Acrocosm

Facil - Facil

2010-12-27T13:37:00.004-05:00

Label: Instinct
Year: 1995
Styles; Ambient Techno

Review:

A particularly outstanding album in an already stellar roster of releases on Instinct Ambient, this self titled album from Facil is similar to the ambient techno classic "76:14" by Global Communication, but slightly more focused and beat oriented. also bearing a resemblance to early Human Mesh Dance.

Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OV5M9RRX

Beaumont Hannant - Texturology

2010-12-18T16:49:00.005-05:00

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

David Moufang - Solitaire

2010-12-15T05:02:00.006-05:00

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

Mysteries Of Science - Mystery Of Science

2010-12-13T07:37:00.004-05:00

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

Spacetime Continuum - Sea Biscuit

2010-12-12T04:42:00.006-05:00

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

Manna - Manna

2010-12-09T02:33:00.003-05:00

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

Sun Electric - Present

2010-12-08T23:12:00.008-05:00

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

Atom Heart - Morphogenetic Fields

2010-11-27T18:14:00.008-05:00

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

B12 - Time Tourist

2010-08-10T03:14:00.000-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1996
Styles: Ambient Techno, Techno, IDM

I'll begin this blog with the lesser known of B12's two releases on Warp records. While not as memorable as the groups debut, "Electro-Soma", Time Tourist is still worth a listen.

Review: (Allmusic.com)

A slick, arresting slate of ambient-leaning electro-techno with a strong Detroit feel. Again split between the group's many ongoing projects, the tracks vary from four-on-the-floor club movers to after-hours chill-bound breakbeat tracks and funky, almost jazz-oriented electro.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/99413625/B12_-_Time_Tourist.rar

Gas - Gas

2009-11-15T22:41:00.005-05:00

Label: Mille Plateaux

Year: 1996

Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno

Review:

Although Wolfgang Voigt's first outing under the Gas moniker came long before he established Kompakt records; the album contains all the distinctive elements which would later set that label apart from it's less creative rivals.

All of the tracks clock in at over ten minutes, with Voigt having decided by then that giving tracks titles wasn't necessary. The track listing simply reads "Untitled" six times in a row.

Much like his later Kompakt desciples, Voigt is adept at blending the warm elements of beatless ambient, with the cold atmosphere of Porter Ricks/Basic Channel style minimalist techno.

Both fans of Ambient and Techno will find something here to like.

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/307668248/Gas_-_Gas.zip

Beaumont Hannant - Basic Data Manipulation

2009-11-14T20:13:00.005-05:00

Label: GPR

Year: 1993

Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review:

Although respected within the IDM community for his work, Beaumont Hannant remains the most criminally overlooked artist of the Artificial Intelligence era.

Boasting an ear for both lush ambient soundscapes, and abrasive audio shrapnel, he is perhaps the only producer from the nineties deserving of a comparison to Aphex Twin.

Most apparent on this, his first release, is the unique way in which Hannant structures his compositions.

While contemporaries such as Britains Mu-ziq mimicked the stylings of Richard D. James (almost to a science), Beaumont Hannant reached the same heights, while maintaining a sound unlike anyone else from the period.

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/307145778/Beaumont_Hannant_-_Basic_Data_Manipulation.zip

Ulf Lohmann - Because Before

2008-09-04T02:24:00.003-04:00

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

Susumu Yokota - Acid Mt. Fuji

2008-08-11T19:21:00.009-04:00

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

Markus Guentner - In Moll

2008-07-22T16:02:00.002-04:00

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

Monolake - Cinemascope

2008-07-15T14:09:00.003-04:00

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

The Black Dog - Spanners

2008-07-13T15:08:00.002-04:00

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

Morgan Geist Presents - Environ: Into A Seperate Space

2008-07-11T03:56:00.005-04:00

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: Will Be Back Soon.

Plaid - Trainer

2008-07-08T19:53:00.003-04:00

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

Carl Craig - Landcruising

2008-06-09T15:15:00.000-04:00

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

To Rococo Rot - Veiculo

2008-06-09T15:14:00.004-04:00

Label: Emperor Jones
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno, Experimental Rock

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Kraftwerk with guitars or Trans Am without the schmaltz, To Rococo Rot provide a nice fusion of indie-rock instrumentalism and the more minimal end of armchair techno occupied by Autechre and Freeform. The group manage a near-perfect balance of elements, here, coming off neither retro nor pretentious, reserving the occasionally embarrassing artiness of a Stereolab or Tortoise for the subtlety with which they play electronic and acoustical textures off one another.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/119956212/To_Rococo_Rot_-_Veiculo.rar

Morgan Geist - The Driving Memoirs

2008-06-02T20:50:00.002-04:00

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

Bedouin Ascent - Music For Particles

2008-06-01T18:58:00.003-04:00

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

Psyche/BFC - Elements 1989-1990

2008-06-01T11:14:00.002-04:00

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

Astrobotnia - Part 03

2008-05-31T14:34:00.004-04:00

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

Astrobotnia - Part 02

2008-05-31T02:34:00.002-04:00

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

The Ecstasy Of St. Theresa - Free-D (By Request)

2008-05-30T14:44:00.004-04:00

It turned out I did have this album Dagda.

Heres the link: http://rapidshare.com/files/118892409/Free-D_-_Original_Soundtrack.rar

Bedouin Ascent - Science, Art and Ritual

2008-05-28T08:36:00.002-04:00

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

Astrobotnia - Part 01

2008-05-22T02:51:00.004-04:00

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

Monolake - Gravity

2008-05-20T00:54:00.004-04:00

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

Octex - Idei Lahesna

2008-05-20T00:12:00.003-04:00

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

John Beltran - Earth & Nightfall

2008-05-19T03:09:00.000-04:00

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

Thomas Fehlmann - Visions Of Blah

2008-05-18T16:20:00.002-04:00

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

Robert Henke - Floating.Point

2008-05-17T23:55:00.003-04:00

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

Plaid - Not For Threes

2008-05-17T22:25:00.002-04:00

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

Howie B - Snatch

2008-05-17T21:05:00.003-04:00

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

Atom Heart - Schnittstelle

2008-05-17T20:02:00.002-04:00

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

Yagya - The Rhythm Of Snow

2008-05-17T18:21:00.003-04:00

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

µ-Ziq - Bluff Limbo

2008-05-16T23:27:00.008-04:00

Label: Rephlex

Year: 1994

Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Historically interesting from the standpoint of µ-Ziq's later work, shades of Jake Slazenger and Kid Spatula can be heard on Bluff Limbo. The album is nonetheless overly repetitive, relying heavily on the distortion-pedal aesthetic by now a cliché of Rephlex artists (Aphex Twin, Cylob and Kinesthesia). The album was originally issued as a promo-only in 1994 (and then with different track listings across formats!) and finally saw proper release in the middle of 1996.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/115468038/Mu-Ziq_-_Bluff_Limbo.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/115470617/Mu-Ziq_-_Bluff_Limbo.part2.rar

The Sabres Of Paradise - Sabresonic

2008-04-25T02:34:00.003-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The Sabres' techno-oriented debut album includes crucial singles like "Smokebelch," "Wilmott," and previously unavailable items like "Still Fighting" and "Ano Electro." Also tacks on In the Nursery's beatless remix of "Smokebelch II."
-Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/110224986/The_Sabres_Of_Paradise_-_Sabresonic.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/110225816/The_Sabres_Of_Paradise_-_Sabresonic.part2.rar

Slag Boom Van Loon - Slag Boom Van Loon

2008-04-24T23:13:00.003-04:00

Label: Planet µ
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Combining the bed-sit beats of Mu-Ziq and the musical disobedience of Speedy J, for intelligent dance music observers this side project of the two experimentalists must read on paper much like a historical Beatles and Rolling Stones crossover. Hey, if equally mythological team-ups can happen in comic books, why not here? Even when you can point out each musician's superpowers on each track (accurately or not), Slag Boom Van Loon have gone and constructed an hour's worth of meticulously absurd electronic fizz. "Light of India" builds up a wall of sitars and Aziz-like transglobal percussion while other pieces like "Broccoli" sound like a Bjork instrumental forced to subsist on underground fungi for a month. Effortless and interesting, this is a collaboration that shows just how screwed in the head dance musicians can be when they get around to it.
- Dean Carlson (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/110205646/Slag_Boom_Van_Loon_-_Slag_Boom_Van_Loon.rar

Placid Angles - The Cry

2008-04-24T22:53:00.004-04:00

Label: Peacefrog
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, Techno, Ambient Dub

Review: (Allmusic.com)

For his first album as Placid Angles, Beltran retained bits of his original Detroit techno inspiration but tempered the whole with a growing stock of ambient (and even new age) textures. Tracks like "Ocean," "Fate" and the beatless "Everything Under the Sun" recall early-'90s Artificial Intelligence maestros like Black Dog and B12 material and shades of original Detroit.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/110170662/Placid_Angles_-_The_Cry.rar

John Beltran - Ten Days Of Blue

2008-04-23T19:35:00.002-04:00

Label: Peacefrog
Year: 1996
Styles: Ambient Techno, Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

John Beltran's first album for Peacefrog tweaks the blueprint of Detroit techno with a collection of fragile melodies and synthesizer textures worthy of a Derrick May classic, but with more finely wrought percussion. The melancholy beauty of such tracks as "Collage of Dreams" make Ten Days of Blue an LP supremely chilled and ready to serve.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/109924745/John_Beltran_-_Ten_Days_Of_Blue.rar

Robert Leiner - Visions Of The Past

2008-04-13T02:43:00.003-04:00

Label: Apollo
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient Techno, Ambient

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Arguably the most underrated electronic album of 1994, Visions of the Past alternates between songs of uptempo trance beauty and slower ambient cuts so sinister that the flesh crawls. The best example of the former is "Aqua Viva," a 12-minute dolphin epic with dolphin sounds; of the eerie tracks, "Northern Dark," "Dream or Reality" and the title track are the most paranoid.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/142462003/Robert_Leiner_-_Visions_Of_The_Past.rar

Funkstörung - Additional Productions

2008-04-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

Label: K7
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

This eight-track remix compilation features indie-techno heroes Funkstörung reworking tracks by an array of artists from Björk to Wu-Tang Clan to Finitribe to East Flatbush Project to Various Artists and Visit Venus. The duo's trademarked style (trademarked by Autechre, that is) is in full effect and though remix compilations usually aren't a good source for original productions, Additional Productions fills the bill quite nicely.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/109400924/Funkstoerung__-_Additional_Productions.rar

Bandulu - Guidance

2008-04-10T15:44:00.003-04:00

Label: Infonet
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Bandulu's first album is their closest to British listening techno acts like Black Dog and B12. Highlights "Messenger," "Earth 6," and "Pacekeeper" push an aggressive rhythmic tone, though the melodies are quite fragile. One track, "Better Nation," features a Carl Craig remix.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/106470629/Bandulu_-_Guidance.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/106473858/Bandulu_-_Guidance.part2.rar

David Shea - Satyricon

2008-04-10T14:14:00.001-04:00

Label: Sub Rosa
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, Electro-Acoustic

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Like past Shea releases, his 1997 Sub Rosa release Satyricon takes its creative impetus from literature (this time from ancient Roman author Petronius' work of the same name). Unlike past Shea releases, however, there are next to no samples in this nearly hour-long work, Shea instead assembling the remote contributions of nearly two dozen musicians (Sim Cain, Anthony Coleman, Zeena Parkins, Sebastian Steinberg, Fabio Accurso, and Erik Friedlander, among others) into abstract instrumental ambient and electro-acoustic pieces incorporating the sparse tropics of techno and jungle as often as Western classical and Eastern traditional musics. Since Shea mostly limits his source material to discrete performances, Satyricon is a far more minimal affair compared with earlier releases such as Tower of Mirrors or Hsi-Yu Chi, but since those works tended at times toward the over-dense, the imposition is advantageous, resulting in an overall more approachable album.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/109323150/David_Shea_-_Satyricon.rar

David Morley - Tilted

2008-04-09T23:40:00.001-04:00

Label: Apollo
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review:

One of the better electronic albums of 1998, David Morleys "Tilted" is notable for it's focus on percussive elements, as well as it's impressive range of sounds. During the course of it's nine tracks, elements of jungle, breakbeat, trip-hop and ambient can be heard, and yet the album still manages to work as a whole. Recommended.

(Please consider supporting David Morley by visiting his website and purchasing some of his music, at http://homepage.mac.com/dlmorley/davidmorley.htm )

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/109380338/David_Morley_-_Tilted.rar

Legion Of Green Men - Floating In Shallow Water

2008-04-09T23:09:00.000-04:00

Label: Swim
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient Techno, Techno

Review:

"Floating In Shallow Water" finds Legion Of Green Men employing a unique mix of jazz, break-beat, trip hop, ambient and worldbeat stylings, with many vocal samples throughout. Jazzy horns or keyboards underscore nearly every track.

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/108005677/Legion_Of_Green_Men_-_Floating_In_Shallow_Water.rar

Two Lone Swordsmen - The Fifth Mission (Return To The Flightpath Estate)

2008-04-09T18:27:00.001-04:00

Label: Emissions Audio Output
Year:1996
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Andrew Weatherall's first post-Sabres outing (together with Keith Tenniswood) is a truly beguiling cachet of alternately moody and unexpectedly funky down- and mid-tempo electro. Miles more complex and integrated than such future-funk wibblers as the Clear Records stable, Fifth Mission is often as tear-jerkingly emotional as it is goofball lino material; machine music imbued with more than a bit of humanity. Uniformly excellent.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/106759933/Two_Lone_Swordsmen_-_The_Fifth_Mission__Return_To_The_Flightpath_Estate_.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/106764797/Two_Lone_Swordsmen_-_The_Fifth_Mission__Return_To_The_Flightpath_Estate_.part2.rar
Part Three: http://rapidshare.com/files/106768059/Two_Lone_Swordsmen_-_The_Fifth_Mission__Return_To_The_Flightpath_Estate_.part3.rar

Kreidler - Appearance And The Park

2008-04-09T13:57:00.000-04:00

Label: Mute
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, Indie Electronic

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Though in many ways Appearance and the Park is merely a continuation and slight development of earlier Kreidler motifs and approaches, there are also enough tweaks and explorations here and there on the overall approach which help make the album more than just a pleasant listen. The slight but noticeable rhythm time shift on opener "Tuesday" is in many ways a seismic one, in that it gives a sense that Kreidler are willing to play around a bit and see what happens. There's also more of a sense of a scope of inspiration beyond early '70s days in Europe and the Caribbean, with hints of the chilled experimental post-punk of England and Germany seeping into many compositions. Arrangements are often (though not always — check "Necessity Now" for an example otherwise) fuller, and perhaps even more playful than before, though not necessarily in a conventionally pretty sense. "Good Morning City," in particular, suggests some of the quirky Japanese influence hinted at in the liner notes, a bit like if Yellow Magic Orchestra and late-'90s Momus teamed up, though without vocals. The increased use of just-on-the-edge-of-hearing frequencies — quirky synth swirls and tones in particular — suggest that there's even more to the songs than might be apparent on first blush. Keyboards are more actively used, at points not merely as shading or counterpoint melody, but with a more upfront role, as the brief "Plus" and the lovely "Coldness" demonstrate. The tense "Il Sogno di Una Casa" almost suggests Joy Division in ways — not entirely, to be sure, but there's still something there — while "Au-Pair" could almost be a smooth Roxy Music ballad in ways (though the rhythm section is still definitely rooted in steady motorik chug, with some especially fine bass from Stefan Schneider).
- Ned Raggett (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/109048558/Kreidler_-_Appearance_And_The_Park.rar

Monolake - Hongkong

2008-04-08T19:31:00.000-04:00

Label: Chain Reaction
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Minimal Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Hongkong compiles Monolake's early releases on Chain Reaction circa 1996-1997. There may not be any purer example of this influential German duo's early sound than the opening track, the mammoth "Cyan." Hongkong ends with two tracks from Monolake's release on the Din label, and also the previously unreleased "Mass Transit Railway." Not nearly as epic or as cinematic as the other tracks, these final three still incorporate strange samples, such as waves crashing on the side of a boat and a montage of Asian voices.
- Jason Birchmeier (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/107284735/Monolake_-_Hongkong.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/107288733/Monolake_-_Hongkong.part2.rar

Kim Cascone - Blue Cube

2008-04-08T12:01:00.000-04:00

Label: Noton
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient, IDM, Glitch, Dark Ambient, Minimalism

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Kim Cascone's first release following the dissolution of his popular Heavenly Music Corporation project is also a revisiting of some of the sonic territories of his earlier work as PGR. The album began as a single track to accompany Cascone's contribution to a book of essays about computer music development platform Csound, edited by Richard Boulanger, and expanded into a full-length CD at the behest of Boulanger and others who figured he was onto something. An exploration of themes combining bleeding edge digital technology with rootings about in computer music's prehistory — Cascone used Csound to create acoustical models of early electronic instrument specs — blueCube is a musical expostulation on the "alchemical space" specific to composing with machines, and is some of his most enthralling work to date.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/108250801/Kim_Cascone_-_Blue_Cube.rar

Loop Guru - The Fountains Of Paradise

2008-04-07T21:09:00.000-04:00

Label: Cleopatra
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient Techno, Ambient Dub, Ambient

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Through the 1990s, Loop Guru recorded three installments in a series of ambient projects they called Catalogue of Desires. The first two were cassettes sold only at the group's concerts, while the third volume was officially released in 1996. Fountains of Desire plucks portions of the material from the initial two volumes, remixing and reworking it into an updated single-disc collection that in places actually improves on the originals, even if there are still some dull, overly repetitive passages that don't quite achieve the desired hypnotic effect. However, there are some interesting worldbeat-flavored touches sprinkled throughout that help make up for it, at least for more dedicated fans.
- Steve Huey (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/107295799/Loop_Guru_-_The_Fountains_Of_Paradise.rar

Seefeel - Quique (Redux Edition)

2008-04-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

Label: Too Pure
Year: 1993 (Redux Edition Released in 2007)
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Dream Pop

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The early days of Seefeel are as bright as they are mysterious. Mark Clifford, Daren Seymour, Justin Fletcher, and Sarah Peacock had unleashed a curious blend of prog rock, ambience, and minimalism — a sort of electronic hybrid that had listeners simultaneously scratching their heads while hitting the repeat button. The song's structures are based on adding and subtracting layers, keeping chord changes at a minimum. Tracks like "Climactic Phase 3" and "Polyfusion" ride glittering collages of keyboard loops, cyclical guitar feedback, and thunking drum machines, occasionally garnished by Peacock's wordless vocal phrasings. "Industrious" is an open sky of majestic ambience and vocals, with clipped drums anchoring the mix on all sides. It makes for a prog rock reminder of early Aphex Twin (a longtime supporter of Clifford), and the mutual influence shows. "Imperial" overlaps several watery layers of sequencing for another (and especially chromatic) soundscape, inducing a sort of trance that has nothing to do with the dancefloor. "Plainsong" grooves along in an up-tempo stratosphere, the album's most likely candidate for any sort of radio play. Here, Peacock's voice is equally plain in delivery — certainly unintelligible — a supporting character that follows the song rather than leads it. "Charlotte's Mouth" is yet another assembly of heavily produced guitar loops, like harmonic droplets of feedback that fall around a dry rhythm track and hums of dubby bass notes. "Through You" trickles down from the rafters with anthemic, ambient chords and a moist cave full of carbonated drum fizz (even a cheap Casio sounds good with Clifford at the mixer), and the aptly titled "Filter Dub" follows the implied style of rhythm, with saturated clouds of ghostly reverb. The album closes with "Signals," a subdued nighttime prayer that glows and shimmers in suspended animation, much like Eno and Lanois' richly explored Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks. The quartet would delve into darker waters later with sparse albums like Succour and CH-VOX, but here they stay closer to their roots as a guitar-driven outfit. In a way, this is Seefeel at their most ornate. They squint by staring into the geometric refractions of light and record the results.
- Glenn Swan (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/108262325/Seefeel_-_Quique__Redux_Edition_.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/108268813/Seefeel_-_Quique__Redux_Edition_.part2.rar
Part Three: http://rapidshare.com/files/108271150/Seefeel_-_Quique__Redux_Edition_.part3.rar

Ultramarine - Every Man And Woman Is A Star

2008-04-07T12:29:00.000-04:00

Label: Chameleon
Year: 1992
Styles: Ambient Techno, Ambient House

Review: (Allmusic.com)

A warmly melodic LP of home-listening electronica produced just before the term was coined, Every Man and Woman Is a Star is a delightful concept album with dub-centric rhythms and a straightahead song structure whose only quibble is what sounds like a need for vocals to accompany the tracks. All in all, the LP deserves to be filed alongside the Orb's U.F.Orb, Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92 and Biosphere's Microgravity as an early ambient-techno classic.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/107459083/Ultramarine_-_Every_Man_And_Woman_Is_A_Star.rar

Atom Heart - Aerial Service Area

2008-04-06T12:39:00.001-04:00

Label: Fax
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, Experimental

Review: (Allmusic.com)

"ETI Encoding," the first track from Victor Sol and Niko Heyduck's collaborative Fax debut, consists of little more than a modulating tone paired eventually (about five minutes into it, in fact) with a similarly modulating harmonic. Somehow, this minimal setup manages to be both engaging and provocative, an uncanny effect which sets the tone for the whole of this remarkable album. Though subsequent tracks feature a wider palette of sounds, Aerial Service Area's beauty lies in its calm economy, similar to the best of Pete Namlook's or Vidna Obmana's solo works. The album also features Atom Heart's Uwe Schmidt on three tracks.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/109155834/Atom_Heart_-_Aerial_Service_Area.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/109280698/Atom_Heart_-_Aerial_Service_Area.part2.rar

Schlammpeitziger - Spacerokkmountainrutschquartier

2008-04-06T11:36:00.002-04:00

Label: A-Musik
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Electro-Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Schlammpeitziger's second album offers a significant development in the project's typical vein: smooth electronic pop structures and light beepy grooves that have as much in common with early Cluster as they do with Mouse on Mars. Spacerokkmountainruschquartier, however, has its own quite beautiful sound and atmosphere, trailing through entirely pleasant tracks that have enough movement and composition to seem like much more than simply blissed-out electronica — at the album's best points, Schlammpeitziger truly seems to be at the top of this particular electronic subgenre.
- Nitsuh Abebe (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/120343641/Schlammpeitziger_-_Spacerokkmountainrutschquartier.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/120375992/Schlammpeitziger_-_Spacerokkmountainrutschquartier.part2.rar

Alter Ego - Decoding The Hacker Myth

2008-04-05T13:25:00.003-04:00

Label: Harthouse/Eye Q
Year: 1996
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

This German collective works with what could be best described as "listening techno" — electronica designed not for dancing, but for laid-back home listening. This means that each track is organized more like a song, with enough movement to keep things from becoming repetitive; on songs like "Brom," they drop out most of the beats in favor of a sort of organized ambiance. The majority of the album is pleasant in a beepy and bubbly sort of way, and very organic-sounding — a bit like Spring Heel Jack without the breakbeats. Excellent electronica for home use.
- Nitsuh Abebe (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/105113725/Alter_Ego_-_Decoding_The_Hacker_Myth.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/105117559/Alter_Ego_-_Decoding_The_Hacker_Myth.part2.rar

Burger/Ink - Las Vegas

2008-04-02T03:05:00.000-04:00

Label: Matador
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Quite distanced from the legion of echo-chamber drumkick records in Mike Ink's catalogue, Las Vegas presents a series of languid trance numbers that reprise the deep-sea dub of his Studio 1 recordings but without the straightahead four-four beats. Obviously, Jörg Burger must deserve much of the credit for Las Vegas, from highlight tracks "Flesh & Bleed," "Milk & Honey" and "Elvism" to the entire Roxy Music connections inherent in just about every song title on the record. If you buy just one Mike Ink record (alternately: if you can find just one Mike Ink record...), it had better be this one.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/108655580/Burger-Ink_Las_Vegas.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/108657707/Burger-Ink_Las_Vegas.part2.rar

Speedy J - Ginger

2008-04-02T02:28:00.000-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

If any one electronic artist merits comparison to the Beatles, it would have to be Jochem Paap. Because while the Fab Four may far outpace the Dutch techno producer when it comes to global popularity, his catalog of releases easily matches the Beatles in terms of diversity, development, and absolute quality. This first album, released on Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva's Plus 8 record label, finds Paap at roughly the same point on the growth curve that the Beatles were during Rubber Soul. After establishing a fan base with energizing yet simplistic acid 12"s like "Three O'Three" and "Something for Your Mind," Paap reins in some of the manic energy of his early releases, concentrating more closely on the lush and fulfilled sound palette and thoughtful composition that would be his trademark until the rampant experimentalism of his third album, Public Energy No. 1. The chopping intro of "R2 D2" gives way to a light electro beat garnished with tickling synthesizer bleeps and grandiose waves of machine sound that are at once playful and intense. "Basic Design" introduces Paap's signature drum decay, while the bubbling-forward bassline would become a hallmark of early proto-trance recordings. Every sound is magnificently structured, in perfect pitch and timber with every other sound, making Ginger a masterpiece of techno music as audio design.As a vehicle of the times, Ginger singled a furtherance from techno's dancefloor mandate that would be followed by revered groups such as Autechre and the Black Dog. This advancement in techno's sound would advocate the first use of the Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) tag. While every track on Ginger still relies on a 4/4 beat for its composition, none possess a tempo or percussive element hefty enough to meet dancer's needs. Although remixes would turn cuts like "Pepper," with its weightless ambient sweeps, into trancing dancefloor jams, Paap's clear purpose on Ginger was to take his music out of the rave and into the home-listening environment. And not until the decade-later hard techno of Loudboxer would Paap return to his dancefloor roots, similar to the Beatles' return to rock captured in the Let It Be sessions.
- Joshua Glazer (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/106290234/Speedy_J_-_Ginger.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/106295982/Speedy_J_-_Ginger.part2.rar

As One - Reflections

2008-03-17T03:13:00.001-04:00

Label: New Electronica
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

As on other notable Brit-techno debut LPs from Bytes to Electro-Soma, the first As One album distills the influences of a very Detroit-styled attendance on moody melodies and intricate percussion programming. Tracks like "Mihara" and "Asa Nisi Masa" use an assortment of fragile effects and synth lines to belie the complex, phased rhythm patterns bubbling underneath. The first fruits of Degiorgio's worldbeat bent are visible with song titles including "Dance of the Uighurs" and "Moon Over the Moab."
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/99922421/As_One_-_Reflections.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/99922916/As_One_-_Reflections.part2.rar

Mouse On Mars - Iaora Tahiti

2008-03-16T14:43:00.000-04:00

Label: Too Pure
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Experimental Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

More upbeat and with far greater detail than the debut, Iaora Tahiti proves Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma haven't stood still. The pair's fondness for all things lo-fi follows them here, but just as evident is a depth and punch lacking in their earlier material. Jungle-style programming pops up on the first single, "Bib," as well as elements of dub, funk, industrial, film soundtracks, and musique concrète.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100154608/Mouse_On_Mars_-_Iaora_Tahiti.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100156746/Mouse_On_Mars_-_Iaora_Tahiti.part2.rar

The Black Dog - Music For Adverts (And Short Films)

2008-03-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1996
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

With a cover thumbing its nose at Brian Eno's similarly titled series of albums from the 1970s and song titles ranging in reference from bad Hollywood films to washing powders, it would seem the Black Dog is engaged in a bit of a musical piss-take. Nothing of the sort, actually, as lone Dog Ken Downie's first solo work since the departure of partners Ed Handley and Andy Turner is a serious, often wistful collection of post-rave electronica, incorporating elements of techno, ambient, hip-hop, jungle, and jazz. Although lacking somewhat in complexity, Downie more than makes up for it in focus and emotional content.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/105130149/The_Black_Dog_-_Music_For_Adverts__and_short_films_.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/105133014/The_Black_Dog_-_Music_For_Adverts__and_short_films_.part2.rar

Various Artists - Artificial Intelligence

2008-03-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1992
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The premier listening-techno label for the early '90s, Warp (distributed by TVT) released seminal albums by Polygon Window (aka Aphex Twin), Black Dog, B12, and Autechre. Great tracks from all these artists appear on Artificial Intelligence, along with contributions from Richie Hawtin, Speedy J, and the Orb's Dr. Alex Paterson. The B12 track "Telefone 529" (as Musicology), Black Dog's "Clan" (as I.A.O.) and Autechre's "Crystel" are three of the best here. The cover display, of a robotic humanoid relaxing in a futuristic living room with copies of Kraftwerk and Pink Floyd LPs on the floor, is quite appropriate: Warp virtually pioneered the concept of applying the concepts of '70s ambience to '80s techno. The result is a superb collection of electronic listening music, and it's a great place to start for the newly interested.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100808061/Various_Artists_-_Artificial_Intelligence.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100810212/Various_Artists_-_Artificial_Intelligence.part2.rar

Various Artists - Artificial Intelligence II

2008-03-16T13:30:00.000-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

With more artists than the previous Artificial Intelligence compilation, this second installment is a bit more sonically experimental, though it suffers from a lack of enjoyable tracks. Besides contributions from AI regulars (Autechre, Speedy J, B12, Polygon Window, the Black Dog's Balil project), tracks by newer names like Beaumont Hannant, Mark Franklin, and Higher Intelligence Agency water down the quality somewhat. The Global Communication project Link contributes what is quite possibly the highlight, the almost progressive house number "Arcadian." While the British edition includes a limited second disc (including an unreleased Richard D. James track named "My Teapot"), the American version of Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 2 is single-disc only.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100929327/Various_Artists_-_Artificial_Intelligence_II.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100932438/Various_Artists_-_Artificial_Intelligence_II.part2.rar

D'Arcangelo - Shipwreck

2008-03-16T13:29:00.001-04:00

Label: EFA
Year: 1999
Styles: IDM, Techno, Electro

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Three years in the making and showing it, Shipwreck is one of the finest releases from the Rephlex label, and is easily the best D'Arcangelo release to date. Moving from poppy, upbeat electro through dark, splintering midtempo experimental tracks and back again, Shipwreck leaves behind the simple drum patterns characterizing past efforts, and introduces an atmospheric depth lacking in their comparatively more two-dimensional Rephlex and Nature EPs. Bold and consistently excellent.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/100172246/D_Arcangelo_-_Shipwreck.rar

Theorem - Ion

2008-03-16T05:06:00.001-04:00

Label: M_nus
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient Techno, Minimal Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The debut Theorem full-length is a set of seven lengthy techno dub pieces (collected from previous singles), just slightly more upbeat than material by labelmate Plastikman and conceptual compatriots at Berlin's Chain Reaction label. Like those artists, Ion is a very spatial recording; the timbres are predominantly faraway and echoing. Lawrence begins "Shift" by sampling passing cars while several tracks evoke the brittle sound of trains rumbling. Though the basslines are heavy and repetitive like dub, they move just a bit too slow to conjure up visions of Augustus Pablo or Lee "Scratch" Perry. Most often, Ion evokes a photographic negative of house music: all the melodies removed, with only the four-four beat and some 808 percussion left to fill the void.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/101411350/Theorem_-_Ion.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/101413917/Theorem_-_Ion.part2.rar

Scanner - Sound For Spaces

2008-03-16T02:56:00.001-04:00

Label: Sub Rosa
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, Experimental Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Sound for Spaces collects Scanner material from various sources, including radio programs and art installations; also featured is one of his first recordings from the mid-'80s.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100417373/Scanner_-_Sound_For_Spaces.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100423813/Scanner_-_Sound_For_Spaces.part2.rar

Node - Node

2008-03-16T02:55:00.002-04:00

Label: Deviant
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Like a lost Tangerine Dream album, only better. Dave Bessell, Gary Stout, Ed Buller, and Flood (who's produced U2 and Nine Inch Nails) cling tightly to their vintage keyboards and make them click, howl, sweep, and pulse with nothing less than exploratory genius. Node delivers all the trimmings of a classic electronic album circa mid-'70s, but lets it ripen for ten extra years. This 1995 release embraces the psychedelic style (right down to the rise-and-fall song structure) with youthful energy, and stays loyal to its roots by using only yesteryear's analog equipment. Furthermore (and to their credit), the album was recorded live, direct to stereo with no overdubs or additional studio trickery. It's as if they played by yesterday's rules in order to win the game (and they do). This is pure, uncut electronic music — a welcome addition for the collectors, and a real discovery for those curious about the genre. Brush the dust off your lava lamp, put on your headphones, and go with the flow. For listeners who know this style of music well, Node is a tough act to follow.
- Glenn Swan (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Removed by request. Look forward to a new release from Node in the coming months.

-N.R.M.

As One - The Art Of Prophecy

2008-03-16T02:53:00.000-04:00

Label: Shield
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The last album of metallic Detroit-style techno before Degiorgio departed for a trip through electro-jazz-funk, The Art of Prophecy hardly lacks for dense percussion on tracks like "Relentless," "Theme from Op-Art" and "The Hideout."
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/106307917/As_One_-_The_Art_Of_Prophecy.rar

Freaky Chakra - Blacklight Fantasy

2008-03-16T01:32:00.003-04:00

Label: Astralwerks
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Trance

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The overtly technology-enhanced cover of the album, a cross between Tron and Blade Runner, helps set the tone for Freaky Chakra's follow-up release to Lowdown Motivator. If that album captured a blend between active techno energy and nods to a gentler, calmer approach, Blacklight Fantasy is rougher around the edges, more explicitly mechanical, and fiercer. If it had to be summed up, Lowdown had a more "natural" air due to the inclusion of percussion from other cultures, while Blacklight's edge is often artificial, hinting at an electronic body music/industrial background. It's by no means a thorough or total reinvention, but songs are shorter and the overall atmosphere a touch harsher, making a nice contrast without completely disavowing the past. If anything, the results can be subtly beautiful, as can be heard on the clearly Kraftwerk-inspired (and possibly sampled) melodies of "Hyperspace." No guests are credited or have any noticeable roles and, unlike the somewhat start-stop debut, Blacklight runs like an endless mix session, with rhythms unobtrusively varying but never simply stopping cold at a song's end. One could call it a concept album if ideas were stretched a bit but, aside from a general futurism in the titles ("Year 2000," "Living in the Future," "Vector Head"), it's more a question of artistic trappings than anything else. Perhaps the best title of the bunch is "Fascist Funk" — it's not quite the descendant of Heaven 17's "We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thing," but its quick, crackling, and static-laden crunch is definitely some space away from funk in its greasy, slow sense. When Bentley ups the spookier atmosphere of things, Blacklight starts to stand out more as its own record, starting with the swirling vocal cries on "What?," followed by the brusque beat and subtle, haunting tones of "Thing."
- Ned Raggett (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/100162017/Freaky_Chakra_-_Blacklight_Fantasy.rar

Aril Brihka - Deeparture In Time

2008-03-16T01:32:00.002-04:00

Label: Transmat
Year: 1999
Styles: Ambient Techno, Detroit Techno, Tech-House

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Following the worldwide success of his "Groove la Chord"-featuring Art of Vengeance EP on Fragile Records (a Transmat sublabel), Aril Brikha delivered Deeparture in Time, an entire album's worth of similarly synth-heavy techno with a Rhythim Is Rhythim-like cosmic tone. In addition to the wonderful and heavily spun "Groove la Chord" (which reappears here in its original version as well as in remix form) and similarly patterned tracks like "On and On," the album also includes its share of more ambient tracks like "Embrace," "Otill," and the title track. The blend of these sedate tracks with the livelier dancefloor-orientated fare makes for a perfectly well-balanced listening experience, especially because the tone remains consistent throughout. Deeparture in Time overall is a magnificent debut effort for Brikha and an especially welcome release from Derrick May's semidormant Trasmat label.
- Jason Birchmeier (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100359279/Aril_Brikha_-_Deeparture_In_Time.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100360947/Aril_Brikha_-_Deeparture_In_Time.part2.rar

The Black Dog - Temple Of Transparent Balls

2008-03-16T00:14:00.005-04:00

Label: GPR
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Black Dog's proper debut, this time for the GPR label. Includes probably the group's most well-known single track, "Cost II," released on 12-inch simultaneously with the album.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/101127451/The_Black_Dog_-_Temple_Of_Transparent_Balls.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/101129005/The_Black_Dog_-_Temple_Of_Transparent_Balls.part2.rar

The Black Dog - Parallel

2008-03-15T22:14:00.001-04:00

Label: GPR
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

A pre-Bytes collection of odd tracks released after the group had already parted. Some quality material, but without the integrated feel of their other full-length works.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/104563622/The_Black_Dog_-_Parallel.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/104568191/The_Black_Dog_-_Parallel.part2.rar

Maurizio - Maurizio

2008-03-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

Label: M
Year: 1997
Styles: Minimal Techno, Ambient Techno, Experimental

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Concentrating on volumes four through seven in the M Records series, Maurizio collects edits of seven tracks, adding one original 12" mix and one unreleased mix. Each of the nine tracks layer heavy dub effects and synthwork over midtempo house rhythms with plenty of echo and reverb. Besides its necessity for collectors due to the unreleased track, the disc is also the best place to start for those unable or unwilling to use a turntable. Given the fact that the originals are so long and basically unchanging, the edits occasionally work better than the originals, although they aren't the versions that a vinyl-phile like Maurizio necessarily wanted listeners to hear.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/105728654/Maurizio_-_Maurizio.rar

D'Arcangelo - Eksel

2008-03-15T18:48:00.001-04:00

Label: Rephlex
Year: 2007
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review:

This album should appeal to fans of more contemporary IDM releases, (Christ, Bola, Toytronic Releases, Etc).
D'Arcangelo's sound has shifted into less glitchy, more ambient fair, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While past efforts suffered from extremes, being either too complex, or not complex enough, "Eksel" draws a compromise between both worlds, which rewards with repeated listens.

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/103661508/D_Arcangelo_-_Eksel.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/103662617/D_Arcangelo_-_Eksel.part2.rar

System 7 - 777 (UK)

2008-03-15T17:38:00.000-04:00

Label: Big Life
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The second album released by System 7 (confusingly given the same title as the American issue of their first album) is a seven-track mini-LP that finds Hillage & co. moving closer to straightahead techno and away from the ambient-pop of previous work. Spotlight tracks include the single "7:7 Expansion" and "Sinbad."
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/106234027/System_7_-_777__UK_.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/106239975/System_7_-_777__UK_.part2.rar

Speedy J - Public Energy No.1

2008-03-15T17:02:00.001-04:00

Label: Plus 8/Nova Mute
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Speedy J's 1997 full-length release Public Energy No. 1 takes its name from one of Jochem Paap's lesser-known pseudonyms, under which he's recorded 12-inches for Plus 8 and his own Beam Me Up! label. Although not so dissimilar from the tracks he's produced under that name, Public Energy No. 1 is quite a bit different from Paap's Speedy J material, which until the record's preceding single, "Ni Go Snix," focused mostly on warm, melodic ambient techno with hardly an offending ounce in its lithe, easygoing body. Public Energy, however, is a veritable maelstrom; a mixture of brutalizing machine rhythms, odd, off-putting ambience, and distant, bassy, alien soundscapes. Hailed almost instantly (and, for once, rightfully) as one of the more important records in post-rave techno, Public Energy has all the forceful noncompromise of techno's brief cannon of classics ("Clear," "Strings of Life," "Pneuma," "Scoobs in Columbia," "Four Jazz Funk Classics," etc.), but with an intensified sense of dread and paranoia specific to its time, similar in some respects to the millennium-infused breakbeat experiments of TPower and Tricky (though undeniably techno). The album's daring is also notable given it was Paap's (at least in Europe, which constitutes his largest audience) major-label debut. Essential.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/105150482/Speedy_J_-_Public_energy_no._1.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/105155961/Speedy_J_-_Public_energy_no._1.part2.rar

The Irresistible Force - Global Chillage

2008-03-15T13:39:00.001-04:00

Label: Astralwerks
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Not as groundbreaking and perhaps not as satisfying as Flying High, Morris's follow-up is a nonetheless well-crafted, if occasionally nostalgic second effort. A focus on rhythm and a much more synthetic feel dominate, with a playful, grounded approach taking the place of the debut's more airborne thematics.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/102566456/The_Irresistable_Force_-_Global_Chillage.rar

Speedy J - A Shocking Hobby

2008-03-15T12:26:00.000-04:00

Label: Novamute
Year: 2000
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Speedy J followed up the most lauded album of his career with yet another work of excellence, an album that ranges slightly farther afield than the insistent Autechre references recalled by Public Energy No. 1. After a short ambient opener, the ungodly "Borax" comes crashing through with a sound that manages to encompass terms like funky, experimental, and beautiful with equal degrees of excellence. It's easily one of the best productions of Jochem Paap's career, not to mention one of the best in contemporary electronic music. True, a few of the later tracks ("Balk Acid," "Drill," "Vopak") are quite close to the brand of super-computing electro-techno that Autechre pioneered a few years before, but even these productions have an immediacy, an enormity of sound, quite lacking in Autechre. A world away from this music-for-eggheads sound lies what just may have been another influence on A Shocking Hobby — namely, the insanely stupid dance style named big-beat techno. These tracks don't exactly have the can't-miss-'em drum breakdowns and old-school samples of yr average big-beat record, but when Paap places a massive explosion of sound on the first beat of every bar, it's difficult to escape the feeling that these songs are akin to Fatboy Slim on brainfood. Creating intelligent, difficult music that also feeds the attention-span deficit inherent in post-rave music isn't just a good idea, it's the recipe for another excellent album.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/106943028/Speedy_J_-_A_Shocking_Hobby.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/106943911/Speedy_J_-_A_Shocking_Hobby.part2.rar

System 7 - Phoenix

2008-03-15T12:25:00.000-04:00

Label: Echo
Year: 2008
Styles: Ambient Techno, Ambient House

Review:

Inspired by the manga graphic novel series of the same name by Osamu Tezuka, Phoenix is the logical progression from the groups last studio effort, (2006's "Encantado"). Although the general System 7 themes are here (the use of traditional or unusual instruments, and a distinctive world beat vibe), hints of a soundtrack like approach surface at different points in the recording. This is understandable, since Hillage and Giraudy have remarked that the album is based upon certain characters and moments in Tezuka's work.

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/106185406/System_7_-_Phoenix.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/106190765/System_7_-_Phoenix.part2.rar

Ultramarine - A User's Guide

2008-03-15T10:54:00.000-04:00

Label: New Electronica
Year: 1998
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

After a few years of silence, Ultramarine returned with a sound more akin to the understated ambient-techno of Every Man and Woman Is a Star rather than the electro-folk of 1995's Bel Air. It's an intriguing sound, just as wildly varied as you'd expect from these musical eclectics, but A User's Guide holds together much better than previous LPs like Bel Air and United Kingdoms.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/105339992/Ultramarine_-_A_User_s_Guide.rar

Carl Craig - More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art

2008-03-15T10:44:00.001-04:00

Label: SSR
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

After conquering the dancefloor during 1995-1996 with his Paperclip People project, Carl Craig turned back to the electronic mood music of Landcruising and created a work of gorgeous, exquisite electronic listening music. It's a difficult record to digest, but more deserving of Jeff Mills' oft-quoted tag concerning techno being something you've never heard before than any techno record of the '90s. Craig largely wrote his own production playbook, seemingly taking the words written on the cover as a challenge: "Revolutionary art is determined...by how much it revolutionises our thinking and imagination; overturning our preconceptions, bias and prejudice and inspiring us to change ourselves and the world." After a short introduction, "Televised Green Smoke" floats in on a haze, working through the classic blueprint of dance music — the gradual addition of layered, complementary elements — until it reaches a soft peak. "Red Lights" works a slow-grind breakbeat, cycling through the Paperclip People oscillator with strings in the background and an atmosphere reminiscent of The Godfather. "Dreamland" and "Butterfly" are closer to "traditional" Detroit productions, sharp and focused but rather melancholy; the former is a reach-out to the British-Detroit axis (As One, Black Dog, B12), while the latter evokes the classic late-'80s productions of Craig's friend Derrick May (who co-produced a later track, "Frustration"). The Maurizio dub "Dominas" is nocturnal and unhurried, even despite the insistent beat and a female vocal sample repeating the title one word after another. Another classic, "At Les," balances a few gently cascading chords with a rhythm program that keeps pushing the track forward and faster. More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art thumbs its nose at the growing ranks of intelligent techno blowhards, and arguably bests anything the IDM crowd mustered before or after it.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/103560935/Carl_Craig_-_More_Songs_About_Food_and_Revolutionary_Art_vbr.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/103564314/Carl_Craig_-_More_Songs_About_Food_and_Revolutionary_Art_vbr.part2.rar

Electronic Eye - The Idea Of Justice

2008-03-15T10:03:00.001-04:00

Label: Beyond
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Still more funky, sampledelic ethno-techno from Kirk, with Parliament-style guitars sitting next to South American hand drums and electronic beats.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/101954638/Electronic_Eye_-_The_Idea_Of_Justice.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/101966026/Electronic_Eye_-_The_Idea_Of_Justice.part2.rar

Deep Space Network - Big Rooms

2008-03-15T09:44:00.001-04:00

Label: Instinct
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

One of the earlier successful combinations of ambient-leaning soundscapes and vinyl-sourced drum breaks, DSN's first full-length is not as chill as the project's name might suggest. Sill, the beats are atypical and never monotonous, and the tracks mesh instruments, electronics, samples, and rhythms with subtle flair. A nice introduction.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/103548555/Deep_Space_Network_-_Big_Rooms.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/103550866/Deep_Space_Network_-_Big_Rooms.part2.rar

Omicron - The Generation And Motion Of A Pulse

2008-03-15T07:11:00.001-04:00

Label: Instinct
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient, IDM

While Omicron's first album "Acrocosm" was an ambient techno album, similar to other releases of the time (B12'a Electro-Soma, Global Communications 76:14), "The Generation And Motion Of A Pulse" is strictly ambient, with a few beats scattered here and there, (Think SETI, only more restrained). This is an album best enjoyed in full, with the lights low.

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/102480546/Omicron_-_The_Generation_And_Motion_Of_A_Pulse.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/102483183/Omicron_-_The_Generation_And_Motion_Of_A_Pulse.part2.rar

Amorphous Androgynous - Tales Of Ephidrina

2008-03-15T06:39:00.001-04:00

Label: Astralwerks
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Named in displaced reference to a form of speed popular with late-night studio hounds, Tales of Ephidrina is probably the nearest Amorphous Androgynous have come to an even compromise between their ambient and dance pretensions, trading equally between lush, contemplative textures and upbeat, simplistic rhythmic structures. Enjoyable but by no means essential.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/100678443/Amorphous_Androgynous_-_Tales_Of_Ephidrina.rar

Baby Mammoth - One... Two... Freak

2008-03-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Label: Pork
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Trip-Hop

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Baby Mammoth hit their stride with this second album of ambient-groove genius. Although "Skidding on All Fours" adds a bit of skittery drum'n'bass, and two tracks ("Additive," "Warm Air Rising") have some vaguely electro leanings, the great majority of tracks on One...Two...Freak are simply excellent fusion-inspired productions.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100696439/Baby_Mammoth_-_1997_-_One..._Two..._Freak.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100700874/Baby_Mammoth_-_1997_-_One..._Two..._Freak.part2.rar

Freaky Chakra - Lowdown Motivator

2008-03-15T05:42:00.001-04:00

Label: Astralwerks
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, House

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Lowdown Motivator occasionally moves closer to the rich, diverse eco-tapestry of Future Sound of London's Lifeforms than the work of Bentley's compatriots around San Francisco. Despite the ambient leanings, earthy beats are never far behind on the album, and Bentley has good instincts when it comes to constructing and mixing rhythms around his effects.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/102460819/Freaky_Chakra_-_Lowdown_Motivator.rar

Mouse On Mars - Autoditacker

2008-03-15T04:36:00.001-04:00

Label: Too Pure
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Autoditacker finds Mouse on Mars continuing to grow and improve, adding textures and detail to their dense, electronic soundscapes without compromising their sound. They still are indebted to Krautrock and dub, but they continue to add new sounds and styles to their music, including long ambient stretches and flirtations with drum'n'bass. There are no silent moments on Autoditacker — every inch of the tape is filled with rhythms, keyboards, and electronic squiggles. Each listen reveals new layers of the group's intricate arrangements, and the shifting instrumentation and themes recall the best adventurous jazz in terms of unpredictability. It's another stunning record in a distinguished, inventive catalog.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100663603/Mouse_On_Mars_-_Autoditacker.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100667691/Mouse_On_Mars_-_Autoditacker.part2.rar

F.U.S.E. - Dimension Intrusion

2008-03-15T02:49:00.001-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, Detroit Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Dimension Intrusion alternates minimalist stompers like "F.U." and "Train-Trac" with more melodic, contemplative material. The latter made Hawtin a perfect match for the other producers in Warp's Artificial Intelligence series (B12, Black Dog, Polygon Window). Despite his direct Detroit inspirations — exemplified on the requisite automobile track "Nitedrive" — Hawtin encounters familiar territory on Dimension Intrusion's more downtempo tracks: "A New Day," the title track, and "Into the Space."
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100642157/F.U.S.E_-_Dimension_Intrusion.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100644359/F.U.S.E_-_Dimension_Intrusion.part2.rar

As One - Planetary Folklore

2008-03-14T23:49:00.001-04:00

Label: Mo' Wax
Year: 1997
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM, Jazz-House

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Planetary Folklore is a sparkling synthesis of Degiorgio's percussion-heavy early Detroit material with the exploratory Afro-grooves of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi period and contemporary work by Pharoah Sanders. The title track and "The Path of Most Resistance" make deft use of some hair-triggered percussion samples, while "Amalia's Mode" and "Libran Legacy" are solid summations of Degiorgio's inspiration from the early-'70s intersection of free jazz and electronics.
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100650582/As_One_-_Planetary_Folklore.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100655736/As_One_-_Planetary_Folklore.part2.rar

Human Mesh Dance - Mindflower

2008-03-14T23:48:00.001-04:00

Label: Instinct
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

A bit darker than the debut, Mindflower looks midway between sky and space for inspiration on "Satellites (Ring the Sky)," "Birth of a Perfect Planet" and "Deep Phase."
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/100376250/Human_Mesh_Dance_-_Mindflower.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/100376681/Human_Mesh_Dance_-_Mindflower.part2.rar

Terre Thaemlitz - Soil

2008-03-14T23:05:00.000-04:00

Label: Instinct
Year: 1995
Styles: Ambient, Ambient Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

A flowing, shifting, almost timeless statement incorporating equal parts confusion and calm across six tracks of entirely beatless ambient. Thaemlitz' ability to infuse elements of immediacy and physicality into a measured, slowly evolving style traditionally bogged down by either disinterested elitism or faux collectivist spirituality figures him as one of America's most important contemporary composers, and a singular voice in new ambient.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/108567037/Terre_Thaemlitz_-_Soil.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/108570123/Terre_Thaemlitz_-_Soil.part2.rar

Biosphere - Microgravity

2008-03-14T09:04:00.001-04:00

Label: Apollo
Year: 1992
Styles: Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Jenssen's fascination with science-fiction in general (specifically, space) powers his debut album for the R&S wing, Apollo. Welding eerie samples to house rhythms, Microgravity has a sinister quality that's refreshing compared to much ambient-house of the early '90s.
-John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/98902079/Biosphere-_Microgravity.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/98903225/Biosphere-_Microgravity.part2.rar

Human Mesh Dance - Hyaline

2008-03-14T08:27:00.002-04:00

Label: Instinct
Year: 1994
Styles: Ambient, IDM, Ambient Techno

Review: (Allmusic.com)

The Human Mesh Dance debut full-length is a well-crafted piece of organic ambience, heavy on the organics on tracks like "Smooth Sea, Clear Sky," "Sunflower" and "Signs of Life."
- John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/99928125/Human_Mesh_Dance_-_Hyaline.rar

Global Communication - 76 14

2008-03-14T08:26:00.001-04:00

Label: Dedicated
Year:1994
Styles: Ambient Techno, Ambient

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Tempering the industrial tilt of their previous Reload material with slower, more graceful rhythms and an ear for melody unmatched by any in the downtempo crowd, Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton produced the single best work in the ambient house canon. The tick-tock beats and tidal flair of "14:31" are proof of the duo's superb balance of beauty with a haunting quality more in line with Vangelis than Larry Heard (though both producers were heavy influences on the album). On several tracks the darkside appears to take over — the pinging ambience of "9:39" — but for most of 76:14 the melodies and slow-moving rhythms chart a course toward the upbeat and positive.
-John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/98924955/Global_Communication_-_76_14.rar

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92

2008-03-14T08:13:00.001-04:00

Label: Apollo
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, Experimental Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is a desperately sparse album: thin percussion and several haunted-synth lines are the only components on most songs, and Richard D. James added only one vocal sample on the entire album ("We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"). Also, the sound quality is relatively poor; it was recorded direct to cassette tape and reportedly suffered a mangling job by a cat. All this belies the status of Selected Ambient Works 85-92 as a watershed of ambient music. It reveals no influences and sounds unlike anything that preceded it, due in large part to the effects James managed to wrangle from his supply of home-manufactured contraptions.
-John Bush (Allmusic Guide)

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/99511143/Aphex_Twin_-_Selected_Ambient_Works_85-92.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/99512365/Aphex_Twin_-_Selected_Ambient_Works_85-92.part2.rar

Autechre - Amber

2008-03-14T07:53:00.001-04:00

Label: Warp
Year: 1994
Styles: Experimental, Ambient Techno, IDM

Review: (Allmusic.com)

In small but noticeable ways on this, their sophomore release, Autechre begin to break from the clean, if at times obvious, artistic techno from their debut record, and reach instead toward something far more distinct. Sean Booth and Rob Brown weren't quite there yet, but their self-production is even more accomplished than before, and their instincts to steer away from overly polite electronic dance music come ever more to the fore at various points throughout Amber. "Foil" begins the album with a distinctly spooky feel to it, with droning keyboards playing out over a series of spare percussion patterns; the heavy echo and crumbling, lo-fi bass feel of the track reduces its straightforward danceability, creating an ominous introduction to the album. "Silverside" at once strips things down to a more minimal approach. A string synth section plays out over first gently thudding then more pounding beats. Then a more off-kilter section with distorted vocal samples and sounds provides part of the melodic accompaniment and rhythm. "Glitch" has a nice roiling rumble to it; it isn't as fragmented as later releases, but veers a little more closely to the edge in comparison to earlier songs. "Piezo" is also worth noting, with uplifting synths balancing out a very quirky, almost intrusive series of rhythms, while "Yulquen" eschews beats entirely for a slightly disturbing though still beautiful track which rivals prime Aphex Twin. For all this, Amber does suffer a similarity to Incunabula, in that a couple of tracks could be removed with no problem, while tracks like "Montreal" and "Slip" continue the basic Incunabula formula without noticeable change. Even so, things are clearly starting to gel a little more here than on previous releases; the great leap forward becomes all the more logical in retrospect.

Link:

Part One: http://rapidshare.com/files/99123725/Autechre_-_Amber.part1.rar
Part Two: http://rapidshare.com/files/99120479/Autechre_-_Amber.part2.rar

The Higher Intelligence Agency - Colourform

2008-03-14T07:50:00.001-04:00

Label: Waveform
Year: 1993
Styles: Ambient Techno, Ambient Dub

Review: (Allmusic.com)

Ambient techno with emphasis on the techno. A nice, consistent album but lacking the humanness of later efforts.
- Sean Cooper (Allmusic Guide)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/99632264/The_Higher_Intelligence_Agency_-_Colourform.rar