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 | Paul Haslinger:World Without Rules (RGB Records - 1996) World Without Rules, undertaken as "a 'fun' project", is an entrancing organization of sounds, exploding with multi-cultural samples and instrumentation. World music meets modern electronica... and they get along wonderfully under Haslinger's skillful direction. |
| In the liner notes, Haslinger admits, "As implied by the title, sound selection for this album did not follow any particular rules... I took everything I could get hold of, no matter from where or what quality". There's a very strong leaning toward various ethnicities in his sound choices. His kitchen-sink approach, combined with Haslinger and friends' musical input, has yielded a fascinating release.
A sonic wash and operatic vocal opens the title track, World Without Rules, which builds in power as ethnic drumming and a bass synthesizer riff join in. Nona Hendryx's wailing vocals, various chants, clanking steel, electric guitar & sitar all are mixed in at various points, intensifying to a controlled cacaphony and lulling to a hush. The mix is remarkably dense, yet coherent. A smooth, jazzy sophistication permeates Urban Source Code, which features softer electronics and Mark Isham's processed trumpet and flugelhorn. Dismissal of the Hemisphere, another subdued track, reverberates with various bells, percussion, synth drones and a foreign vocal duo. Monkey Brain Sushi is not subdued. An energetic beat, wildly chanting voices, furious drumming, frenetic samples and another heavy mix highlight this short (2:51) blast of energy. Beginning with a low-key introduction, Be-Bop in Baghdad soon erupts with Arabic influences. It's too over-the-top to be mistaken for a true ethnic recording, but it's a lot of fun. Asian Blue utilizes the same vocal sample as Banco De Gaia's "Last Train to Lhasa", but to a larger degree. The refrain and others are layered and layered again forming a chorus of sorts, with synth and horn backing and no beat. Strangely interesting, but one of my least favorites. Desert Diva kicks right in with a driving beat a wailing guitars. It too, affects a faux Arabian atmosphere, albeit one filled with many electronic elements, including samples and an array of synth effects. Subdued yet active, Rainmaker's Dream is driven by a bass drum; the billowing synths swirl and brew like gathering stormclouds. Le Sens Du Sens is the most "ambient" track, quiet synths echo over a deeper drone. Very serene in comparison with some of the other selections, like... Global Ghetto which again gets aggressive in its pseudo-middle-eastern delivery. Ethnic drum patterns, a groovy bassline, wailing vocals and some xylophone dashed in for extra flavor. The Closing of the Circle reworks the opening track into something more peaceful. |
| I like this alot. Sometimes the Arabian effects seem a bit heavy-handed, but it's still a very fun release. Plenty of energy, some good variety, very interesting sound assembly. I intend to check out some of Haslinger's other solo works. One Thumb firmly raised. |  |
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