, and they sometimes even get mildly funky as well, but hardly ever do they excite; the shuffling percussion of Ichundu’s Hey is about as active things get. This isn’t to say there aren’t interesting arrangements to be heard, but if you’re looking for big room bombs, you’ve wandered into the wrong house, my friends.

As Tiefschwarz head into the final stretch, they leave the quirk behind and indulge in floaty (re: ketamine) tech house. There’s still a hint of unease, mind, a feeling that really hasn’t gone away since the opening track from Troy Pierce. But whereas the beginning delved into the ominous nature of it and the middle had fun with the oddities, the end calms you down in spite of some really bizarre sounds; The Hammer Of Thor from Riton will definitely make you take notice, although the hook is interesting enough.

Oops. Spoke too soon. Al and Seb throw one more bit of quirkiness our direction with the final track, a bloopy, glitchy downtempo remix of Kate Wax’s Beetles And Spiders done by Roman Flügel. It’s an amusing way to finish this disc off, but a bit heavy on the tongue-in-cheek wit.

Fortunately, the rest of their mix isn’t. Tiefschwarz have crafted a worthwhile addition to the Fabric legacy, with equal parts charm, groove, and fun without abandoning the aspects of what makes this sound appealing. Although it won’t convert those who are still suspicious of ‘minimal’, it will please those who enjoy the heady nature of the music nonetheless.

Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event - The Final World Front

Elektra: 1998

You could not go through the '90s and miss one of Busta Rhymes’ videos, they of many a fish-eyed lens as he donned eccentric costumes and wardrobe, always perfectly synced with his eccentric raps and word play; also, dreadlocks. Thanks to such promotion, his star grew, somehow taking the idea of 'wacky-doo hip-hop personality' and thriving on it whilst other off-the-wall types were almost unanimously relegated as posse mainstays but little else. Flava Flav needed Public Enemy, Ol' Dirty Bastard needed Wu-Tang Clan, but Busta Rhymes was just fine without Flipmode Squad (much less his original crew). Though he doesn't command the same attention as before (does any '90s hip-hop star?), his followers maintain he's yet to lose his touch, at least when focusing on his own material rather than guest-versing on other cuts.

I can see why he'd garner such a dedicated following, as Mr. Rhymes had an incredible run of albums leading up to Y2K, his third one - Extinction Level Event - capping off a sorta-thematic apocalypse trilogy. Nor did he let such millennia paranoia overwhelm his work, mixing it up with regular club bangers, somber stories, and even occasional chick music.

Speaking of which, one of the big singles off here was the Janet Jackson duet, What’s It Gonna Be!? Eh, perhaps because I've a pair o' nads, this tune's never done it for me. That said, the video’s great, in a totally '90s sort of way. Gotta love that old school CGI!

Oh well, girls gotta have their R&B. For those after the bangin' side of hip-hop, the album has plenty of cuts to sate your needs, including a strong opening salvo to warm you up. After an intro that details what the end-times will bring (with a nifty effect dropping the narrator's voice deeper and robotic as his speech goes on), Busta keeps bringing the fire with beats that match his eccentric style, a mini-climax going down with the titular cut (of course). Nottz, a burgeoning talent at the time, was tasked with most of the production here, but a few of the heavy hitters of the late '90s – including Rockwilder, DJ Scratch, and Swizz Beatz – also contribute.

And what rap album is complete without guests? Flipmode Squad do their posse cut, but the show stealer is Mystikal on Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Getting Rowdy Wit Us, Busta and him trading back rapid-fire lyrics (seriously, that guy was too good for No Limit Records – shame about his career). Oh, and Ozzy crops up at the end with a cover of Ironman called This Means War!! - Busta’s means it too, dropping two exclamation marks.

Extinction Level Event's a solid, varied album, one of the stronger choices for someone unfamiliar with Busta Rhyme’s work to dive into. The only gripe could be his apocalypse theme didn't get enough attention in favour of club “hits” clogging up the back end, but if I wanted that, I'd just throw on Deltron 3030 again.

The Prodigy - Experience (Original TC Review)

XL Recordings: 1992

(2013 Update:
This review feels dated now, even though, technically, The Prodigy have yet to make any sort of proper reclaim to fame. An interesting thing happened a few years after I wrote this, though: old school hardcore started receiving props again, with acts making one-off throwbacks, and even occasional 'concept' albums; all the while, an American (re)fascination with raving undoubtedly has the group getting name-checked far more often than any point during the decade prior.

I should mention the writing here reflects my transitional phase from track-by-track detailing. It's not as cumbersome as my earliest reviews, but there are still clunky chunks of grammar. Rough around the edges, much like Experience!)


IN BRIEF: It’s got the beat; that’s all we need.

When I randomly pulled this from my collection of music to review, the first thought that came to me was, “Why should I review this? It’s a decade and a half old; everything that could be said regarding Experience has been said and then some. Besides, with The Prodigy’s relevance inconsequential these days, it’s not like-”

And then I was struck dumb for a moment. Could it really be true? The Prodigy were no longer relevant? I’m not just talking about fading from popular musical taste, but that, for all the groundbreaking material that was released under the Prodigy banner, almost none of it has the slightest bearing on modern tastes. For anyone associated with electronic music throughout the previous decade, this comes as a bit of a shock.

Hands up if you grew up during the ‘90s. Remember just how big the Prodge were? Even with three albums that bore scant resemblance to one another, their impact was undeniable. Numerous hit singles. Multiple sub-genres spawned. Dynamic live show. Take-no-prisoners attitude. Hell, they even managed to break typical ‘dance sux’ mainstream America! Every young EDM fan had that moment when they paused and, much like Led Zepplin for rock fans, declared The Prodigy the best ever (even if that opinion changed within a day).

But Liam Howlett’s musical dry spell hurt, and a new batch of partiers emerged without a Prodigy experience (having to settle for superstar trance DJs instead, poor bastards). In a scene where trends take little time to change, Howlett was left to play catch-up rather than lead the charge as he always had. The new generation of ravers saw little interest in looking back to the past when they had their own scene. The Prodigy, once an unbeatable force no one could stop, became a token footnote regarding ‘90s trivia and ‘funny hairstyles in music’.

If the Prodigy material was firmly stuck in the ‘90s, this would be understandable. Like any Height-Ashbury folk rock act, they’d retain a level of respect but would still be unable to escape the era that spawned it. However, Howlett’s productions aren’t stuck in the ‘90s. Sure, they may conjure up ravey-raves or ‘electronica’ promos, but many tracks remain just as effective today as they were a decade ago, even without nostalgic blinders.

For all its old school hardcore trappings, Experience can still pummel a party fourteen years on. The opening four-track stanza - Jericho, Music Reach, Wind It Up, and Your Love - is as much an endurance test as it is a collection of songs. Howlett’s rhythms are super-fast and utterly relentless, yet always fascinating to hear, mixing up a dynamic blend of innovative breakbeats with stadium-sized resonance. Even Hyperspeed, despite a lengthier intro than the tracks prior to it, gives no respite, unleashing some of the most devastating beats on Experience. And Charly, though stripped down compared to the others, still packs a punch. Whatever Howlett did to create such powerful drums and basslines has endured far better than numerous copycats could ever have hoped.

But enough talk of the rhythms, you say. What about melodies and hooks? Unfortunately, this has always been where Experience stumbles. To be frank, most of them merely serve the rhythms: synth stabs giving extra punch to a kick; strings providing atmosphere; etc. Take out most of Liam’s beats, and you’d get very generic old school rave hooks that could fit into any number of producers’ discography.

This isn’t to say they aren’t catchy or even enduring. The uplifting pianos of Wind It Up or hoover fun of Charly still work today, and little things in the other tracks have moments of charm as well. However, you get the impression it didn’t matter what Howlett did to complement his rhythms - they were so good that anything could work, so he just grabbed a few proven techniques of the era rather than make his own styles.

Hell, maybe Liam himself realized this all too well. How else can one explain the absurd Out Of Space. Is there anything more loony than a boing sound? (well, maybe a kazoo) This track could very well be a piss-take on the very sound he popularized, showing no matter how corny the surrounding hooks, samples, effects, and even accompanying video got, the beats would still carry the track to awesomeness. Amazingly (and perhaps ironically), it went on to be one of their fans’ all-time favorite tracks.

The strength of Howlett’s breakbeats is further exemplified by Everybody In The Place, because this is the one track on Experience they are missing! Making use of a standard four-to-the-floor rhythm at a heightened BPM, this track comes off quite bland amongst the surrounding company, and unfortunately shows just how weak many of the hooks are without the dynamite breaks.

Still, Howlett was determined to show he had skill in other facets of music, so despite being stuck making mostly hyperfast breakbeats around this time, he managed to squeeze in an ‘epic’ track called Weather Experience, where two-thirds of the song are spent on sweeping string synths and chunky hip-hop beats. It’s a welcome respite from all the manic energy to be had on this album, and its slow build towards bubbling acid and a chaotic climax is quite cinematic in musically re-creating a sudden storm.

It might have been a mistake to include it though, because it leaves the follow-up tracks sounding incredibly lackluster in comparison. Fire and Jungle Bizness, while having some energy to them (you just can’t deny them riddims), aren’t nearly as interesting as the tracks that came in the first half of Experience. They sound more like tag-ons than killer tracks to finish an album off strong.

No matter. Experience does finish strong in spite of this with Death Of The Prodigy Dancers. You’d think a live track would sound completely out of place here, yet it’s a perfect capper. The Prodigy were always at their best performing live, and this track is as much meant for live gigs as anything. A complete acid thrash-fest, it was simply designed to put dancers Leeroy and Keith through their paces for the audience to witness. As Maxim’s MCing encourages them on while super-charging the crowd, you can only imagine what dazzling footwork Leeroy was displaying or what manic theatrics Keith was parading. And with your imagination doing the work, Death Of The Prodigy Dancers easily gets you pumped even if the sound quality isn’t as sharp as all the other tracks.

And that’s why, even if The Prodigy aren’t as relevant in today’s scene, they can still hook in new fans with ease when given the chance. Howlett may have gone on from Experience to become a better songwriter but there’s still an exuberant innocence on display here. The energy was overflowing at this early stage, and its infectiousness has become timeless. “Check it out!”and “Let it rock you!”

The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust

Virgin Music Canada: 1995

Astute readers probably noticed a missing Dig Your Own Hole as I went through the 'D's. This wasn't on account of disliking The Chemical Brothers or anything - heck, I was down with their sound when they were still known as The Dust Brothers (amazing the acts one can find on early '90s 'ambient' compilations). Unfortunately for Dig, I was already sick of hearing its lead singles before the album proper hit the shelves, and even though I can find it for less than a dollar online, I'm still not inclined to snag a copy. If I can go a whole year without hearing Block Rocking Beats again, maybe then I'll finally give the album another chance.

Exit Planet Dust, however, I can play forever and not get tired of it ...most of the time. The final few tracks are a bit fillerish for my taste, but considering how hard and awesome this album hits you from the start, a drop in momentum is to be expected.

Still, the idea of big beats influenced by hip-hop breaks had already been explored by acts like Meat Beat Manifesto and Renegade Soundwave. The ChemBros, however, threw a new twist into the mix by adding liberal amounts of funk-rock and starry-eyed psychedelia, suggesting Summer Of Love vibes and knowing winks to music festivals in wide-open fields.

Leave Home's the opener, and right out the gate one can see why Simons and Rowlands became darlings of rock publications trying to get a handle on that 'electronica' music. Blending thrashy acid lines, funky guitar licks, and a cacophony of breakbeats and effects, it's a strong start to the album. In Dust We Trust goes one better, with a snarling hook that coils around your head as only an acid-drenched serpent could. Ah, help, I’m getting buried in hyperbole!

Those weaned on latter era Brothers Of The Chemical will undoubtedly be surprised by how rough and raw Exit Planet Dust sounds, far less attention paid to songcraft and simply laying out the beats as though catching the duo at a live gig. The whole middle section of the album plays out like such a set, especially so of the 'Beats Trilogy' following Song To The Siren. Fuck Up Beats in particular is a filthy beast of a track, and a shame it's so short. As if anticipating a necessary breather after the bedlam, Chico's Groove and One Too Many Mornings provides proper downtime.

Those two cuts could have been the perfect way to end the album on, but that would run quite short of runtime. So, we get glimpses of where The Chevy Bohemians would take their career at the end: Life Is Sweet pairs them up with an indie Brit-warbler, and Alive Alone sees the first of many Beth Orton collaborations. I guess if those are the sort of songs you prefer these Brothers to work out, that's your prerogative. Myself, I'm gonna go back to those fucked up big beats! UHH!