What does it sound like?:
Sixteen years after Rhythm and Stealth the last of the big four of 90s dance – the Chemicals, Underworld, Orbital, Leftfield – are back. It sounds like a logical progression from their previous two – spacey dub beats, check; huge sense of space – check; bpm slower than you actually think it would be – check; an impressive array of guest vocalists – check. There are some acoustic guitar samples, and ambient atmospheres to go with the enormous dub beats and subsonic bass. Though there are individual tracks the whole thing plays from start to finish as one big Leftfield track. There’s a nod to contemporary music in a vocal guesting from Sleaford Mods (guess what – they’re angry) and the vocalists from polica and TV on the Radio. But had you said this was made in 1998 I’d have gone along with it.
Neil Barnes’ profile compared to his compatriots has been shadowy to say the least – no Olympic games or film soundtracks, no partying or festival headlining. Fittingly the album retains an air of mystery, beamed in from some distant soundstage.
What does it all *mean*?
That it’s all about the care you take with the beats. There’s a reason why Leftism is the Blonde on Blonde/Revolver/pet sounds of the nineties. Anyone can make beats, but not beats that sound as good as this.
Goes well with…
Headphones. Huge speakers. Making dinner.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
Underworld, Orbital, Chemicals…
retropath2 says
It’s exactly where I left off in whenever it was, love it. And what with the new Chemical Bros, the recent Karl Hyde/Eno, is this a renaissance? (No: the Hyde/Eno is shite, by and large. Jury’s out on the Chemicals, as I haven’t listened. But Aphex Twin is back on active and the Orb are less cloudy than of yore, so hope springs….)
moseleymoles says
@retropath2 tour announced this week – we’ve got our tickets for The Institute. Not cheap (nearly £30) but this is the act that got banned from Brixton Academy after shaking the ceiling so that plaster fell off…
retropath2 says
Hmm, I rather like the Institute, but uncertain. Confess I have never been/seen a live techno (sic) show, unless driving very slowly out of Glastonbury to Orbital in theearly 90s counts. (And wishing I was going the other way.) Feel a bit, um, wrong demographic………
moseleymoles says
Well we’re both nearer our Saga insurance discount than our Young People’s Railcard, put it that way. Suspect most there will be 35 plus as Leftism was 20 years ago. 20 years!
SteveT says
Go and sit at the back of the class Retro2 – the Hyde/Eno collaborations are very good indeed. Leftfield were always my least favourite of the 4.
atcf says
Loved Leftism, very disappointed by Rhythm and Stealth, but I’ll probably give this a go. The big four though? Don’t The Prodigy get a mention?
retropath2 says
Orb aren’t big 4 but Orbital were, IMHO. Prodigy? Well I like Jilted Generation but all a bit cartoony thereafter.
moseleymoles says
Yes Prodigy have to be in there. so maybe a Fab Five.