CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

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Endtroducing.....

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: DJ Shadow

Release Date March 25, 2002
I first got into electronic music a while ago, and frankly couldnt have asked for a better induction. I was recomended this by a friend when I said I liked the electronic stuff on Kid A and he told me that most of it was influenced by this man.
He was right, Shadow is a genius. His skill with a drum machine is matched only by his skill with a sampler and his talent for mixing, perfectly capturing an ever shifting mood with changes of tempo, time signature, key, instruments and genre. Its all captured here, like a beautifully preserved insect in a peice of amber. Jazz, soul, blues, and that ever present loaded-gun backbeat, tying every interesting sample and gorgeous melody together into an amazingly cohesive journey of beats.
It ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

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The Private Press

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: DJ Shadow

Release Date August 25, 2003
I probably should have done this review earlier, but it just seems the right time to get people to listen to properly GOOD music (dance music seems to have gone down the drain a bit).
Josh Davis has come up with another winner here, in a sense that this album is quite removed from Endtroducing. As reviewers have said already (and i agree), this is a more "song"-orientated album, allowing you to skip to a favourite song, whereas endtroducing was more an album to listen through in one go.
The reason i give it 4 (but 4 1/2 in my heart), is because of the two dud tracks slap bang in the middle of the album (namely 'Right thing' and' Monosylabik'). Definitely not DJ Shadow quality.
This shouldn't detract anyone from the rest of the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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Something Wicked This Way Comes

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Herbaliser

Release Date March 18, 2002
Judging by some of these reviews, 'Something Wicked...' doesn't appeal to a certain type of Herbaliser fan. In my opinion, the closed-minded ones. This album isn't leaning towards pretentious jazz, it's a mix of seductive downtempo grooves, fresh hip-hop and sleazy funk with some excellent production.

Admittedly, this album is a slight departure from the old Herbaliser sound, being less sample-based and with more emphasis on instrumentation - but the cheeky samples from old movies and public information films are still there, as is the clever scratching, catchy beats and awesome guest rappers. In any case, it's not as much a departure as a logical evolution of their style.

I suppose the only way you could dislike this album having been ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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G-Sides

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Gorillaz

Release Date March 11, 2002
This is a fantistic Cd and deserves to be bought. The only problem is that they put on two songs that they have on Gorillaz[UK]:
'19-2000 (Soulchild Remyx/Remix)'
and
'Rock The House'.
Even though on the CD, they put put on a '(edit)' at the end, i think, that they just cut out a possible swear word.
Despite these setbacks, all in all this is a great album.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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The Cold Vein

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Cannibal Ox

Release Date August 20, 2001
Too often I've read over-zealous reviews on here and have been disappointed after buying and playing the cd a few times. I agree with the person above: the same thing happened to me a couple of years ago when I originally picked up 'The Cold Vein' - I foolishly left the cd languishing at the bottom of my pile after first listening 'cos I couldn't get my head around the production/beats or even the rhymes. It pains me now to think how long it took me to give Can Ox another spin.

Put simply, this is without a doubt one of the best albums I own, certainly the best hip-hop album. It's worth buying for 'Iron Galaxy' alone - surely the best intro to any hip-hop album ever?

Calling it a genius, monumental, genre-redefining piece of art is no ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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Laika Come Home

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Gorillaz

Release Date July 01, 2002
...is what this album had us doing. We've only just discovered it and whacked in CD player and spent the rest of the night moon-walking to those chilled deep dubs and and other fab sounds. I'd even dare to say better than the original!

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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Dr. Octagonecologyst

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Dr. Octagon

Release Date September 12, 2000
What an album. For something released in 1996 this sounds miles ahead of its time, and still does. Kool Keith raps as his Dr.Octagon persona, adding a medical twist to his usual diet of porn and insanity lyrics. Acclaimed as his best album, his seemingly nonsensical battle rapping is as great and original as ever, with his speedy but watertight flow and sick, cryptic, twisted rhymes ranging from pop culture references, dark and nasty porn/horror imagery and out-and-out weirdness. What really shines on this album is the production however. Automator's trademark futuristic sci-fi style is here, plus the kind of dark, menacing horror samples kinda like KK's other long time beatmaker Kutmasta Kurt. As with most Automator stuff there's nothing repetetive on here, just unique, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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Zen

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: DJ Krush

Release Date June 04, 2001
DJ Krush's 6th Album (Krush, Strictly Turntablized, Meiso, Milight, Kakusei, Zen) is a slightly different affair from his other albums, borrowing styles and ideas from his other albums to create an album on contrasts which is simply superb.
The opening track, Song 1 is perhaps my favourite track of all time, with it's laid back piano, chilled beats and clever samples making a true chillout track. the album includes the roots and other guest rappers and singers to add depth to Krush's beats.

For those of you who haven't got a Krush album, then this is a good start, with tracks 1,7,9 and 12 providing and change from the rapping of tracks 2,6 and 11 and the quirkiness of track 5.
A must have album ofr any disconcerting hip-hop, beats or chillout fan.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

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Very Mercenary

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Herbaliser

Release Date April 19, 1999
this album is the best the herbaliser has offered me to date, i like every track on it, some more than others, but still it plays from start to finish quite happily , no skipping.

nailed... buy this cd or miss out on something quite brilliant

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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Permutation

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental
by: Amon Tobin

Release Date June 01, 1998
How often do you find an album in which there are no 'filler' tracks? Answer: very rarely. This is one of those albums.
As someone else said in another review, ignore all of the myths you've heard about drum 'n bass being mindless and for junkies. Amon Tobin is much cleverer than that, and as a result, the album contains a mix of everything. Drum 'n bass with menacing 'melody' lines, jazz which could have come straight out of a 30's jazz club had it not had a heavy, but catchy beat laid down on top of it, and even a bit of bossa nova and other brazilian music styles, hailing back to Tobin's birthplace.
Its getting on for 9 years since this was released, but i'd still listen to it rather than the trash that gets put in the charts today. Another bit of proof that ... Read More: