Search - Various Artists :: Three A.D.

Mostly excellent ambient techno

Douglas A. Greenberg | Berkeley, CA USA | 03/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Previously, I had purchased and enjoyed two other Waveform releases, "Zero One" and "Kin," so I went ahead and purchased this compilation disc. "Three A.D." has all of the advantages (and disadvantages) of a "sampler" type collection. Most of the tracks are to my liking (I won't use terms like "good" or "bad" here, as all of the tracks seem well-produced; it's mainly a matter of personal preferences). The works by Real Life, Higher Intelligence Agency, A Positive Life, and Another Fine Day all share in common an ethereal feel: rhythmic yet not driving, musical and yet not "melodic" in the sense that top forty music is melodic. The music is relaxing, yet lively enough not to put one to sleep.The two tracks I found wanting were the ones by Coldcut and The Starseeds. Coldcut, known for its breakbeat rhythms, has produced other tracks that I have found more interesting than "Sign." The Starseeds track is simply too "spacey" for my tastes.Overall, this is a fine sampler of the ambient electronic music for which the Waveform Label has become known. What's interesting (and also puzzling) is that this style of music seems to have reached its zenith of popularity during the mid-nineties, and is no longer being produced much. To some extent, it has been supplanted by "trip-hop," which has a similarly relaxed, chillout feel, but which to my mind, relies wayyyy too much on a formulaic hip-hop-type beat and bassline. I'd love to find some RECENT compilations that exhibit the style of music presented in "Three A.D.""

A "Relic" from it's era? Not to these ears!

J.M. Leonard | wheaton, il. United States | 05/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Waveform label has yet to release a weak album, and this is one of my top five faves from them. An "old" realse dating WAAAAAAY back to Clinton/Dole years, (amazing that's considered antiquated isn't it) I can't see how this kind of music can ever become dated. Each track selected works, not a weak one in the bunch, but some truly stand-out. "Shark Infested" from REAL LIFE kicks things off and it's a doozy. Somehow it manages to be forbodeing, energizeing and erotic. It's worth the CD purchase alone. "Drawn to the Woman" is from Sounds From the Grounds "Kin" album" and is easily one of the top two or three pieces from that album. "Oracle" from Space Time Continum is a real pleasure. There's a sense of "intellectual playfullness". Finally things get dreamy-etheral with the final track from The Starseeds "Regina From the Future".Like a previous review said, this genre of music hit it's peak by the mid-ninties and somewhat piddled away, at least in "popularity", and that's a shame. This stuff is timeless."

Best in series!

Jason Bosh | Indianapolis, IN | 02/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well I will say ONE A.D. has the classic early nineties sound where TWO A.D. is simular. I recently purchased 4 A.D. 2 weeks before 3 A.D. and it was good but tended to be more along the Jamaican dub scene. Three A.D. on the other hand has a mystical property and the artwork on the case and the CD itself is absolutely stunning. "Another Fine day" took me on a magical journey through the clouds of Jupiter where i floated blissfully out of no consequence of gravity."