Search - DJ Spooky :: Open

Spooky (a.k.a. Charlie May and Duncan Forbes) have always been something more than your average electronic music outfit. As one of the elemental forces that shaped the world of electronica through the 1990s, they have been behind some of the genre's seminal moments, such as their own "Little Bullet" and Sasha's masterpiece "Xpander." Open hearkens back to the creative ferment of those years, when Spooky--along with other heavyweights like Orbital, Underworld, and Massive Attack--began trading in a complex, soulful electronica as appropriate for headphones as for the dancefloor. Most of the compositions on Open don't immediately capture the listener, but bloom on the third or forth listen as the ear begins to distinguish the lilting harmonies, flooding pads, and painstakingly crafted beats and loops that weave themselves into a dreamy sonic patchwork. A prime example is the album's opener, "Belong," with its chilled breakbeats, ethereal harmonies, and unexpected melodic turns. Crystalline vocals by Julie Daske and Celestine Gordon grace tracks like "No Return," "Strange Addiction," and "The River" with an icy elegance. Open also includes a second disc containing chillout versions of the tracks on disc one, something that proves that Spooky's material is substantive enough to be approached from different directions. As a view into the past and future of electronic music by pioneers in the genre, Open is unlikely to be bested anytime soon. --Brent Kallmer