- Everything Must Go: Unfold (Machine Cathedral - 1995)
- Contains two half-hour-long tracks by brothers Robert and Russell Giffen. Analog synths abound... "Eon" morphs and evolves, passing through many phases from dense chaos to delicate interludes, and back again. "Ion" also meanders over different sonic regions, but is softer overall and more symphonic. Both tracks are well-composed and very interestingly executed, especially for fans of old school electronics. Visit the Everything Must Go website to hear RealAudio excerpts from Unfold.
- Frank Rothkamm: Mystery of the Leaping Fish (Flux Records - 1997)
- A uniquely packaged Limited Edition CDEP, Mystery of the Leaping Fish is an immersive undersea excursion "based" on the oceanic disappearance of Australia's Prime Minister in 1967. The three tracks here artfully blend droning electronics with other sound effects, i.e. operatic vocals, water sounds, variously un/identifiable instrumentation, (real or artificial?) dolphin cries, and more.
For a truly oblique web journey, stop by the Flux website.
- Sola: Blues in the East (Axiom - 1994)
- Bill Laswell produced (but doesn't play in) this blend of Chinese literature and various musical styles (Chinese folk, Oriental opera, blues, jazz, etc.). I'd hoped for an enchanting blend, but sorry to say, my overall enjoyment was low. I found Liu Sola's (adroit, no doubt) warbling vocals often irritating and the alleged "blues" cheesy. Some tracks work well enough ("The Appointment with Ziqi"), but this just wasn't my cup of proverbial tea.
See Previous Overviews.
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