Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Pretty good. Iffy at times, especially the beginning but it got better as it went along. Liked It more than most reviewers on here but it isn't perfect by any means.
kinda reminded me of Perfect Dark on the n64
Decent. 2.8.
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Isn't this the cave rave music from The Matrix?
yet another perfectly solid house album. I like the downtempo and tribal things it throw in but it's still just kind of early uk house.
Good background sound, but not worthy of being on the list.
Dette er ikke helt min kopp med te, men likte det bedre enn jeg trodde. Det var ikke den masete housemusikken jeg trodde det kom til å være og som jeg syns er ganske kjedelig. Men det tenderer mot det i noen låter, slik som "Black Flute". Mens låtene jeg liker best er slik som "Original" som heller mer mot Air, Röyksopp, Lindstrøm et al.
Its alright
I’m not a fan of electronic music, as I find much of it pretty repetitive. But this album was decent enough and worth the listen. Not bad, though not amazing either.
I've never heard of Leftfield before, but this will be my last album from 1995 to review. I see that this is yet another British house music album. I really thought I was going to enjoy the majority of these dance and electronic albums on this list, but most of these albums have been just fine. This is certainly a unique album cover though. I'm not sure if this shark jaw and camera lens will have anything to do with this album, but I'm hopeful that this album can join the ranks of Orbital 2 as my second five-star dance/techno/house album. Unfortunately, it's looking more and more likely that Orbital 2 will be my only five-star dance/techno/house album once I'm done with this list. Leftism was fine, but there wasn't a lot on this album that really grabbed me. I was reading about the critical reception of this album on Wikipedia, and a reviewer said that without "Open Up" and "Release the Pressure," this album wouldn't have made much a of a blip, and I think that statement summarizes things nicely. As I went through Leftism, I realized that I mostly didn't care for it when Leftfield used lower register sounds to craft their melodies, and there were quite a few songs that were crafted in those lower registers. Also, I wouldn't describe this album as uneven, but there wasn't really anything that tied the sound together really well. Despite those criticisms, there were some good songs on Leftism: I really liked the atmosphere "Release the Pressure" built. It sounded like being in a jungle, but without using elements that were designed to sound exactly like animal sounds. I liked it when the vocals kicked in, and I thought the beat was great, and I couldn't help but groove along. "Melt" was my favorite track on the whole album. The elements during the intro had this kind of call-and-response pattern that I really loved. This was the only song on the album where I really found myself completely hooked, waiting to see what was coming next. "Melt" was really beautiful, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. "Space Shanty" was an exception to my dislike for the deeper register songs on this album. I really liked those chiming sounds that were looped during the beginning, but I really enjoyed it when the song started utilizing those 'spacey' musical elements. When the beat softened out about halfway during the song, I started liking it even more. I really liked the beat on "Inspection." It was really groove worthy, and the other elements sounded great too. I thought it was a complete song with plenty of awesome elements for my ears to take in. I'm not super into the vocals, but they couldn't take away from that excellent beat. "Open Up" was really good as well. I would have never guessed that's John Lydon singing, even though it's clearly him. The beat was awesome, and the melodies were great as well. Lydon's vocals worked really well on this song, crafting a fun and unique atmosphere. Overall, Leftism was fine. There were some songs on there that I enjoyed, but a little more than half the album felt pretty forgettable to me. I can't see myself going back to Leftfield again, but if some of the songs that I liked from this album popped up on a playlist, I certainly wouldn't skip them.
Fede produktioner og vokaler meeeeen lige lidt trukket ud
A bit to long. Nice beats. pretty
This is a mix of sounds that have aged very well, and pretty badly in my opinion. Honestly, I had the toughest time with the first two tracks, but after that some more stuff started to click. In particular, I think the more garage, jungle, break, and trip-hop stuff has aged best. The more conventionally dance-y songs are a bit more of a mixed bag. Some favorites are Melt, Song Of Life, Space Shanty and Storm 3000. And I will also say that the way this uses samples, particularly percussion, is really cool. Also, in the world of UK electronic music, this is undeniably important. This had some collaboration with people outside of the electronic world, and so I have read, laid the groundwork for much of what came after it. Honestly, by the end of this I was pretty into it. Even for electronic, it's an album you have to learn how to fall into a little. But the trance-like grooves and varied textures won in the end.
This album was alright, pretty energetic
This one got me confused - started as an acid ethnic electronic jam and ended up in a PIL-infused stream of conscience euphoria… kind of like it, but you need to be in the mood. This is not for sitting and chill
Really enjoyed it when it did the dancey electronic stuff, and cooled on it a bit more with the other tracks. Highlights: Afro Left, Black Flute, Space Shanty
Good droning
Better than most of this genre.
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.
Ikke så verst, fikk ikke hørt alt. Men er nok viktig med rett modus!
Not a massive fan of this type of music, especially the vocals, but I do really like Original which has Toni Halliday vocals.
Slow electronic. I recognized “The Song of Life” from the Lara Croft Movie soundtrack.
decent
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
Great while doing a workout
pretty cool electronica. think it shined when it didn’t have any vocals
interesting dance music
For an EDM album, this wasn't half bad
Decent trance-y type stuff
Not really my style... not that bad though
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
6/10
3.5
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
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
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
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).
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!
Not for me, but I can tell that it is very high quality
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!)
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
average techno-y album. decent background music, but I don't see actively seeking this album again.
Intressant ny bekantskap
Was ok background music, caught a few oakenfold type vibes in there
atmospheric, a little boring at times. didnt enjoy this as much as other albums in similar genres but it was good.
-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.
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.
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.
3.2 Sounding a little dated but listenable for sure
I enjoyed this one.
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
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.
Not bad progressive house infused with dub, nice to have on in the background. However the songs are a bit long. High 3/5.
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 :)
Just another elevtro-lounge album
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.
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
bri'ish raves 6/10
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.
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
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
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.
It was alright. I pet it play in the background as study music. Nothing too exciting.
Interesting listen, historically I get the importance. Overall enjoyable but nothing really grabbed me, probably won't revist.
Was dreading this but it was pretty good! A nice soundtrack while walking around the city
As electroinca goes, it's better than a lot of it.
dance album. like not love
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
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.
Listened to this with a very sleepy mood, so i'm not really sure.
Honestly? Meh.
The first dance album on this list I enjoy! Don't know what that says about the author of it.
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.
Yeah. Techno
A solid enjoyable dance record
Yeah this was p cool!! A lot of cool sounds that would be fit for a movie score
okay-ish electronicr record
Totally fine background music
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.
Kinda cool but after awhile it gets repetitive. that is the curse of so many of these mid-90s electronic instrumental albums.
The 90s attempts to replace rock albums with dance music albums don’t really hold up, but this is one of the better ones.
Very nice instrumental work.
when people attach the operative word "progressive" to anything, they usually mean something forward thinking, daringly structured, and artful. progressive rock, progressive soul, progressive pop. leave it to prog house to have the prog refer to how tracks "progress" over multiple sections. it's like how the "post-" in post-grunge doesn't mean Nickleback is using timbres. therefore, whenever i see a track labeled "progressive house" im basically understanding it as "house that anyone can potentially hear in a big club". i think most of the people who are heavily into EDM first heard of it from a prog house track. how appropriate for the inventors of The People's 120 BPM to be named "Leftism." i do think that this fulfills its mission statement of sounding cool as fuck but also being relatively approachable. i could enjoy it sober, i could enjoy it while ricocheting through a pocket dimension of DMT receptors. all the tracks here sound like they were custom made to be the best part of an hour long mix, causing people to go "awww yeah" the second the drums kick in. i appreciate the hyper-artificial soundscapes of this genre too, and thank it every day for basically being one of the most influential sounds in EDM. it's the soundtrack to PLUR. but that's also partially why i don't fully love it? i feel like the reason all the sad nerds gravitated towards braindance is because it lacked the toxic positivity of being so in love with the world, man. the experimental touches of Autechre and Aphex or the spooky hauntology of BoC are a different aesthetic experience to the Matrix Bullet Time of "Space Shanty". that song's incredible, but i bet you there are a million other prog house dudes biting from it. they're allll making nigh identical music to fill the rest of the hour long DJ mix. maybe it's the unfortunate orientalism of vaguely "tribal" sounds like sitars and African drumming and dub toasting, but this record feels a bit TOO earnest, to the point of naivety. if i wasn't in a good mood, it would be oppressive, especially on headphones. hell, it might be more oppressive if i was in the club -- what if i was having a horrible time and the only thing i could hear was cool breakbeats and trancey leads in major key? plus, to paraphrase one of the few decent memes from the dying internet: "You Bitches Be Like 💖✨🎶🧳🌈PLUR💖✨🎶🧳🌈 But Are Actually Horrible Human Beings". i had a friend get spiked a bit back and let me tell you -- not everyone on Earth is your brother. some of them are gross cousins who steal money from their mom's purse and they do not need to be part of the Global Tribe of Love. fuck 'em.
Quite liked it. More melodic than some other electronic albums on this list. Too long though
Bão
Early dance album. Always surprised to hear people sing on these
The first minute of the album is some of the coolest music I've ever heard, but the rest of the album doesn't nearly compare to that first bit. Some cool bits sprinkled throughout, but most the tracks seem to overstay their welcome
me gustó, pero como me pasa con muchos discos de electrónica: demasiado largos.
Good background music. Could probably do work to it. Not much of a rave guy but can see the appeal
To første veldig kule
Not what I expected. Interesting mix of 90s electronic background music and tribal music
Wrong day to listen to this. Way too much going on. Still not a huge fan of house/dance/electronic, but there are some ok songs on here.
This gets a lot of flak in the reviews here for some reason. I thought it was pretty good
Better than I remember and definitely one to listen to while doing something, I walked the dogs, as opposed to just sitting and listening.
An OK electronic album that ends up being great background music. Not super distracting, nothing flying out the speakers at me.
Was expecting a boring time listening to some bleeps and bloops but this surprised me. Great stuff
very catchy background music and I imagine a lot of misplaced candy necklaces were shattered on the concrete of U.K. warehouse floors... oh did I mention random pill consumption. This album smells like a subtle Rave.
Sounds like the soundtrack of a mediocre 90s sci-fi RPG/strategy game
Music to vibe to while in the matrix
Interesting and obviously influential electronic music. I ought to listen one more time later to understand it better
I was into it at first but it got way too long
really just some cool tunes to put on in the background I was excited for space shanty since the title sounded cool but I was disappointed
It was alright. Weird vibes in the middle of the night
it's giving laser tag arena
Out of the electronic albums that we've had so far, I think this one was the best; however, I question why it is on the list. To be fair, I probably enjoyed it more because it is closer to my EDM preferences, but I still wasn't blown away. I somewhat passively listened to it, but did find myself being more engaged than the others. I think this album deserves a 2, but I'm bumping it to a 3 just because it aligns more with my preferences.
I could see 3 situations that might call for this music: 1) I'm an early 20-something, just out of design school and listening to techno while I work, because that's what I think designers do. 2) I'm a mid-20-something, wandering around Burning Man at dusk, and this is playing 3 camps down. 3) I'm a late 20-something, in a night club, about to get into a gun battle with John Wick. But, I'm now 49, so the time for the first two has probably passed; and fortunately the third never happened.
I enjoyed it more than I expected it to. It fulfills its function as a dance / house album pretty well and there's a lot of variety in the album. I didn't find it immediately grabbing but I'm sure I'll warm up to it when I've listened to it more. Can see myself putting this on at a party.
I need an EDM for dummies to help me understand the nuances here. But it's fun to listen to
7/10
It's dance, it's pop, it's upbeat. This record has its place, but this isn't something I would listen to every day. The sequencing is well done and it's very typical of a dance/house/jungle/electronic record of this era. Not bad.
Club Kid with a sprinkle of reggae. Fun listen, although I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it more with some MDMA.
This was cool! 3.5 stars.
🎧Not too shabby.
While this isn't music that I would regularly listen to, I found it very enjoyable while working. Definitely some cool sounds in there and nice squelches, I'm a sucker for a good EDM squelch. It was interesting enough to keep me engaged with the music, energetic enough to keep me engaged with my work. That said I find basically all EDM so repetitive and unemotional that it's only good for working on something tedious or for dancing mindlessly at the clurb. One notable exception is Jay Electronica, who I wish was on this list instead of Leftism.
Some solid grooves here along with that classic 90s cheese that's always a bit hit or miss. They really thought they were cooking with those "woaaaaaaooaooaah"s huh.
There’s nothing unique about this album, but it has bangers, and it gets wild. These dudes clearly have great production skills and an ear for great beats. They’re at their best when they’re pushing thumping four-on-the-floor beats, all with a bounce that makes you bounce with them. “Release the Pressure”, “Afro Left”, “Black Flute”, and “Storm 3000” are the real highlights for me, infinitely danceable tracks that have a little age but still bang. And their sheer breadth of style is impressive. But their efforts in more conventional EDM or even more ambient pieces just don’t have the same punch, and feel more like song collaborations than original tracks. This is a solid 3.5 for me, and I’ll ultimately side with a 3. When the beat hits it hits hard. But I wish there was a bit more consistency in this album than was there.
Solid lock in electronica music
is this english?? cant understand
Et af de bedre 90'er techno albums vi har haft. For lang
Et af de bedste 90er electronica albums, god catchy/weird balance langt hen ad vejen!
I mean... it's alright. This is certainly not the worst 90s British electronic album on the list. Lord knows I've listened to too many bad 90s British electronic albums, but Leftism is alright. I'm okay with this one. It definitely reminds me more of an album like The Fat of the Land by the Prodigy (which I reviewed fairly favorably) than one of the ones I hated like Haunted Dancehall. The style here is fairly solid. There are musical moments that actually stick out to me, so that's good. The vocals are fairly minimal, but are nice when they're there. The instrumentals do work on their own though. The album is pretty long at just under 70 minutes, but I wouldn't call it egregiously long. Nothing here really annoyed me. This is a solid album. Of course, it's not really my thing, but I respect the album. 3/5.
When this album came out I would have despised it. Since then electronica and hypnotic sounds have really grown on me. It’s solid music to focus to.
Alucinante viaje el que propone. Dimensiones acústicas muy atractivas, pero...
Good, didn't finish
Some of it was interesting and some was rave like and noisy. I liked some of the beats but it felt kind of all over the place.
Best Song: Afro Left. Grungy, groovy, although the use of "African-sounding gibberish" feels strange. Worst Song: Open Up. Jesus those Sex Pistols vocals are atrocious. Overall: Compelling collection of house music. As a complete outsider to the genre, it mostly felt good, although the discrepancy in tone between one track and the next was often jarring. The vocals were also not of equally quality, and detracted from the songs as often as they buoyed them.
I was going to fully dismiss this as boring and pointless, until I noticed the striking similarities to Moderat's eponymous 2009 album. Still don't find Leftism all that, but I do have respect for strongly influencing an outstanding album coming after it.
Interesting kind of electronic techno stuff. Not really my favourite but I like that it came up 6/10
Diverse styles with Middle Eastern type beats
Satisfactory electronic tunes to ease this winter day
good but not for me
I had fun with this but I wish that the transitions were more gradual. I feel like there's a nice variety of style inside of the bigger macro genre of "electronic music" here, like "Afro Left" is a nice upbeat dance track, but then the following track "Melt" is like "space video game main menu screen chill". The disparity in the energy level between tracks like these hurt my listening experience, which is a shame because these there's a lot of great songs here. Overall I definitely enjoyed it though, and the flow of the album on a song-by-song basis is the only real negative. The songs are exciting, cohesive, and have plenty of interesting moments, like little drum syncopations, and random voice parts. There's even some throwback sounds to old electronic styles that I specifically love- like "jungle EDM" that you hear on tracks like "Storm 3000" with it's drum n bass percussion, liquid-y synth bass, and dense atmospheric pads on top.
Not the worst thing I’ve ever heard but not the most interesting either. Cool background music.
Niektóre dobre, niektóre złe, 3+
It was weird, sometimes in good ways and sometimes in bad ways.
Quite likedryhmic
There's a lot of mid-nineties mediocre EDM on the list, and this definitely counts among them. Not completely awful: "Open Up," "Afro Left," and the opener "Release the Pressure" were good. Really enjoyed the eclecticism, but this didn't make me want to jump up and tell anybody "You must listen to this before you die!!!"
Y2K rave
English prog house/electronica from the mid-1990s. I can imagine what a hit it was in the height of the rave scene and it must have sounded very fresh and new at that time. Not too repetitive, still good considering it was made almost 30 years ago and has that very 90s sound. I am sure it sounds even better under the influence of ecstasy or other drugs but I enjoyed it without them...3 stars.
I wasn't sure at first but I enjoyed it.
Some interesting sounds and the arrangements are varied and interesting, but there is too much 4-on-the-floor and "boots-n-pants-boots-n-pants" beats. 3 stars.
Not terrible
For a house/trance mix it wasn’t that bad. There were elements of early 1990s Enigma mixed with influencers you can later see with DJ Tiësto and French DJ Vangelis. I wasn’t quite sure I needed a double disc, though I have to admit, that I put it on to clean the house and it was a good listen. Not a dinner with the family album but a martini bar and get shit done album definitely.
This one was quite good to listen to while I was focused on work. But moreover, I feel like I was too busy with grunge, pop, and rap in the 90s and missed the underground (at lest to me) electronic music scene. I obviously got there when I started listening to Daft Punk but I feel myself gravitating to these 90s electronic albums and being a little disappointed I missed them when they were fresh. Electronic music is just one of my jams (while country and metal just aren't). I feel like the electronic music that went mainstream (Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy) weren't like these albums on this list. I'm into the more moody and dour 90s electronica. I'm still eating this up and learning. I'll keep listening and liking.
даже не пыталась танцевать на рабочем месте(
Alright
My knowledge of house music and other genres of edm is shallow at best but I can recognize a well-crafted record when I hear one. I found that most of the guest appearances added to the energy and vibe of the track (although I'm only familiar with the Curve singer and John Lydon, of course, because that guy never met a microphone he didn't like). This album is levels above some other DJ led projects this project has recommended/served me.
Good as a film score, not good as a cohesive album
Background electronic music. Could be in a scifi video game. I did not like when there were vocals, but the instrumental tracks were pretty solid. Stand-out: Song of Life
Pretty good, but way too long. That's how it usually is for these 90s British Electronica albums. Wasn't expecting the Trip-Hop vibes to come in so prominently, so that was a nice surprise and change of pace. Also John Lydon jumpscare. Okay, you know what, I went in with a hater mindset, but this kind of slaps. A strong 3/5.
Een jaren '90 dance album. Je weet grofweg wat je kunt verwachten en dat krijg je ook. Effecten die achteraf gezien net een beetje amateuristisch klinken, maar tegelijkertijd prima dance muziek die nog wel even mee kan. Wat invloeden van acid house. Als je lang genoeg wacht raakt ook dit weer in de mode. Elk nummer bouwt minimaal 3 minuten op naar iets weinigzeggends en gaat dan rustig nog 4 tot 5 minuten door. Een Jamaicaan of ander exotisch type die als een soort Maxi Jazz van Faithless wat globale statements eruit gooit met betrekking tot je ziel, de toekomst of juist het nu, de liefde of de dansvloer. Een stukje Massive Attack of Portishead valt er ook wel in te ontdekken (op track 5 - Original met name). Ik klink wat negatief, maar tijdens het werk zijn dit prima platen. Een uur en 10 minuten is wat aan de lange kant, maargoed, hoort bij het genre. De op één na laatste track is me wat te zenuwachtig. 3,5 afgerond naar 3, omdat het toch de tand des tijds net wat minder goed doorstaat dan sommige genre-genoten. Als je dit een 4 geeft heb je niet per se ongelijk.
I would have loved this album if I heard it drunk at a lowkey cocktail bar. Unfortunately, I listened to it driving home from work in my Toyota Corolla.
I'm glad this was a dance music album and not a political lecture. I still don't know what makes one of these better than another. What's this comparable to, a Prodigy album I guess? They all give me mostly the same feeling. I can bop along with the music in my car, but it never gives me any lasting feeling or want to put it on again.
This was fun. I wasn’t blown away but enjoyable.
Not bad.
Decent house album. I wasn’t crazy about the whole thing, and it had some weird bits, but I could see it growing on me.
This probably would've been fun to drink and dance to in the 90s. Hell, it might even be fun to drink and dance to right now. Being completely sober though, it's a bit of an exercise in boredom. Still, it got me moving a bit, so I think a 3 is appropriate.
Oddly boring album Has it's merits. Great music to work to.
Surprisingly listenable
meh
Electronic music. OK.
This was a weird blend of stuff, and I enjoyed it.
Eh I liked the first two!
These type of albums are so hard for me to rate. Did I groove to it? Sure. Will I ever seek this out again? Probably not. But I did enjoy my time with it. 3/5
Ok, not as good as I remember
This is good, for the type of music it is. I think if you’re into this type of music it’s an easy 5 stars. It’s not really my thing though so doubt I’d ever listen to it again but can appreciate it’s better than a lot of its genre.
Favorite Track: Storm 3000
It's like someone bottled the 90's and condensed it into an album. It's not an album I'd heard in it's entirety before, but I had had several of the tracks individually. It was nicve, very easy to listen to, but nothing ground-breaking - there are many better examples of this type of music from the same period in time.
Didn't flow as well as I remembered, but really decent in places.
Pretty good house music.
2.75
Great for what it is. Potentially an objective 5 for dance music if it is as influential as it sounds. Reminded me of Timesplitters and other late 90s / 00s videogames. Overall probably wouldn't listen again though so it's a 3. (Also I've never been a fan of the album cover, the one with the samurai is better)
If I had to rate it on the idea that my life wouldn't be complete without ever hearing this, it is definitely 1 star. If I rate this as whether or not I did or didn't like it, I'd say it was totally fine and I'd give it an average score...maybe a 2.5. I feel like I give a lot of 3s because stuff is just average. This is another in that line. Not bad, but not essential by any stretch of the imagination.
I’m more far right
Three stars for the music, 1 star for the vocals. Points for the art
Some interesting sounds and beats. Thought of dancing with a pole at Smart Bar.
A bit techy sounding. Not bad, sounds like a new-age 90's movie?
Stundtals riktigt bra.
3.5
90s electronic that's sort of cool and sort of very dated and hard to take seriously. More vocals than I was expecting. Not very memorable, but fine.
Loved it ! 3*
Yep. More 90's niche techno.
Sounds like a million dollars, and some of the guest performances are great. My biggest issues are the length of most of the tracks, which seems to drag on beyond the date of expiry. Prodigy took notes, and manage to create radio friendly rave music with similar sounds, but more oooomph.
it’s got a couple of bangers
Bought this when ot was released. Still listen occasionally. Some good tracks.
Sykt bra lesemusikk
Mid 90s dance/house tracks. Good sound. Like the mix of tribal instruments and voices with Electronica
The review that said this was music from a PS2 racing game was correct, but in a good way. Also I'm pretty sure they sampled the Macarena on the first track.
This was mostly fun! It's not something I'd ever come across or reach for unprompted, but I enjoyed my time with it
I can’t see myself ever sitting down and just listening to an album of house music. This was okay, but it runs into the typical issue where it just keeps on going for no reason.
This was fine, and approaching enjoyable, except that it made me feel like I was in like the mid 90s not getting invited to warehouse raves and instead listening to the closest thing I could find to EDM that came on CD at Best Buy. Which is probably a little influenced by reading the album blurb before listening, but what can you do. It was a little too down-tempo for me maybe and I liked the songs/parts with vocals most because then at least some more stuff was going on.
Felt like I was playing Rez, but without a draw to keep me interested for a full hour.
Opening track reminded me of early Massive Attack. Which made me wish I was listening to Massive Attack. So I liked this, but not as much as adjacent stuff that I like better.
I recently bought this album after watching some documentary about the night life in the 90's. I kinda forgot about this band but their music is still very good.
There were a few songs I enjoyed, but overall, the album fell flat for me.
Some tracks p chill. Ended on a 👎 track: "21st Century Poem"
I rather liked this, it's great working music. I imagine it's also great doing drugs music but it's a weekday and it's day time soooooo. I particularly liked the more mellowed out tracks (Song of Life, Original, Melt). Overall this is pretty good. I do wonder if this was the first popular "progressive house" album, before that was a name of a subgenre. That would explain the inclusion on the list. Nothing earthshaking, but definitely a good album for clubs and repetitive tasks. The only thing track I actively disliked was "Open Up" and that was just because I didn't care for the endless vocal loop of "BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN".
Not bad for house misoc
I, Mother of my House, vow to keep my f*cking mouth to myself
I just noticed I've been getting a lot of UK electronic music lately. Luckily it's all been pretty alright so far.
Editing this over a year later to demote to 3. Upon revisiting it's still pretty good, but almost too minimal and boring to be equated to other electronic/ambient albums I've given a 4. Again, nothing wrong with it, but just doesn't wow me equivalently.
3.5
tekno
This was pretty cool. Definitely mid 90's dance. It wasn't bad, in fact it seems like it would be in some like hacker movie or something.
This was a solid album to throw on in the background while you’re doing other stuff. I liked the beats & I liked the vibes!
At first I thought it was alright, but it's way too long. I got bored halfway. Favorite song: Black flute
Middle of the road electronics house music. Some cool beats, but got a little fatigue as it’s all pretty similar tempo. Great background music, and mixed very well
2.5. For what it is (not my style) It isn't bad
A bit strange. A bit muddy. A bit too long.
Decent tunes, but not something I would choose to sit down and listen to. Sadly my clubbing days are behind me. Open Up remains a right old banger
Hmm - not my music. But I have not skipped between the tracks. Funny. Therefore 3 stars!
Straight out of the UK with yet another unknown album that simulates other more popular acts of the period. Only, this time I liked it. A lot. 90s electronic music can boring real easily and when I stepped in to this album and saw 1+ hour of music ahead I dreaded it. I was impressed by the first track and hooked by the second. This is a great background music album. 3.5/5
Dance music to me has been stuff like Band of Gold, Saturday Night Fever or even the Birdie Song none of which I particularly like (especially the last one) but that’s what I heard when I frequented dance establishments a long time ago and only hear now (thankfully) at weddings. That said I have always been intrigued by the big anthemic anthems I used to hear on Radio 1 each Saturday night. Things by Darude, Eric Prydz, Scooter (a particular favourite)etc. I loved the way samples of tunes I liked were woven into big synth melodies with massive climaxes and fall offs. This album does not quite live up to that but nevertheless was a whole lot better than I expected. I don’t know what passes for dance music nowerdays but I don’t hear anything like the anthems I liked passing along the airwaves when I occasionally listen. Nothing I hear measures up to this album. In the absence of any Scooter album coming up on this list I place this as an admirable substitution. 3/5 28/5/24
Alright, it's pretty decent.
Decent dance album - more accessible and more tunes I know than I expected.
Release the Pressure - 3 Afro Left - 3.5 Melt - 2 Song of Life - 3.5 Original - 3.5 Black Flute - 3.5 Space Shanty - 3.5 Inspection - 3.5 Storm 3000 - 3.5 Open Up - 3.5 21st Century Poem - 2
Leftism by Leftfield Wednesday 6/12/2024 10:20 A Tier————————— Release The Pressure Space Shanty B Tier————————— Melt Song of Life Afro Left Storm 3000 Inspection Original C Tier————————— 21st Century Poem Black Flute Open Up
This would be EXTREMELY fun live, idk how it translates to an album, but I see the appeal
This would be good for an overnight stretch of a road trip, keeps ya awake. Liked the track 'Melt'
6.5/10
Not really my vibe, but it's ok
Okay
Good background music
Struggled through the first couple of songs on an 8am dog walk. Had a great time powering through the rest of the album in the last hour of work. It would have been great Uber Eats music, but now it makes for great coding music.
Well. That was definitely techno.
decent album with some fun tracks, space shanty was a good song, songs were a bit long though, most of them were 7 minutes long, 5-6/10
Not really my thing but on this occasion it hit right
It’s the 90’s. Dance music has become huge. You’ve released a couple of club bangers. Record label reckons you should make an album. Rehash a couple of 12” singles, cobble together some songs and add some guests. It’s a 90’s dance album that your mum won’t mind having on in the car.
Definitely feels like some 90's club music. The songs are alright and are actually a little trippy/have some good general beats and hooks but they're a little long. Overall a nice electronic record but the only thing that's missing for me is something that distinguishes this album/group overall. Daft punk had the robotic disco future style, Chemical Brothers had more big beat/acid tecno influences, Aphex twin had the beautiful ambient/IDM mixes. nothing about this (to me) feels as distinct as the other groups.
More house rave music, pretty good? Definitely felt of its time but if I was at a club playing these I’d probably have a good time (if it was the early 2000’s) 2.7
Wub wub wub
Of all the many, many 90s dance/electronica albums on the list, this one seems to be the most interesting. Each track is actually distinct from the others and none are terribly repetitive. Toni Halliday’s and John Lydon’s guest vocals are stand-outs.
Intermittently groovy and better than much dance music, but really not all that interesting in the end. Displays all the usual issues with dance music – excessive repetition, dullness and no sense of arrival, beyond cascading sort of denouments through which the music is just programmed. One can see (hear) the appeal without thinking it belongs in this list. The editorial entry in the book suggests there might have been an affirmative action policy in play, with some allotted slots for dance music. It must also be noted that dance music, along with grunge and nu-metal and much, much tedious hip-hop, is what made the '90s a failed decade for music.
3.5
Han inte lyssna så noggrant men det jag han höra lät bra och intressant så jag får lyssna igen när jag är mer inne på elektroniskt.
3.1
3.5
Actually quite like this, will definitely give it a second listen at some point but first impressions are surprisingly positive.
My reviews of electronic dance music typically fall well below whatever the average is for the genre. However, this album has, for the most part, replaced the annoying, repetitive, thump...thump...thump...of the bass with interesting, diverse, interpretations of what rhythm is and how it can be presented. Can't say I will ever dance to this but at least I won't reach for knitting needles to poke out my ear drums if I ever hear it again.
3.5
Interesting music. Like a combination of European club music mixed with a Black Panther soundtrack.
Heard before. Listened to this while doing some work. Had some interesting songs that got me moving. My sister said some songs remind her of Uncharted, so that's a win :D
It was okay.
Ja, wat kan je erover zeggen. Origineel. Beetje techno, niet mis. Ik weet niet helemaal wat ik ervan moet maken
A bit underwhelmed by this. I like the genre mix but it never really takes off. I sit there nodding along to the beats but it doesn’t get me pumped, nor is it interesting enough for headphone-sessions.
Creative. New and interesting sound.
It's good, but not quite the legendary thing some people think it is. I got a little bored around the middle, but then it picks up massively at the end. I think it relies on the quality of the guests a bit, in that my favourite Left field tracks sound like PiL, or Roots Manuva, or Sleaford Mods (more recently)
This album was so much more interesting than I expected! It's easy or an electronica album to become dated because of the extreme innovation in this genre, but for the most part, this one held up. I recognized one of the vocalists! And they quoted it from the first album by The Orb. I loved the vocals on the second track. Just wild. Would definitely listen again.
Kind of forgettable over the past 30 years, but still completely listenable if you turn off your brain.
Well, that one came out of left field. Ok, ok. But actually, it really did. It at first seemed like a random mid-90s techno album, but I was quickly convinced that it belonged. Well, not too quickly. The first track was boring - I wasn’t wild about the vocals, and then the second half almost felt like “The Macarena” was about to kick in. But starting with the second song things got more interesting, and “Leftism” takes off from there and never lets up. This was not, in fact, a random mid-90s techno album. And it’s on the list because it’s a groundbreaking and influential banger. “Storm 3000” was familiar, but I couldn’t place if I had heard it before or just similar things it inspired. It’s interesting that “Open Up” was the biggest hit of the album, because I think it’s the worst song on the album. Love the Sex Pistols, but Johnny Rotten’s vocals on “Open Up” don’t work. The end of the song gets back to the vibe that makes the record memorable.
There is a lot to like about this album but ultimately it never rose above background music for me unless it was for a negative reason that took me out of the flow (looking at you incessant beeping in Original). Solid 3.5 but probably wont be revisiting since there are other triphop albums I would pull up first when in that mood.
Dude, I’d drop some giggle pig and go dance to these guys at the club. Solid house/trance album. If this were 20 years ago, I’d rate it higher, but house/trance is t really my thing.
The hardest part about an electronic album is making a cohesive statement or piece that isn’t just “Here’s an hour of songs that are like the ones on the single.” Leftfield does a good job of at least creating a little bit of intrigue with a smattering of influence and genres. Very much a sampling of the 90’s rave scene, this album never stays in one place for too long. Sequencing wise it felt like a reasonably paced album with highs and lows dispersed throughout.
I thought it was okay, but it's missing something to be danceable.
Enjoyable electronic album, good songs
Honestly went into this expecting to hate it, so was surprised I comfortably made it through the album. Was very unmemorable though ... nothing really piqued my interest that much
Good record - I enjoyed it!
Bit slow, too long, but not too bad.
It was okay.