100 Albums of Assorted Importance
Yes I have done this before, whatever, let’s see if this one lasts a while (Not that I expect it to ever finish)
I’m not really going to order these because it’s pretty much impossible to value their general importance to me other than a select few, which change every few years, in which case they can’t be that important to me ANYWAY.
100. (Because I’m a twat)
We™ - As Is
I’m never quite sure what to label these guys as for other listeners. Given one of the group members coined the phrase; I suppose we will settle on ‘illbient’ despite it being the apex of wankery for musical genre naming. The group of DJ Olive/Gregor Asch, Lloop/Rich Panciera and Once 11/Ignacio Platas produced ‘As Is’ as a debut album in 1997 after primarily being hidden away on compilation albums for most of the earlier 90’s. I was introduced to the album primarily through said compilation association, and as per usual, Bill Laswell was at least partially responsible for the discovery.
Anyway, what can be said about the album itself? It’s a ragtag mix of a whole bunch of different styles from a group trying to gain a semblance of identity, and to be honest, failing at it. The album hardly flows as the group tries to squeeze in their own styles, mixed in over 4-6 genres, while trying to pay ‘homage’ to the New York tweener illbient scene. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. There are, however, few albums of the genre that grab me as much from their opening track than Magnesium Flares does in As Is. A sublime trip hop/jungle fiesta for the senses, beginning with a healthy dose of desktop trip-electronic ambience, the introduction of the dnb elements just work so nicely in contrast. Two elements that don’t really fit together, and don’t even necessarily try to, create an exciting mix of authority and relaxation. Unlike a large majority of dnb, I feel the depth of repetition is in perfect balance; however this effect may simply be created by the divergent ambient form.
The rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to the starring track, but that doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time letting it play through. Ease-In fuses dub with those same ambient forms for an appropriately trippy result while Dyed Camel Skin offers another highlight, another mix of world and trippy-goodness.
All that being said, the result is a bit cut and paste, and the following albums never quite live up to the expectations from As Is. Still, it’s one of the few ‘illbient’ albums that I bother with because it doesn’t get stuck in the rut that most illbient acts do – In this regard, the eclectic approach they’ve taken probably works in it’s favour.
I dunno, give it a whirl.