Kraftwerk "Tour de France Soundtracks" (2003)

Tour de France Soundtracks

release date: Aug. 4, 2003

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 2. "Tour de France Étape 1" - 3. "Tour de France Étape 2" - 7. "Aéro Dynamik" - 9. "Elektro Kardiogramm" - 12. "Tour de France" (4 / 5) (officiel video)

11th and final studio album by Kraftwerk released a full twelve years after The Mix (1991) - and seventeen [!] years after Electric Cafe (1986), which stands as their most recent album with completely new material. This final outing is also the band's only album with a line-up consisting of Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider together with the two new members of Fritz Hilpert (who in '87 replaced Wolfgang Flür) and Henning Schmitz, who after ' The 91 album replaced Fernando Abrantes (who had only just replaced Karl Bartos). The album is as all the band's albums from '74 and onwards also released in a remastered 2009 version, and for that, it was issued with the shorter title, Tour de France for the simple reason that it had been created to the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first Tour de France. At the same time, it also happens to be the 20th anniversary of the band's first edition of the title track. The album consists of 12 compositions with a total running time at approx. 56 minutes.

Stylewise, the band here presents a new sound based on basic elements from their previous albums but now with an implementation of techno, for which the band itself is seen as a major inspiration, and which in a way provides the music with a breath of fresh air. Most lyrics are written in collaboration between Ralf Hütter and French songwriter Maxime Schmitt.

The album was generally met by positively reviews and it ended up topping the German albums chart as the band's only. It reached number #7 in Sweden, number #21 in the UK, and a position as number #3 on the US Top Dance/Electronic albums chart, although it didn't chart on the Billboard 200, as the band's only album to date. A total of four tracks were selected for single releases: "Tour de France 2003" (Jul. 2003), which contains four different versions of the title track - none of which appear on the album (which basically is in keeping with the multiple versions of the original "Tour de France" single from '83), "Elektro Kardiogramm" (released as a promo single) in a 'Radio Mix' version, "Aéro Dynamik" released in 2004 as "Aerodynamik" for a single with the track in four different mixes, again, all of which differ from the album version and "Aerodynamik + La Forme Remixes" released 2007. The first single peaked at number #50 on the German singles chart, which was bettered by a number #20 in the UK.

The album stands as Kraftwerk's final with new material, although several releases have followed, e.g. the live album Minimum-Maximum from 2005, the box set Der Katalog (2009), the live box set 3-D Der Katalog (2017) and most recently, the exclusively digital release Remixes (2020). The band has maintained regular live tours up to the present day, despite one of the band's founders, Florian Schneider left the band in 2009 and then later in 2020 died at the age of 73.

The title track has iconic status and fits fantastically as an underlay for cycling, but the album is a slightly odd conglomerate with few other highlights and quite a bit of filler material, but it's nevertheless still worth to know off.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Mojo 4 / 5, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

Underworld "Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition" (2019)

Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition

release date: Nov. 1, 2019

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]

producer: Rick Smith

label: Smith Hyde Productions - nationality: Wales, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Appleshine" - 2. "This Must Be Drum Street" - 3. "Listen to Their No" - 4. "Border Country" - 6. "Schiphol Test" - 7. "Brilliant Yes That Would Be" - 9. "Imagine a Box" - 10. "Custard Speedtalk"

[ 40 tracks playlist ]

10th studio album by Underworld following three years after Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future (Mar. 2016) is much more than 'just' another studio album. Actually, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith has produced the album on the basis of their one-year project named "DRIFT", initiated Nov. 2018 through Oct. 2019, which saw the duo release new videos and new tracks each week as free-downloads via Underworld's official website. The result was released simultaneously with this one-disc outtake from no less than a 40 tracks digital album, or: a 5 cd + 1 DVD box-set of nearly 6 hours new music. The 'Sampler Edition' is a fine coherent collection of some of the tracks, which for the occasion has been edited to fit a one-cd format of approx. 57 minutes.

With this, Hyde and Smith more than anything demonstrate they're alive and kicking. The entire 40 tracks Drift Series 1 is actually a splendid and most impressive release, but to think of that as their tenth studio album appears too overwhelming if not somewhat contradictory.

Stylewise, the duo investigates various stylistic corners of house, trance, downtempo, techno - and with a the delicate use of progressiveness that has come to shape (nearly) all of their previous albums from Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) and via subtle variations up until present day.

Highly recommended.

[ Mojo, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, UnderTheRadar 8 / 10, PopMatters, The Music, Clash 9 / 10 stars ]

Happy Mondays "Hallelujah" (1989) (ep)

Hallelujah, ep

release date: Dec. 1989

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Martin Hannett

label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Hallelujah (MacColl Mix)" - 2. "Clap Your Hands" - 4. "Rave On" - 5. "Hallelujah (Club Mix)" - 6. "Rave On (Club Mix)" - 7. "W.F.L. (Think About the Future Mix)"

Ep release of the non-album track "Hallelujah" by Happy Mondays. Originally it was released exclusively for the UK market in Nov. '89 in two versions: a 4-track 12'' ep titled Madchester Rave On, and as a 2-track 7'' single titled Hallelujah. In December it was re-released in this expanded 7-track edition consisting of other remixes spliced with the Madchester Rave On ep now targeted for the European continental and US markets. Martin Hannett is producer of the original recordings but four of the tracks are made as additional production remixes. Paul Oakenfold is credited as remix producer on tracks #5, #6, #7 - track #5 together with Andy Wetherall and track #6 with Terry Farley - Steve Lillywhite is remix producer of track #1.

This is a nice collection of extended mixes and various remixes, and it serves as a fine document of the general appeal of Happy Mondays on the club arena back in the day. It also features some of Paul Oakenfold's early remixes for the band, which paved way for his role on the 1990-album, which may be seen as the band's pinnacle.

Jon Hopkins "Immunity" (2013)

Immunity
release date: Jun. 3, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Jon Hopkins
label: Domino Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "We Disappear" - 2. "Open Eye Signal" - 3. "Breathe This Air" - 4. "Collider" (official shorter video) - 7. "Sun Harmonics" - 8. "Immunity"
[ full album ]

4th studio album by London-based Jon Hopkins (aka Jonathan Julian Hopkins). The album is my first acquaintance with Hopkins, and definitely not my last. Musically, it's a blend of styles of pure electronica. It encompasses house elements commonly known as minimal house - a blend of house and tech house, characterised by simpler compositions with loans from IDM and glitch pop, usually without or with little focus on traditional lyrics and instead making use of vocal arrangements in the shape of musical instrumentation. The album consists of eight distinctive tracks, although, the album really works as one whole - one long progression.
Immunity is widely regarded as Hopkins' breakthrough album and in Britain it was nominated the 2013 Mercury Prize Award (handed James Blake for the album Overgrown).
I really like its organic sound(s), which makes me think of both Icelandic post rockers Sigur Rós and glitch pop band múm fusioned with a neo-classical and progressive rock approach of say Mike Oldfield despite being far from any of those, really.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Mojo, Q Magazine, The Observer, NME 4 /5, Pitchfork 8,5 / 10 stars ]

LCD Soundsystem "Introns" (2006)

Introns
release date: Mar. 13, 2006
format: digital (10 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: The DFA [Tim Goldsworthy & James Murphy]
label: DFA - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Yr City's a Sucker" - 2. "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House (Soulwax Shibuya Mix)" - 5. "Slowdive (XFM Session)" - 10. "Too Much Love (Rub 'n' Tug Mix)"

Remix album by LCD Soundsystem released as a digital download album only. The album compiles a number of B-sides and remixes from the band's eponymous debut album and associated singles. Apparently, the front cover shows [band leader] James Murphy's (vinyl) record collection. Three of the tracks are from a session recorded for the London radio station XFM. The session version of "Slowdive", a Siouxsie and the Banshees cover, was originally on the "Disco Infiltrator" single. The album consists of 10 tracks with an extensive playing time above the hour.
It's quite fine collection of dance-oriented tracks, also because some of the remix tracks are quite original - without being truly groundbreaking, but it may be seen as a kind of a positive gesture from this creative band. Both "Disco infiltrator" and "Tribulations" comes in quite different remix versions, and "Slowdive" is a rather original cover that falls completely within this band's sound.

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 ]

Trentemøller "The Last Resort" (2006)

The Last Resort [debut]

release date: Oct. 6, 2006

format: 2 cd (LTD. - PFRCD18)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: Poker Flat Recordings - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Take Me Into Your Skin" - 2. "Vamp" - 3. "Evil Dub" - 4. "Always Something Better" - 5. "While the Cold Winter Waiting" - 6 - "Nightwalker" - 8. "The Very Last Resort" - 12. "Moan" - 13. "Miss You"

Bonus disc "The Singles": 1. "Always Something Better (Vocal Version)" (feat. Richard Davis) - 2. "Moan (Vocal Version)" (feat. Ane Trolle) - 3. "Physical Fraction" - 5. "Chameleon" - 7. "Always Something Better (Trentemøller Remix)" - 9. "Killer Kat" - 10. "Rykketid"

Studio album debut by Danish electronic musician Anders Trentemøller originally released on A:larm Music - here issued in a 2 disc limited edition - is instrumental ambient techno, microhouse and so-called IDM ["intelligent dance music"... whoever came up with that term!].

Basically, it's progressive ambient and electronic music, which draws on music by Aphex Twin, Orbital, LCD Soundsystem, The Future Sound of London - and to some extent builds on the legacy of Jean Michel Jarre, I think, although, you may ask what electronic artist who wasn't inspired by Jarre.

The Limited two disc edition contains the standard album as disc 1 and the bonus disc "The Singles" containing many of his former single and ep releases including the Physical Fraction ep (Jan. 2005), the Nam Nam ep (May 2006), the singles Polar Shift (Apr. 2005), Sunstroke (Aug. 2005) and Always Something Better (Sep. 2006).

His name had popped up on several occasions as "the new big thing" from Denmark, primarily, from single releases, working as a DJ and remixing (artists like Röyksopp and The Knife), and I sought Trentemøller and the album out. It appears to be more ambient and progressive as opposed to his more techno and dub techno single releases, which brought him fame. Despite general positive reviews from international magazines (allmusic.com and electronic online magazine Resident Advisor were more than happy about it), I haven't exactly been bedazzled over this. Frankly, at first I found it somewhat uninspiring at times. However, if you let it sink in, digest it as something organic that needs light and air, you may find it's truly great for background noise, for work or just as a wall of sound. Perhaps my reluctance has to do with my general dislike for ambient music in the first place. To me - without the most comprehensive knowledge on electronic music development and sources - I find similarities with earlier works by Aphex Twin, Autechre, The Orb and The Future Sound of London; however, and without knowing who to refer to, I also find spots and glimpses of sheer originality. Generally, it's and album one should pay attention - it doesn't just open up and spread its wings. It's something for a keen listener.

I'm glad to have found the 2-disc Limited Edition of the album 'cause I actually find the bonus disc the most interesting of the two, simply because it displays more varied and original music and generally also contains more uptempo club compositions. Tracks from the original album like "Always Something Better" and "Moan" are hardly recognisable but better in their vocal versions, I think, although, the minimal house of the original album has its distinct qualities, when you allow the tracks to flow. Should I rate the standard release alone, I would hand it around 3,4. But it's really nice to have this as a document of Trentemøller's talent for production and sound showing us where he started as a solo artist.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,2 / 100, Gaffa.dk 5 / 6, Resident Advisor, Sputnikmusic 5 / 5 stars ]

Underworld "Barking" (2010)

Barking
release date: Sep. 13, 2010
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: various
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: England, UK

8th studio album by Underworld is succeeding Oblivion with Bells (Oct. 2007) thus following the near usual three years in between studio albums. On this the duo has progressed into drum and bass electronic and returned to trance, which was one of their initial styles back in 1994.
Frankly, my initial feelings about the album was a rather boring release and I have to admit that I didn't really play it that many times. I always ended up skipping tracks and by putting something else on in the end. To me it was the disappointing continued journey into earlier and already known territory, however, I did continue to return to the album. Just to try to understand on one hand my rejection 'cause I really enjoy several of their other albums and on the other hand to see if I could find the band's fascination and intentions. And luckily so, I did! I have ended up seeing this from a much more positive perspective. It took me a long time to get there, but after enjoying their 2016 album I returned to the albums, I somehow had rejected as detours, and what I found here is the same distinct fingerprint that simply says 'Underworld'. It's a take on the electronic genre with clear evidence of their fascination of progressiveness. Sometimes they incorporate techno and trance but there are always hints of more danceable styles like drum & bass and house, which in the end has become their distinctive style. And although, this is more techno than breakbeat it's also simply more experimental progressive electronic as such, and with a will to understand it does contain fine compositions and music that matters despite not being an album of single wonders.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, NME 2,5 / 5, Mojo, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

The Knife "Silent Shout" (2006)

Silent Shout
release date: Mar. 20, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: The Knife
label: Rabid Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Silent Shout" - 2. "Neverland" - 4. "We Share Our Mother's Health" (live) - 6. "Marble House" - 7. "Like a Pen" - 9. "Forest Families"

3rd studio album by The Knife also signals the third stylistic change by the duo. On this, they introduce minimal techno to their repertoire, and I'm not really a big fan of traditional techno but neither is this - it's more like a new ingredient.
Initially, I found the album too extravagant, too experimentally electronic, but I have come to appreciate it more and more. The thing is, The Knife is constantly in search of new untouched territory and they do it ever so skilfully. The tracks on the album are like a complex tapestry, a variety of pieces that fit together like a jigsaw, forming a special dimension of sound, and I like it. But it requires time and attention. This album was the first by The Knife to reach number #1 on the Swedish album chart list.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, The Observer, Spin 4 / 5 stars ]

The Prodigy "Invaders Must Die" (2009)

Invaders Must Die
release date: Feb. 18, 2009
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,14]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: Take Me to the Hospital - nationality: england, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Invaders Must Die" - 2. "Omen" - 4. "Colours" - 6. "Warriors Dance" - 7. "Run With the Wolves"

5th studio album by The Prodigy is released on the band's own label, Take Me to the Hospital (distributed by Cooking Vinyl). All tracks are produced by Liam Howlett with James Rushent credited for additional production on tracks #1-2. Howlett is normally credited as composer on nearly all tracks, but here is 'only' credited as co-composer of the music, and most tracks are Howlett's take with samples originally performed by Nirvana, Foo Fighters, The Breeders, and Manfred Mann.
The album peaked at number #1 in the UK and generally sold better than the 2004 album, and the two singles - tracks #2 and #6 both became top-10 singles in the UK.

Musically it follows close to the 2004 album, Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned and despite being clearly a better album it's never really great release when comparing to the band's first three albums. It's released five years following the last real studio album so expectations were not low. It feels like a better album, and the single tracks seem like more originally written but still has too much focus on original American techno, which I think, simply sounds outdated - we've been there, done that, but obviously, Liam Howlett hasn't been part of that movement, and unfortunately, he seems determined to go through his own techno evolution combining sampling and hardcore, industrial hip hop, breakbeat and hard rock with traditional techno. Strangely, "Stand Up" sounds like an attempt to make a Chemical Brothers track... and again, several tracks are samplings of old The Prodigy stuff, which is just sad when you hear bits of great old tracks cut up to new lesser songs. Best thing about it, is the comeback to both Keith Flint and Maxim on vocals.

Underworld "Oblivion with Bells" (2007)

Oblivion with Bells
release date: Oct. 15, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Rick Smith
label: Underworldlive.com - nationality: England, UK

7th studio album by Underworld is a five-year old follow-up to A Hundred Days Off (Sep. 2002) and it's a self-released studio album, for which the duo has engaged in the more original electronic styles of techno. It's still progressive house but they have turned up on the tech house and idm style with the addition of ambient elements.
It's both a return to their initial experiments with electronic music and a progression to include what to me sound more like original techno with trace elements, leaving the breakbeats of house. It may still be progressive but as progressive techno the album is not one of my preferred Underworld albums.
I really neglected the album for years, but I have come to see it as more than 'just' a take on original techno' as its simply more instrumental and experimental proving that Hyde and Smith are seeking new ways of expressing themselves without letting go of their known formula of tech house.
[ allmusic.com, Slant 3 / 5 stars ]

Underworld "Underworld 1992-2002" (2003)

Underworld 1992-2002, compilation

release date: Nov. 3, 2003

format: 2 cd

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: Underworld; Rick Smith

label: JBO / V2 - nationality: Wales, UK

2 cd retrospective compilation by Underworld is the band's first official collection of early singles of electronica. "Bigmouth" and "Dirty" are two tracks released for single release in '95 by Lemon Interupt, which was an early alternative name for Rick Smith, Karl Hyde and Darren Emmerson - they also went by the alias Steppin' Razor to distinguish their music from the rock and new wave-oriented music by Underworld on its first two albums before settling with the former band name for Smith and Hyde. Emmerson guided Hyde and Smith into the world of techno and electronica, and after Emmerson's departure in early 2000, the two founding members continued releasing music as an electronic duo.

A nice thing about Underworld 1992-2002 is that it contains several non-album tracks such as "Rez", "Spikee", and "Born Slippy.NUXX" but also that the songs have been listed in what appears as chronological order, which seems to distinguish this from the 3-disc compilation 1992-2012 The Anthology from 2011. Disc 1 represents an early period of experimentation with techno, whereas the second disc comes showcase the band at its height of progressive house and what then was known as 'rave' - later labelled breakbeat and downtempo.

Underworld "Everything, Everything (Underworld Live)" (2000)

Everything, Everything (Underworld Live), live

release date: Sep. 4, 2000

format: cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Rick Smith

label: JBO / V2 - nationality: Wales, UK

First live album by Underworld containing recordings from the band's most recent 1998/99 World Tour playing the music from their most recent studio album Beaucoup Fish (Mar. 1998). The one-disc album contains 8 tracks challenging the length of the CD media with a total running time exceeding 75 minutes. Well, the eight tracks is more for a playlist count 'cause three tracks are made up of two, i.e.: "Juanita / Kiteless", "Shudder / King of Snake", and "Rez / Cowgirl", although, the first two combinations are also the track names on the albums - only "Rez" and "Cowgirl" are actual standalone compositions. There's no indication of the actual recording dates or places but according to imdb the locations for the extended DVD edition mention Japan, Holland, Belgium, England, and Ireland.

The great thing about this live album is how the trio really engage in making their live versions of familiar compositions a unique experience with extended or at least alternate versions.

Btw. the title is taken from the track "Cowgirl" where 'Everything' is repeated almost indefinitely. These recordings are the final with Darren Emmerson as member of the band who would continue with the two forming members of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith.

[ 👍allmusic.com, Drowned in Sound, Mojo, NME 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,7 / 10 stars ]

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 ]

Moby "Moby" (1992)

Moby [debut]
release date: Jul. 1992
format: cd (1993)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Moby
label: Rough Trade - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Everything" - 3. "Electricity" - 6. "Go" - 7. "Help Me to Believe" - 8. "Have You Seen My Baby?" - 9. "Ah Ah" - 10. "Slight Return"

Studio album debut by Moby [birth name Richard Melville Hall] aka Barracuda, aka Brainstorm, aka The Brotherhood, Lopez, Voodoo Child [etc.] originally released on Instinct Records and released by Rough Trade in Europe in 1993 with a slightly alternate tracklisting where the first track "Drop a Beat" had been exchanged for "Thousand" (track #12, not on the original '92 release) meaning that the original second track "Everything" was put as first track followed by the remainders, so that the European version also consisted of twelve tracks.
Stylistically, this was referred to as rave-techno - today it would probably be seen as a combo of more traditional American techno with inspiration from EBM [Electronic Body Music] and newer European hardcore with elements of downtempo and breakbeat making it a bit of a melting pot of electronic styles.
I didn't know of the album or the genres involved at the time of its release. In fact, I didn't listen to Moby until after his great Play (1999) album and after having discovered the British artists of the electronic scene. To my knowledge, it was British artists like Underworld, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim who were the most poignant electronic acts of the early-mid 1990s electronic scene; however, in retrospect I have come to understand the development of the scene as a result of artists on both sides of the Atlantic, and Moby as the perhaps most important American source.
Moby is a difficult listen, as you have to digest it in retrospect - putting aside your conceptions of styles and genres around as you try to absorb it as a fresh 'new'. Initially, I found it tedious and a bit boring, but it has grown on me over time, and I understand its significance, although, it still sounds dated. Fact is, there's not a huge stylistic difference from this and the (better) debut album by The Prodigy, Experience, released another two months later that year.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Q 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Underworld "Second Toughest in the Infants" (1996)

Second Toughest in the Infants
release date: Mar. 4, 1996
format: cd (1998 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Underworld
lable. JBO - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Juanita / Kiteless / To Dream of Love" - 2. "Banstyle / Sappys Curry" - 3. "Confusion the Waitress" - 4. "Rowla" - 5. "Pearls Girl" (4 / 5) - 8. "Stagger"

4th studio album by Underworld and the second as a electronic trio.
The band continue its explorations into trance but also with hints of breakbeat.
It's a rather experimental release where the band adds conventional instrumentation to its predominantly electronic style by the use of loops, and they seem to explore more on this compared to the predecessor Dubnobasswithmyheadman from 1994, which appears as a more coherent electronic album, but Second Toughest in the Infants reveals a distinct trait of balancing the pace of slow meditative parts with bolder energetic outburst, which is a dynamic recipe they would keep to on later releases.
The album was not an immediate favourite, but I have come to reevaluate my initial thoughts more than once when speaking of this particular album. With this, they're on the right move away from early electronic techno and trance in their sound of progressive house, and this particular album has always been there in the outskirts of great albums and is a true grower once you let it unfold.
The album is the trio's second electronic release on which they show that they have found their style, and this is their first truly successful originally sounding studio album, imho.
It was released to critical acclaim, it peaked at number #9 on the UK albums chart list, and it has been included in Mojo's "100 Greatest Albums of Our lifetime" and in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" - the so far only by Underworld.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Underworld "Dubnobasswithmyheadman" (1994)

Dubnobasswithmyheadman
release date: Jan. 24, 1994
format: cd (1998 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Underworld
label: JBO (Junior Boy's Own) - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Dark & Long" - 2. "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You" - 4. "Spoonman" - 6. "Dirty Epic" - 7. "Cowgirl"

3rd studio album by Underworld released on the newly-established electronic label Junior Boy's Own. The album is also known as the band's first as mk2 ['Underworld make 2'], where the band has become a trio as Darren Emerson joined Karl Hyde and Rick Smith in 1990. With Emerson, the band completely reshaped its profile and began experimenting with electronic techno music.
An outspread misconception states that Emerson was the mastermind behind the early successful years of Underworld, and that Hyde and Smith only profited from his direction when he left the two in 2000. The truth is that Hyde and Smith are credited as songwriters of all compositions on this album, whereas Emerson is only credited on two. Also, after the first incarnation of Underworld had dissolved, the new trio started out making electronic music together, rather than one person showing the others what new styles could accomplish. Some early singles were released by Lemon Interupt and some performances were also credited Steppin' Razor.
Now, the album is not one of my favourites, though. I really enjoy Underworld and its take on house but I never really liked the electronic shape of trance and original techno all that much, but for what has now become a trio this is a U-turn in musical style, and the music was welcomed as innovative.
Dubnobasswithmyheadman was released to positive reviews reaching number #12 on the national albums chart list, and it became Underworld's breakthrough and a prize-winning album that showed a new direction to follow.
I really don't know of their two earliest albums: "Underneath the Radar" (1988) and "Change the Weather" (1989), but from what I've read, these two releases were new wave and funk-styled, which seems aeons away from this, although, some tracks here contain funky elements. This was highly experimental for the trio - and Underworld has stuck to electronica and house in different disguises on all their albums to follow.
Now, the album is fra from bad, but it's really more of 'putting a finger in the air' to see where to go to from here.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Benny Benassi "Hypnotica" (2003)

Hypnotica [debut]
release date: Jul. 8, 2003
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Satisfaction" (4 / 5) - 2. "Able to Love" (3 / 5) - 3. "No Matter What You Do"

Studio debut album by Italian electro house artist Benny Benassi (aka Marco Benassi) under the name of 'Benny Benassi Presents the Biz' (the Biz being the singers Paul French and Violeta Bratu). Benassi had a major world hit with the track "Satisfaction" written by his cousin Alle Bennassi (aka Alessandro Benassi). The two cousins also perform under the name of Benassi Bros. Apart from "Satisfaction" and a few other tracks the album tends to be a bit too repetitive, but I guess that's part of the style, although, several tracks take up the same bits and pieces again and again, which makes it tiresome as a whole. The album works in small doses and definitely functions as party music. The official video is quite nice though.

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