1. "Play"
Moby
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Moby's "Play" is a breakthrough album, clearly the
idiosyncratic, musically shape-shifting techno genius's
finest work. Within months of its release, the disc was
lauded as one of the finest recordings of the '90s by "Spin"
magazine, nominated as one of the most important works of
the century by NPR, and voted one of the top 100 recordings
of the millennium by Amazon.com customers. It's easy to see
why after just one listen to the album: the melodies are
eerie yet relentlessly accessible. The cueball-headed one
cleverly blends sacred and blues vocals with wah-wah
guitars, tasty beats, moody synth washes, and old-school
hip-hop.
2. "Scope"
Nobukazu Takemura
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Whether recording under the alias Child's View or under his
own name, as with the innovative and subtle "Scope,"
Nobukazu Takemura is something else. This vibrant musician
(whose music is just now being issued in the U.S.) crafts
agile, savvy electronic sounds that fit restlessly, almost
perfectly, in between melody and out-there sound. "Scope"
bristles with slowly evolving and melodic experimental
techno.
3. "Global Underground 003: San Francisco"
Sasha
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This is easily the best trance mix of the year. Sasha (who
has gained worldwide fame recording the "Northern Exposure"
series with partner John Digweed) has produced a double-disc
set that climbs every house and techno peak while rolling
effortlessly along top-quality, luscious trance-techno
plateaus. This set is as good a Friday-night mix album as
you can get.
4. "Remedy"
Basment Jaxx
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Among the most hyped acts in recent memory--and with good
reason--Basement Jaxx boldly redefine house music on
"Remedy." The Jaxx do more than lay down booty-busting
beats, luscious strings, and Bootsy Collins-ish ultrafunk
bass. This French duo implode traditional song structures,
arriving at new, pulse-quickening variations on poppy,
beatcentric house music. "Remedy" surely was the party album
of 1999: you not only couldn't escape it, you didn't want
to.
5. "Temperamental"
Everything but the Girl
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"Temperamental" illuminates Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn's
evolution from an acoustic-guitar-based pair of suburban
love griots to acoustically accomplished soundscape
explorers who still have a weakness for a pleading
melody. Watt has managed to create a bed of music that
mirrors and complements Thorn's expressive vocals.
"Temperamental" straddles the line between lovely folk and
avant dance-pop in a most pleasing way; this is the pop
music of tomorrow.
6. "Beaucoup Fish"
Underworld
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It had been a while since their previous record, but
Underworld really did it again on the luxurious "Beaucoup
Fish." The album bursts with sinewy grooves capable of
turning the dance floor into a raging, rhythmic inferno.
Songs such as "Kittens," "King of Snake," and "Bruce Lee"
are crammed with washes of lush sound set afire by Karl
Hyde's signature spoken vocals and the combo's groovy,
hypnotic beats.
7. "DJ Kicks"
Thievery Corporation
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This "DJ Kicks" collection by brazen "sampladelic" duo
Thievery Corporation (DC-based Eric Hilton and Rob Garza)
is just the thing for winding down to the new year. This is
danceable, groovy loungecore that's totally worthy of your
attention; the blunted beats, sample-heavy bossa nova
grooves, exotica flourishes, and deep soul underpinnings are
all handled with flair, sophistication, and a sense of
humor.
8. "Blush"
Bows
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The virtually unheard of Bows record is exactly the sort of
jungle-pop crossover that we all hoped the overhyped Roni
Size's Breakbeat Era CD would be (and was not). As
Amazon.com writer Jeff Salamon writes, "Jungle is built on
one essential tension--between hyperspeed drums and
half-speed bass lines. Bows' debut, 'Blush,' gives the screw
another turn, setting tentative Bjork-like vocals,
languorous strings, and slow-motion keyboards to jarringly
frantic beats. Bows... is an art project first and a
dance-music crossover second."
9. "The Middle of Nowhere"
Orbital
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Having outgrown the happy house of the green and brown
albums and exploited narrative too complex for merely
ambient techno, the Hartnoll brothers--Phil and Paul--really
do find themselves in some vaguely Far Eastern adventure in
"The Middle of Nowhere." Thus they prove again that they are
the most reliable innovators in danceable electronic
composition. The inchoate political rage of 1994's
"Snivilisation" is here, but it has found purely
instrumental claws that are unafraid to dig for new
melodies.
10. "Surrender"
Chemical Brothers
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On "Surrender," the hugely popular Chemical Brothers turned
their back on the big-beat sound they single-handedly
created. Their new sound is a trance-savvy, electropoppy
techno that's subtle yet invigorating. Our reviewer writes,
"The leadoff track, 'Music: Response,' is a seamless trip
back to 1985, complete with vocoderized singing and
Morse-code beeps. And Sumner's 'Out of Control' replicates
the thrill of hearing the gloomy Joy Division morph into a
swell synthpop band."
"Nightlife"
Pet Shop Boys
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With "Nightlife," the Pet Shop Boys continue to write
startlingly honest and lyrically pointed songs, despite 13
years of cultivating an image of vacant boredom and smug
indifference. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe need not follow
trends to keep current; "Nightlife" is uniquely a Pet Shop
Boys album and arguably the zenith of their career.
"For Beginner Piano"
Plone
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Crave something out of the ordinary? You need the long-
awaited Plone album. The British trio are krautrock-and
spaghetti-Western-loving gearhead record collectors who love
the sounds of old video games. In a brilliant retro-modern
move, the record layers subtle manipulations of analog
synths together. Take "Plock," which sounds all at once like
Smurphy techno mixed with Ovalized "Teletubbies" electro and
the long-lost soundtrack to "Tron: The Toddler Years." What
else could you ask for?
"Bedrock"
John Digweed
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This dude cannot be stopped. Whether going solo, remixing
other's tracks, or making music with partner Sasha, John
Digweed consistently releases heaping portions of ecstatic
trance music and progressive house. This two-CD set is a
must for trance fans, the lovingly crafted music providing
an appreciation of musical space--the distance between
sounds and the silence before the boom--that allows the
listener to seep into each song slowly, convincingly.
"Amber"
Amber
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Netherlands-born singer Amber's (a.k.a. Marie-Claire
Cremers) self-titled album finds an open seat in the school
of dance-pop classics. The tracks on "Amber" build out of a
classic disco framework, adding currents of trance ("Sexual
[Li Da Di]") and techno punctuations ("Don't Wanna Stop").
Occasional acoustic-guitar licks add an organic element to
"Above the Clouds" and the dance-mix cover of Gordon
Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind." She sings of love,
peace, and unity with a ring-around-the-roses lyrical
simplicity, but hey, this is dance music, not Dylan.
"Global Underground 005 Budapest"
Nick Warren
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Skillfully integrating house and trance styles, this latest
"Global Underground" set is compulsory for all who want the
club in their living room. Never one to let up the pace,
British DJ Nick Warren keeps firing seamless beats in this
continuous, carefree ascent to total mental freedom. Superbly
captured from a performance in front of 2,000 wild Hungarian
clubbers, Warren seems to have drawn from Eastern Europe's
continuing social turmoil in a set that offers escape from
life's daily conundrums.
"Peace Orchestra"
Peace Orchestra
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Peter Kruder (of infamous duo Kruder and Dorfmeister) stays
true to form in his first solo outing. Floaty melodies
sparkle amid a backdrop of gauzy reverb and echo, vocals
drift in and out of consciousness, and it's all very, very
slow. The record contains less funk and groove than K&D's
projects, but it's no less sensual. Peace Orchestra combines
the sounds of trance with the tempo of downbeat to invoke a
lazy, hazy summer day.
"Aphrodite"
Aphrodite
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As a guy who puts out 12-inch jungle singles on a regular
basis, Aphrodite has been in a rut. Over the past three
years, as the partycentric "jump-up" style he favors began
settling into a formula, he's cranked out three or four duff
tracks for every dance-floor stormer he's come up with. His
stateside debut album is something of a surprise. Jumbling
together tracks old and new, Aphrodite has put together an
absolutely convincing summary of what he does and why. This
is unapologetic dance music, too committed to moving the
crowd to advance the science of jungle technology.
"Live and More: Encore!"
Donna Summer
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A music fan from Philadelphia raves about "Live and More:
Encore!" by Donna Summer: "More than 20 years after the peak
of her career, Donna Summer can still be considered one of
the greatest voices in music. In this concert, she sings 10
Top-10 hits with a richer and deeper quality than ever
before. Plus, at age 50, she scored a No. 1 dance hit with
'I Will Go with You (Con Te Partiro),' which is featured on
the album as a new studio recording. Donna Summer will never
get old, and her voice will always be priceless."
"Warp 10+3 Remixes"
Various artists
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What do Aphex Twin, Nightmares on Wax, Boards of Canada,
Squarepusher, Plone, and Plaid have in common? All have
released crucial recordings on Warp, the British
electronic-music label. To celebrate its 10th anniversary,
the label has issued three jaw-dropping double-disc sets:
one of influences, another of Warp originals, and a
revelatory remix CD that lives up to all expectations, and
then some. "Warp 10+3 Remixes" features brilliant
collaborations by the likes of Jimi Tenor, Stereolab, Board
of Canada, Aphex, Autechre, Broadcast, and more.
"Temperamental"
Everything but the Girl
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"Temperamental" illuminates Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn's
evolution from an acoustic-guitar-based pair of suburban
love griots to acoustically accomplished soundscape
explorers who still have a weakness for a pleading
melody. Watt has managed to create a bed of music that
mirrors and complements Thorn's expressive vocals.
"Temperamental" straddles the line between lovely folk and
avant dance-pop in a most pleasing way; this is the pop
music of tomorrow.
"We'll Never Stop Living This Way"
Westbam
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Maximillian Lenz, a.k.a. Westbam, is such an important
figure in dance music--he's cofounder of Berlin's Love
Parade, the biggest rave in the world; producer of the track
"Alarm Clock," which inspired the early Chemical Brothers;
and creator of "Sonic Empire," a hit that became the anthem
of Germany's World Cup soccer team--that his near obscurity
stateside shows how far behind the U.S. is on the
dance-music tip. The American release of "We'll Never Stop
Living This Way" should remedy that situation. A perky
sampling of the techno-electro style that's been his thing
for the past few years, this 12-track album harks back to
the now-quaint electro pioneered by his hero Afrika
Bambaataa (who guest raps on "Agharta, the City of
Shamballa") without ever reeking of the conservatory.
"Ultra-Obscene"
Breakbeat Era
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Roni Size is a man with a mission: to bring drum & bass to
the world by any means possible. With his first full-length,
Reprazent's "New Forms," Size ably took a few small steps
for mankind--and a huge leap for the jungle nation. And
Breakbeat Era just might be the key to unlock the public's
ears to drum & bass. Armed with vocalist Leonie Laws and
coproducer and boy wunderkind DJ Die, one wonders after a
listen to this exceedingly catchy record, is there anything
Size can't do?
"Templates"
Flanger
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Flanger are composed of Chile's Atom Heart, veteran of 140
recording sessions, and Germany's Burnt Friedman, who
produces spare digi-dub under the name Nonplace Urban
Field. On "Templates" they trot out countless samples, live
drums, Rhodes piano, and electric bass. Most of the time,
the music sounds as vaguely faraway as those nighttime wails
that give "The Blair Witch Project" its uncanny aural
texture. But this album won't have you standing in the
corner--it's too lively for that. Dancing in the corner,
on the other hand, is a completely different matter.
"The Contino Sessions"
Death in Vegas
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Richard Fearless has earned his name. Death in Vegas's 1997
debut, "Dead Elvis," established him as a defiant DJ, mixing
techno with weird dub, rock, and industrial. On "The Contino
Sessions," many high-profile guests add to the blend of
smooth grooves, noisy ambience, and raucous rock rhythms.
From gospel choirs and organs to Americana twang, deep bass
rumblings to spacey sci-fi sounds, it's a psychedelic trip
with bravery and grit.
"The Fragile"
Nine Inch Nails
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He's baaaack! "The Fragile" is even bleaker than 1994's "The
Downward Spiral" as it lurches along with a perpetual
scowl. In true late-'90s fashion, however, the disc is a
schizophrenic melange of styles, sounds, and textures, all
unified by that inimitably frenzied Reznor sensibility.
NIN's third full-length album is hushed one minute,
explosive the next. Spite and anger intermix with
heartbreaking resignation, sometimes in the course of one
song. Still, Reznor's dour and uncompromising approach is
accessible and undeniably entertaining.
"Scope"
Nobukazu Takemura
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A customer from the U.K. recommends "Scope" by Nobukazu
Takemura: "The new psychedelia. Nobukazu Takemura takes the
listener on a fascinating, hypnotic journey through a
strange off-world composed of micro events and digital
errors."
"Rythm and Stealth"
Leftfield
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Few dance-electronic efforts have been as hotly anticipated
as Leftfield's aptly titled sophomore outing, "Rhythm and
Stealth." A stunning, original mixture of techno, house,
breakbeat, dub, and everything in between, this is one dance
album equal to the sum of its parts.
"Juxtapose"
Tricky
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Trip-hop originator Tricky is a talented iconoclast whose
records are never the same twice, although each bear the
unmistakable tattoo of his dark, laconic sound. "Juxtapose"
is a case in point, with its obsessively druggy, pornographic
rapping atop downtempo, atmospheric sounds and shuffling
beats. Is Tricky the 1990s' answer to Prince in the
almost-too-talented-for-their-own-good sweepstakes? You
decide.
"Fear of Fours"
Lamb
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Three years elapsed between the U.K. release of Lamb's
highly acclaimed debut and this CD, making fans of their
moody trip-hop impatient. Does "Fear of Fours" deliver? Yes,
but like many sophomore efforts, this one can't help but
fall short of expectations. There is more of Lamb's full,
emotional sound here, but while songs off the debut such as
"Gorecki" and "Cottonwool" were beyond epic, most of the
tracks on "Fear of Fours" merely get the job done.
"Blush"
Bows
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Jungle is built on one essential tension--between hyperspeed
drums and half-speed bass lines. Bows' debut, "Blush,"
gives the screw another turn, setting tentative Bjork-like
vocals, languorous strings, and slow-motion keyboards to
jarringly frantic beats. "Bows," the project of former Long
Fin Killie frontman (and acclaimed novelist) Luke
Sutherland, is an art project first and a dance-music
crossover second.
"Expand Your Head"
Lords of Acid
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Including 4 new songs and 13 remixes, "Expand Your Head"
slices, dices, and reassembles the Lords of Acid's X-rated
techno-raunch into a towering stack of dance-floor trends.
Opening with the new "Am I Sexy," the Lords follow suit a la
the campy big beat of Dimitri from Paris. Newbie number two,
"As I Am," is standard-issue rave-alert acid house, while
"Who Do You Think You Are," with its lyrically colorless rap
screamed above industrial guitars, is a toss off (ahem).
The other new song is a new version of a Patti LaBelle tune
and the rest consists of remixes by KMFDM, Luc Van Acker,
Joey Beltram, Frankie Bones, and Richie Hawtin,
a.k.a. Plastikman.
"The Antidote"
The Wiseguys
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On his sophomore effort Theo Keating (a.k.a. the Wiseguys)
comes correct with an album that splits the difference
between Fatboy Slim and the Black Eyed Peas. The first
single and second track, "Ooh La La," which accompanied a
popular Budweiser commercial in Britain, boasts a chunky
beat and a simple, mindless hook, setting the pattern the
rest of the album follows. It's a surefire formula, and
Keating does it better than most.
"Title of Record"
Filter
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It's been four years since Filter's debut album, "Short
Bus," and "Title of Record" is an exhaustive collection of
hyperkinetic guitars, subliminal melodies, and thunderous
dynamics--which is to say, it sports plenty of hard-rock
aggression, but is firmly rooted in the pop experience that
keeps the songs in your head. "It's Gonna Kill Me" has a
stalker's vibe tracing its techno-metal roots, while "Take a
Picture" and "Captain Bligh" are radio-friendly unit
shifters that suggest underneath the technology rests a
beating--often bruised--human heart.
"Big Calm"
Morcheeba
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A customer from the U.K. recommends "Big Calm" by Morcheeba:
"What an album. Although short and initially seeming a
little shallow and poppy, after a listen or two you soon
find that it has a depth and beauty found nowhere else. If
you have any love for music, this album needs to be at the
top of your shopping list."
"Remedy"
Basement Jaxx
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Among the most hyped acts in recent memory--and with good
reason--Basement Jaxx boldly redefine house music on
"Remedy." The Jaxx do more than lay down booty-busting
beats, luscious strings, and Bootsy Collins-ish ultrafunk
bass. The British duo also implode traditional song
structures, arriving at new, pulse-quickening variations on
poppy, beat-centric house. For all their invention, they
never forget to deliver the goods; "Remedy" just might be
the party album of the year.
"The Seduction of Claude Debussy"
Art of Noise
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Seminal mid-'80s electro-pop players Trevor Horn, Paul
Morley, Anne Dudley, and new addition Lol Creme have
regrouped as Art of Noise to introduce classical-jungle
fusion to the world. Using revered composer Debussy's
melodic blueprint to build its elaborate, velvety drum &
bass compositions, the group manages to make what initially
seems like a dodgy idea sound viable, particularly on
dreamy, atmospheric tracks like "Out of This World." Vocal
contributions come from Sally Bradshaw, Donna Lewis, Rakim,
and even actor John Hurt.
"25th Anniversary Collection"
KC and the Sunshine Band
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It is entirely possible to thoroughly dig KC and the
Sunshine Band's funky, driving disco without succumbing to
retro irony. The proof is all there on "25th Anniversary
Collection," a mesmerizingly pleasurable, catchy, and even
subtle two-disc set that's the only KC collection you'll
ever need. You'll hear how this underappreciated group had
more in common with classic Sly and the Family Stone than
their contemporaries.
"Moist"
Schneider TM
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If Aphex Twin taught us one thing it's that electronic pop's
playfulness is most potent when it's pithy. Schneider TM,
the nom du hard drive of Dirk Dresselhaus, has learned this
lesson well; he keeps most of the tunes on "Moist" under the
five-minute mark, and on each track he clearly expresses
just one musical idea, rather than throwing in the kitchen
sink. Still, he finds room to indulge a sense of humor and
knows how to stretch a piece out when it merits the
treatment. The delightfully driving "Raum in Ort" lasts
eight-and-a-half minutes, and gains even more authority when
it's put on Repeat and let go.
"Unknownwerks, Vol. 1"
Various artists
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America is crawling with widely disparate dance communities,
from Bay Area junglists to midwestern techno purists to
those ubiquitous tranceniks. Unknownwerks checks in on
these various tastes, but its main focus is the latest wave
of American breakbeat producers. This isn't the new crop,
but it is arguably the new consensus: 4/4 is out, block-rockin'
beats are in. The result is 12 dance tracks that seek
inspiration from Astralwerks licensees Fatboy Slim and the
Chemical Brothers, as well Florida's Funky Breaks scene and
our native tradition of cutting and scratching.
"EP 7"
Autechre
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Thick fractals of bloops, blips, flutterings, and kerrangs
are combined on "EP 7," Autechre's least ambient, most
rabidly experimental release yet. At this point, Autechre's
music exists within its own, idiosyncratic subgenre of
experimental techno. While some tracks approach sublime
chaos--where a dense, hard-to-grasp internal order is
revealed only after multiple listens--most of the pieces are
perfectly content to resemble indecipherable alien
transmissions. "EP 7" is abstract, difficult, and fabulous.
"The Party Album!"
Vengaboys
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A customer from Rhode Island recommends "The Party Album!"
by the Vengaboys: "Anyone who releases a CD with songs
called 'Vengababes from Outer Space' and 'Boom Boom Boom
Boom!' is obviously not going to change the face of
music. Get over it. This album is pure dance delight.
Buy it for a party, buy it for fun, but buy it."
"Szenariodisk"
Oval
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On "Szenariodisk" Markus Popp, a.k.a. Oval, feeds warm,
almost organic sounds into his Oval process software and
they emerge wholly changed as textural, distorted washes of
drone, din, and crackle. It's pretty astounding stuff,
sounding like a computer that's been fed far too much
information and hence is sort of stoned. There are 11 tracks
on this 25-minute EP, with the longer pieces tending to be
more hypnotic and songlike and the shorter works tending
toward bursts of pure, experimental noise that uncover more
dirt than those areas previously visited by Oval.