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How can an album produced and co-written by Flood (The guy behind production of U2 and Nine Inch Nails) in 1995 of really cool electro-ambient have only 2,250 scrobbles (how many times it was played through last.fm users). I think the problem is distribution (I lucked out and found a used copy at the now long gone "Armageddon Records" in Chicago in 1997). I looked for a link for someone to legitimately download the album and I came up with nothing (Anyone with knowledge where to get it through Internet, lemme know). You can, however, listen to most of the amazing E.P. through last.fm (though three bands show up with the same name, and a bad b-w photo of a metal band is the photo). From the first listen, parallels with Henke's "Monolake" and some of the more experimental "Plasticman" come to mind, but then I think about when it was produced and that makes this album all the more appreciative. The first track starts with ominous electronic percussion and then gradually builds with Alien textures and blips and distorted synths. The mastering and "spacial-ness" is nothing but masterful. This is how electronic albums Should sound and what they need to aspire to. The second track Olivine comes in with tubular and bell noises. Reminds me vaguely of the the Nine Inch Nails album "Fixed" with how the frequencies are panned and how the reverb sounds (which makes sense since both albums came out around the same time and produced by same person). The rest of the album is just as well thought out and produced. "Slapback" is more aggressive to the point of it being almost progressive dance music without the four-on-the-floor drum beat. Levy and Propane are similar to the first two with the cinematic approach (each track is 8minutes+). Try and find this album... or at least listen to it on Last.fm.

» album listen @ last.fm
» artist profile @ last.fm

John Beltran: Ten Days of Blue

I decided today to showcase an album that came out in 1995 by John Beltran. This album really captures what I loved about the mid-nineties Electro-ambient explosion (look at all the Warp and Astralwerks release during this time frame). The first track "Flex" start with the chorded pad reminiscent of "B-12" and "Black Dog Productions" but with a much more aggressive rhythm along the lines of early "Aphex Twin"/"Autechre" work. The second track "Collapse of Dreams" has a sublime plucked intro with more soft pads and leads from that era. The rest of the album goes along the lines of the second track with plucked synths and gentle pads creating alternating melodies. The most 'dancey' of the tracks here is "Deluge" utilizing the "ambient house" sound made popular by Alex Patterson from "the Orb", though the dance beat is used only sparingly in the middle of the track for only a couple minutes before flowing into ambience. For those looking for some nice relaxing electronic music, this is definitely it. As far as production goes, it is not as innovative as what "Orbital" or "Aphex Twin" was doing at that same time, yet the end result is still a really nice listen and worth checking out.

» album @ emusic
» artist profile @ last.fm