Leftism

Not bad, but also just repetitive techno beats.

This was perfect to start the morning. Great beats, unique mix. Loved it all.

Didn’t know what to expect but really enjoyed it

This is not bad music, but it's place, for me, is not for "listening", but for dancing or maybe background.

Did not like it

very nice but again its inclusion points to the glaring omission of black american electronic artists from this list

Första halvan bäst, sen blev det konstigt

Прогресів хауз - це ніби взяли мій улюблений жанр танцювальної музики та забрали з нього практично все, що мені в ньому подобається. Не зацінив альбом.

Один з найгірших альбомів в цьому списку для мене соу фар.

Underwhelmed!

Didn’t expect to like this album but it has some catchy tracks. The drumlines and beats are great.

Don’t know why but this album clicked with me. Im always a sucker for 90s electro-pop. Loved the ambient sound mixed with classic club beats.

The album had some great musical hooks and pulled me in.

I’m cooking soup each day we’re given an EDM album. This album is good for soup making.

I had an overwhelming urge to listen to this at 2.0x speed like a bad work training. Not because it's unlistenable; it's just inconsequential and loooooooong. I was most readily reminded of the "Funkytown" remix from Shrek 2 and "Macarena" :/

I never heard of this before and was a bit surprised how much I liked it. It's a bit gritty but def fun and upbeat and dance-y and a really interesting collection of sounds and beats.

Electronic dance music

Dance music, electronic with whifs of reggae and other genres. Good/interesting but didn't grab me.

Just couldn't get into this one. Not sure what they were thinking with this on the list

House/trance album with very good production. Catchy at times, sounds like gym music. Can be quite atmospheric at times too. Not bad, but also not really something I'm that familiar with. Maybe LCD? Massive Attack? Bit of a slog to get through. Original is really good actually. I keep revising my score up & down. 5.5/10. Might revisit at some point

Better than expected but not great

This is perfect work listening music. But at the same time, nothing grabbed me out from my work on first listen. The album faded into the background which I'm not sure if that's a negative or positive.

Heismusikkens versjon av bakgrunnsstøy. Hvordan er det mulig å danse til dette???

Challengers vibes

You know you're in for a tough listen when a guest musician from Public Image Ltd. gets a shoutout in sentence 3 of the album's Wikipedia article. That said, the production is solid, and the duo submits some pretty intriguing textures throughout the album. The trouble is, the songs are just far too long and repetitive to have any kind of staying power. In that sense, Leftism is sort of the inverse of carefully crafted jazz/rock or singer-songwriter music, where at times *too much* effort is put into the songwriting and/or arrangements instead of too little. I have to say, I love the ambient intro to Release the Pressure. Though admittedly the vocal sounds like it belongs in a reggae-soul piece, it works pretty well here too. Pink Floyd-esque (the instruments, not the singing). I also enjoy the progressive aspect, the dynamism and smoothness with which it slides between different textures while still sounding like a cohesive song. Not really any hooks present – unless you count the dude yelling (somewhat in disregard of the song's key) towards the end – but still a project I'd return to. Afro Left, on the other hand (the left hand), is substantially worse. I could tell you differences between the two songs all day, but in the end, I couldn't put my finger on what exactly is "worse". The beat/percussion is much heavier, you're more likely to tap your foot or get up and dance, and the vocals are extremely unexpressive (barely deviating from the same monotone drone that unfortunately draws some easy comparisons to rap/hip-hop – which was not in a good way in the 90s). The song Melt returns us to a more electronic, ambient atmosphere, one that wouldn't be terribly out of place in Terraria or the like. Having no vocals helps a lot with the experience. I love all the subtle inclusions of cool new instruments and textures over time, like the soft trumpet line at around 4:00, the gradually changing melodies of that main synth... Song of Life is perhaps a little surprising in its role as the initial single from the album – or indeed a single in any respect, given its lack of radio friendliness. An artifact of the time, I guess. It's alright, but falls prey to what brings an enormous proportion of electronic music down: the looping. Seven minutes of the same one-bar repeated synth line can definitely get under one's skin. Now some synth improv, on the other hand? I could get behind that. (But it doesn't happen.) The deadpan vocal delivery in Original reminds me of late-70s Bowie, and it's a big improvement on the earlier song Afro Left since it contributes something, musically, to the song. Very slow, deliberate singing, so much so that you almost miss the fact that the lyrics are kind of great. Launching off side 2, Black Flute sports the same negative quality as a good few of these songs: repetition. It isn't like repetition is particularly hard to avoid, unless you're pressed for time, but these songs were released over at least a three-year period, so Leftfield has little excuse here. I can appreciate the smooth transition into Space Shanty, though, which itself features an Indian-instrument-sounding synth that sets it apart from the crowd. Still far too loopy, though. A simple enough listen, but I'm glad to leave it behind. Inspection (Check One) comes close to a passing grade, for its too-cool-for-school vocals and classy "hip-hop golden era" beats. Ultimately, though, it's so goddamn forgettable that I could only ever see it being played in some kid's car in GTA while they scream into their XBOX headset. I think the bass in Storm 3000 really takes the cake, which is impressive as it's mostly the same note on repeat. I reckon I'm just a bass guy. The percussion, though, feels kind of... dated, I guess? At this point on the album, it would take a miracle pair of final tracks to shift my rating past one star. And though Open Up is exciting and catchy, easily moving it past most of its album-mates, it still doesn't particularly wow me. The singer still sounds like an unholy crossbreed of Bob Marley, Geddy Lee, and probably a few others – but certainly nobody in the house scene that I know of. 21st Century Poem ends the album on a weird experimental note. Comparable to A Saucerful of Secrets or other noodly prog track, but without the noodling or the prog. Weird ultra-low synths to send us off, sort of like the bass you hear while standing outside a nightclub. 1/5 Key tracks: Release the Pressure, Melt, Open Up

I didn't really like the album but there were a few interesting songs of the album that I added to playlist 3 out of 10 for me

3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/leftfield/leftism/ Never bad and quite influential, but now it doesn't do too much for me anymore, aside from some tracks. I mainly find the vocal contributions detrimental to the songs.

Tedious, headache-inducing computer music exercise, overlaid with guest vocalists occasionally chanting incomprehensible nonsense. This album didn't engage me in any way whatsoever and actually actively annoyed the living daylights out of me. Perhaps this was innovative back in the day, but I didn't like this kind of stuff then, and I still don't. An appallingly boring and overlong album to suffer through.

Honestly sounded more pretentious than it's smart enough to be.

Background music from a PS2 racing game! Yknow for an 1hr 10min album, only not liking the last two songs is a real feat. Space Shanty is on repeat.

Solid techno-dance music. Most songs could probably play in a line at Six Flags

Hippie bullshit but techno music

Feels like I've been getting far too many electronica/dance albums lately in my quest to hear 1001 before I die. This one's fine, but I couldn't really tell you what distinguishes it from most of the others I've listened to.

Not a great fan of this type of genre. Left me cold.

Not for me, didn't enjoy.

At times I thought this would be fun if it came on in a club and I could zone out and dance. But just listening straight through is no fun. Doesn't need to be on this list.

I’m over 1001 albums in. I’ve decided I’m not going to listen to anymore shit UK EDM.

not my thing

Maso

A lot better than Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers not quite as good as Aphex Twin or Orbital. Still, a fun trip back to that forgotten time when dance music was ascendant.

Ass I would rather die then listen to this again

not doin' it for me

I keep thinking I don't like dance music, but then I'll listen to an album like this and...maybe I do.

Better than Coldplay

Naming this shit "leftism" is fucking right-wing propaganda. Lmao. Okay there's the quip. If I'm going to elaborate some: in comparison to the other house/electronica albums this generator has put me through so far this is honestly not that bad on a minute-to-minute basis, but, of course, 1. "in comparison to the other house/electronica albums this generator has put me through so far" is a pretty low standard, and, 2. of minutes there were sixty-nine (nice) (NOT nice! an HOUR and NINE MINUTES of my life! that's too many by at LEAST half!)

This slice of 1990s British electronica is serviceable at best and forgettable at worst. Leftfield’s Leftism drifts along for nearly 70 minutes, a runtime that feels far more indulgent than justified. While there are moments of interest—including at least one track that reminded me of the 1998 movie Blade—they’re buried beneath too much repetition and too little personality. In the end, this struck me as just another album padding out the 1001 Albums list rather than one that truly earns its place.

I just don't have anything positive or negative to say about this one. It was an album I listened to.

Nothing special

Not my kind of stuff but this was pretty fun

Fascinating and fantastic album!!!

Another win for the list. I've been surprised at how much I've liked these electronic music albums. I feel like I've missed out on a whole amazing genre and I'm glad the list has helped me realize my blind spot. Keep em coming.

o my god no

Who wants a 2 hour club music album?! Not this person.

I liked this, whether in the headphones or in the background I think it has aged well. I loved "Melt" and the guest spot from John Lydon was a ripper on "Open Up"

Comparing this to all the many other electronic albums I hear from this list(2’s and 3’s) I’ll toss out a 4 for this but not sure why exactly.

Good background music

This wasn't as bad as I expected it to be but it was just a zone out album.

It's fine. Zoned out on a long drive, songs passing time like telephone polls. Are they still called telepone polls? Were they ever?

I went through my history thinking electronic music based in the UK from the 90s/early 00s was over represented, but it's really not too bad. I've listened to 229 albums so far and only 12 fit this description. That's only like 5% of what I've listened to. I've listened to 11 hip hop albums 10 punk albums 7 albums made by a Canadian Seems reasonable.... ...oh wait, this album is 2 hours long? fuuuuuuuuuuu-

Not that I ever need an excuse to listen to this album again, it was great to sit and listen to it in its entirety (this is the one benefit of train journeys). Amazing album, and one of the more formative experiences growing up.

2/5 Too repetitive and dub/electronic for me

Meh, I didn't get it

I have realized that most of these albums of electronic/dance music that push 70 minutes are some of the most patience-testing releases in the book. This is no exception. It is very much fine and has moments of awesome energy but the rest leaves me whelmed at best. I don't know why. Too busy to be background music and too spacious to be at the front of my mind.

saved two songs but overall it was too long and boring. was struggling with listening for like whole day.

I like this - it's chill but very rhythm-forward electronica. Sometimes it sounds like 90s world music type stuff like Transglobal Underground, sometimes kinda trip-hop, sometimes like soundtrack music. The tracks I like best are the dark, almost industrial one with John Lydon on it, "Open Up" ("Burn, Hollywood, burn!"), and "Afro Left," which has someone speaking over the music in nonsense that sounds like an African language. A fun album.

Great, at the time. Still good.

pretty forgettable club music

Really great stuff, just a bit too repetitive and not enough experimentation to make it interesting enough

muy buenos temas

Really into ambient experimental house/trip-hop at the moment. It is bad to say I prefer the newer stuff that has obviously taken influence from this LP?

This was such an influential sounding album even though I didn’t really love all of it and it got very samey by the end. I can hear its influence on so many 90s electronic artists

First time listening to this group and I was hooked right away. Took me back to the 90’s rave scene. Song of Life and Inspection are my favorite tracks.

Electronic mix of styles, slower stuff is amorphous (not a compliment), faster house stuff is pretty good, overall not great

Ok

nothing special here

Just makes me feel like I’m in the matrix meh

god i hate house music

This one was tough for me. I didn't get anything more after the first track, just more of the same. I'm curious why this album is on the list?

Pretty enjoyable album, would sound good in a dance club. I don't usually listen to techno stuff, but I tend to like it in small doses. Biggest issue with this album is that it is a bit too long making me feel a bit fatigued by the end. Favorite Track - Release the Pressure Least Favorite Track - Inspection (Check One) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

tuts tuts, umas boas e umas ruins

This is what a friend of mine would call "drug music", and I can totally see why. It's trippy in its repetition, the rhythm isn't so complex that you need to be constantly focused upon it, and the tracks are a little longer than usual. Not awful by any means, but nothing too mind-blowing either. Perfectly adequate downtempo trip-hop. Favourite track: Inspection (Check One) Least favourite track: Melt

This ain't me bag o' tea as I'm wont to say... I listen to some EDM and don't MIND it, per se, but soft club dance music doesn't excite me much. That being said, this is well-crafted and features some good singing across it's varied sounding tracks. It rarely drags and didn't bore me, so that's a victory.

Haven't listened to this for a few years, and wondered whether it would be one of those that wasn't quite as good outside of its era. It sounded amazing in '95. But through headphones today, those years washed over me again. The dub reggae-infused house is absolutely banging at times (Afro Left, Space Shanty, Open Up) and chill at others. Era and genre defining record, and incredibly cohesive as an album experience.

perfect example of late 90s electronic

Better than I feared, but not good enough to become a lasting favourite. A few individual tracks work well in a playlist, but over the course of a full album I find it all a little too monotonous. Leftfield are yet another one of those '90s bands that you either discovered and fell in love with at the time, or simply can't connect with today, because this kind of mind-altering music no longer feels in tune with the times. Or perhaps it's just no longer in tune with my age.

so there i was, sleepy, thinking this album was going to be like every other boring, generic album on this list. and then the beat switches up? and what do i hear? the macarena? so that was an unexpected but welcome surprise. rest of the album was fine and just too long. 2/5

Long and boring

EDM, pretty cool, I got lost working. Unce a, unce a, unce a, unce a ...

Sounds like royalty-free EDM from a movie. Everything way too smooth - the vocals especially, even John Lydon. Maybe this was very inventive when it came out but the deluge of generic shit has devalued it.

This grew on me the longer it played; enough to make it to a 3.

Alright that was actually kinda sick

shoutout vibey electronic reggae, saved 1/10

Think this caught me grumpy after a World Cup game, but I didn’t need 70 mins of inessential 90s dance.

Melt and 21st Century Poem worth hearing, the rest has aged like egg salad

Melt

Hot damn I really like all the 90's electronica on this list. Leftism is so much fun, it definitely brings me back to French Quarter raves in 1995. And lots of ecstasy and acid trips, too. Good times.

No appeal from me.

One of the better electronic albums on this list. Certainly does not get repetitive, but not sure if I would revisit much. Rating: 6/10 Favorite Song: Space Shanty

Main menu or lobby music. I am waiting to enter the game. I am on Windows XP and the songs run too long and the computer takes too long to load. I don't like it.

#413/1001. We don't get a lot of IDM albums here, and while some of them are weird choices, others are classics, this one included. Of course the genre itself is really not an "album first" - business, it is about hits to be played in clubs. And yes, while I've played Afro-Left many times as a dj, the album as a whole is not something I would know by heart (there are those in this genre as well). This album fills a missing link between trip-hop and club music, not belonging to any one genre of electronic / dance music, creating is own place, which is always welcome in the sometimes monotonous world of house / techno / younameit dance. 4+1 since it is not rock / pop (have to bias this list a bit).

Lala

Not sure I 100% get the appeal, really great production, especially on a nice pair of headphones, but I feel like I’m being teased for a drop that ends up never quite happening. Probably I’m too sober, and would reward a bit more listening. I feel like I've seen their next album cover for Rhythm and Stealth around online a lot more than this one, but apparently this one's meant to be better?

Not really my thing but I didn’t exactly hate it either. Basically all blended into one 2.5

Nice trippy, floaty electronica with a world music twist. I added “Release the Pressure” to my playlist.

Whenever I hear this type of music, It reminds of Hackers or other movies where they make hacking look cool. Blame Hollywood.

I like electronic music, but this only seems to work with strong drugs aboard.

These dance/hip-hop/techno-y albums sure have a hard time breaking the 3 star glass ceiling for me.

No

Chillig, nett.

This is top-level house, so your opinion of it is going to be based on whether you like the genre. It sounds like I was playing WipeOut on the old PS1

I got excited thinking this was Fogerty, but that was Centerfield 😔

Leftism huh? I may have a verbal meme that fits: Image: Bernie Sanders staring at camera Text: I am once again asking how much British electronica is on this godforsaken list

hauch von gutem techno, aber all in all zu sehr house musik. kranker ragebait am ende des letzten songs

A bit samey but not the worst

Maybe a bit too left for my tastes

Not quite for me

Some nice thumping tunes to grind out the spreadsheets. I don't think this is my album of choice for Leftfield though

It's quite possible that I've discovered I fucking adore house music. Electronic music is such a fun genre cause you never know what yoinky sploinky ass beat they're gonna put together by the end of things, nor what ridiculous sound they'll synthesize. There is something very generous and selfless about this album and a lot of dance music. As in, it lacks a lot of the noticeable individualism of other genres but makes up for it in an obsession in crafting an experience that'll make mfers move. It's made for us. It's not unlike punk music honestly, both genres are fundamentally about the energy of music and how to spread it across a room, they feel like genres that most have the listener in mind (or maybe I'm just their target audience lol.) This album is so god damn fun, disc 1 its spectacular and disc 2 is remixes and demos so I ain't judging it in the final review. Beyond that, this album never had me lacking in stank face and a restless leg. Space Shanty is probably my favorite track, BUT, Inspection went really hard too. 5/5

I’ve not listened to this one for a while, absolutely love it

By electronic dance music album standards this one ranks pretty high up there, there's actually a fair bit of variation! There's a nice mix of moods, some are pretty thumping techno stuff, while others are more like ambient-adjacent, The John Lydon track is also pretty sweet and of course the trip-hop track of "Original" is the best song on here. This one of course if another one of 'those' that I've been meaning to listen to, though at the end of the day it didn't meet my expectations. That's alright though. Highlight Song/s: "Original"

Tveir klukkutímar. Fyrri diskurinn átti sæmilegustu spretti, en sá seinni var döll dansdrón. 2,6.

Overall really enjoyed it - solid beats throughout. 4

I would have hated this, if it wasn't time for lawn mowing

Too fucking long. 2 HOURS?? Fave song: Song of Life

AN ELECTRONIC ALBUM I ACTUALLY LIKED! SERIOUS GROOVE (if a bit long)

I never mind electronic albums but they always seem to overstay their welcome a little. Can only give this a 3 even if I enjoyed a fair chunk of the record

Never heard of this or the group before. This is why I am here! Awesome. This album’s use of drum machines is really setting the tone for, well, everything dance related in the next decade as far as I can tell. Pretty amazing across the board. I would almost go 5, but it’s hard with what is essentially a dj mix with which I was completely unfamiliar previously. Maybe next time around… 4 Boolean: True

I had fun

tremendous album honestly. cannot believe this is 30 years old. takes all the best parts of detroit techno and lightens the monotony by a lot, with surprising bursts of vocals coming out. just really good vibes. feels like it's crossing every genre

I think this is a really great album, something I wouldn't have liked 20 years ago but really appreciate now. The ambient nature of some of the songs, mixed with some orchestral elements, and then the EDM blend together well, I think. The vocals, when there, are well done and not a distraction, generally.

I like Dance music, but this was not it. Very confused as to what was trying to be achieved here.

Not my thing at all

More forgettable, generic electronic music that sounds like it belongs in the menus of a forgettable, generic PS2 racing game.

Really long. Ok in the background I guess...

Jokainen biisi oli pieni tarinansa. Oikein passeli kuunneltava varsinkin kävellessä, varmasti olisi sopinut myös hölkkälenkille. Välillä keskittyminen herpaantui ja unohdin kuuntelevani musiikkia, joka lähinnä kertoo että osa kappaleista oli turhan pitkiä.

Ihan ok! Aika hidastemponen ja maalaileva mulle. Oisin kuvauksen perusteella kaivannu tanssittavampaa. Tää on semmonen huojuttava minkä päälle koitaa huutaa baarissa. Mutta ihan menevä ja kilistelevä!

Törkeen kova levy, potkis tanssilattialla lujaa! Meni kyllä urakalla jalan alle myös muissa paikoissa. Sen sijaan levykokonaisuutena jonka laittaa kuunteluelämyksenä pyörimään tää on ehkä vähän monotoninen mittaansa nähden – joskaan siihen tätä levyä ei varmastikaan oo tehty.

Aivan hyvää jyystöä! Joku toinen tilanne olis sopinu levylle ehkä vähä paremmin kuin yksin kotona aamupalan syöminen XD

2 tuntia?! Uuh - mut täähän potkii 🕺🏼 Luulen et Play oli paikallaan pehmentämää mua tällaseen house seikkailuun, mut täshän oli hiton kovii raitoja! 🤩 Keskivaiheessa oll jotain vähän puuduttavaa, mut kokonaisuutena ihan tosi hilkulla nelosta!!

Kannen, bändin nimen tai albumin nimen perusteella en kyllä osannu olettaa mitään tällasta. Olipahan matka. Hyviäkin biisejä mut myös täytematskua. Afro Left kovimmasta päästä. Paikoin ihan älytöntä paatosta: "Burn Hollywood (?) burn" :D

ihan käsittämätön bängeri!!! jotenkin nauratti kokoajan kun oli niin kovvaa ajoa eka biisi lemppari, larin sanoin "tää on taidemacarena"

Alright I guess, just don’t want to sit through an hour of it.

Don't get it AT ALL

Oh. This isn't your usual bad. This is baaaaaaad bad The British aren't a serious people and need to be studied for their crimes against music You could've told me some unemployed guy named Keith arranged these tracks and I would've believed you You're telling me Daft Punk's Discovery doesn't have a spot on this list and this hot garbage does? And I know what you're probably thinking, "this random commenter just doesn't know good music". Buddy, I enjoy dance music, especially a lot of what came from the 90s a la Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers. I despise whatever this album was and continues to be. For no reason do I need to listen to this album before I die

Sounded like a kind of general ambient electro, then we go into reggae territory with the vocals and syncopations. Great reveal! So we've got reggae/ska fused with post 80s electro/dance. What a fantastic combination! Interesting, that caribbean vibe crossed with dance sounds like Macarena towards the end of Release the Pressure More direct African influence in Afro Left - African language and instrumentation, still fused with dance beats. Production is excellent (e.g. Melt) General electro with reggae/african vibes - is this Afrofuturism? Best track - Release the Pressue, Space Shanty, Inspection 4 stars - genuinely complex and well-produced, and the reggae/dance crossover is great as an accessible hook to pull you into the full album

Heel vet. House maar met heel veel invloeden. Vleugjes vroege techno, jungle. Zo'n beetje de hele britse dance scene komt langs. En kraakhelder geproduceerd

Absolute trash. 0.0

I would imagin thia muadic in john wick

Album was a fun listen. It's a type of music I actually do enjoy having on in the background quite a bit. Probably 3.5? Very surprised it came out in 1995, definitely feels ahead of its time. But I don't think I can give it a 4 or above just because it wasn't anything that blew me away or that I'd listen to actively.

Uncertain start but grew on us. Has a groove to it.

These are the type of songs that are fun for like 90 seconds. Somehow these songs go on for 4x that length. Gets so old, so fast. The review citing this as background video game music was spot on. This is rocket league music.

Reggae, dub, house, big beat, + afrocentrism to top it all off, so what's not to like, but then again, what's there to love? Probably a whole lot - if you were there & possessed the password - but for this generous listener, tho not a matter of cold admiration, the record isn't a breathtaking affair, i.e., there's no there there &, while we're at it, no here here. What I mean: it's impressively impressive, & not much else. That's too bad - I'd love for an album called Leftism to exceed the bill - but alas, it only fits it (sometimes). A good find then, just not good for long.

Like most electronica albums, it's a bit too long, but it's rare for this genre to produce such little filler. I love how there's a broad range of styles, but also a core sound that continues throughout the album. The guest vocals threw me off, because that's not normal for techno style albums. Favorite Track: "Melt"

I think is cool but is not my style.

Less ‘banging’ than I expected.

no bardzo dziwne wolalabym juz tego nie sluchac raczej chociaz wsm ledwo sie na tym skupialam

The Matrix Reloaded ass beats

Good mix of electronica. I enjoyed the first half then I feel it fell a little in the middle before finishing strongly. I thought I didn't recognise any of the tracks but the second last one with John Lydon singing I definitely recall. Interestingly not the most popular track on the album: "Burn, Hollywood burn. Take down tinsel town." Can't argue with that! At 6:53 long perhaps a little long but quibbles. Added two tracks to playlists of mine so have to rate that highly. Yes Regga influenced tracks but it doesn't all have to sound the same so some tracks I didn't like as much but overall very happy with this.

Oh goodie, another boring electronica album... I really don't know what qualifies an electronic album for this list and I don't see that changing. I was going to make some comment about how at least this one has vocals instead of just throbbing beats, but those were just painful to listen to.

I bought this at the time but didn't listen to it anywhere as much as its successor, Rhythm & Stealth. It's dark and menacing but for me doesn't quite pick up the pace or drop a memorable bassline or hook often enough.

Fínasta sýra. Frekar töff beat og 90's stíllinn sem maður elskar.

Mjög kúl og flottir taktar.

calling this ps2 racing music like thats a bad thing bruh that being said it sorta unremarkable house. good but its doing a little too much for taste

better than expected

This was just annoying to listen to.

Not something I'd typically listen to, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Favorite Track: Open Up

I’ve said something similar before, but this sounds like background music in a racing video game whose graphics were good for its time but have aged poorly.

Really frustrating that like 2 or 3 of these songs were legit good and the rest of this over an hour album was just like the other electronic music we’ve had.

Still a no on EDM, but keep trying, list.

Really fun innovative multigenre exploration. Better than many of its contemporaries.

It's always hard to rate electronic music on this list, because only the outdated ones are represented. I wish there were more Electronica...

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssaye. A fantastic fun album, makes you want to be sweating in the early house of a festival dancing with your eyes closed feeling the lights over the eyelids. Bloody long mind, give me a water and a cigarette. 4.0/5.0 Best Song: Space Shanty

Fun, weird house music. Enjoyable but it did not need to be that long

Another album that could have been made by Jeremy Usbourne in his room in his shared flat in Croydon.

I like proper house, and I like proper Techno. What I don't like is this inoffensive, middle-of-the-road electronica coffeeshop background music.

Disappointed with this. Expected more. Could have made a similar album on my PS1. 😂

Безвыходное афтерпати. Совершенно непонятный для меня альбом. Слушать целенаправленно и вдумчиво нереально. Альбом заднего плана при нудной и однобокой работе. Вокал очень трудно переносить. Пока из всего что я прослушал, это худший альбом. 2,5/10 исключительно за реально неплохие переходы.

Pretty middle of the road techno, especially for the year it was made. Nothing really stuck with me from this.

This list must be weird if you aren’t British, there’s things on here which are not only very British but also very 90’s. I’m British and in my 50’s so this album is very much fertile territory for me. I remember it being played in pubs and clubs and eventually it found its way on to TV and adverts. It’s the kind of visceral dance music that’s at home in a club, far more than on headphones. Pounding beats, reggae hooks and repetitive vocals. Not the soundtrack for putting your feet up but not an unpleasant experience either

Is this what everyone is listening to in that huge dance/orgy scene in the second Matrix? On paper, a techno album with all these dub influences should be great. And for some stretches, it’s pretty cool. The main issue, though, is that it’s not that interesting as a listening experience. It’s probably cool in the club, on drugs. I dunno. I could put it on in the background of something I guess. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.

I've always like Original, but for some reason I never listened to the rest of this album. Now I have.

I was fully prepared to hate this record as electronic music is not my jam. But this was pretty good. The beats were interesting and the vocals were strong.

This is not going to make the restive Commonwealth nations happy. Yet another mystery UK inclusion. And a reminder that it's utterly random as to which electronic albums are commercially successful. It's ok. This is a style of music that's easy to make by the yard if your want to churn out competent filler. Challenging to make a killer track, though. You need an idea. You need to do some real writing. A solid album of this kind -- whether it's Something Or Other House or Some Version of Electronica-Dub (they're all swimming around in the same pond) generally has 1-3 really, really good tracks and a bunch of ok ones. This album is all ok filler, no killers. From Wikipedia: "The album was described as progressive house, although some journalists found that label too limiting, suggesting the album incorporated many genres." The fact that one could go track by track and find another artist working at the same time making tracks rather like this one, but better ... the variety just is not the strength someone thinks it is. Rootsman's International Language of Dub; the Guerilla In Dub compilation; No Smoke, International Smoke Signal; many albums from Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound System (Dub Syndicate, Echomania; the first Audio Active album -- the debut of the Tokyo Space Cowboys -- as two examples); most Thievery Corporation albums; the best Badawi or Dr. Israel albums; the Crooklyn Dub Consortium compilations; many acid jazz compilations .... there are So Many more interesting albums released around the same time working the same general aesthetic. What are we doing here? Docked one star for failing to successfully realize a single idea. Even the best track, Inspection (Check One) ... much more dynamic, much livelier, and yet -- at several points, when you want it to go -- There; instead, it goes .... over Here, for some reason ... ? Whaaa--?? Are you sure you guys know what you're doing? Also from Wikipedia: "After completing the album, the duo initially were not pleased with it."

I wish I'd had both the intel and the courage to go to raves in Boston at the time. Or that I'd had the courage to go to England for junior year abroad, as did my courageous cosmopolitan friend Daniel. But nope. So I did all my exstasy, mushrooms and LSD with two little cabals of close friends. Definitely safer than the raves were. Still permanently mind-altering. Since that period I've had a long-term relationship with techno, house and in general club music rooted back then. I still love them. I use techno to blast my unfocused ADHD worrying to splinters, and then get a whole lot of admin tasks done. Some day I'll make it to a rave.

Not for me. Too much dance music repetitiveness and thumping

If we were applying some version of "The Rule" right now, I would probably use it for this album. I'm trying to be respectful and give each record a chance. Trying to learn something and be open-minded. But whatever this is, it's not for me. Some of the more positive reviews online are about how fantastic this album was for the reviewers while they were tripping their heads off in the late 90s. Sounds great, but it didn't do much for me in my current non-tripping, non-90s situation. If more of the songs sounded like Inspection, I would have liked it a lot more. As it went, I just could not listen to the whole thing, or even close to it. Sorry Leftfield.

Really good electronic album that can sometimes feel a little long when taken all in one sitting. Despite the sometimes larger length of the songs, they were all mostly incredible and hooked me along with them.

인트로 진짜 좋은데 목소리 너무 안 어울려서 놀람

It’s fine for some atmospheric background music, but it’s too long to make a good active listen. 2.5/5

Seeing as I was a teen in the 80s, it is somewhat odd that electronic music has never really been my jam. This has changed over the last few years due to the influence of my son. Also, Interestingly, after going to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard gigs that feature an interlude of electronic versions of their tunes on Nathan, the synth table. Listening to this album with my freshly opened mind was enjoyable. There is something different about vibing to music like this. It puts my head in a zone where music is present, without being demanding in a good way. I can see how critics would describe this as boring, but I think it is just a different way to experience music. I’m sure if I was surrounded by sweaty people, amped up on ecstasy it would feel different still. Reading up on the history of the album being one of the first and most important records that captured the sounds of the dance music created in rave clubs. I have great respect for musicians who create new things, this is what makes great art. Not to pat myself on the back, but I think it is cool that even as a senior citizen, I’m capable of expanding my musical boundaries. Good for me.

Interesting.

Leftism is techtronica dance pop from Leftfield to all over the place. Great debut, and great idea having guest vocalists. Original and Inspection Check One are perfect examples and the lead tracks. Some of the tracks sound similar and run long by the end of the album, but very listenable. (3.76*s) Made me want to learn how to dance.

What is it with techno artists and long songs/albums? Didn't really need 7+ minute songs and 2 discs but I will say that this record is pretty dope for a 1995 release. The 1st half of disc 1 is too repetitive and dragged but once we get to "Space Shanty," it picks it up. The beats get more versatile and I like the Rasta/Afro vocal additions. Disc 2 could be a separate album...has a more chill vibe. With my decent electronica exposure over the years, I'm surprised I never heard of this duo. I can sense the influence this may have had on future acts. 2.8 stars for coming out of Leftfield.

Leftism starts off OK but overstays its welcome. I find this to be a common flaw of many of the electronic albums featured on this list. For many of unknown house/techno/electronica bands a couple songs are good to check out, but its hard to stay interested for an 70 minutes. The goes double for electronic albums that often feature 6-7 minute songs that are often built on repetitive beats. Once you hear a couple you are ready to move along but still have to sit through 5 more long length redundant songs. Leftism does a little bit to quell this by applying some mixed vocals throughout the album but it still adds up to a lackluster affair. Album length issues are an issue on electronic genres but I'm also seeing it be a pretty common problem on a lot 90's album releases. As the industry moved from records to compact discs it seems like album length trended toward more than an hour. I assume this was partially due to the extra length allowed on the medium as well as some artists trying to justify the premium price that CD's carried. Regardless, so many of these albums have a decent 30+ minutes but are seemingly stretched to include a handful of tracks that shouldn't have made the cut. As an industry trend I don't want to hold this against the artists but it's hard not to recognize so many examples where an album should have tightened it up. Leftism unfortunately fell into both of these traps so unfortunately it finished up to marginal results. I didn't outright dislike the music but there needed to be quite a bit of trimming on this one. 1.49 stars

Leftism is an album I have been recommended by a plethora of Electronic music fans and now that I have finally heard it I can definitely understand the hype, but I don't feel as strongly about it all thanks to a very underwhelming ending. This project is not your typical Electronic album and instead takes on the task of trying to sound like a meticulously planned out Progressive House set. For the most part is succeeds in that concept and sounds really wonderful as the tracks all flow into one another and the hype remains constant for the majority of the album. It is an intense yet another very spacious project that doesn't need your fullest attention as the Ambient elements are able to suffice my listening, but if you do focus shows off a lot of really sweet transitions. As much as I would love to praise this album further I do have to mention the crashing and burning this album does with the final borderline Noise track with 21st Century Poem. I have no idea what Leftfield was thinking here but that was not the way to end this project and really ruined everything this project had going for it. As much as I tried to enjoy it, even after listening to this album in full twice, I still couldn't get over how much of a kick to the balls it is for the listener. Really bummed to be hating on what would have easily been a great Electronic album, but I gotta keep it real and admit the truth about this album. Oh well, onto the next one I guess...

I can't really decide. I didn't super hate it, but didn't like it much either. I mean it's 90s electro....Open Up was cool and interesting, because Sex Pistol John Lydon features in it.

Made me wanna start mixing

Solid, love the song with John Lydon.

not like. the worst thing on this list. so that's a plus Would I listen again: yeah maybe Deserves to be on this list: feels like it 3.4

Interesting album, but i dont think i would give it another listen

Groovy, vibey 90s UK house music. Makes me feel nostalgic for a club scene I never got to participate in. Intense at times, relaxed at others. Great variety of guest vocalists. Favorite tracks: "Original", "Inspection (Check One)"

I much prefer 'Rhythm and stealth' release but this is a classic.

A fun and eclectic suprise, a wild mix of what felt like a new kind of old school electronic afro music it was a good time

Another house music album - this has be the 8-10th out of 350 albums so far…more than are needed. Pro: this was more varied and therefore less annoying than others. Con: this album was over 2 hours. 3/5

Nostalgia took me through it:)

Favourite Songs: Release The Pressure Afro-Left Song Of Life Original Space Shanty Storm 3000 Open Up

Straight out of the John digweed era of epic trance trance trance. A bit intense but such a good listen. Makes me wanna grow up in that era

Pretty chill and enjoyable, actually.

2, because the last track has nice melodies. For the rest of the thing, I guess I had to do drugs to enjoy that kind of music and I don't want to do drugs

Enjoyed this far more than I was expecting to. I imagine that with the right level of pharmaceutical enhancement this would go like a frog in a sock. But even with nothing more in the system than a menthol cough drop it's still really engaging. Not as good as, say, Massive Attack, but definitely a step up from Goldie. Just wants to get you on your feet and dancing and none the worse for that.

"afro left" is a banger.

I like it. It's a bit doof, doof, doof in parts but there's a sense of creativity here. They're taking influences from different parts of black culture and merging things together. Listenable.

It was an okay album. It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't necessarily bad. It was very electronic and techno-sounding. Not my cup of tea.

Great album

Blind album and artist. I think this albums constant beat gave me a headache.

This is fun to listen to in the background while working. But not something very interesting in my opinion

Guess it would be OK if I was in a club or wanted some background music.

The production is very crisp. There’s a cool range of sounds. Some of it is quite adjacent to Portishead, but it never manages to capture that same magic. The main issue I have is with how long this is. The more I listen to this list, the more I feel convinced that CDs ruined albums by allowing too much bloat.

House, trance, dance, rave, dub, electronica, techno, whatever you want to call it I liked it. The John Lyndon track 'Open Up' I played on repeat. 'Afro Left' I did not.

Haven't heard of them. The cover art is ugly so I assumed the music might not be too good. Well I forgot that I quite enjoy 90s electronic music lol. It was good 3/5

Probably the best electronic album so far. But they’ve all been mid.

I’d say that for its time, that sound was quite fresh. But today, to me, it sounds very dated.

I really liked this album and it's vibe. Some of the songs felt a bit long, but the music was on point.

Not bad for an electronic/house album. Doesn't drone on too much and has some variety. 3/5

Afro tecno house.....algunas estan bien. Otras son una mierda

I don’t hate it, but it is certainly not for me. 2/5

It's fun, but it's basically a club music, for which I am not really into

DJ beats or video game background tracks

It was great bacground muaic. I had to study while listening and it didn't bother me at all. But I probably couldn't listen to the whole album while not occupying my brain by other activities

I guess if I was doing X in London in the mid 90’s this would have been awesome. In the garage working in’s the truck, not so much.

Music that helps you think. I like it.

Та самая музыка которую слушал ваш знакомый "просветлённый" друг-укурыш в растянутом свитере с растрепанными волосами. 2 часа богом забытой британской электронной музыки, не, я все понимаю, но зачем это слушать я не совсем понимаю. Типа... i dont know man... Эти бесконечно тянущиеся треки общей длительностью В ДВА ЧАСА где ты слышишь первые 1-2 минуты развитие мелодии а потом бесконечно повторяемый луп до конца трека. И как бы я понимаю, это база для танцевальной музыки в целом, но слушать то это.. типа.. зачем?... Окей, ладно, не все треки здесь такие, есть весьма интересные идеи и мелодии. Трек с Джонни Гнилым любопытен хотя бы тем фактом что это Джонни. А так..

I feel like a bit of an arrogant American when I bump up against really mediocre British albums on this list, feeling like the book author is biased and not objective at all. I probably would do the same having limited exposure to music from outside the US… but I digress. This was one of those really mediocre British albums that don’t deserve to be on this list. Nothing special electronica. (2)

I’m not really a house music guy but I appreciate what this is. My favorite track is probably “Original”. Sitting down for the full 2 hour experience (I listened to the 2000 re-release) is a bit grueling- a lot of songs overstay their welcome but because it’s dance music that’s more of an issue of context than of quality. This isn’t for me but I wouldn’t object to hearing tracks off this album at a party or something.

Really neat! Favorite tracks were "Release the Pressure", "Melt", "Original", "Inspection", and "Open Up"!

This is exactly what I'm here for, I had no expectations for this weird band I've never heard of before and boy was I blown away. The variety and the flow of this whole album is so good and I will absolutely listen to it again

Woo prog house

I would have gotten down to this back in the day.

I feel like I'm in a world music rave while listening to this.

Lengthier electronic house- like tracks that also pull from dub and tribally music as much as acidy dance music. I found aspects of this pleasing, just a consistent thumping with strong beats and squelchy sounds. Still, I’d need a bit more time to dissect this to figure out how into it I really am, but had a decent first listening experience.

Great vibey album. Not generally a dance music fan but loved how different each track was without losing the theme.

1. "Original" 2. "Release the Pressure" 3. "Storm 3000"

Electronica / House music. Early impression was poor but I became more interested as the album progressed. Reminiscent of Ambassadors Of Funk, The Prodigy, etc throughout. I can understand how this album could have made a big impression at the time. Generally the album was good and held my attention. Top tracks: Song Of Life, Storm 3000.

must listen if you love electronic music

It was pretty good. The Wiki makes some comparisons to Dummy by Portishead. I don't think this album was as good, but not bad by any means.

A solid EDM album. The write ups kept saying it was passed over for various accolades by Massive Attack "Dummy", as if this was better. This was good, but Dummy was the better album in my opinion. A lot going on here but it lacked a cohesive album feel. It was more a collection of good tracks.

# Album Name: Leftism # Artist: Leftfield # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: I enjoy electronic / dance music but i found this very bland to be honest. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No

Unfortunately the genre isn't for me but I can appreciate it for what it is. Decent music to work to but I wouldn't listen to this again.

Eh

Eh, not my type

Def some of the finer chillfi I've encountered, so points for merit. This will serve no purpose for some listeners, so I can't give a 5 in good conscience. Still, pleasantly surprised. This restored a bit of my faith in this exercise - here's one of a small handful of releases I've never even heard of, that has now been added to my Tidal library. 4/5

Overall: 2/10 This type of music needs to leave me and future generations of my family alone for the rest of eternity. Fav Song: Melt

This one surpassed my expectations, especially given that it is ANOTHER English electronic album on this list

I hope they are playing this in the day room of the nursing home when I get there in 40 years time.

I was digging the afro-electronic vibe it gave me, but like a lot of electronic albums, the music drags longer than it needs to and it more repetitive that makes for a comfortable listen. This type if music fits better in the background of a dance club. Not for me.

Pretty cool, Tulum beach club music type of vibe. Nice to listen to and zone out

Don't know what to think about it

meh

Not my speed

Very dance oriented and rhythmic which I like. One of the more enjoyable electronica albums that I’ve listened to

Review of "Leftism" by Leftfield "Leftism" by Leftfield is a captivating album that seamlessly blends electronic and rock elements. The melodies are rich and evocative, particularly tracks like "Open Up" and "Black Battle Cry." The album's standout moment for me was the way it reminded me of Frank Zappa's "Peaches in Regalia" with its intricate and playful instrumentation. Overall, "Leftism" is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys innovative and genre-defying music.

I like this it reminds me of the kind of house music that Joanie turned me onto around the millennium.

Incredible sound, super ahead of its time

Wow. Another Electronic Album. What are the chances…

Wasn’t expecting house when i saw that cover, but it’s groovy enough. Not usually much of a house guy, but this was ok.

Not sure why I would need to listen to this.

Decidedly inessential.

esto q es

I enjoyed this album. It was great to listen to while I worked.

3.5

I had kinda forgotten about this one, but I really enjoyed revisiting it. Like most electronic albums it's a bit too long, but it's rare for electronic acts to produce albums with such little filler. I love how there's a broad range of styles, but also a core sound that continues throughout the album. Good guest vocals too, although would've been nice to see a couple more (tough ask for a debut). I was surprised to see they released a 3rd and 4th album and are still performing. Might have to check out their more recent stuff.

Aw shit this takes me back. All night dancing at Palladium, Tunnel and Limelight. Strobe lights and fog machines. Ecstasy, platform shoes and tiny backpacks. I’ll meet you later in the VIP. Save me a bump.

Ambient. Nice enough, bit slow in places.

Some good moments on this. Overall though, it descended into background music for me. I think I attributed that down to the music not really taking any risks. Very doubtful I’ll revisit it.

This was fine, just not my preferred genre so I don't have much to say about it.

I mostly felt like I was just waiting for this album to be over. I didn't feel a connection to it and heard a lot of "waa, waa, waa, waap." I understand that it's a genre and maybe on a different day I would have enjoyed it more, but it mostly felt like meh. If it had been on the radio or a playlist, I would have skipped pretty much, if not all, of the songs on this album. It feels unfair to give this album a two, but I'm not sure it deserves a solid three. So the question is--which number does it get?

C'est qui le bozo qui veut écouter ça plus que 2-3 chansons???

Je dois m'ouvrir l'esprit et apprendre à ne pas détester le techno. Je dois m'ouvrir l'esprit et apprendre à ne pas détester le techno. Je dois m'ouvrir l'esprit et apprendre à ne pas détester le techno. okok je sais je me répète c'est le même créneau que Prodigy, mais ça peut faire la job mettons comme background pour faire quelque chose de productif. J'ai de la difficulté à trouver d'autres qualités artistiques. Mais l'Art a la propriété intéressante de très mal se définir.

C'est rough. Beaucoup de musique électronique toutes un peu de la même époque au UK on dirait. C'était probablement un époque foisonnante qui s'adressait à quelqu'un d'autre que moi. Ça m'épuise.

Fairly good album. Diverse sound

q carajos es esto. siento q completamente drogado se disfrutaría más. no es mí género, no me gusta

Don't have too much to say about this one. It's boring. Kinda annoying. Nothing sticks and I don't want to listen to it anymore. Wouldn't recommend. Sorry yawl. 4.0/10

Afro left is causing pants shaking I declare. Liking it a lot more than I expected. Weakness for dancy things.

The list is 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before you Die. To me, this implies that these albums have interesting musical or cultural significance that will be important for the listener to dissect and absorb from listening. This is yet another slickly produced album which contains none of that. It’s all droll, uninspired electronic music that most people have never heard of and even fewer will remember. It’s not a required listening experience by any means.

Je n'ai pas été emballé mais ça s'écoute pas trop mal, quoique un peu répétitif au bout d'un moment.

Je n’aurais jamais écouté par moi même et même un peu sceptique au début de l’album mais Afro Left m’a mis d’accord avec le genre

J’ai bien apprécié la première partie de l’album mais un peu de lassitude sur la fin, album que je n’écouterai que dans des cas extrêmement situationels

Every song goes on way longer than it needs to, would probably be better live

low 4.0 O disco não é tão consistente, dura um pouco mais que o necessário, mas ainda tem faixas freneticamente excitantes como Open Up, Original, Inspection e Song Of Life. Mesmo soando levemente datado, ainda diverte muito e é uma peça interessante do cenário de eletrônica dos anos 90.

Quite a pleasant listen, I am enjoying the progressive house sequences, but not so much that I want to hear it again. The John Lydon track was good

I recognize open up is a classic and features on a lot of mixes and compilations. To me it's just everything on this album is just so so electronic. It doesn't move me, I don't hate it or annoyed by it, but doesn't do anything for me

Really great! Lots of jams. 4/5

Que disco para volado, no es mi tipo de música pero tal vez con una quemada de trompa quedaría bien

Not terrible as far as electronic albums go. But not my type of thing.

Someone on here called this "Background music from a PS2 racing game" and that made me realise what it reminded of. It's PS1/2 demo disc menu music.

Yeah, I guess I would recommend this if my doctors office wanted much cooler hold music. That’s about it. Was this cooler in 1995? Unknown, I was not alive then. Season: Early Summer Favorite Song: Black Flute

Why doesn't every *other* progressive house outfit just make an album comprised entirely of nothing but note-perfect singles that build and breathe and release, with vocal performances (like Toni Halladay's and John Lydon's in particular) that mesh perfectly with the tone palettes being employed? Are they stupid?

Digger det meste på plata, men ikke alle låtene er like sterke. Oppfølgerplata Rhythm and Stealth er derimot en klink 5.

Fin kjøre/jobbe-musikk. Lurer på om æ e skikkelig fan av trip hop 🫣