Search - Plaid :: not for threes

A Superb Place to Start....if your New to "Plaid"

fetish_2000 | U.K. | 02/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Plaid have had a celebrated past with electronica, having long since not only been part of a (then) fledgling 'Warp' label. but this release, An album, before they made the jump to the Warp Label, is nothing, if not a consistently re-firmation that Plaid have been consistently making superb albums for sometime now, that are an amalgamation of: trip-hop, electro-techno, IDM, Experimental and ambient electronic, that remain tightly woven across the tracks on their albums and retain a cerebral yet hypnotic sound, that is remarkably unique to them, and all the more surprising that this album still stands up brilliantly today, as it did, when released back in 1998.



The album opens with "Abla Eedio", that is a energetic piece of experimental electronica, fused with the ingenuity for melody and skittering beats that would later become someting for a trademark sound for Plaid. It even has a little of that 'Start' / 'Stop' dynamic with the sound, that is probably more associated with music based around 'Glitch', it's a wonderfully powerful statement of intent for the album and proves to be a very strong opening track. More incredibly "Myopia" is electronica, by way of a pairing with a Caribbean/Calypso melody, that seems like it's been lifted directly from a tropical fruit drink advert, with the subtle twinkling Melody coupled with the Caribbean vibe and the sampling of some superb steel drums , this is a reasonably different departure in sound from the rest of the albums more hypnotic & freewheeling sound, and yet doesn't feel completely out of place, such is Plaid's ability to make albums that are varied in sound, but remain complete in structure.



Anyone familiar with Plaid's remix of "Nicolette's - No Government" will be in similar territory here, with the harsh, and stunningly abrasive "Extork" with the direction of the music taking a surprisingly Utopian & ambitious approach with driving stark beats, persistent bass effects, on a tune, that harks back to the sound of someone like 'Aphex Twin' at some of his more Acerbic. This is one of only a handful of vocals tracks on the albums, but the restrained use of vocals on those tracks is impressive, as Plaid give more emphasis to fractured sound, and Clinical rhythmic beats and solid bass lines, than being reliant on vocalists, to carry the tracks.



The move to a more industrial sound is largely complete with the excellent "Fer", with it's brooding metallic sounds, and galvanising beats, its spare on the percussion side of things and instead focuses on Lo-Fi Bass, and uplifting synths balancing out a very detached and nocturnal arrangement, almost intrusive series of rhythms, that although minimal in their construction are nonetheless significant in this track, that feels similar to the work of early "Autechre", as it remains stripped back to it most basic levels, yet strangely hypnotic and paranoid, and just as reliant on crisp drum-machine patterns to produce something more recognisable by ambient-techno, than electronica.



If your new to Plaid's distinctive brand of electronica, you really couldn't find a better place to start than this album. It combines everything that is so superb about Plaid. A remarkable album in that is not only is melodic and beautifully arranged, but shows a high level of ingenuity and diversity, that makes this such a delight to listen to, and shows that not only do that have a keen ear for sound, but also know how to fully expolit that sound for the benefit of the recordings, that sits on the more comfortable end of intelligent electronic music, and the fact that even today, that the tracks all stand up more than admirably and remain as enjoyable listenable as they did back on its initial release, highly recommended."

An excellent composition

Aaron P. Krowne | Blacksburg, VA United States | 10/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is simply an extremely creative and beautiful album. Plaid seems to paint in colors more vivid than nearly all others who have taken the electronic approach to composing music. The songs are simple and yet complex and subtle at the same time. All moods and emotions seem to be represented, yet still a single motif unifies the work. The vocal tracks (including the collaboration with Bjork) complement the "instrumentals" very well. The balance Plaid has achieved gives the album tremendous staying power as well as initial appeal. This one is definitely a gem."

Amazing

Jake | Japan | 07/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a fan of all genres of music, and own over 500 CDs, but this one is on my top 3 list. Once you ignore the annoying vocal tracks (there's only 3 or so), you get into some truly wonderful music. Hands-down, the best track is #2 Kortisin. These guys have taken electronic music into another realm, and their compositional skills paired with their ability to come up with beautiful yet emotionally ambiguous melodies puts them far beyond everybody (except Boards of Canada -- Music Has The Right To Children is also in the top 3 ;). Worth every penny."