This is a page about the electronic albums we have bought in the first couple of weeks of the year, well, when I say we, I mean the photographer. Although we did both buy the Warp compilation reissue on account of it being utterly essential. I like electronic music, but the photographer likes it more so this one’s on him. We have a Luke Slater as Planetary Assault Systems remix EP, The latest Terrance Fixmer and Giant Swan albums and the reissue of the seminal Artificial Intelligence compilation album from Warp. Read what we thought below
Planetary Assault Systems
In From The Night ( Reworks and Edits )
Mote-Evolver
The photographer likes Luke Slater, I routinely listen it on the way to and from gigs in his car so this one was very welcome. It’s three reworkings of the 1993 track ‘In From The Night’ and they are very very good. The first two go from seriously wibbly static tinged techno to a simple absorbing repetitive dose of forward movement,
But it’s the third live mix that makes this purchase so worth while, a live working that is glitchy, wonky and absolutely mental sounding. It’s epic when played through headphones, imagine what it would sound like in a club.
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Terence Fixmer
Shifting Signals
Mute
From France comes this excellent album. Whatever he puts with them, the beats rule this release. Just techno, well, when I say Just, I mean of course, only. It’s a fantastic electronic ride through squiggly washes and bleeps, static fogs and glitching. But it’s the beats that gets you, throws you around the room, kicks you in the head and then breaks the windows.
Various Artists
Artificial Intelligence
Warp
This is an electronic compilation that is seen as the beginning of intelligent dance music, it is warm, still fresh and wonderfully emotional considering it’s all done on machines. At the time it was truly ground-breaking. It’s so good that when I was listening to it at work I got told off for tapping my foot along to it, completely absorbed. Artificial Intelligence was first released in 1992 and the aim was for people to listen to it rather than dance. The artists involved used names not necessarily recognised immediately for example Aphex Twin is on billed as the Dice Man. Despite being over two decades old it still sounds like right now.
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Giant swan
Fantasy Food
Keck
A short album or long EP – you decide.
This is also built on beats, rolling beats with odd breathy, gasping hints over them. Breaking to let robots communicate and then straight back into the beats. The beats move around, get slightly more in and out of focus, leave traces of synth and beep samples spinning behind them
strange, minimal, rolling on bass beats and strange samples over the top. It’s when the beats stop that it all goes very strange. as all the other sounds struggle to catch up before they start again. It’s glitchy, odd absorbing techno.
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Planetary Assault Systems have a Bandcamp page. Luke Slater’s website is lukeslater.com, he is on Facebook and Tweets as @reallukeslater
Terence Fixmer has a Bandcamp page, is on Facebook and Tweets as @terencefixmer
Warp Records website is warp.net/gb, you can find the album on Bandcamp.
Giant Swan have a Bandcamp page, are on Facebook and Tweet as @A_Giant_Swan
All words by Adrian Bloxham, records found by Martin Ward.
