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CATALOGUE
 | STEREO MINUS ONE
totl. |
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| MR04/007. STEREO MINUS ONE | TOTL. |
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| ABOUT |
Released: March 15 2004
Format: CD-R
Length: 53:50
STEREO MINUS ONE’s third full-length album, totl., marks out a number of new directions, occupying a completely different sonic space to the raw, noise- fuelled excesses of 2001’s The Sound Inside Sound or
| more melodic, melancholic atmosphere of 2002’s He Made Strange Noises.
At times showing a much more conventional approach to structure and rhythm, the grain and texture of these 15 new tracks is perhaps even more stark and uncomprom- ising than ever.
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| REVIEWS |
SOUND NATION:
'Imagine the combination of a sun-warped country record playing at the wrong speed and the nauseating chime of a knackered Ice Cream van being chased by an Apache Stike helicopter, and you have almost got the opening to this delightful record. Cardiff's Machine Records are responsible for unleashing Stereo Minus One's third album, and as usual the beats are twisted, jarring and enveloped in a world of static terror and occasional shafts of warped bliss.
Open My Hand is a spacious stream of glitchy treats, perhaps making more of a concession to actual 'songs' than a lot of SMO's earlier offerings - and this is no bad thing. It is safe to say that Totl is a must for fans of everything in the vein of Rephlex and Warp Records, and the title track testifies this, embodying that lovely industrial glitch dynamic that Kid 606 and the like have made their own. Oh, and you could almost dance to it.
Agitate clicks along like a German freight train and 65 Days offers more menancing breaks, pehaps a noted highlight is the ambient bleepery of The Night In Ruins, recalling Matmos at their most minimal. Time &
| Technology shimmers like a lovely, slow burning wind farm, and with the Kraut-laced Outro you have here a challenging and utterly accessible bag of noise. Sweet.'
SMALLFISH RECORDS
"An excellently varied piece of work from STEREO MINUS ONE on this label that I'm not at all familiar with. You ought to check it out though, if you're into labels like SCHEMATIC, BETA BODEGA or REPHLEX as it manages to casually mash up playful electronics, phat, dancehall style basslines (at times) and some thoroughly engaging electronic manipulation. A bargain at this price as well. Nice."
BUZZ MAGAZINE:
'More quality budget bass'n' breaks from Cardiff's number one underground electronics imprint ... Stereo Minus One's album is a huge step on from the previous two, recorded in 2001 and 2002 respectively; the beats are less Baby's First, the noise less freeform, all packing a crunchy breakbeat-you-can't-dance-to feel. Shades of Two Lone Swordsman and Third Eye Foundation in here, and you wouldn't listen to them at 4am with The Fear either.'
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| TRACKLISTING | ARTWORK |
01 Intro
02 Get Dancing
03 My Evil Dead 2
04 Blisters on my Toes
05 Open By Hand
06 totl.
07 Break It Up
08 Detachable Bass
09 Agitate
10 65 Days
11 The Night in Ruins
12 Slow Ignition
13 Time & Technology
14 Cut The Power
15 Outro
| Use the links below to see the front and back covers of the CD. The cover image is © Judith Pryor 2004.
 Front 312x312 (56KB)
Back 312x312 (11KB) |
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