The Album Club: "Colours" by Adam F
 

https://img.discogs.com/fSh37MKHzIEF...-4449.jpeg.jpg

Let's hope it's better than the last album of that name we had in this club! :laughing: Sorry, Goof! Ant's pick for roundsix. You know the drill by now...

I don't see any reviews yet, so who voted "Hated it?" Is it really that bad?

The initial vibe so far: Kenny G meets Enya, but that was only the opening track. I hope this isn't the kind of album I don't get it yet everyone else swoons over it. So far, it's so so. I don't think Adam Fenton brings it like Timothy Wiles does.

Now I'm scared... But I choose to trust that Ant wouldn't pick it if that was all there was to it.

I gave this one a "meh." I'm not a fan of techno to begin with so it had that going against it from the start. I didn't hate it but I couldn't find much about it that interested me. It sounded well produced for what it is and had a few brief, minor moments for me but overall the entire album just drifted in one ear and out the other like so many others of the genre.

4/10

Yeah, I've got to say I was bored by this too. If this is drum'n'Bass, as it says on Discogs, me no like. Hard to keep the attention, much fuss about seemingly nothing, extended versions of tracks I could have done without, a rap on one I could definitely have done without. The odd interesting track, or part of a track, but overall not something I could even see myself coming back to listen to a second time. Sorry man.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

This sounds like it's going to be boring.

2. What did you think of the opening track?

Not much. The intro was short and effects-laden, not much to grab my attention.

3. What did you think of the next track?

Really, not much better.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? (see note 1)

n/a


5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? (see note 2)

No. This sort of techno electronic music is not something I enjoy.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Worse

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

n/a

8. Did you like the instrumental parts? (see note 3)

A few bits but overall no

9. What did you think of the production?

n/a

10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?

No and no

11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?

No

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

I only listened to it the once. That was all I could manage.

13. What would you class as your favourite track(s), if you have any?

Nothing


14. And the one(s) you liked least?

Didn't like anything here

15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated? (see note 4)

n/a

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?

No

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?

Not really sure. Wasn't too happy to see the drum'n'bass tag though

18. Did the album end well?

Well, as I said before of another album, it ended, so that was good.


19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Not really. It's probably a great album, just not for me. I don't enjoy this sort of music so I can't see any way it could have changed to accommodate me.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

I honestly don't care

Classic is as classic does. This is the Superfly of the 90's mein neiggas.

That's more like the excitement level rather than the type of music.

Not even close. Come on Ant: you can do better than this ****. :(

I beg to differ. How can you not like Tracey Thorn on 'The Tree Knows Everything' or the cruisy title track? This isn't some generic techno: it explores a variety of styles outside its core genre and explores some fairly compelling melodic territory in the process. I don't know why you're such a stickler about something like this yet can praise comparatively abstract hip-hop or generic K-pop.

Medium - Adam F  —  Colours. The story behind the best drum ’n’ bass album of the 90s

No, I honestly think you can.

'73' sounds like a lost Curtis Mayfield cut boi.

One that should have stayed lost.

4.5 out of 5 stars on AMG...I'm gonna side with the critics this time. :wave:

Cool. I'm siding with my ears. **** the critics. :)
Better luck next time, my friend.

:laughing:

Kenya?

:laughing: :laughing:

I already wrote my opinion on another thread, can't remember where though.

Good but needs more liquid.

Back of an envelope probably, with Zappa quotes.

Edit: there you go.

Still haven't received it?

Tut-tut, bloody FedEx.


Edit: That's funny, I listened to it again and thought it was lacking in the liquid elements, still good tho.

The technical atmos is strong af tho.

I'll go back to a 9.

‘97 isn’t early enough to earn any pioneering credits. It’s club music that doesn’t really keep me that interested.

Whether this is true or not would depend on who's listening.

Apples and Oranges?

-----------

Anyway, I've checked out the album myself and here's what I think about it:

The album does go to a variety of places, but there's a very particular 90's electronic music style that forms the base for most of it. I'm not sure what to call it (EDIT: drum and bass, I guess) and it's not anything I'd ever listen to on my own, but let's say that it's this kind of electronic music that sounds like many a mid 90's Playstation 1 soundtrack. I can't tell you how many run off the mill action games I've played with these sorts of beats and bass lines.

Colours doesn't add up to a bad album for me, but I'm no a fan of the very wallpaper-y quality of it. I'm finding it very difficult to stay interested in these tracks, so all of them feel like they run a minute or two over time and I'm getting fidgety.

There's a fair degree of sonic variety, some good ideas spread across most of the album, but I'm just not engaged by this at all. I'm a very active music listener and this album is begging to stay in the background. It's the same reason why I never like any ambient albums.

It's probably very well made for what it is, but I have to give a score according to my personal experience with the album: voted "meh".

EDIT: Totally admit to writing this before I was all the way through the album. But I do insist on listening to every last second of an album club entry, so I had a few more thoughts after the final track had rolled on by. "Aromatherapy" - the 7 minute track the album ends on - is the best track on the album. I really like some of the sounds used here, especially the shimmering keyboard hook that opens and closes the track. Still, I can't really say that I'm going to be itching to come back to any of this, but if all of the album had been of the caliber of that final track, I'd have bumped the score up one notch.

On another note, I think it would be great if I could give every album club 2-4 complete run throughs (like I did in the beginning), but it's not realistic. At least I always make sure to hear the whole thing, even if I hate it, just in case it breaks with my expectations. It's only fair to give people's albums a proper chance. I don't actually know what everyone else's approach is, but to me, at least 1.0 proper listens is a minimum. This particular album was over one hour long... and it felt like it too... Some albums are easier to be fair about than others :laughing: (I would like to apologize to everyone for that Madredeus album, btw).

Strangely, I don't remember reading this post, or else I skimmed it, so when Shaz quoted it I was like "wtf?" Now I'll respond to the bolded bit.

First, I'm not a "stickler" for "something like this", but I do have to admit I don't know what you're referring to. Not liking techno music? Boring music? Wallpaper music? Not sure how, if that's what you mean, I could be considered a "stickler" for any of that. What I am a stickler for is music I enjoy, music that holds my attention, music that moves me (one way or the other) and music I look forward to either coming back to or expanding upon.
This ticked none of those boxes.

I already wrote how I found it boring and really couldn't wait for it to end. I've also written I'm no fan of techno, but if you look through my defunct Albums of 2017 thread you'll see that I listened to, and was impressed by, some techno albums I came across. This was not one of them, and they were in general a lot more engaging than this one.

As for hip-hop? I've hated/been bored by plenty of the hip-hop I've listened to, but I've also been very impressed by a lot of it, which I did not expect to be. I do however try to give everything a chance. K-pop?? Where are you coming from with that? I pretty much hated/was bored by most of the slew of K-pop I ended up listening to, the only good thing being that the girl bands had cute voices and some good songs, but mostly it was copy-and-paste generic crap. So I would not consider myself a fan of K-pop, and since I closed the thread I have not touched a K-pop album, nor do I think I will.

Maybe this is a bad example of the genre (though you seem to think it's the pinnacle) so if you want, outside of the club structure, rec me one or two more albums (not by him) in the same vein and I'll see if I can get anything from them. But I won't be changing my mind on this one. For me, the only "colours" I heard were grey and a pale, wishy-washy beige.

Sorry, but Adam can F off.
:shycouch:

It isn't 'Techno', it's 'Atmospheric/Intellegent Drum & Bass'/'Jazzstep' you ****ing normies m8.

Aight;

4Hero - Parallel Universe
Guardians of Dalliance - Diffusion Rooms
Goldie - Timeless
Aquasky - Orange Dust
Rowpieces - Cosmic Funk EP
LTJ Bukem - Logical Progression Vol. 1
Lenzman - Earth Tones
Calibre - Even If...


(entry mix) Jazz & Bass Vol. 2

Like that's going to make a difference to me... :laughing: Boring is what it is.
The offer was aimed at Ant, but maybe. No way am I listening to all of those though. Pick, um, three you think I might like.

Anyone got a link? There's a full album on youtube but it's blocked in the US.

It isn't a bad example of the genre. That's the point. It received nearly universal critical acclaim. Atmospheric drum n' bass is like perfect driving music, and its purpose isn't all that different from good ambient. It engages subconsciously.

The main reason I suggested Colours is that its one of the few cases where someone deep into the scene attempted to appeal to people outside of the genre's core audience. Variety and all that. Goldie (in his own way) attempted that feat with Timeless around '95, and that album is a major touchstone for electronic / EDM music in general of the era, not just jungle. But it would have been sad to see that one ripped apart, so I picked something a bit more accessible.

I'll give the man (or woman) who can get you into stuff along these lines or jazz a medal.

Frownland: Do u Spotify m8
https://open.spotify.com/album/46mzpy3WxTaNpJm1Bqpkho

I can also be pre-2012 and share a zip file with you or something.

It's not available for me.

Let's see. I enjoyed this
Ten Walls – Queen

this

CLAVVS – World underwater

this

Andrew Rayel – Moments

and this
Carl Craig – Versus

Just to name a few. So I'm not opposed to electro/techno/dance/whatever. I just didn't and don't like that album.

Fair enough, can't expect many oldies to appreciate D&B.


No idea what you might like so nah m8, ur alright.

That Carl Craig album actually reminds me of Colours in places. Whatevs.

Oldies? I resent that, sir. You should use the proper term for addressing over-50s: Nearly-Deads. Coffin Dodgers. But Oldies? I'm insulted!
Apart from being good, you mean? :D

Trolls

When you open these threads can you state whose pick it is?

I almost always do.

Colours is the better album between the two by a fair margin. Versus has good ideas but it draws from a different set of influences. You just like your wallpaper with a different shade of gray I guess. :hphones:

I was hoping to do a more elaborate review of this album, but I never got around to it. From the first few seconds it disappointed me with the cheezy wah-wah. Perhaps it was used to set the mood as a sexy R&B slow jam in the beginning only to build up for the surprise of going bass n drums midway through the song, but despite whatever its ambition may have been I think it fell short. Even though the song developed it never really improved. One of the major problem with the opening track: I thought it had probably the worst vocorder vocals I ever heard. The horn was possibly imitating the style of Miles Davis. Despite referencing a notable style, it fell into the Uncanny Valley of Jazz. Almost good but somewhat artificial and overbearingly trite. And that goes for the break beats too.

Colours was released on the 3rd of November 1997. To put this album in context I looked up albums around the same time period. And what I found I can't not believe: this album was release album a month after Vegas by Crystal Method in the UK. Vegas was released August 26, 1997 in the US and a bit later in the UK on September 8, 1997. Take the stuff I didn't like about the album, and then add the comparison to Vegas which I think knocked it down a few notches. The album is sub-meh. If I had a choice for what album I would recommend out of those two mentioned I would definitely go with Vegas over Colours without so much as rub two brain cells together trying to think about it - I'm that sure about it.

Even though I did not really get anything out the album, I still like the fact Ant pick this, cause I am somewhat of a fan of this genre. I am glad that Ant is open to more than Yacht music and I'm always a bit surprise by his non-Yacht picks too. Despite my non-positive reception for this album, I'm always fascinated by Ant's picks. Keep up the good work Ant. :thumb:

It doesn't sound so cheesy to me. From a sonic perspective at least, I get why it's supposed to be good.

Does the playlist version work better?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Zl...UUgplsjZ5jurAJ

One thing I find interesting about the Album Club is that you definitely see there's a lot more variety of MB's listening habits than you'd expect even with only a dozen people or so. There'd be no point to the club if there was unanimous praise for anything.

I had forgotten that Vegas came out around the same time as this: I like Colours's hooks better and the dreaminess of atmospheric drum & bass has a very nostalgic appeal for me, but they are bedfellows in a way. Thanks for bringing it up.

But to be clear: Atmospheric Drum & Bass and Techno are very different from one another. This dead meme, for example. is techno.



This B-side from the Neon Genesis Evangelion OST is also techno.