The Prodigy "No Tourists" (2018)

No Tourists
release date: Nov. 2, 2018
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,35]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: Take Me to the Hospital - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Need Some1" - 2. "Light Up the Sky" - 6. "Timebomb Zone" - 7. "Champions of London" - 9. "Resonate"

7th studio album by The Prodigy, which is the continued band-project consisting of dancer Keith Flint on vocals, Maxim Reality (aka Keith Palmer) on vocals and Liam Howlett as the musical mastermind behind it all, as he has made the music with various samples, mixed and produced it all. Flint and Maxim are credited as co-writers on three of the songs and basically "only" contributes with vocals on three and four songs respectively. Aside from the three official band members, the album has been made with various guest musicians, including guitarist Olly Burden, who has co-written four of the songs - on which he's also credited as co-producer - with Howlett and who also plays guitar on three comopsitions.
As the predecessor The Day Is My Enemy from 2015, the album continues in a more aggressive "rave revival" or big beat known as hardcore breaks, which bonds nicely with the first three albums by the band.
The album is the band's 7th consecutive album to peak as #1 on the UK albums chart list (including the compilation album Their Law: The Singles 1990-2005 from 2005), which seems like some sort of record, although, the band hasn't released a No. 1 single since "Breathe" in 1996.
After some time, I have come to enjoy this album more and more - and without comparison, I see it as no less than their best album since The Fat of the Land from 1997.
No Tourists became the last to feature dancer and vocalist Keith Flint as he ended his life in Mar. 2019.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Mojo 3 / 5, Uncut 3,5 / 5, The Observer, The Irish Times 4 / 5, NME 5 / 5 stars ]

Mogwai "Kicking a Dead Pig - Mogwai Songs Remixed" (1998)

Kicking a Dead Pig - Mogwai Songs Remixed (remix album)

release date: May 18, 1998

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC - 2001 reissue)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,88]

producer: Mogwai & various

label: Mogwai self-relase - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Like Herod (Hood Remix)" - 7. "Mogwai Fear Satan (Surgeon Remix)" - 10. "Mogwai Fear Satan (Mogwai Remix)" - 12. "Mogwai Fear Satan (My Bloody Valentine Remix)"

Remix album by Mogwai primarily of compositions from the band's debut album Young Team (1997). Originally the album was released as a ten track album on Eye Q Records, but after the label had closed the album was expanded by another two tracks and it was released as a 2-cd album with the two new remixes on disc 2 as the final version, track #12 is a 16 minute long version of "Mogwai Fear Satan" - the original being 10 seconds longer.

Most of the compositions have been heavily altered and mostly into electronic dance or with an ear for old school techno rave. You may argue that the point in making a remix album with songs that sound much like the original seems wrong, but when the end result is music of a completely other genre, it's also a natural source of criticism. It's experimental and daring and some ideas and even whole compositions are made with some success, but overall it doesn't fit that well in the band's discography - it's more of an oddity. Best remixes here are actually Mogwai's own mix of "Mogwai Fear Satan" only bettered by Kevin Shield's (My Bloody Valentine) daring but aso highly original version.

Collector's item only.

[ bandcamp ]

The Prodigy "The Day Is My Enemy" (2015)

The Day Is My Enemy
release date: Mar. 30, 2015
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Liam Howlett, Neil McLellan
label: Take Me to the Hospital - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Day Is My Enemy" - 2. "Nasty" - 4. "Ibiza" (feat. Sleaford Mods)

6th studio album by The Prodigy was about 6 years in the making. Apparently, the album was a band effort, as contrary to the last two albums with Howlett in control of everything. According to Howlett the word 'violent' kept coming up when describing the album, and truth is, it's rather fitting. It's almost like an edited version of The Fat of the Land, from 97, only angrier.
I must confess that I haven't been a great fan of the band since the mid-90s, and have often been disappointed about their musical change into a more hip hop universe with heavy sampling and tribal, however, this is in a sense a return to form, although, I rejected it the first many times. It has a certain quality - it's quite good, but I don't really find it near great.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, The Guardian 4 / 5, Drowned in Sound 2 / 5 stars ]

The Prodigy "Lost Beats EP" (2009) (ep)

Lost Beats EP, ep
release date: Feb. 18, 2009
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: Take Me to the Hospital - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "The Big Gundown" - 2. "Black Smoke" - 3. "Wild West" - 4. "Fighter Beat" (2 / 5)

A 4-track studio ep, which came with a Deluxe Edition of Invaders Must Die. The music is very much the same style as the album, although, I think this is clearly better. The first track is a sampling of music by Ennio Morricone, and it's actually pretty nice. Also, track #2 is fine with its hardcore breakbeat instead of all the hip hop influence. All tracks are instrumental versions only. Track #3 has an intro with a sampling of a Dead Kennedys' track.
It's not really great but points in a better direction than some of their more recent releases.

Moby "Everything Is Wrong" (1995)

Everything Is Wrong
release date: Mar. 13, 1995
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Moby
label: Elektra / Mute - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Hymn" - 2. "Feeling So Real" - 3. "All That I Need Is to Be Loved" - 5. "Everytime You Touch Me" - 6. "Bring Back My Happiness" - 13. "When It's Cold I'd Like to Die"

3rd studio album release by Moby - or actually, it's only his second intended album release, as his former label Instinct Records in the aftermath of his successful debut album decided to release the album Ambient in August '93 when Moby was in the process of signing a record deal with British independent label, Mute Records - an album of quite different material, as indicated by the title and completely without Moby's knowledge.
Everything Is Wrong is both the natural follow-up to his poignant debut but also something quite different. The album starts off with his techno, downtempo trademark, but with the two tracks "All That I Need Is to Be Loved" and "What Love?" he introduces a fascination for punk rock mixed with a hardcore rave and alt. metal electronic style, which takes the album in a completely different direction; however, other tracks are almost exact opposites with ambient bits and as natural contrasts but also merry soul and funk-styled compositions (e.g. the M People-like "Everytime You Touch Me") scattered across the album serve as counterparts to the fierce angry punk rock attitude.
Overall one could imagine the whole album as way too complex with tracks pointing in all sorts of directions, but with Moby you already here understand that "Everything isn't just wrong" - quite contrary in fact it's here a proven mission accomplished.
Frankly, I missed out this at the time of the release, and today I find it difficult to choose between his first two albums as they both seem essential.
I like it, it's gooood.
[ allmusic.com, Spin 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

The Chemical Brothers "Exit Planet Dust" (1995)

Exit Planet Dust [debut]
release date: Jun. 26, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]
producer: Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Cheeky Paul
label: JBO / Freestyle Dust / Virgin - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Leave Home" (4 / 5) - 2. "In Dust We Trust" - 3. "Song to the Siren" - 4. "Three Little Birdies Down Beats"

Studio debut album by The Chemical Brothers consisting of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simmons. The album contains some really groundbreaking tracks. I only listened to the album after purchasing Dig Your Own Hole (1997), and I didn't find it nearly as appealing, until some 10 years later. Today, I fully understand the hype and attention they received from this, and it's striking how much it resembles the style and beats on Music for the Jilted Generation (1994) by The Prodigy, which is one of my favourite albums of the '90s. "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, The Guardian, Select 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Best of 1994:The Prodigy "Music for the Jilted Generation" (1994)

Music for the Jilted Generation
release date: Jul. 14, 1994
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5] [4,82]
producer: Liam Howlett, Neil McLellan
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Intro" - 2. "Break & Enter" (5 / 5) - 3. "Their Law (feat. Pop Will Eat Itself)" - 4. "Full Throttle" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Voodoo People" (5 / 5) (org. video) - 6. "Speedway (Theme From Fastlane)" - 7. "The Heat (The Energy)" - 8. "Poison" - 9. "No Good (Start the Dance)" (org. video) - 10. "One Love (Edit)" (5 / 5) - 11. "The Narcotic Suite: 3 Kilos" - 12. "The Narcotic Suite: Skylined" - 13. "The Narcotic Suite: Claustrophobic Sting" (5 / 5)

2nd studio album by The Prodigy. The importance of this album can only be underestimated. When grunge rock was on its high with its focus on simplicity and with accepted 'normal' electrified instruments, programmed electronic music with breakbeat and big beat was the music for another huge fraction of music lovers. This is genius, and it's revolutionary. This was their first album to go to number #1 in the UK, as all their following albums have done, which is quite unique. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Record Collector 5 / 5, Sputnikmusic 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

1994 Favourite releases: 1. The Prodigy Music for the Jilted Generation - 2. Everything but the Girl Amplified Heart - 3. C.V. Jørgensen Sjælland

The Prodigy "Experience" (1992)

Experience [debut]
release date: Sep. 21, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Jericho" - 2. "Music Reach (1/2/3/4)" - 3. "Wind It Up" (4 / 5) (official video) - 4. "Your Love (Remix)" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2)" - 6. "Charly (Trip Into Drum and Bass Version)" (4 / 5) (official video) - 7. "Out of Space" - 8. "Everybody in the Place (155 and Rising)" - 9. "Weather Experience" - 10. "Fire (Sunrise Version)" - 11. "Ruff in the Jungle Bizness" - 12. "Death of The Prodigy Dancers (Live)"

Studio debut album by The Prodigy. I only listened to the entire album after The Fat of the Land, and found it a difficult step back in time in 1997. I thought it was okay but didn't really like it a great deal for the first many years, and actually only in the late 2000s I have come to fancy this album as well. My initial verdict was 2,5 / 5 stars, I guess, whereas today, I think it's worth 4. "Jericho", "Wind It Up", "Your Love (Remix)", and "Charly" are great breakbeat tracks suited for a sweaty night at the disco.
After re-discovering the album, I am almost certain to have heard some of the tracks when watching a techno rave truck driving through a park at Copenhagen Carnival in the summer of 1992. The truck was full of young 'ravers' dancing away on the lorry while The Prodigy played at maximum volume. I recall being impressed by the music, which seemed to come from another planet.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Record Collector 4 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

The Prodigy "What Evil Lurks" (1991) (ep)

What Evil Lurks, ep
release date: Feb. 1991
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "What Evil Lurks" - 2. "We Gonna Rock" - 3. "Android" - 4. "Everybody in the Place"

Studio ep debut by The Prodigy, project name for producer and composer Liam Howlett who included Keith Flint and Maxim [aka Keith Palmer] on vocals, and as dancers when performing live. This is initial breakbeat hardcore or rave. The ep was released in only 7000 copies but reissued in 2004 as a 15th Anniversary edition celebrating XL Recordings.