Label: Phono
Year: 1998
Styles: Detroit Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
A retrospective covering the first three records released on Geist's Environ label, Into a Separate Space includes one track from the first issue (Premise EP) plus all six tracks from the Remnants EP and the Titonton & Morgan EP (recorded with Titonton Duvante). Though the tempos are a bit quicker than Geist's full-length debut, these tracks have a similar emphasis on moody strings and crisp, beatbox percussion, especially compared to his later recordings for Clear and Multiplex. Also included are two exclusive tracks, though both are brief atmospheric pieces.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)
Link: https://rapidshare.com/files/1992784669/Morgan_Geist_-_Environ_Into_A_Separate_Space.rar
Label: Instinct
Year: 1995
Styles; Ambient Techno
Label: GPR
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review:
Texturology is both drenched in woozy summertime warmth, and full of icy, metallic accents. This yin-yang of warmth and coldness runs throughout the whole album. This was the last hurrah for Hannant, before he released the more commercial, and less pleasing "Sculptured" shortly after.
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X5D9A24Q
Label: Fax
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient, Ambient Techno
Review:
Another classic release on the Fax label, "Solitaire" was another triumph for David Moufang (Move D) after the one-two punch delivered by the first two records released by his group Deep Space Network between 1993 and 1994. The albums six lengthy tracks are minimal and slow burning, with sparse synth arrangements which often build into layered towers of percussion and analog blips and bells.
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ECAS3MXR
Label: Instinct
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient, Ambient Techno
Review:
Released on the great Instinct imprint, this album from Mysteries Of Science featured an interesting combination of vintage synth sounds, and tribal rhythms. The album is leisurely paced, and slightly psychedelic, making it an ideal vehicle for aspiring psychonauts.
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JU9RAUYA
Label: Astralwerks
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient Techno
Review:
Released during the golden age of ambient techno, Sea Biscuit was Spacetime Continuum's first proper album, after a collaborative effort with Terence McKenna on 1993's "Alien Dreamtime". Though the album is meandering, and clearly enamored with pioneering ambient techno artists on other labels, it gives listeners a window into the growth process that Spacetime Continuum went through, between this album, and 1996's "Emit Ecaps".
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G96DWYHD
Label: Apollo Music
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno
Review:
Another lesser known gem from the Apollo Music label, this self titled album from Manna is a collection of pureblood ambient techno tracks. There isn't a lot of experimental weirdness or genre hopping to be found here. Only a well constructed and satisfying ambient techno fix.
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=312KU8SP
Year: 1996
Label: Apollo Music
Styles: Ambient Techno
Review:
In an era when the Aphex Twins and Black Dogs of the world had already established themselves as institutions in the realm of ambient leaning techno, Sun Electric never managed to break through. Despite being a great deal better than other albums of the time, "Present" slipped through the cracks at the time of it's release, and never gained a large following in North America. This may be ripe for change, thanks to positive retrospective reviews from prominent critics, and an internet fanbase not shy about trumpeting their favourite artists. The album is a combination of pleasing ambient techno moments like "Stimpak" and "Quaila", and more straightforward techno fair.
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N2GIB4T5
Label: Rough Trade Germany
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient, Ambient Techno, IDM
Review:
One of Atom Hearts more straightforward releases, Morphogenetic Fields is well arranged, diverse and cohesive. Some tracks, like the albums opener "(Holon) Slo Motion" are strictly ambient affairs, while others, like the chilled "Milagro" or the spaced out "Spadix" feature percussive techno elements. The ambient geared tracks serve as dreamy bridges between metronomic IDM passages, and the beats, when they appear, aren't enough to jar the listener out of the albums atmospheric world.
Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HQYGYORU
Label: Kompakt
Year: 2001
Styles: Ambient Techno, Experimental Ambient
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Excepting the mostly dancefloor-friendly Total 3 compilation, 2001 witnessed Cologne's Kompakt label blitzing the bins with a number of ambient releases. The ball began to roll with Pop Ambient 2001, a compilation that introduced Markus Guentner and Ulf Lohmann to those who hadn't kept up with the label's spate of 12" releases. Later in the year, full-lengths from both producers hit the racks, maintaining Kompakt's rock-solid reputation and further plugging pigeonholes along the way. Lohmann's Because Before is a CD-only combination of two EPs released earlier in the year, and it shows that if there's any one producer who most exemplifies Kompakt's self-coined pop ambient pseudo-style, it's Lohmann. These 11 untitled tracks average in four minutes of length, often boasting radiant washes of swoon-worthy laptop ambient. After several plays, one realizes that the disc plays out like a pop record; three or four tracks stick out more than the remainder, much like the way radio-friendly singles can be more easily flagged on such a thing. And the disc isn't short of the equivalent of album tracks either. In particular, the closing track could be the best thing here without being among the catchiest. Truly stultifying in its sadness, its sullen synth tones and equally mournful atmospheric swabs convey the type of feeling that only comes with dealing with a crippling loss.
- Andy Kellman (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/142497238/Ulf_Lohmann_-_Because_Before.rar
Label: Sublime
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient Techno
Review:
An overlooked ambient techno classic, this album (Yokotas first venture into modern electronic music) showcases his unique talent for composition and atmosphere.
Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/136428270/Susumu_Yokota_-_Acid_Mt._Fuji.rar
Label: Kompakt
Year: 2001
Styles: Ambient Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Add Markus Guentner to your growing list of German producers to watch. Following the Regensburg 12" issued in late 2000, two slots on the Pop Ambient 2001 compilation, and some work for Festplatten and Ware, Guentner embarks on the path set by Dettinger and Jonas Bering as the third producer to release a full-length LP on Cologne, Germany's Kompakt label. Throughout the duration of In Moll, Guentner proves his worth as an excellent laptop ambient producer, going toe to toe with the likes of Wolfgang Voigt's finest output as Gas and All (Voigt actually provided the artwork for the record). Guentner also shows that he has several tricks up his sleeve, evading a common ill of many electronic producers by showcasing a few fully developed dimensions, rather than sticking with one gag and running it into the ground. Despite the arid, paranoid feel of the beatless second and fourth tracks (as with the previous single-artist long-players on Kompakt, none of these seven lengthy tracks are titled), there's something remotely oceanic and lilting about them. The third track features a persistent thump amidst puffy atmospherics and subtle layers of shimmering chimes; only the most dedicated fan wouldn't mistake it for a prime Gas production. The influence of Harold Budd creeps in during the sixth track; as a distant piano repeatedly plays a drifting melody, gauzy strings breezily ebb and flow. The Kompakt catalog gets richer and richer.
- Andy Kellman (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/131705139/Markus_Guentner_-_In_Moll.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/131740819/Markus_Guentner_-_In_Moll.part2.rar
Label: Monolake
Year: 2001
Styles: Minimal Techno, Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
On Cinemascope, Monolake (aka Robert Henke) blends the stark sounds of the street with beat-conscious elements, creating a reserved late-night brew of intense minimalism. Short bursts of light break through the dark cracks that underscore the majority of Cinemascope, allowing the largely clipped and clicky beats to comprise the framework of the record. Not unlike Richie Hawtin's later work, Henke utilizes subtractive theory to pull apart regular dancefloor structures into roomy, spacious reconstructions that echo endlessly, reminiscent of the introspective period of early-'90s Detroit techno. Perhaps the perfect record for driving around the city at night, Cinemascope takes in the wonder of architecture, construction, and how people tend to relate to those concepts. Certainly, Henke seems somewhat more closely aligned with his German, minimal-tech colleagues, but he no doubt is in safe territory with Detroit's innovators of the genre. His sometimes spooky and skittery layers of rhythm imitate the clunking and perfect cadence of factory machines in their restless stages. Little melody creeps in, but there's still something pleasant about the work. Perhaps this pleasantness is found in the music's general relaxedness. Nothing ever bubbles over with excitement, but ebbs and flows are still quite visible. And even still, Henke keeps the dancefloor in mind, especially on the track "Remoteable," which is dark and nondescript, held up with constrictive beats and subtle layers of rhythm.
- Ken Taylor (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/129961674/Monolake_-_Cinemascope.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/129966627/Monolake_-_Cinemascope.part2.rar
Label: Warp
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
The last release under the group name before the trio splintered, Spanners is a great full-packed CD of modern electronic music, the band drawing on everything from dub to avant-garde experimentalism to create a varied, intoxicating collection. Funk samples are twisted and played with rather than lovingly reused, lyrics eschewed for obscure or unintelligible samples at most, generally straightforward dancefloor tracks still sound slightly hesitant or off. Even from the first song, "Raxmus," it's not too surprising that this appeared on Warp Records; the blend of shuffling yet crisp beat, ambient tones, and other sonic touches and tweaks practically could have been tailormade as a calling card for the label. Certainly, there's a healthy sense of playfulness and obscurity that won't surprise fans of labelmate Aphex Twin, neither will song titles like "Psil-Coysin" and "Nommo." The highlights are many, most often achieving a solid combination of dancefloor friendliness and unexpected sonic trickery. "Chase the Manhattan" may have a cringeworthy pun of a title, but the brisk funk/world percussion beat, soothing synth washes, and distorted electronic bass stabs all come together wonderfully. "Further Harm" shifts a number of times during its length, sometimes playing around with rough beats low in the mix and at other points serving up a variety of keyboard melodies interspersed with brief vocal bits. Other numbers of note include "Pot Noodle," with what sounds like a soft acoustic guitar or a keyboard programmed to sound like one playing a lazy, relaxed melody under the main loop, and the echoing, minimal percussion breaks and squelchy electro-inspired tones of "Frisbee Skip." A series of brief bridge tracks entitled "Bolt" (i.e., "Bolt1," "Bolt2," etc.) crop up throughout Spanners, mostly following their own curious logic as they slide from one track to the next.
-Ned Raggett (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/129305276/The_Black_Dog_-_Spanners.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/129410258/The_Black_Dog_-_Spanners.part2.rar
Label: Warp
Year: 2000
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Detroit Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
After negotations broke down between former Black Doggers Ken Downie, Ed Handley, and Andy Turner, what was projected to be a three-disc set with nearly all the existing Black Dog Productions rarities became instead a two-disc set of Handley/Turner productions recorded during the first half of the '90s. Trainer is still a near-essential document of early British techno, including a raft of rarely heard classics like "Scoobs in Columbia," "Norte Route," and "Angry Dolphin," plus the entirety of their ultra-rare Mbuki Mvuki mini-LP. The Handley/Turner production aesthetic balanced sublime, Detroit-inspired synth with hyper-kinetic drum programs and breakbeat madness years before England's love affair with jungle. Grabbing tracks from far-flung but like-minded labels like ART, Planet E, A13, and Clear, Trainer includes over two hours of warped acid house from a B-boy perspective -- it's hardly a coincidence that Black Dog Productions shared initials with South Bronx's finest.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/128266674/Plaid_-_Trainer.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/128278544/Plaid_-_Trainer.part2.rar
Part Three: http://rapidshare.com/files/128288703/Plaid_-_Trainer.part3.rar
Label: Blanco Y Negro
Year: 1995
Styles: IDM, Detroit Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
A bright, shimmering epic where critics and fans had expected more moody breakbeat electro, the debut Carl Craig LP appeared after years of production work and marked the first of many times when Craig was obviously making his own way, oblivious to what critics might think. Beginning with the sounds of an automobile starting up on "Mind of a Machine" (complete with warning bells and a seatbelt click), Craig introduces us to his man-machine world, where cruising I-96 west of Detroit is a sublime night-time journey, conjuring visions of Trans-Europe Express and "Strings of Life" instead of What's Going On. The single "Science Fiction," "Technology," the title track and "Einbahn" continue the journey to its close back in the garage. Landcruising was a change-up for critics, but as usual, Craig proved up to the expectations.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/128420371/Carl_Craig_-_Landcruising.rar
Label: Clear
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Dedicated to the memory of his sister (who died in a car accident), Morgan Geist designed The Driving Memoirs as an auditory account of a long road trip, placing it in similar company with Detroit landmarks by Carl Craig (Landcruising) and Model 500 ("Night Drive: Time, Space, Transmat"). In a bit less than an hour, Geist cruises through ten tracks of exquisite, finely tuned techno with an eye to the percussion-programming finesse of Black Dog (circa Bytes) and the reflective, haunting electro-jazz of early As One. But The Driving Memoirs does much more than cycle through its influences; taken in whole, it's a state-of-the-art techno masterpiece that's more than worthy of its predecessors and arguably the best release to come from the highly respected Clear label.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/119681489/Morgan_Geist_-_The_Driving_Memoirs.rar
Label: Rising High
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review:
This excellent ambient techno effort follows in the footsteps of it's predecessor, 1993's "Science, Art And Ritual", but this time with a stronger focus on beats.
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/119413202/Bedouin_Ascent_-_Music_For_Particles.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/119423183/Bedouin_Ascent_-_Music_For_Particles.part2.rar
Label: Planet E
Year: 1996
Styles: Ambient Techno, Detroit Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Elements 1989-1990 compiles much of Carl Craig's earliest output before he started his own label, Planet E, and began to achieve increasing levels of popularity with side projects such as Innerzone Orchestra and Paperclip People. The Psyche tracks were released on Derrick May's Transmat label, and the BFC tracks on May's other label, Fragile. Though relatively lo-fi and primative by today's standards, this is quintessential Detroit techno and showcases Craig's talents as producer even at this early point in his career when he was around age 20. Thankfully these rare tracks were compiled by Craig on this 1996 CD compilation released by Planet E.
- Jason Birchmeier (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/119361558/Psyche-BFC_-_Elements_1989-1990.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/119388175/Psyche-BFC_-_Elements_1989-1990.part2.rar
Label: Rephlex
Year: 2002
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
When Rephlex Records first hit the scene in the early '90s, the albums had vague labels and little (if any) liner notes, featuring green covers and a coveted "certain sound" -- a low-profile, mid-budget, high-concept, irreverent science fiction "braindance" with a cryptic logo and a commitment to staying fiercely independent. The label has been home to most of England's trendsetters (often the rule breakers), and has increased its wingspan to host a variety of styles whose only common theme is "eclectic-tronic." At a time when computer programmers have infiltrated the music industry, it's particularly satisfying to have the Astrobotnia trilogy arrive on the scene. It reminds listeners that technology alone doesn't make music -- musicians do. Anonymity has been a longstanding tradition for the Aphex Twin label, and a particular strength in terms of creating demand. This time out, the demand is justifiable regardless. The publicity department is being typically tight-lipped about who's manning the consoles, but listeners familiar with Aleksi Perälä (aka Ovuca) may be nodding their heads in recognition. To further fuel the rumors, Perälä has played Astrobotnia material on tour. Tracks like "B," "Acidophilus II," and "Thoarse" are late-night raves for jellyfish -- shimmering ambience floats beneath hiccuping drum kits and rusted rubber basslines, trading off among degrees of acid, satellite telemetry, and haunted laptops. "Portable Motor Home" flutters about with equal parts playfulness and mystery, throwing calliope pipes, water drops, bike spokes, low-frequency wobbles, and Robert Fripp-like washes of electric clouds in a blender full of breakbeats. Throughout Pt. 3, the percussion samples add a rich froth that bubbles in complexity. The polyrhythms within "Drops" and "Bifidus" switch up as often as the most difficult Autechre tracks, but here the warmth of synthesized embryonic fluid holds the pieces together, keeping the listener engaged rather than alienated. "Leftovers" is a gorgeous expansion of space, overlooking rivulets of snare rushes that giggle and snarl in the earbones. "Esther Calling Jennifer" unfurls a flag of static that's glittered with bells and stunning beats, and "C*Nt" is a fascinating jungle daydream, sputtering frantically out of control like the last Squarepusher album, but softened in a loving analog embrace à la Boards of Canada. Consistently rewarding as it disorients in déjà vu, Astrobotnia does everything right, delivering not only a fascinating third installment, but the updated Rephlex sound for the next decade.
- Glenn Swan (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/119146465/Astrobotnia_-_Part_03.rar
Label: Rephlex
Year: 2002
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
The second installment of the Astrobotnia series showcases the darker side of both parties involved. First for the artist, spraying the speakers with six untitled "Braindance" ear-twisters that veer away from the somewhat softer bubble bath of Pts. 1 and 3. Second, for its host, Rephlex Records, who usually pull off projects like this with a sort of grace -- barely identifiable releases that send collectors into a frenzy by limited distribution and undisclosed composer credits. Flying below radar like this would be dangerous, were it not for such good material. From the start, the sound of Pt. 2 has more in common with label mate (and co-founder) AFX, placing heavier responsibility on ground-shaking drum tracks and acid-blotted sequencers. The melodic elements on this treasured slice of wax are much more subdued; the sweet lullabies and lush ambience play a supporting role for the most part. Side one is a nail-biter of rhythms -- too much for most dancefloors, unless you have five legs. Squeals of organic-sounding sci-fi arm wrestle with an entire factory of drum machines, garnished with harmonic afterthoughts. The first track on side two is especially rewarding; those infamous James Brown yelps get pressed through ring modulators, underscoring epic ambient chords and legendary drum loops that have stood the test of time in terms of popularity. The results have a curious effect; nostalgia from a side view. Track five presses together humming bass sweeps with a great deal of sputtering foreign dialogue that's as ear-tickling as the jungle beats that loom overhead. The record ends with a hyperspeed groove -- an overstuffed incubator of robot bugs, bursting at the seams with every snare rush and synthesizer depth charge. Overall, this release is somewhere between Bogdan Raczynski's drill'n'bass and a Lactavent-era Ovuca. Astrobotnia may be more melodic elsewhere, but here the listeners get to the blackened, gnarled roots of IDM on a label that practically invented it. This is Rephlex doing what it does best, which means it might be hard to find a copy.
- Glenn Swan (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/119085791/Astrobotnia_-_Part_02.rar
It turned out I did have this album Dagda.
Heres the link: http://rapidshare.com/files/118892409/Free-D_-_Original_Soundtrack.rar
Label: Rising High
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Long after its release, Kingsuk Biswas' first album-length release remains some of his most interesting and innovative work. Combining deep, enthralling melodies with intricate textural arrangements and some of the more complex rhythms of the post-techno lot (compare to the Black Dog and Atom Heart), Science, Art and Ritual is a classic of ambient techno and remains fresh-sounding years after its release.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/118298225/Bedouin_Ascent_-_Science__Art_And_Ritual.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/118365644/Bedouin_Ascent_-_Science__Art_And_Ritual.part2.rar
Label: Rephlex
Year: 2002
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
A very satisfying first installment in the anonymously credited Astrobotnia trilogy, released on Rephlex Records. The label has found (or cultivated) a good thing here, in much the same way Richard James spearheaded the label's secrecy with early aliases like Martin Trezidder and Q-Chastic. Ten years later, the torch gets passed with a fresh splash of petrol. Astrobotnia, Pt. 1 is a warm hybrid of familiar and disparate elements, like a jellyfish with claws or a blue snowman on wheels. In the same way Boards of Canada sneaks out samples of recognition (even nostalgia), Astrobotnia spoons out disorienting but recognizable textures, set like precious stones within a framework of sputtering percussion tracks -- accomplished tempo-twisters that resemble plastic, aluminum, rubber, glass, and, yes, sometimes even actual drums. "Lightworks" opens the disc with wonder and mystery; an expansive blackberry sky bursting with fireworks and spectator awe. The channel switches to plasma feedback and bass chords yawning through half-speed breakbeats on "Hallo." The drums start shuffling into the upper atmosphere with "Everyone," as a not-so-friendly gentlemen shares his thoughts amidst treacherous chords of ambience. Tracks like "Acidophilus" and "Sweden" are electronic lullabies of crisp Sunday mornings -- the type Ovuca might have -- and groovebox rhythms that range from subdued countertop thumping to lazertag shoot-outs. "Untitled" is a beeping little pingpong of hip-hop and string samples, and "The Wing Thing" keeps a similar (but heavier) groove with whiney clusters of keyboards à la Global Goon. "Miss June" follows next, and its classic Rephlex: simple, gloomy synth melodies negotiating with squelches of acid and a dash of creepy playfulness. The disc closes with "Applause," featuring the obvious group noise, as well as a strange out-of-tune piano and vocals gurgling through a manic ring modulator. This fascinating reward of an album, and really all three albums, is due to a successful marriage of textures: barbed, crunchy beats wrapped in harmonic threads, then dipped in stardust. It's Eno and Lanois' gorgeous Apollo soundtrack remixed by Funkstörung, and an outstretched hand into the future. Essential.
- Glenn Swan (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/116708077/Astrobotnia_-_Part_01.rar
Label: Monolake
Year: 2001
Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Again proving themselves the cream of Berlin's experimental underground, Monolake's Robert Henke and Gerhard Behles (the latter taking a slightly diminished role) produced a set of eight stellar tracks, some previously released on vinyl. Most of the songs on Gravity have a steady backbeat, and the second track, "Ice," hits pretty hard for something from the Chain Reaction school, despite the whispered vocals throughout. Still, Monolake focus as much on the atmospheres created by their effects as on the effects themselves, resulting in deep, shadowy productions like "Mobile," with its off-step, processed steel drums, and a return to the classic Chain Reaction sound on "Frost." The crackling electrical storm on "Static" makes it a highlight as well, and Gravity shows Monolake making steady progression beyond the sound they helped trademark without ever deserting it completely.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/116195179/Monolake_-_Gravity.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/116195488/Monolake_-_Gravity.part2.rar
Label: Tehnika
Year: 2002
Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Following in the shoes of canonized dub-techno purveyor Basic Channel and the subsequent wave of Chain Reaction apostles, producer Jernej Marusic explores the deep, dark, dubby realms of minimal techno as Octex, an appropriately oblique yet affective moniker. Though not from Berlin, the Slovenian producer certainly embodies the essence of his East German predecessors. He eschews dancefloor furor and frenzy here, instead embracing a more sullen and stark style of minimal techno with a strong dub undercurrent. For instance, thunderous basslines propel much of Idei Lahesna, giving much of the album considerable forward drive. These buoying basslines and their reverberating resonance propel wavering layers of looped, crackling static and disorienting reverb. While countless bedroom producers have embraced the school of Basic Channel and tried their hand at a similar style of dub-techno taken to minimal extremes, Marusic succeeds where others fail. He doesn't just emulate the decade-old Basic Channel template; instead, he breathes new life into it, infusing it with his own style and sense of demeanor, much like the wave of artists who characterized the Chain Reaction label in the late '90s. Furthermore, he showcases a surprising degree of versatility despite his consistent template of sounds. Throughout Idei Lahesna, he moves back and forth from dizzying ambience ("Intex," "Intezo," "Agon") to stomping techno ("Deflection," "Emergon," "Liagon"). The latter certainly stand out among the more contemplative melancholia, reaching dancefloor-level intensity and lumbering on for minute after minute of wall-shaking mania. What Marusic has done here on his album debut as Octex is two things: one, put Ljubljana on the techno map as a possible hotspot to watch, assuming the Slovenian capital city breeds music like this; and two, place himself alongside similar-minded East European producers-to-watch like Fluxion over to the west in Greece, assuming Idei Lahesna is just the first sample of what this young, talented producer can offer the post-Basic Channel techno community.
- Jason Birchmeier (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/116191735/Octex_-_Idei_Lehesna.rar
Label: R&S
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, Detroit Techno
Review:
The first release from John Beltran is the impressive Earth & Nightfall. Immediately distinctive, Beltran's skills as a producer become apparent from the opening track, the chilled "Blue World", which employs scattered synth work and vocal sampling to great effect. The album, when viewed as a whole, establishes a sound which is more than the sum of it's influences (Detroit Techno and Ambient Techno in the vein of early Warp releases (particularly the Artificial Intelligence series ). While his later work sometimes missfired, this album (along with Ten Days Of Blue and his release The Cry under the Placid Angles moniker) is essential for any Beltran fan.
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/116199779/John_Beltran_-_Earth___Nightfall.rar
Label: Kompakt
Year: 2002
Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
As much as Fehlmann's time-spanning reputation precedes him -- as an original post-punker who has collaborated with several Detroit techno luminaries and the Orb -- Visions of Blah still comes as a dazzling surprise. Compiling Fehlmann's pair of 2002 12" releases for Kompakt and adding an additional five productions, the album flitters to and fro with slight stylistic shifts, dividing time between ambient and dancefloor material. The hypnotic effects of the opening three tracks -- "Streets of Blah," "Superbock," and "Rotenfaden" -- are all but overwhelming with swinging, quasi-skanking rhythm patterns and basslines that seem simultaneously viscous and transient, like dubbed-up recastings of the Modernist's prickly fissures. "Du Fehlst Mir" follows the opening trio with a drastic transfer into blissful ambient techno -- those glistening flourishes! -- and ranks with the best of Kompakt's Pop Ambient series. The gradual descent back into the beat-heavy begins with "Rainbow Over Stadtautobahn," a track that remains atmospheric but resembles a spacy take on frictional shuffle-tech with rocking effects (as in the movement of a chair, not a scorching guitar riff) and percussion that ricochets from left to right and right to left. The truly astonishing point is that the album's best treats don't arrive until after that. "Making It Whistle" utilizes a similar dub-techno template as the opening three, but adds further dimensions with livelier tweaks and reverberations. Then there's the clanking chug of "Seerosengiessen," the metallic eroticism of "Gratis" (this could pass as a skanking remix of Maurizio's "M4"), and the beatless, vaporous blasts of "Decke." This doesn't merely qualify as one of Kompakt's best single-artist albums; it is the label's best single-artist album. Not bad for a producer who has nothing to prove. [The vinyl edition consists only of the five non-12" tracks and the album mix of "Making It Whistle."]
- Andy Kellman (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/115894551/Thomas_Fehlmann_-_Visions_Of_Blah.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/115897966/Thomas_Fehlmann_-_Visions_Of_Blah.part2.rar
Label: Imbalance Computer Music
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, Experimental
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Where with his Monolake material Henke is apt to abuse the organic right out of his real-life recordings, his solo work often follows the opposite path, constructing the sounds of such apparently natural phenomena as insects, birds, and crashing waves from the raw material of dimensionless digital noise. This is a subtext of Floating.Point (the title refers to the iterative slippage inherent in digital signal processing), which -- concept or no -- is also some of the current scene's most satisfying digital ambient.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/115699636/Robert_Henke_-_Floating.Point.rar
Label: Warp
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Plaid's second full-length release, Not for Threes, is separated from its predecessor by one of the most celebrated side trips in electronic listening music's brief but broad history. As members of the Black Dog, Ed Handley and Andy Turner (together with Ken Downie) helped set the standard for experimental techno, bringing a daring range of influences together in a space consistently characterized by quality and innovation. As such, great things were expected of Threes, and with a couple exceptions, the pair delivers. Although treading far closer than any Black Dog material ever did to the sort of pop electronica of Plaid's interim work with Björk (who appears here on the gorgeous "Lilith"), Threes is ambitious on different terms, moving from the abused and distorted breaks of "Extork" and "Prague Radio" to a balanced radio-friendliness that never sacrifices ingenuity for ease. A handful of tracks feature vocals throughout, and while the results had the predictable effect of irritating BD purists, they actually work remarkably well (partly because the tracks contain absolutely no trace of compositional compromise). A few of the tracks ("Headspin," "Abla Eedio," the too-brief "Seph") sit easily beside the very best Black Dog.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/115691994/Plaid_-_Not_For_Threes.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/115695536/Plaid_-_Not_For_Threes.part2.rar
Label: Palm
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient Techno, Trip-Hop
Review: (Allmusic.com)
From the languished trip-hop of Music for Babies to the sublime big beat on Turn the Dark Off, Howie B. has excelled at rewiring the latest thing in electronica to display not only his stellar production skills but also his ear for unheard beats and overall knack for creating excellent headphone music. To that extent, Snatch is a similar record. The jumping-off point for this one, however, is the increasingly experimentalist slant of electronic music during the late '90s, displayed by the slipped-disc sample minimalism of artists such as Autechre, Panasonic, and Mouse on Mars. The opener, "Gallway," takes a few minutes of static electricity to launch into its muted beat attack, while the sub-bass depth on "Cook for You" is practically off the charts. "Trust" blends a few phlegmatic effects reminiscent of Mouse on Mars with glazed-eye minimalism of the Philip Glass variety and a melodica sample perhaps gleaned from his trip to Jamaica (the results of which appeared on Sly & Robbie Stripped to the Bone by Howie B., released less than a month before). Of course, a month's working vacation in Kingston is going to result in radically different music than spending time in the new-experimentalist center of Köln, but Snatch successfully fuses the earthier side of dub and trip-hop with abstract electronics. It's by far his best album yet.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/115683293/Howie_B_-_Snatch.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/115683575/Howie_B_-_Snatch.part2.rar
Label: Rather Interesting
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, Electro-Jazz
Review: (Allmusic.com)
Following a pair of inexplicably ho-hum recordings, Atom Heart's Schnittstelle is something of a return to form. Elements of improvisational electronics remain, but Schmidt is back at the concept block with much of this one, constructing tracks from cracks and creases in the digital recording process (the title is German, loosely, for "the point at which something is cut"). Hard disk crashes, data corruption, tracking error, and digital noise and distortion are just a few of the methods applied, making of Schnittstelle something akin to the output of experimental digital abusers such as Farmers Manual, Mika Vainio, and Christian Fennesz. The album is far more varied than those comparisons suggest, however, and is among the very finest of Atom Heart's lengthy discography.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)
Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/115674644/Atom_Heart_-_Schnittstelle.rar
Label: Force Inc.
Year: 2002
Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno
Review: (Allmusic.com)
The reliance upon imagery, track listings, and labels is par for the course with the largely vocal-free fields of electronic dance music. The Rhythm of Snow, the debut of Iceland-based producer Aalsteinn Gumundsson's alias as Yagya, is no exception, but the artwork might throw a few people off with its sharp angles and glassy effects of gray and black snowflakes (however attractive it is). The cold, sterile atmosphere that the physical package projects is unfortunate because there's a comfort in these productions, plainly named "Snowflake 1" through "Snowflake 10," that relate more to the good feelings associated with snow (jumping in a bank with a thick snowsuit) rather than the bad ones (shoveling, frostbite). Come to think of it, the label could be a little misleading as well. The soft synthetic beats, the maximal minimalism of the billowy textures, and the overall delicate touch are probably better suited for the Kompakt label than Force Inc. Akin to Kompakt's self-coined and curated pop ambient movement, Gumundsson's productions are easy on the ear and hold a deceptively catchy nature to them, completely avoiding the feel of some academic exercise. Compared to an obvious influence like Wolfgang Voigt, the granddaddy of this quasi-movement, Gumundsson is relatively liberal with the alterations he makes to the foundation of each track, twisting textures and folding them into each other with bewildering results. Beats are present throughout, ranging from a hollow tap to a racing pulse to a becalmed chug, with the latter being the most utilized. It's indeed a daunting task to take the record on in whole, but like any great ambient techno record, it leaves the impression of having no beginning and no end.
- Andy Kellman (Allmusic Guide)
Link:
Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/115490469/Yagya_-_The_Rhythm_Of_Snow.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/115494544/Yagya_-_The_Rhythm_Of_Snow.part2.rar
