seven

listening to this xingu hill album as well as other earlier work, I keep wondering why this material is something I (and probably many others that have been introduced to the band after their hymen debut) have overlooked before. I am sure that if released nowadays this material could find a lot of devoted fans, I guess this is the price you have to pay to be ahead of your time (or being marketed to the wrong audience). probably, if it has been positioned outside of dark electronica/industrial boundaries, it could have enjoyed a wider popularity.

this album builds on the themes introduced on "maps of the imposible" blending deep techno structures with dark ambient elements. this time the progress is towards more atmospheric and noisy textures that are not as well blended into overall mix. individual tracks that stand out ("technicolor" and "rage") are both danceable fluid techno pieces with mechanized noises, abrasive percussion and overall darker edge that leans closer to intelligent sci-fi atmosphere, featuring many vocal samples and hydraulics-like sounds, as opposed to more timeless exotica of "maps of the impossible". as usual with xingu hill material, strings are used nicely throughout the whole album, adding a mysterious and emotional touch to the music.

overall, this album is not as impressive as "maps of the impossible", yet most of the tracks are very unique in their blend of unusual composition and solid atmosphere. it truly matches the feeling created by earlier seekness or delta files, at the same time using elements from a whole different genre. this album is spacey yet edgy late night escapism into the surreal world of stripped-down melodies, fading broadcasts and deep basslines.