Track Listing

1. Otill - Aril Brikha
2. November - Quiet Danze
3. To Touch You - Tony Drake, Tony Drake
4. Groove la Chord - Aril Brikha
5. Signals - Microworld
6. Soul Purpose - Louis Haiman
7. Mysterious Traveller - Steve Hillage, Derrick May
8. Plumb - Detroit Escalator Co.
9. Snowdrifts - Indio
10. First Stop - Vanisher
11. Elementary - Vanisher
12. Beforethereafter - Rhythim Is Rhythim

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #224532 in Music
• Released on: 1999-05-04
• Number of discs: 1

Album Details
Compilation of New Tracks from Derrick May's Legendary Label featuring Derrick May and Steve Hillage, Rhythm is Rhythm and More.

Customer Reviews

The return of an early techno star, sort of.
The most notable thing about this compilation is that it contains the first track in nine years to be released by Rhythm Is Rhythm, an important name in early techno. One might wonder if Derrick May still has it in him to make good music, but fortunately, "Beforethereafter" is excellent, and easily matches anything he recorded in the eighties. It uses the same style as "Chaotic Harmony," with the same blend of reserved, contemplative bass and distant, violin-like synthesizers, but it improves on that style; the production is cleaner, the melodies are more well-defined and memorable. Had it been released when May was at the peak of his career, it would surely have been viewed as a definitive moment of Detroit techno, but by 1999, there was a lot of other music to dance to, and May's stature just wasn't what it used to be.

The purpose behind this compilation, coming as it does thirteen years after "Nude Photo" and eleven years after "Strings Of Life," is to re-establish Derrick May at the forefront of electronic music, not as a working artist this time, but as a patriarch, a trend-setter with impeccable taste and credibility, who constantly supplies the world with the best new music and is always looked to for the most exciting new developments, like John Peel or The Electrifying Mojo. To that end, May resurrected his old label Transmat, signed a bunch of new artists from divers countries, and released this album to promote his new image, using the Rhythm Is Rhythm name to gain attention. Time: Space is a conscious bid for the status of relevant musical icon, and May cares very much about whether or not you accept his version of his own history; just look at the amazingly sycophantic essay in the liner notes, which describes May as "a radical, mouthy kid who...dreamed himself hard into the future by night," May's music as "highly abstract, impossibly beautiful," and Transmat's eighties releases as "full of sex, funk, technology and a sassy disrespect for anything but the communication of pure emotion."

But in reality, for all the talk of "the future," May is a techno classicist, and so his new protégés are all basically making variations on the early techno aesthetic, with updated production. The thing is, that aesthetic was a good one. The combination of smooth, cool, mechanical beats and minimal synthesizer tones could create an atmosphere that was both sensuous and melancholy; the keyboards sounded especially fragile, the drums and bass could add a hint of darkness or detachment. A resurgence in this style would not be unwelcome, and the better tracks on this album have arrived at the right time.

Consider "Otill" by Aril Brikha, which opens the compilation. The full, detailed production on the drums is the only thing that gives away the track's date in the late nineties; the keyboard sound, however, is very similar to some eighties Chicago house (e.g. Larry Heard), except a bit more downbeat. In their respective contributions, Quiet Daze and Louis Haiman have distant strings playing in the background, much like in "The Beginning" by Rhythm Is Rhythm; the main keyboard line in the Quiet Daze track uses the same sound as in "Drama," another Rhythm Is Rhythm song. But these tracks don't just copy old reference points: they are more relaxed, more atmospheric and romantic, distilling their influences in a way that sounds more listenable and melodic.

Other tracks convey the old aesthetic with a fresher and more original sound. Tony Drake's contribution emphasizes deep bass and slow, drawn-out, reverberating echoes, creating a lonely, drifting feel. The listener's attention is anchored by short piano lines and recurring guitar chords, which enhance the melancholy air. Indio's "Snowdrifts" is a slow, completely beatless track, in which two flute-like leads are played at various volumes against vague, sweeping synthesizer waves. One might criticize its formlessness, or praise its moody restraint, but either way, it undeniably stands out on the album.

And "Signals," by Microworld (mislabelled as "Soul Purpose" by Louis Haiman on some copies of the album), is exactly the kind of reinvention of Detroit techno that electronica needs. It finds the perfect sound for its lead synthesizer, insistent and somewhat cold, but also soft, as if it's about to recede into the distance; and indeed, as the track progresses, this sound is submerged in a mounting drone of keyboards, pianos and electronic rhythms. The feeling is like being drawn into a fast and endless pursuit of some strange night-time vision. Next time you want to mix a CD of make-out music, you might consider this track for inclusion.

Like most techno compilations, this one is too long and contains a bunch of filler. Derrick May himself is to blame for the lowest point. "Mysterious Traveller," a collaboration between May and The Orb's producer Steve Hillage, should have been interesting, but it's basically May's "To Be Or Not To Be," minus all of the music save for one rhythm. Aril Brikha's second contribution is a rudimentary, monotonous dancefloor number, a three-note keyboard pulse and a thumping beat without any shifts in volume or dramatic build-up. "Plumb," by the Detroit Escalator Company, is seven minutes of growling bass notes, a blurry and forgettable track without any coherent musical phrases to hold onto. The Vanisher's "First Stop" consists of a squealing guitar line and a bunch of train noises, and not much mood. These songs do little to support May's aspirations.

Ultimately, the return of Transmat generated little interest; since 1999, Transmat released just two full-length albums, by Aril Brikha and Indio. That's not surprising: the music on this compilation isn't really revolutionary, and Derrick May isn't a big name these days, nor is he doing himself any favours by insisting that his aging oeuvre is still "the sound of the future." But, if you ever liked Detroit techno, and still listen to May's eighties tracks now and again, then you will probably like this album.

Almost Perfect
This is about as synthetic as you can get. Pure electronic music. Very moody, deep, chill. But above all - beautiful. I lost my original copy of this CD, so I bought a second one. If you're into this sort of thing, it doesn't get much better than this. There are a few imperfect moments, but I find it easy to overlook them. I love this album.

FINALLY A TRUE ALBUM FOR THE MILLENIUM
I honestly feel that this is it. This will determine if Transmat is finally going to show its appearance Mainstream. It has begun. No more incubation. We will now know the true essense of the STRINGS OF LIFE.