Soup [CD]

If you like electronic music or ambient music at all - FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS SANE BUY SOUP RIGHT NOW!!!

I thought Autechre were the be all and end all of idm, then I discovered Boards of Canada. Dreamy melodies and crunchy percussion, their releases also blew me away and I, again, thought "these guys really are the best." I was just so damned wrong. I'm amazed that Amazon can even get this thing, since Skam releases are usually so bloody hard to find! Not even afx can come close to this IMHO...

Darrell Fitton (aka Bola) succeeds - without the slightest hindrance - in creating the single most amazing album I've ever heard, even above any other "new electronica" artist I've given a go. Lush watery synth lines and driving electronic percussion, create a real sense of floating underwater. The grand, warm opening of Glinc through to Whoblo - what must be THE most emotional piece of music I have EVER heard (bettering even the likes of BOCs Olson v1, Everything You Do... and 1986 Summer Fire, and Arovane's superlative Tides), this album screams feeling from beginning to end. The kind of emotion that can make you laugh out loud, and cry your eyes away, I can't praise any of its 73 perfect minutes highly enough. Expect highly memorable ambient melodica and the occasional darker track (like Amnion)... and one instantly loveable "vocal" track (Aguilla). This LP is as diverse as it is wonderful - yet never incohesive or disorganised.

If this all sounds a little OTT, I don't care. I've been through all the Orb albums (even listening to U.F.Orb _religiously_ =), all the Autechre albums (yeah ppl, even Amber), the Fripp soundscapes, Gas releases (which are also incredible), BOC releases and the almost-as-impressive Orb/Fripp side-project FFWD (which comes darned close). If I were to choose ONE for my desert island disc, it would have to be Bola's Soup. The very mention of this album brings back many wonderful memories and times I had whilst listening to it to death back in early '99. I seem to come back to it every... other day. Whenever I can!

Un*%$!ingbelievable.

Going towards the more listenable side of Warp output rather than the abstract noodlings some other artists go for, its a totally comforting listening experience. Wonderful melodic synth laden tracks, hypnotic and futuristic.

Bizarely it occasionally reminds me of the soundtrack that accompanied Zone Of The Enders, the electro bleeps and squeaks and airy synths of Versivo and WIC being perfect examples of this.

Those who like the more melodic side of Warp, the Plaids, Boards Of Canadas of this world, and even those partial to nicely chilled albums like Global Communications 76:14 will find themselves right at home here. Don't make my mistake and put off listening to any of this!