FSOL news

Owenw

Reporting the news as it happens (ok 6 months late)! :pac:

Unreleased 1994 FSOL album 'Environments' out in July and a new one in the works... http://www.secondthought.co.uk/fsol/news/2008/01/new-news-page-environments-released.html

You can preview the 2 tracks on FSOLdigital. The CD is listed on Amazon.com and Play.com having a release date of 21 July 2008.
http://www.futuresoundoflondon.com/

Scubadevils

I read about that Environments release earlier in the year alright, was hoping they would release it on CD instead of just digital. The most recent release was the Pulse EP's CD which is really excellent... well worth picking up a copy if you haven't already -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulse-Eps-Collection-Future-Present/dp/B00163JGC8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1214732662&sr=8-2

I still haven't bought any of the Archives series, I had felt (wrongly) that material they had never released probably wasn't worth hearing but have been told otherwise by several now so I must buy them. And actually, having just bought a copy of 'Orbsessions 2' which is absolutely unreal, I shouldn't dismiss previously unreleased material so quickly, this is up there with the best Orb I have ever heard, really amazing stuff.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orbsessions-Vol-2-Orb/dp/B000QGE78E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1214733076&sr=1-1

Owenw

Waiting for Orbsessions 1 & 2 to arrive from play.
I also held off buying these as their previous few albums were less than stellar, and felt the record company might just be flogging off some tracks they found in the Recycle Bin

FSOLs Archives vol 1 is ok, very rough round the edges and uneven, but there's a few very good moments which could have been on Lifeforms.

Previewing Vol 2 at the moment - it's a much better selection IMO.
Apparently a final Vol 5 may be on the cards for release later this year.

Pulse EP is on my buying list for July (as is Monolake's 'HongKong') as soon as the credit card is cleared!

Scubadevils

I wasn't mad on Orbsessions 1, hadn't bothered with 2 because of that until I read a review somewhere which commented that 2 was a lot better.

Just get Monolake now, web shops don't mind if you are over the limit, unfortunately and fortunately!

Scubadevils

Picked up Environments last week and still need to give a proper listen but first impression wouldn't be great. Will give it a spin again later today on my own, I played it during the week with family still about so not the best time to assess an ambient album!

Also finally bought 'From The Archives Vol 2' and very impressed - only bought yesterday but really enjoyed in the car on the way home from town, listening again as I type and very good stuff.

Owenw

Shame about the Environments CD - I was hoping for great things after all these years waiting for new material.

I have been away in England for 2 weeks and picked up Monolake - HongKong for £8 in HMV and The Orb - Orbus Terrarum Remastered for £11. The remixes aren't bad but I don't think they add anything to the original tracks.

HongKong is fantastic, been playing it solidly for weeks! Is all their work in a similar vein or are there some stand-out albums worth getting?

You are right about the Orbsessions albums - vol. 1 is poor, vol. 2 is excellent and better than The Dream.

Scubadevils

I wouldn't go by my initial thoughts on Environments, I still need to give it a proper listen... there was a particular aspect that put me off the entire album, and it only lasted about 3 minutes! - You may want to find this out yourself so I will pop it in a spoiler -

Basically, the last couple of minutes start to build some beats and sound like what you would expect from early FSOL, the rest of the album really is just ambient/environment sounds without any real sound progression or purpose - those last couple of minutes sounded great after having had nearly an hour of just sounds really and gave a nice taste for what it could have become - strange to end it this way

As I say though, I do still need to give it another listen and it could very well be a grower for me - it does seem to have good reviews.

Re Monolake, everything they do is excellent but I would go in order of release seeing as Hong Kong is your first... next step is 'Interstate' which is another cracking album, standout track being 'Amazon'. This has also been recently reissued -

http://www.discogs.com/release/998596

Honestly though, you can't go wrong with Monolake if you like Hong Kong. I was on the fence about the following remix EP and finally bought it yesterday, once again, amazing stuff...

http://www.discogs.com/release/689191

Yeah think I may skip the rest of the Orb reissues, I kinda thought they might be only slight reworks of the originals.

Scubadevils

Just halfway through the 1st track again now on Environments and I think I jumped the gun a bit with my first impressions - it is more a Sunday night album than a Saturday afternoon one and most definitely a grower!

cornbb

I just wrote a big long post and now its gone cause I accidentally clicked "back" in the browser. Graaaaah!

Suffice to say I've been shopping (emusic.com rocks) and have picked up Nurse With Wound, The Field, Burial and Monolake, thanks in part to what I've been reading in this forum. I'll write about my thoughts once I've had a chance to listen, and once I'm in the mood for writing that big post again

Re. Orbsession Vol. 2 - I wasn't gone on it, but maybe I've just been a lot more seduced by the Orb's more "accessible" stuff. Maybe I'll give it another spin.

John

What Nurse stuff did you get? I've been meaning to buy some of the IDM Felix has been championing as I really don't have enough of that kind of stuff.

cornbb

John wrote: »

What Nurse stuff did you get? I've been meaning to buy some of the IDM Felix has been championing as I really don't have enough of that kind of stuff.

I got Stereo Wastelands. Listening now. Its very cool, I can see how you were urging people to go see em live!

John

That's a good album but bear in mind that it is a load of unfinished sessions, the "proper" albums are amazing. Rock'n Roll Station, Salt Marie Celeste, Homotopy to Marie and Soliloquy for Lilith would be my recommendations for classic and modern NWW. Salt Marie Celeste is the creepiest album ever made.

cornbb

John wrote: »

That's a good album but bear in mind that it is a load of unfinished sessions, the "proper" albums are amazing. Rock'n Roll Station, Salt Marie Celeste, Homotopy to Marie and Soliloquy for Lilith would be my recommendations for classic and modern NWW. Salt Marie Celeste is the creepiest album ever made.

Will do!

/adds Rock'n'Roll Station to Save For Later list

Looking forward to listening to all of the stuff I mentioned above, I haven't heard anything new in ages.

Scubadevils

cornbb wrote: »

I just wrote a big long post and now its gone cause I accidentally clicked "back" in the browser. Graaaaah!

Suffice to say I've been shopping (emusic.com rocks) and have picked up Nurse With Wound, The Field, Burial and Monolake, thanks in part to what I've been reading in this forum. I'll write about my thoughts once I've had a chance to listen, and once I'm in the mood for writing that big post again

Re. Orbsession Vol. 2 - I wasn't gone on it, but maybe I've just been a lot more seduced by the Orb's more "accessible" stuff. Maybe I'll give it another spin.

Hate when that happens, did it before with a long post in the dance section.

Have you had a listen yet to Monolake? I believe The Field is a good album, keep meaning to buy it. Nurse With Wound I know nothing about bar reading about them here I think. If Monolake does the trick, there are so many more I can recommend of a similar nature!

I haven't bought that Burial one yet either, got a lot of good reviews.

On a dubstep/techno vibe, I would HIGHLY recommend the following album...

http://www.discogs.com/release/1352858

http://www.last.fm/music/2562

And just listening again tonight to Radio Scarecrow by The Black Dog, really is one of the best albums this year... a certain classic in years to come.

http://www.discogs.com/release/1269144