Track Listing

1. Altitude [Mayday Mix]
2. Mysterious Traveller [Groovy Intent Mix]
3. Big Sky City [Mayday Mix]
4. Icon (Rhythim Is Rhythim) [Montage Mix]
5. Prototype 1 [Electron Mix]
6. Fractal Liaison
7. Mysterious Traveller [Fire Mix]
8. Big Sky City [Above the Cloudes Mix]
9. E-Merge
10. Overview

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #536607 in Music
• Released on: 2002-07-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Album Description
Stretching back a decade is a unique musical collaboration between UK electronic pioneers, System 7 & the original godfather of Detroit techno Derrick May, which culminates in the release of this collection. Ten tracks, 'Attitude' (Mayday Mix), 'Mysterious Traveller' (Groovy Intent Mix), 'Big Sky City' (Mayday Mix), 'Icon' (Monatage Mix)(Rhythm Is Rhythm), 'Prototype 1' (Electron Mix), 'Fractal Liason', 'Mysterious Traveller' (Fire Mix), 'Big Sky City' (Above All Clouds Mix), 'E-Merge' & 'Overview'. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Stunning collection of System 7/May collaborations
This delightful CD is a must for any fan of System 7 and Derrick May's music. It contains a new System 7 song (E-Merge) and the un-released 'Icon' by Derrick May, solo.

The rest of the songs featured here are either originals or re-worked versions of classic System 7/Derrick May tracks.

Opener 'Altitude' is one of the first tracks ever done by Hillage/Giraudy/May. It's beautiful swirling atmospherics point to an even more fruitful future of collaborations. The 'Groovy Intent' mix of 'Mysterious Traveller' is a superb track. Starting off as a pounding techno track, it slowly evolves in a complex, yet very groove orientated track.

But for the real standout tracks on this album, you have to look at Derrick May's previously unreleased 'Icon'. It's a superb Detroit Techno soundscape, more centred on the soulful rather than the dance element. 'Prototype 1' (Electron Mix) is a stunning track. It's everything we've come to admire about System 7 and their music. I think it shows what their best at, beautiful atmospheric techno and ambient songs, rather than their drum'n'bass centred period circa the 'Golden Section' album. The song itself works itself into a collage of sounds, all held together with May's superb keyboard style and Hillage and Giraudy's groove.

This is a wonderful album, and it offers much more than the average remix collection from some other techno/electronic groups.

I wanted to like it...
I really wanted to like this, as Derrick May is one of modern music's true greats, and his tracks released under Rhythim is Rhythim are magnificent. But this album struck me as cold (and not in a good way) and meandering. It didn't grab the attention, which is something that Derrick May's music normally does - it slams you against a wall and says "you're going to listen to me". Maybe it was the other half of the partnership, but this is not even close to May's Detroit releases.