Leftism

Can’t do it. “Peace and uuunnityyyy…” over a shitty backdrop of electro blah bullshit. No thanks. 1/5

This was a really good electronic album with some singing which mixed things up

Club music - good. Great use of backing horns and beat. 3.75/5

290/1089 - Cool production. Not really a fan of the songs. Mostly two chord vamps which don't really develop other than changing sounds a lot and adding/subtracting layers every 4 bars.

Really enjoyable mature album

Like many other electronic albums on this list, this album was not made for careful listening. This album is made for ambience, for parties, for background, but not to be heard in the forefront. The monotony just makes this album so hard to listen to. I can’t rate it a 1 because there’s some albums on here that are really offensive to the ears, and this sounded mostly good. It was just too repetitive, which is my personal critique most albums in this genre.

Ikke så verst, fikk ikke hørt alt. Men er nok viktig med rett modus!

Music was very interesting, but just not my vibe.

We are all dumber for having listened to this. May god have mercy on our souls.

Not a massive fan of this type of music, especially the vocals, but I do really like Original which has Toni Halliday vocals.

Have loved this album since release. Stand out tracks for me are Afro-left, Original, Inspection (Check One), and, of course, Open Up. The rest of the songs are pretty amazing too.

Slow electronic. I recognized “The Song of Life” from the Lara Croft Movie soundtrack.

decent

Great dance music.

103/1089 release the pressure is giving some solid macarena vibes very turn of the millenium futurism aesthetic Was thinking that this music was very specifically giving me Tomb Raider (2001) movie vibes and then i see that Song of Life from that very film is the next track and it just made sense. I can understand people not enjoying a full album of this type of music/finding it quite dated but it just really encapsulates a certain relaxing/nostalgic moment for me I think i prefer the first half of the album, it didn’t necessarily lose steam per se but i think there’s only so much ambient electronic 90s music I can remain interested in before i check out a bit. still solid though and nice as background music faves: Black Flute, Song of Life 65/100

This is so far from what I would ever listen to on my own, which is something I like about this Project. It reminds me of something a schoolmate would play during a college study sesh. I don’t know how to handle it. C-grade.

Thought this was a solid gateway into a genre/subculture I know nothing about. May have investigated further in a different stage of life

I’m not super into the casual listening of house music, so this one wasn’t for me. Much preferred the ambient electronic tracks to the thump-thump house tracks. Still cool to listen to some vintage house music and learn more about its origins. Will probably not listen again, but may recommend to friends who are fans of the genre.

Okay but not for me

Fresh change from all the 70s-80s guitar solos. Iconic dance music, sound of a different generation. Will have lost relevance for some but even though it was never my scene I enjoyed this one a lot.

Great while doing a workout

Added this to my Coding playlist

1995 EDM. Immursive grooves and dance hits that got me moving. Amazing samples with a drum beat shared by the Beastie Boys. 5/5

pretty cool electronica. think it shined when it didn’t have any vocals

Pretty good and a lot of house music on this list sucks so I like that

Cut the length of every song in half and remove all vocals and then we’re talkin.

I do hazily remember Leftfield as the music to come down with (with a touch of Primal Scream in the mix of course). It's still a worthy album with nots of interesting sounds and layers - I've enjoyed the Thursday afternoon time travel to the early 1990s !

interesting dance music

For an EDM album, this wasn't half bad

Where do I know this from? Does it just sound like the rest of the Hackers soundtrack? or is it actually there?

i bet tyres from spaced loves this

Undeniably good, soulful electronic music that feels analog

Decent trance-y type stuff

They had woke albums in the 90s smh my head. I didn’t expect to enjoy this this much. I’m generally not a fan of electronic music. It very rarely hits the vibe I’m looking for, but this one did just that. This album is 70 minutes long, but it’s so tightly packed with catchy beats and satisfying sound design that it is still engaging even towards the end. And this atmosphere that somehow feels tribal and futuristic and the same time is so nice. Yeah, great album, very enjoyable.

Must hear before I due? Nah. But definitely not the worst on this project.

Some fun moments, but overall pretty boring and waaay too long.

Someone said this was like a 90s racing game soundtrack but that would have been an upgrade.

Not really my style... not that bad though

I didn't love how it started, but there were a couple of songs (like Afro Left and Space Shanty) that really vibed with me. This is the first electronic music album I've gotten too, and considering how much of the music I normally listen to derives from electronic music, I think it's important to remark on its legacy. There are a lot of techniques used in this album that I still hear very often. Overall an enjoyable listen, though some songs bothered me a little more.

Did nothing for me

One of my faves.

A masterpiece!

Outstanding album. Though Rhythm and Stealth may top it

Brilliant album.

Uważam że ten album jest ciekawy i interesujący mimo wszystko każdy utwór jest inny od pozostałych

I was already done with this after hearing the first couple songs

i feel like i would have enjoyed this one a lot more in a different mindset. unfortunately i just felt anxious the entire listen. love 90s house usually but something about the density and atmosphere just didn’t land. 2.5/5

day 8: heard this one once before a number of years ago, don’t think i thought too much of it. super heavy reggae tones with a classic 90s bristol trip hop/big beat sound, mixed with a rave-focused backdrop. original is always going to sound timeless, seems like rest of the songs all fall a little flatter. i enjoy house music the most in an album-listening style (chemical bros, daft punk, fatboy slim, prodigy all have fantastic examples), but unfortunately i don’t quite get the drive to hear what the next song has to offer. the second half actually picks up a fair bit more with inspection (check one) and open up, both really standing out. would give this one more of a 2 however the 3 songs i like i think are really really great.

3,6 - Perfekt zum nebenbei arbeiten oder entspannen. Kein dröhnender Techno, sondern schön entspannt und angenehm Highlights: Afro-Left, Space Shanty

I needed to be high to truly enjoy this, but I get where it’s coming from.

It's another one of those iconic albums that falls under the genuine classic album category. The reason is simple: it's well crafted, highly listenable, timeless music.

Nit enougth stars

An absolute masterpiece, seemingly and inexplicably under-appreciated given the low average rating. Still sounds fresh after 30 years.

I love the range of different styles and samples, brought along with those driving drums. This was such a solid, consistent album and was always great to hear when on a night out in the nineties.

I'm not overly familiar with Leftfield, apart from tracks on various movies, and hadn't heard this album before. It's very good, but would probably need more familiar to give it a 5.

I give a lot of crap to electronica, but honestly this one got me moving and there is just enough vocal work to keep things interesting. I liked it--might be a 3.5.

Left field is accurate. That's where this is from. A bit electronic/funky for my liking.

It was okay ... But it is EDM and British ... so 2 stars

Excellent

Combining Afrofuturism with trip hop and very danceable dub and reggae inspired beats, this is probably one of the best dance albums of the 90s. I was initially drawn to the song Open Up featuring John Lyndon as a magnificently sneering guest vocalist, but there’s lots more to enjoy here. I particularly like the way that tracks like Release the Pressure and Afro Left build up into dance floor fillers. The production is immaculate and sounds great both on headphones and bass heavy speakers. Easy five stars from me!

I did not know what to expect, but I somehow did not expected this. I never heard of them before, but this mixture of dub, trip hop, and dance, is really good. I regret I didn't discover it when I was younger, there are great tunes to party on this.

This was fine. A bit boring, but fine.

That's not my taste in music - But ok

I don't know enough to comment on it's quality. It all kind of sounds the same to me. It was pleasant work music.

Bien que je sois un fan d’électro, trop champ gauche pour moi.

Grew on me more and more. 4.

Just not my thing

Okay, this was a weird experience. Electronica itself is a fun genre for me, but this just gave PS2/PSP peak vibes. I felt like either I was racing or stuck in the world of Danganronpa. A very confusing, but not disappointing experience.

A bit repetitive with the sound effects but it was pretty fun

Not for dedicated listening

Certamente um álbum. Sei lá, não tenho muito o que dizer. Não é ruim e nem ofensivo, mas não deixa uma impressão tão forte assim. Entra por um ouvido e sai por outro. Não é o primeiro disco assim que peguei na lista, e certamente não será o último, mas é claro, em 1001+ álbuns nem todo será um Revolver ou um London Calling. O que rola aqui é uma sonoridade até que legal. Música eletrônica britânica não tem erro, só pensar em New Order e já era. Wikipedia diz que este é um disco de “prog-house”, mas eu discordo plenamente. Não senti o prog, e achei o house bem fraco. Mas não vou mentir que as ambientações sonoras construídas aqui são em larga parte interessantes. Vale a pena conferir, dar uma ouvida, talvez você até salve uma faixa ou outra. Eu particularmente não salvei nenhuma. A duração é longa mas não incomoda tanto assim porque, como eu já disse, o som entra por um ouvido e sai pelo outro. De certa forma, fez o tempo passar rápido, e isso é até que positivo de certa maneira. Queria dizer mais, mas não há. Queria que o disco tivesse defeitos mais salientes, mas não há. Então fica por isso. Bem mediano. Middle of the road total. 3/5

it was fine. Probably amazing in the 90s! But with how far that genre has come since then, it just sounds dated and doesn't really have anything to contribute in 2025.

I love the sound of the Roland sequencers and drum machines.

Listened Before? N Usually house music isn't really my thing, but this was less repetitive and more cohesive than most I've heard. It was a decent listen. Plus - who doesn't love some Johnny Rotten? Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Open Up

This album started with such a great ambient intro, but then it turned into a house track that got me expecting the Macarena track to start playing at any moment. The rest of the album is just fine. I think the first half is the weaker side, and the second half plays it safer, so I could stand it way more. The main problem with it is its length. The avarage song lenght is about 5 minutes, and they tend to get repetitive due to the ideas not being very interesting. For a genre such as House and Trance in which repetition is key, it is vital that those ideas can be played over and over again without feeling exhausting. If I'm not giving it 2 stars, is thanks to how great and clean the production is and me not being as bothered about it as it may seems I was. I wouldn't mind it having as background, but there's so much better techno music out there that I don't think I'll return to this.

I am not going to do my UK electronica rant this time, but just let it be known that I think there are WAY too many of these albums on this list, and they are always WAY too long, and not that interesting. Compared to all of the other electronic UK albums I've gotten this one is probably my favorite. It sounds the most like an actually complete project, it even reminds me of Massive Attack at some parts and has the same Incredible Bomgo Band sample. However, like every other UK Electronica album this needs to be trimmed, also the second half just kinda becomes generic. Mid 3.

Didn't know what to make of it to be honest. It had me intrigued in parts and then I lost interest in some of the 6+ minite songs

Interesting house album

Bomb ass techno music

6/10

not my thing

De la house tribale bien sympa, quelques perles, mais la musique électronique m'est un peu trop étrangère encore

3.5

I’m a BIG FAN of EDM. I loved this Album gets my blood pumping and my Big Toe a tapping

Fantastic album have listened to it many times

Like many albums in this challenge, it's very of the time. That's not always a fault, and it's not one here. However, after listening to the original track listing of the album I don't think that this specific album necessarily needs to be in this challenge.

Interesting enough but not particularly distinctive from other artists in this genre. Not sure why this particular album is a “must listen”.

I haven’t listened to this all the way through since it came out when I was a student in the 90s and this kind of thing was de rigueur, especially in the wee small hours. It was never really my kind of thing - I’d have been more likely to reach for the Orb or Future Sound of London to scratch whatever itch it is this scratches, but I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed it this time round. While some of it drifted past without me really noticing (Melt, for example), other tracks really drew me in, especially the Afro influenced ones. Open Up is the obvious biggy - I’ve seen John Lydon perform it live with PiL and it still sounds great - and Original was nice to hear again even if it now sounds like something from a TV ad. The album as a whole sounds very much of its time though. It was fun to hear it again, I almost felt nostalgic for a period of my life I don’t miss at all, but it’s still not something I’ll find myself reaching for.

Off the cuff remark: a long way from what I was listening to and involved in at the time which is part of the reason this completely passed me by at the time so interesting to listen to now and very likely a blueprint for a whole slew of records which I must admit I probably didn't like at the time. What this has going for it, especially early on is just how eclectic it is and I like the range of influences in it. Standout track: I particularly like Melt and Release the Pressure. In many ways Open Up is a disappointment as other than John Lydons distinctive vocals it is probably the least interesting (except Black Flute whis is a bt of a dirge) Revisit?: surprising myself by saying yes I will

No me ha gustado nada

*1995. English electronic. *This is so not my genre, but I guess this is better than most for what it is. Maybe? *Would be fitting for a video game soundtrack, but otherwise no good application for this. *The vocals were like a non-English rap (couldn't really tell what language). RATING - 3/10

Continues on relentlessly, some songs could be decent in isolation but listening to it for an hour solid is just too much 2.5*

4- Stars (10/15)

Not as big as Rhythm and Stealth for me, still amazing

What an album. Mixing Afro beats with dub, uplifting trance and hard techno, Leftfism was such an iconic album. Release the Pressure, Song of Life, Inspection, Original, Afro-Left and the anarchic, sneer laced Open Up (with John Lydon before he became a butter advertising, stuck up arsehole) the whole album is just perfect. I’d give this so much more than 5 stars.

Fav: Open Up Least Fav: Afro Left Open Up is such a tune. All of these songs are definitely danceable but I wish more of them had that staying power Open Up and Original have

3,5

Good flow. Enjoyable songs. Would listen to again.

Pretty fun. The vocals were hit and miss, but the throbbing baselines made me want to jump up and dance for sure.

My gripe with this album is that its a typical victim of the 90’s, lots of songs are 7 minutes but don’t earn that runtime whatsoever, I’m glad it lost to portishead at the mercury prize

Its like fine. Okay I guess. Before you die? No. When you need to hack into the mainframe and have unlimited mountain dew delivered to your house in the late 1990's teen comedy movie. Yes.

I get it. It's early uhnz-uhnz. It's danceable for white folks if you're on enough molly. Some interesting loops here and there, but it's like "Study Beats Playlist 12" except half the tracks are 7+' long. So, fine.

I don't think I'll listen to all of it. After the first 2 songs, im realizing I never really loved that style of music. A little too EDM for me.

I found it to be good background music. I also think John Lydon could make some good music doing this type of techno; it would definitely be a change of pace. But ultimately, like all of this electronica, the songs go on for too long for me. It wasn't bad, but it is just not my thing. Probably right dead center for me, a 2.5, which rounds to a 3. Top tracks: "Open Up," "Afro Left"

I kind of enjoyed it on first listen - I was thinking this was house music I really liked. But after playing it 3 or 4 times, I found myself sick of it. So maybe it was close to a 4 at one point but that's a sign it's a 3 at best. Favorites were Release the Pressure, Melt, Song of Life, Space Shanty, and Open Up.

Expected not to like this based on the seriously over-the-top gushing review in the book. The reviewer made it sound like the most important album ever in the UK dance scene, a genre I'm not all that keen on in the first place. It didn't help that the first two tracks, while generally catchy, had some moments that I really disliked. Once past those first two tracks, though, I found myself pleasantly surprised. Dark synth grooves, interesting mashups of African and reggae styles, and then throw in the singers from Curve and the Sex Pistols and you've got a cool-sounding album. Works best as background music, but I'd put it on in the background again. Favorite tracks: Melt, Song of Life, Space Shanty, Open Up (w/ John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten).

ok album. Not sure why it made the list of "must hear" music though

There was one song I went "hell yeah" for. I think it was Inspection

Electronic albums and being way too long; name a better combo.

Nothing of this is truly special or something I needed to hear. It was however quite chill on the saturday morning, so not too bad!

Fine. It’s telling that I looked up and thought “I like this song” and saw that Spotify just started playing something else after this album ended.

Not for me, but I can tell that it is very high quality

The first minute or so sounded like some cool electronic ambient stuff from the 70s and I was REALLY into it. Maybe I should read the wiki first instead of diving blindly into albums. Anyways, after getting over the tiniest bit of disappointment that its 90s EDM instead, I was quickly back to enjoying it. The beats would seem repetitive, but the subtle changes, the slow addition and fading of instrumental elements made it ever-changing and fresh, and I couldn't help but relisten to some tracks immediately after finishing them. she (me) should be at the club!!!!!! Favs: Song of Life; Open Up; Original; Release the Pressure; Space Shanty;

Techno seems like such a catchall generic term for any type of electronic music with dancey elements. I know there are so many other terms to use such as Electronica, or as the wiki says Progressive House. I'm no expert so I'll just call it Techno. That's what we did in the 90's This sounds like rave music. This sounds like the background music for a seedy "alternative" club from a 90's movie. A club where the white guys have 'locs and everyone is adorned in leather. This sounds like a lot of other techno I've heard in my life. But I do not know if this was the a watershed album of techno, as ion the was the original influencer, or if this was just another techno album that sounded like the rest. For what it's worth I enjoyed giving it a spin. The back half was better than the first I'd say, and hey John Lydon! (or if you prefer, Ugh John Lydon!)

Thought I would hate it but rather liked it. Kinda reminded me of the music they would play in 90s laser tag places

Really, really good.

Leftfield is someone who I need to be in the right mood for but it hits well when it does hit. Getting in a Wipeout mood for this one, but I do find myself listening to Rhythm and Stealth more. A few more listens would be good to dig into this. Highlight: Open Up

Not really my thing. This falls in the category of electronic/dance music I just don't enjoy very much.

average techno-y album. decent background music, but I don't see actively seeking this album again.

Not my thing

Aside from "Burn Hollywood, Burn", this album is completely forgettable.

Favorite Track: Original

This is a seriously good album that passed me by originally. Beautiful beats and layers, genre melding and being way ahead of its time in many ways. It reminded me of so many albums that followed it

This was a great progressive house album for 90s dance music. It has breakbeats mixed in, but what really sets it apart from a lot of other records in the genre is the dub influenced soundscape, which gives it an ambient, atmospheric feel while still keeping a tempo that works perfectly on the dance floor. What’s crazy is that I always expected Leftfield to be a drum and bass group. I’ve known about them since the late 90s, and every time I saw their name, I just mentally lumped them in with that scene. Turns out they’re progressive house, and honestly, that’s even better.

Don’t know why everybody’s complaining about this one – it’s actually pretty good! Sure, it’s not exactly the kind of album that’ll make you want to dust off your disco shoes, but it works as a solid introduction to EDM in general because it blends – and bends – so many different genres: drum & bass (Storm 3000), tribal (Space Shanty), ambient (Melt), among others.

i kept zoning out and when id zone back in, the same repetitive song was going on - this was unnecessarily long

Interesting sounds. Not really interested in pursuing much further

Intressant ny bekantskap

Incredibly boring, lack of anything exciting and is pure shitty background music. I could have lived my life without learning about the existence of this album. Truly a tough listen.

Was ok background music, caught a few oakenfold type vibes in there

I really liked this. This felt like quintessential electronica, but was also super creative. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

atmospheric, a little boring at times. didnt enjoy this as much as other albums in similar genres but it was good.

Thumpy and Zingy. Where does it go ?

-1 star for the vocals throughout. With no vocals, it’d be a 4

This feels isolating, even alienating, but it also kind of shuts your brain down, in a not-unpleasant way. I expected to dislike this, but it made me think more about electronic music and overall it could have been worse.

Man, I usually like electronic music, but this did nothing for me. There's a lot more interesting music in the genre. Wouldn't revisit this one. Probably need drugs to enjoy. I was initially going to give this two stars, then I saw I was only halfway through the album. Yikes!

Not for me

Sounds like the preset tracks for when you used to download a mp3 player for your PC in the 90's.

Not really into dance music

Not for me

Eh

Não sou de julgar o livro (ou o álbum) pela capa, mas quando vi essa horrorosa, já sabia que não ia gostar, o que foi confirmado depois de algumas músicas.

Tracks range from annoying to somewhat tolerable.

A couple songs worth bopping to but the rest I zoned out of.

You had me at leftism, but why? Might as well have been conservativism. Okay for background, but otherwise not my tea.

I feel like if you’re not in the Club, then you’re not ‘in the club’. I was never really a fan and If it wasn’t for Open Up, this would be tedious or just non-impactful background noise. But Open Up is just as fresh and fantastic now as when it was released and a classic that doesn’t only have to be appreciated on a dance floor. That track alone lifts the album out of the doldrums.

Son of a bitch, I’ve been broken! I spent the hour while this album played bouncing around as I worked in the office today. I literally caught myself dancing in my seat more than once and couldn’t believe I was genuinely into the music.

This started out better than I thought it would. The world-music elements made it more interesting than most electronica albums. But then it settled into the usual repetitive dance thing and and I mostly lost interest. The last song was pretty good, though.

Blown away and excited to find a new band that hits my groove. I just loved this.

My techno eays are long behind me!

El que empezara sonando como la Macarena me hizo sospechar un poco. Pero el siguiente tema (Afro Left) hizo que la sospecha se convirtiera en una sorpresa de las buenas. Techno intenso pero melódico, con una voz recitando algo que parece samba en algún idioma africano y, a veces, combinado con instrumentos y ritmos también africanos. Desde luego, más ecléctico imposible y, sorprendentemente, funciona. El resto del álbum no es tan diverso, aunque casi. Sigue habiendo una mezcla muy interesante de estilos: trance, dance, breakbeat y una atmósfera rápida, casi industrial a ratos, con unos graves muy marcados y muy de rave en general. Un álbum adelantado a su tiempo y que seguramente seguiría sonando actual en muchos festivales a día de hoy. Pues lo de siempre: la electrónica no es lo mío, pero puedo apreciar la calidad y la importancia de este álbum. De momento, ha sido de los álbumes de este estilo que más me han gustado.

Open Up is an absolute banger But dear god there was some tedious stuff around that.

At this point, I assume every album I am going to get will be electronica/house/dance. This is the 4th instrumental/dance album out of the last 6 days. Everything I said about the previous album(s), the inability of to determine why this album should be in the book and the songs are mostly 5+ minutes, goes for this one as well. How is this different from the 125 other records from the 90's where there is dance/electronica? I don't see it. Please make this stop.

It was really good and had different electronic and R&B aspects to it. It was a slow start but a glorious ending.

3.2 Sounding a little dated but listenable for sure

Techno dance - lots of beats, lots of creative noises, some lyrics thrown in but I’m honestly reaching for why it would be so lauded. Nothing of consequence.

I enjoyed this one.

Enjoyed the good parts of this a lot, almost 5 stars but a bit bloated in parts.

point0.

Ein Meilenstein der elektronischen Musik, Leftism ist die brillante Metamorphose von Sythirock-Elementen hin zu hypnotischem Techno-Trance. Leftfield gelingt hier ein genreübergreifendes Meisterwerk, das sowohl klanglich als auch emotional tief beeindruckt. Die Tracks pulsieren zwischen treibenden Beats, atmosphärischen Flächen und überraschenden Dub- und House-Einflüssen – stets mit einem organischen Flow, der nie ins Beliebige abdriftet. Besonders hervorzuheben ist die Vielschichtigkeit: Jeder Song erzählt eine eigene Geschichte, getragen von Gastvokalisten wie Toni Halliday oder John Lydon, die dem Album zusätzliche Tiefe verleihen. Leftism ist nicht nur ein Album, sondern ein Erlebnis – visionär, kompromisslos und zeitlos. Ein Klassiker, der auch heute noch klingt wie die Zukunft.

fine, decent, nothing interesting, good background beats, but nothing i'd return to. didn't feel compelled to finish the album.

Back to back 90's Dance Hall music, feel more or less the same on Leftism as I did Baement Jaxx. Feels like I'm watching Gone In 60 Seconds. 3/5

Bit repetitive for me but could see it working well in a club serting.

Hooooooly crapfest man. Jesus Christ. I always really reeeeeeeally try to give each album a chance. Give them their due. And I was seriously close to liking this at times. When you eventually settle into the groove, and you see some girl strutting exactly with the beat outside the window of the bus, like, hell yeah man. But damn those moments are rare. I am not a raver. I do not like listening to 2+ hours of the Apple Logic Rave Preset Starter Pack. Fave songs: - Song of Life - Open Up But also all of this sounds the same man, let’s be real

Medium Attack. Generic, predictable house music. Not interesting enough to hate. Why must I listen to this before I die?

Lo raro de este reto es darse cuenta que discos de esta lista son parecidos a otras cosas probablemente porque fueron influenciadas por estos discos. En este caso sentí que estaba escuchando un proto-Safri Duo a ratos. Definitivamente para escucharlo con audifonos, tomando harto cafecito y programando.

mi primer 1/5

Fun.

While I did not mind the music and mix, I did not care for the vocals or lyrics. No group/person in this genre of music sticks out to me. I like an occasional song and then I move on. This was nothing that I had not already heard from The Art of Noise or Tangerine Dream or Vangelis.

An example of being completely mid, and made even worse by running too long at over an hour in length. I gave up and went to do something else with only a few songs left because it had well overstayed its welcome by then.

I’m so excited to listen to all 1001 albums from the book “300 Good Albums, 4 Reggae Albums, 26 Albums of British People Copying Reggae, 40 Albums of 60’s Psychedelic Bullshit (18 of which are by the Byrds), 200 Forgettable Late-90’s Early-2000’s Brit Pop Albums, 10 Albums Representing the Entire History of Jazz, 150 Generic and Completely Inconsequential Techno Albums that the Author Danced to at a Rave When he was Young I Guess?, 101 Duran Duran Wannabes, and 170 Other Terrible Choices that Make You Want to Die”. What a good use of my time and energy! This was stupid and pointless. The first two songs sounded like “The Macarena”. It never really improved from there. A complete waste of time.

Not bad progressive house infused with dub, nice to have on in the background. However the songs are a bit long. High 3/5.

100% essential.

Ce qu'on appelait du techno dans les années 1990... pas très subtil ni varié

bouncing . dynamic. layered. nicely weird and haunting in places

I don’t know why this is on this list. Club/electronica in decent form for sure, but I don’t see how this could be influential to anyone

If you dig Techo and EDM this is probably a cornstone album 🤷🏿‍♂️ but a whole hour of this was a bit brutal. I can get down on any one of these tracks individually with a huge gap between the next time I hear another (like a few days). Like JP in Grandma's Boy said "You'd like it if you had robot ears." I don't and I don't. 3.1/10 120/1001

Finally some house music on the 1001 albums generator, let's go! It's really cool that this peaked at #3 on the UK Albums charts (unsurprisingly, it didn't even chart in the US when it was released there later in 1995). A poster child example of music that Europeans embraced long before Americans were able to wrap their heads around the genre. The album itself is enjoyable enough, and very good background listening at work. But compared to Underworld and Aphex Twin, my EDM ride or dies, none of these songs other than Melt (loved this one) got their hooks into me. Maybe that changes with future listens, but for now this is a solid 3, nothing more.

Wasn’t exciting enough on my commute to earn a crank up on the volume but I liked it well enough

Felt very mid, nothing particularly interesting or exciting about this one. I like house music but didn’t love this.

I liked listening to it at work but quietly. Maybe that’s how I like this genre - not on full blast.

Just because an album's full of bleeps and bloops doesn't mean I'll automatically like it! Thought this was mediocre and uninspired. No song was emotionally inspiring. This may have been the beginning of progressive house but it's really come a looong way since Leftfield as to become almost unrecognizable. But still giving it a 3 to boost the average group rating since I imagine this will get 1s and 2s :)

Well… not bad but not for me! The song Original was really good! It sounds like Massive Attack to me.

Honestly worst album by far, hated it.

Float electronics without words. Exactly what I needed for my focus afternoon

Just another elevtro-lounge album

pretty cool, not exactly my taste. 2 hours is a long time for ambient electronic music. nothing bad about it just not really my thing

Rather got into this

Outside of the hit single, "Original," these isn't much to write home about here. Plenty of other contemporary electronic artists (Moby, Daft Punk, Underworld, Orb, etc.) were making similar music for the primarily European club kid scene. Leftfield may have helped break the genre into the mainstream, but I don't hear it as a must-listen. Add a half-star for the outstanding album cover art.

I wasn't really in the mood for this today, so I may come back and revisit it again later.

Jungle 7/10

Onwijze Ericmuziek natuurlijk. Ik kende deze luitjes alleen omdat ze een keer een James Bond-muziekje van John Barry onherkenbaar geremixt hebben (Space march), en dit album is meer van dezelfde technodancetrance of wat het ook maar is. Het luistert op zich wel aardig weg, en ik wil hier best sympathie voor hebben maar het is allemaal zo ontzettend hetzelfde. Blab blab, hak hak, piep piep, en geen enkel nummer spring eruit of doet iets opvallends. Dus voortaan laat ik dit weer links liggen.

Eén van mijn favoriete albums, al heeft dat moeten groeien. De eerste keer voelde het soms als een samenraapsel van pingeltjes. Pas later kwam ik er meer in en ervaarde het het geheel. Er zit een tegenstrijdigheid in het album. Het voelt heel eentonig, terwijl elk nummer zijn eigen geluid of sfeer meeneemt. Daarbij helpt de inbreng van de verschillende artiesten. Het perfect samenbrengen van verschillende werelden is wellicht de sterkste kant van dit album. Nu het in de lijst komt, klik ik door naar wiki. Blijkt de zang van mijn favoriete nummer Open Up geleverd te zijn door meneertje Sex Pistols. Geinig, wist ik helemaal niet. De tekst heeft natuurlijk wel iets weg van een punk-tekst, maar muzikaal staat het mijlenver af van ander werk dat ik van hem ken. Al is het wel het ruigste wat op deze schijf staat. Soms moet je wijn leren drinken of kunst leren waarderen. Dat geldt ook voor dit album. Zet het eens vaker op en ontdek een juweeltje!

Relaxt kabbelende housemuziek. Ik heb het omdat Eric dit zo tof vind een paar keer geluisterd op verschillende dagen, maar het groeit niet echt bij me. Het is behoorlijk chill, springt nergens echt uit de band. Het ligt goed in het gehoor. Ik zou over een maand geen 1 nummer herkennen als dat het van dit album komt. Ergens kan dat een kracht zijn. Dan kun je elke liveset het anders laten klinken en het maakt niet uit, want het sfeertje blijft precies hetzelfde. Ondanks dat het een hitje mist, is het wel een soort van albumervaring. Zoals ik al zeg, een liveset kan elke keer anders zijn, maar dat maakt niet uit, want je zit er wel al snel lekker in. Ik rond de 3,5 ster af naar een 4, vanwege die albumervaring, want meestal staan albums voornamelijk in deze lijst vanwege een bekend nummer. En het sterke is, dat dit album blijkbaar geen (bij mij) bekend nummer nodig heeft.

Got the CD for my 18th birthday so have great memories of this album and that year. It does unfortunately sound a bit dated and sterile now - unlike say Underworld/ Orbital albums from same era that still bang today. As per other comments its dance music as chosen by someone who does not know dance music. I agree with Leftfields comments per the wikipedia that the album does not really hang together as tempo varies greatly between the tunes. Favourites Black Flute / Space Shanty. It should be a 3 but will give it a 4 for nostalgia.

Leftism I remember this being quite a big deal at school when it came out, but it passed me by then, I was too busy saving my pennies for Cast and Bluetones albums. I did buy the one after this, Rhythm & Stealth though, which had a few crackers; Dusted, Phat Planet (Guiness!), Africa Shox and Swords. Anyhow, I digress, and this is another great 90s electronic album alongside the Orbital albums we’ve had, but with a much more pronounced reggae/dub/ragga vibe, particularly on the opening track, Inspection and the typically performatively acerbic Lydon assisted Open Up. Release the Pressure is great, in a way that a song combining Earl Sixteen’s vocals, a techno beat, ragga piano and the Macarena shouldn’t necessarily be. Similar to the ragga vibes on Release the Pressure, Afro Left uses North African influences with an almost samba beat to build another very good track, followed by the Jazzy and ambient Melt, a great bit of sequencing after the first two tracks. Song of Life is great too, with its incorporation of the When The Levee Breaks beat as it pulses and builds. Although I like the Massive Attack feel of Original and the swarming synth sound of Black Flute and the Josh Wink-ness of Space Shanty, the middle of the album is a bit of a dip after the first four songs, and it’s nice to come back to the dubby ragga of Inspection before the excellent Open Up and then the gentle spaceyness of 21st Century Poem. It's one of those albums where you can focus and appreciate the production, the craft and the sound, or you can zone out and appreciate the overall feel, and again it's a good one to work to. It is a bit long though, 69 minutes is a lot for most albums, but particularly for ones in the electronic genre where it can be hard to create enough dissimilitude over such a long run time, which accounts for the dip in the middle, even though it is very well sequenced. Will definitely listen again, making it a solid 4. ⬅️🟩⬅️🟩 Playlist submission: Release the Pressure

I don't find it clinical as some Aphex Twin. I find it warm; it's like rave music but for vinyl. There's always a thread of melody running through - vocals, or dub bass, or synth. And there's a fusion of style that really works well, invokes tribal beats and transports you around the world. Mystical.

something you just have to be in the mood for.

Early fighting video game music. I did not eat the right drugs for breakfast for this.

There's nothing quite like some good old-fashioned doof doof bling bling.

I absolutely adore the Brit Beeps and Bloops from this era but Leftism is just one notch behind Underworld, The Orb and Orbital for me. Keep in mind that this is the opinion of somebody who's never taken a drug harder than caffeine, though.

This is the soundtrack to that little café you just slide into for a coffee to go when you’re on vacation. Volume is a little loud and you just want to leave as quickly as possible.

This was one of the rare cases where I got an album that I thought I would really like, but it turned out to be a bit of a dud. "Open Up" is fantastic, but everything else was a chore to listen to. Much of the music on this album has aged like old milk.

Not bad house/techno. Favorite songs: Inspection (Check One), Space Shanty, Black Flute, Afro Left, Release the Pressure Least favorite songs: 21st Century Poem 3/5

sorry i wasnt in the mood for this kind of music

Nope

bri'ish raves 6/10

This was quite a boring album sorry

Repetative

Dear album generator, I am a patient man. But one more ALBUM OF EXTREMELY INFLUENTIAL ELECTRONICA FROM THE NINETIES AND I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING REGRETTABLE. Yours truly.

The opening track, Release the Pressure, started and I thought 'ooh, this is good', then seven minutes later I thought 'is this still going?' Essentially, if this album was shorter, it would have got an extra star.

The repetitive, hypnotic beats from this 90s-era electronic album make for great background music.

Look, usually I don’t like long electronic albums that sound repetitive. There is no but. 2/5

6/10, fun but unremarkable

The album sounds like electronic music from an alternate future. I couldn't tell when one track ends and another begins. The drum and bass sessions remind me of Prodigy, Propeller Heads, and some of Daft Punk. It's music that you can put in a lounge, but also when you want to take a relaxing drive at night.

Was fine, probably wouldn't listen again except for background music while doing something else. Afro Left was pretty good tho. Best song: Afro Left Notable(s): None

"Hello! This is Mega Company, Inc. Your call is important to us. All of our agents are busy assisting other customers. Your call will be answered in the order it was received. Thank you for your patience." And then this music starts playing. Maybe I could relate to it if I enjoyed dancing. But, I don't. This is just bad elevator music to me. Insipid, boring, uninspired, repetitive, mind-numbing...I could go on. This is the first album I couldn't make it through. Life is too short!

Good. Original helps having Toni Haliday and that voice of hers purring through. I like Lyndon’s contribution too on Open Up. Some draggy bits too though.

kind of a banger

All these electronic albums from the 90s are so dated. More dated than anything else this list keeps churning out. Please stop.

how funny, just the other day i was saying, you know what this 1001 list needs more of? 90s british electronica thats 2 hours long

What a show, it brought back the energy I thought I didn't have to enjoy such a vibrant album! You feel like moving to the sound of every beat... and it never stops, it's always pumping!

3.1 1x

Started off nicely, but overall 90s electronic music is too overwhelming after few songs. Feels like I'm spending my time just waiting for the track to end. Not a greatest feeling, but Leftfield still might be enjoyable in small batches.

Elektronisk musik som funkar bra. Träffar rätt för mig. Sången är det sämsta dock. Men grymt överlag.

Aldrig hört eller hört talas om tidigare. Lider möjligen av att vara lite väl tidstypisk och även om det finns annat elektroniskt som jag skulle valt före denna på en sådan här lista så tycker jag att det var en bra och framförallt extremt välproducerad skiva.

I never get to run Central Park, but today I did. It’s a special privilege to do that. This album almost ruined that experience. Bad stuff. Take it off the list.

It's alright. Probably won't listen again, not the type of electronic music I enjoy.

What if we made a dance album but we didn’t make it fun

It was alright. I pet it play in the background as study music. Nothing too exciting.

not too exciting

4 stars

Interesting listen, historically I get the importance. Overall enjoyable but nothing really grabbed me, probably won't revist.

Its ok. Def not something one would need to listen to.

Electronica is not my thing. This reminded me of music I might hear in the original Blade Runner movie. And while that would normally be a good thing, this just sounded dated.

Not my style and not much to grab onto here

Was dreading this but it was pretty good! A nice soundtrack while walking around the city

This is bad, typical Euro house - didn't even finish way too long

As electroinca goes, it's better than a lot of it.

Obviously, this us beautifully produced. And damn does it have a ton of bangers. But this felt like an eternal album. Just soooo fucking longggggg. I have no clue why I give Roni Size / Reprazent the benefit of the doubt but no other electronic act gets that. Oh well. Pretty great album, but not quite a 5 for me

not bad for dance music

dance album. like not love

Just not my thing at all. I don't even know what brand of music it is... Just lots of ambience with reggae/dub vocally bits?

As far as electronics goes this wasn’t terrible. Just not my thing. 2.85

Classic British dance album full of anthems. Sounds better now than it did then. Song of Life is the standout track for me

Goddamn, these guys give KLF a good run for their money. 10/10

This album fits somewhere between Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim. More industrial elements though, and some slightly trance-like notions, also reminicent of Orbital in some ways. It's decent, but not sure I love it. 3/5

Some nice songs. Tasty choices. Not my genre though and it feels long.

You can hang out with Basement Jaxx in the mid-rave music basket.

Very interesting and fun. Very accessible too. I'm not much of a techno, dance or electronica enthusiast, and I was jamming out in my car while I listened. If there's something to "understand" or feel on a deeper level, then it blew right by me, but I think that if I listen a few more times, then I'd really come to like this album.

Very good

Listened to this with a very sleepy mood, so i'm not really sure.

I can imagine this works very well in a club. But simply not my cup of tea.

Honestly? Meh.

More rave hypno stuff. Meh

No me gustó casi nada. Hay dos tracks cantados que están padres, especialmente el que se llama Origins. El resto del disco, una especie de electrónico de Senegal, me cansó y fastidió en su más de una hora de duración. Not a fan.

The first dance album on this list I enjoy! Don't know what that says about the author of it.

This was very enjoyable

Honestly, not sure why this album was on this list. I thought it was fine, and enjoyable enough listen in the background, but definitely not anything. I’m coming back to anytime soon. I’m guessing maybe it was revolutionary back when it came out, influenced people? But there’s nothing that stood out for this album that made me want to go back and give it another shot, I’d say one out of five.

Nowadays this would just be EDM, but streets never forget the days of House music. There's a slew hard trancey bangers here, way too hard and trancey for an average Tuesday morning though....

I made it through two-thirds of Leftism (split across 2 days) and what had me chair-bopping yesterday feels a bit like water torture today. It's highly mood-dependent: if you're not in the exact right headspace, this album can go from hypnotic to hostage situation real quick. “Afro-Left” is a standout, all tribal rhythm and invented-language swagger—like scat singing with a subwoofer. And “Open Up” featuring Johnny Rotten? That’s just pure rave chaos with punk teeth. Bow down. The production is layered and sophisticated, but the sheer length and repetition can wear you down like techno erosion. I respect it. I even liked parts of it. But I’m gonna need a nap and some silence before I try to finish the last 40 minutes.

Still not a fan of this genre. Which is a little disappointing, since the name implied I might be pleasantly surprised. Like something coming at you out of …well, you know.

Interesting sounds from one song to the next, but this is definitely a 2.5 that I won’t intentionally listen to again.

Solid dance music album. If I were rating dance music albums only in comparison to others of its ilk, I'd likely rate this higher. But I rarely listen to dance music for fun (ever?) and I'm comparing to seemingly 1001 other genres. So 3.5* rounded down.

I’ve never been to a rave, I think you have to have been to a rave to like this.

Oh yeah. Now you're talking. An album quite eclectic in its references and collaborations; full of African and Caribbean rhythms and sounds, building on Detroit and Chicago's blueprints; but somehow unmistakably British. A singular vision, one of the best records of the 90s, imo. Brilliantly produced, thoughtfully sequenced, and choc full of bangers. It looks too long - but it doesn't feel like it. Rock solid on the headphones; flipping MASSIVE on a festival soundsystem. A 5 all day - one of the high watermarks of electronica.

It was fine, but I don’t think it belongs on the best albums of all time list.

Eh, not for me. These electronic albums are pretty tough not in the right setting. 2/5 Won’t listen again

1.5?

"Leftism" is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Leftfield. The Wiki-listed genre is progressive house although critics have said they use many other musical styles. I'd agree there. The album is a mixture of new tracks along with reworked versions of previous singles. Leftfield is Neil Barnes (production, keyboards, guitar, drum programming) and Paul Daley (production, keyboards, mixing). The album was well-received critically and hit #3 on the UK charts. A slow dreamy synth opens the fifth-album single "Release the Pressure." Earl Daley on vocals with a Jamaican accent stressing peace and unity. A bubbly beat changes to a dance beat. A previously-released single "Song of Life" is reworked. An ambient vibe eventually goes dance. Good song. Yankees Rupkina on guest vocals. Toni Halliday from the Curve takes over lead vocals "Original." A spacey synth with a bass beat. Outer space sounds. And bam! The beat kicks in and we're definitely in the house music category. The one and only John Lydon takes over the vocal helm on "Open Up." Hard synths and beats that work really with really well Lydon's voice as he screams "Burn Hollywood! Hollywood Burn!" This is more industrial than anything. I'd agree with the critics that this is a lot more than just house music; I heard ambient, hip hop, dance, trip hop, disco and industrial. And, I'm particularly weak in identifying those dance-category genres. Lots of creativity by the duo with the beats, synth sounds and guest singers. This album was nominated for the UK Mercury Prize in 1995 (lost to Portishead's "Dummy."). I can see why; it's a strong album and one that kept my attention.

I have a ton of nostalgia for this album which I bought and intensively devoured when it first came out. I'm not 100% sure I'd give it five stars if I came to it fresh today - it's not as good as, say, Massive Attack's best. But I greatly enjoyed the revisit, so five stars it is.

If you wanted to encapsulate this entire mediocre list into one album, this is it. British, 90s, not actually relevant. Awful cover art to boot. WTF

Yeah. Techno

A way better record than expected! This sound is en vogue again and Leftfield did a good job with Leftism.

Ah it's rave music! Well 90's rave music anyway. Here is the fun part about it, it's only fun when your at the rave some pills were taken and your dancing next to a beautiful woman who is in short shorts and a bikini top. Outside of that specific instance 90's rave music isn't worth listening to. If you listen to it in the car you will get a ticket or wreck and die. On a bike you think I can beat the train. Maybe try and listen while cleaning your house but your doing to miss some spots. It's fast noise with a rhythm. Sometimes people will repeat words in another language that you don't understand. I will say production wise it's good. It's not painful to listen to so that's nice.

Ok if I was at a nightclub or rave. No good for listening in the house or car.

Completely indifferent to this one. I didn't like or dislike it, it simply was. It did feel too long though, and I doubt I'd actively seek it out again in the future.

Just not my thing

A solid enjoyable dance record

No

Yeah this was p cool!! A lot of cool sounds that would be fit for a movie score

I love the house. First 2 tracks had me feeling giddy

this was awesome as fuck but basically I couldn't summarize it better than the top review on rateyourmusic Weed + Leftism = Divinity.

Enjoyed the beats. Not sure how many times I'll relisten to it but still some good tunes to start the day

Funky disco pinko commie!

Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🦈🪥🔊 Production (2017 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 📀⌛😐 Rating: 👈👈/5

okay-ish electronicr record

This was a surprise. Obviously only new Born Slippy. This was consistently banging and uplifting and great to work to. For the whole album.

Oh god. It's been going on for ages and I'm only on track 8 of 11. Some of these beats are catchy and head bopping, but then they don't do anything. Every so often a cool synth comes in, then it either stays there or goes away. But then every often a horrible snare will come in for a couple of bars, hit and miss I suppose. Some of it reminds me of guerilla by SFA only they use the good beats under an actual track with interesting instrumentation and real changes. Then on top of that each song is like 6/7 minutes long (although it feels longer) and the whole thing is like an hour and a bit. Just stop it. How, when nothing happens, can you justify everything lasting so bloody long? Oh, you used a sweep filter, cool, that will let us drag this same blip and hihat out for another 3 minutes. I don't even hate it, I just find the amount of time I've had to spend listening to it infuriating.

Totally fine background music

I love this era of electronic music and this album definitely belongs on the list. Every bit of it is infused with joy.

Love the beats, this list has been great for finding cool electronica music I’ve never heard before. Could have gone without the reggae parts though.

Leftism is a landmark in 90s electronic music—dark, pulsating, and built for both headphones and dancefloors. It blends house, dub, trance, and tribal rhythms into a sprawling, atmospheric journey that feels mechanical and human all at once. Tracks like Release the Pressure, Open Up, and Song of Life show just how wide Leftfield’s range is, while keeping the groove locked in tight. It’s a little long in places, and not every track hits with the same impact, but the overall vibe is immersive and ahead of its time. Even now, it sounds like the blueprint for much of what followed in progressive and big beat electronica. Not perfect, but a bold, bass-heavy classic that still holds up.

Kinda cool but after awhile it gets repetitive. that is the curse of so many of these mid-90s electronic instrumental albums.

2,5

The 90s attempts to replace rock albums with dance music albums don’t really hold up, but this is one of the better ones.

House classic

A 1997 LexisNexis search for cutting edge music.

I have some recency bias about this because I keep getting brit edm/electric and I just can't do it. I can appreciate EDM for what it is, but this album just seems the same as all the others.

More vocals on this than is usual for the genre which render it inappropriate for its best uses, elevators, boutiques, and sound tracks.