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Not what I expected

omniscientfool | Beijing, China | 08/26/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Given that Mr. Beltram is vaguely associated (listed in the thank-yous) with countless big names in electronica (i.e. Prodigy and listed on Hardfloor's "Respect"), I had high hopes for this album. Perhaps it's not a suitable introduction, but from what I gather, this is the sound of a pioneer who lost pace with the imitators. Especially for 1996, the tracks are painfully repetitive and formulaic. Maybe I'm just desensitized, expecting every track to build to a break, but none of these seem to go anywhere. Too many sounds, most highly electronic, span entire tracks unchanged, like a higher-energy Plastikman sound that trips over itself. My usual vinyl complaint applies here: there is a paltry 45 minutes of material here. "Loose kick" and "The view" were the most listenable to me, but the standard five-minute track gets close to grating. Sadly, this nearly nullifies the likelihood of my seeking anything else. For purists only."