Let's Get Killed

Unexpectedly good to listen to. Love that the vocal samples were recorded by them on the streets of New York, adds something to the great tunes for me.

Didn't know what to expect. Pleasantly suprised. Heavy RJD2 vibes

Groovin'

Interesting. Great use of the street-recorded spoken word. Great background music for creating.

When thinking about my appetite for music without lyrics, a few contradictions appear. I'm not someone who focuses on the lyrics, if it sounds good, then I'd listen to it. Lyrics is just a bonus, or a part of the context for me. Good lyrics with terrible sound... I might just read poems instead. But music without lyrics seems... incomplete sometimes. It's seems difficult for songs -- if they ARE called "songs" -- like these to be a solid whole experience. But I do listen to songs without lyrics, or even without context. Pink Floyd's epic 20+ minute "Atom Heart Mother" comes to mind. The track is as nonsense as the title, yet I like it. But I'm still struggling to justify why, for example, I like classical music of Chopin or Beethoven but dislike something like jazz. What makes a wordless track listenable, at least for me? "Let's Get Killed" is an hour of electronica fiddling with an aim to create movie soundtracks, and I enjoyed it. I was moved by the beats and the instrumental fiddlings in this album. But why? My hypothesis is that some wordless tracks, like the ones in this album, takes me into an adventure. It makes me conjure images of scenes or emotions. The way a violin passionately rejoices, or the beats weave a sense of conflict. Whatever the reason. I like this album. Though I might only come back to it if I want a good background music. But still, it's energetic and quite fun for a background music (ignoring the conversation snippets, of course).

Very good album…. This is one for the revisit!

beh sì discone, musica per il cinema, anche da sottofondo

Big beat mit technoider Eskalationsfähigkeit. Dazu die damalig so viel aufkommende wie wirkmächtige Verwendung von Field Recordings. Zwischen Norman Cook und James Lavelle sitzen Bass-schwere 3.8

Really liked this 4*

ну из всего чила пока что самая годнота. прикольные внятные мотивы, настроение чувствуется, сэмплы довольно интересные (последний трек вообще эпик). Конечно, это всё ещё фоновая музыка, но хорошая фоновая музыка, за работой вполне могу включить, 7/10

More electronica! Yaay! Pretty good, but I wasn't overwhelmed.

You know that situation where you don't really know what to think of it so you just smile and say: "oh, da's speciaal!"? Well, this album is exactly that.

Better than expected

Viiiiiibes

Some really subtle and lowkey work, but it scratches a certain itch

I liked it. I had head some of it before not knowing the name. Some of the street talk was amusing some annoying. The music was very cinematic and energetic. Good stuff.

Surprisingly good

Definitely going to find more by this guy

Daí que vem oceans 11

Nice album

Heel vet, ga dit zeker op zetten tijdens het chillen, zijn tijd ook ver vooruit nog nog steeds relevant, gave mix van verschillende soorten edm

Fun, carefree, vintage and summery 8.5/10

the sound of Y2K cybercore retrofuturism mixed with the dirt and grit of the same period

This was fine. Background music that sounds like movie background music, so that fits the description. But not anything I'd seek out.

Meh

As electronic music goes it was ok. ✅ the vocal snippets/interludes really added nothing to the album though for me and if they were missing, it would make it better.

vibey. it was fine.

Decent album! Good techno!

One or two interesting tracks on here but probably wouldn’t revisit the album anytime soon. Quite liked Rodney Yates but overall it comes across as soundtrack music. 3

Pretty good background music for working to. Varied enough to be interesting, kind of dancey, and not too distracting. Nothing transcendant though

Pleasant enough. Not my normal listen.

Really enjoyed this. Not my usual thing but horizons extended again!

Electronica music, but not hardcore EDM. It's a decent album that is quite listenable. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a

Fatboy slim at home

It's fine. I recognized Rodney Yates from an old Chillout Sessions disc. The little skits were the most interesting thing about it.

A interesting album but one i won't really revisit

Kinda cool, might be nice in the background of a party. Failed to blow my mind

Relaxing but mid. I'm starting to see a trend with this list. Was this really ground breaking when new? Feels like a evolution, not a revolution.

just like that one geese album!

I like the samply beats but nothing was a real standout. i think it needed a little more oomph, a little more variety in the tracks. great to work to methinks but i wont reach for it

Całkiem oki. Na 3

Really enjoyed this. It reminded me of Fatboy Slim

Holmes knows how to get a good groove going, but he doesn't then seem to know what to do with it. Almost all these tracks start out with great promise but then develop no variety or themes and outstay their welcome.

Nice idea, and some interesting stuff, but I kept forgetting it was playing. This may be on me.

For electronic music it was fun I liked it

This was pretty fun. I find instrumental hip-hop and best sampling albums very hit or miss, but this was a really good version of that type of thing.

This was good thinking music. I thought a lot of thoughts while listening (not about the music, necessarily, but it created a good atmosphere for daydreaming).

My brain really liked this today, it was v creative + cool + interesting. Quite 90z and nostalgic too! I would say it needs a re-listen to maybe make it a 4 so have left as a 3 for now

Halfway through this I was like "this sounds like Oceans 11" and I'll be damned if I wasn't SPOT FUCKING ON.

Felt a little juvenile, like a bit of a wannabe DJ Shadow, but it wasn’t all bad. Somewhat background like. Fave tracks: “Don’t die just yet” and “Slashers Revenge”

Not my bag - tricked me by classifying it as "electronica". However.... the tunes without lyrics (middle of the album) are so much better than the attempts at lyrics.

Was I mostly supposed to listen to this for the samples? Three

This album has some pretty cool ideas... I like the use of field recordings and the kind of weird, atmospheric beats. It reminds me a bit of some modern artists like Water From Your Eyes, which I enjoyed. A bit on the long side, though. Favorites: My Mate Paul, Gritty Shaker, Freaknik, Caddell Returns

I hated this on first listen but then on second proper louder listen I appreciated it. A bit more. Just a bit. I liked the idea of the samples from New Yorkers but he didn’t do much with it I feel - not sure how the music tied in with the samples. Clearly he is a better film composer

I actually quite liked this. Almost like wandering the streets of new york with a constant backing track

Nice & chill

Music designed to make you feel like a million bucks. But it only really reaches its full potential when George Clooney and Brad Pitt are explaining how they’ll rob a casino blind. And, well, you don’t get that part here.

don't die just yet uffff bastante buena

ok

Nice for background music for work.

Fine. Unimpressive.

Eh, again not really my thing but at least more interesting in places than other albums in the genre.

Rätt nice, Filmmusik från Ocean.

Really pleasant and stylish pastiche, obviously a guy who was poached for film scores with good reason. Unfortunately, the latter means it's hard not to listen to this without imagining George Clooney and Brad Pitt walking down a long hallway. Covering the James Bond theme was a strange choice, especially in an album that's ostensibly about NYC, and further gives the impression that this album was an audition for film producers. Otherwise, the NYC sound bites give the album a necessary flavor but also come unnervingly close to poverty tourism.

This is good background music. I give it a 3 because it sounds like the perfect music for a 90's movie montage. And I do love the 90s.

Good

I am generally a big fan of breakbeat so this was pretty enjoyable - not the best - but perfectly listenable.

I mean It's alright

Interesting album. Has a consistently dark atmosphere which works well, it makes the songs pretty entrancing. Unfortunately not all of them are standouts, as many moments came across as a bit dull and uninteresting. The flow of this album is also pretty choppy and lacks cohesion.

The movie placements helped make it recognizable, but those ended up being "the best tracks" on an otherwise okay album.

I enjoyed the music, not so much the talk tracks over the music

Not really like anything else I’ve listened too. Instrumental cool kinda EDM meets hip-hop? Quite repetitive though. Generally favorable view of this, but it it lost me after awhile.

Just about fine enough. Nothing memorable but it bubbles away in the background nicely enough. Essential?

Let’s Get Killed by David Holmes was something completely new to me today, so I was looking forward to giving it a proper listen. It feels like a cross between a Fatboy Slim record and the soundtrack to a slightly offbeat spy film. It’s easy to listen to, easy to drift in and out of, and has some really strong moments when it leans into its groove. The music is consistently good throughout. Vocals are used sparingly, but when they do come in, they add something extra. A lot of the album works best as a background listen, but there are enough standout moments to keep you engaged if you’re paying attention. Favourite tracks: Gritty Shaker and My Mate Paul are great, proper dance tracks. I also really liked the reworked Bond theme, which was a nice touch. Least favourite tracks: Listen is an odd way to open the album. It starts quite slowly, but improves as it goes on. Album artwork: Cool cover, even if I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in it

Not bad.

One for the Green Wing fans

It's ok though I'd rather go listen to Ninja Tune folks from that time.

Meh! The music wasn't too bad, but I found some of the street recordings annoying.

3.1 2x nothing objectionable nor memorable though

i actually quite like droney electronic music so i think i'm more poised to like this than your average bear. that being said - this isn't really better or more interesting than any other electronic music we've heard so far. while my enjoyment was closer to a 3.5, i feel like it doesn't really earn its place here when there's many better albums that accomplish the same thing.

interesting and cool vibes. pretty good music to have on in the background while i work. but is it enough to earn a place on this list or even be revisited in a foreground context? well, favorites: gritty shaker, rodney yates, radio 7

what is this ????

Made a nice change to the usual rock and pop on the list. Some cool sounds and gives a solid overall vibe. Trendy hotel lobby maybe.

A lot of times... Yes yes yes. This has Fatboy Slim vibes and DJs of the 90s and early 00s. I grooved along well. The vocal samples were sometimes an unwelcome distraction from the energy that the songs gave however.

Ignore the 1 star reviews, this doesn’t deserve it. I wasn’t expecting too much from this but was really surprised, it was a good all rounder well worth another listen

decent

Good, but not as good as his big beat contemporaries.

Bon, dans l'ensemble l'album est plutôt bien. En effet, je trouve que c'est le meilleur album techno que j'ai écouté, avec pour une fois une diversité assez agréable de nombreuses sonorités dans tout l'album, mélangeant le jazz, le funk, le hip hop et la techno pour retranscrir de manière vraiment juste l'ambiance de la ville qui ne dors jamais. Il y a aussi les passages "interview" en début de morceaux que je trouve vraiment bien, forçant une interactivité entre l'oeuvre et l'auditeur que je trouve très bénéfique car amenant du rythme et du dynamisme à l'œuvre. Néanmoins, malgré la grande variété, le plus gros problème a été pour moi que les morceaux n'agissent pas de manière assez forte chez l'auditeur, qui fini donc par se lasser après les premieres minutes étant donné la répétitivité des titres, propre au style techno. Dans l'ensemble je trouve l'album assez bien, et je salue la performance de Holmes

Seems to be an observational study of urban NYC through sound. The conversations of Big Apple natives really adds to the immersive experience. That said, the tracks carry on for too long. Instead of some being hypnotic, they get repetitive (i.e. Freaknik, Rodney Yates), especially in the later half. (3.5)

Good stuff, not my vibe.

Atmosferisch, duister trip-hop album. Ik ben dol op elektronische muziek, vind het bijna altijd heel vet, maar moet toch ook eerlijk zeggen dat deze me niet meteen pakt. Let's get killed is wel vet, de sfeer druipt van dit nummer af met de onheilspellende baslijnen, maar merk dat ik ook een beetje geirriteerd raak dat alle elektronica op deze lijst triphop is. Waar is de techno? De trance? De Hardstyle? Als deze lijst albums bevat die invloedrijk zijn geweest in de muziek dan kan dat bijna niet ontbreken. Dat deze lijst rock-heavy is, dat wisten we eigenlijk al. Maar dat de paar elektronische albums die er op staan grotendeels in dezelfde hoek zitten? Dat is naar mijn mening echt een gemiste kans. Maar goed; hoe is dít album? Het is prima, gewoon hele sfeervolle elektronische muziek. Doet me vaak denken aan trip-hop met af en toe een ambient uitschieter. Ik vind het nooit vervelend, maar dit is wel muziek waarbij ik de klacht 'liftmuziek' wel een beetje begrijp. De sfeer moet dan ook voornamelijk uit sampletjes en dergelijke komen. Ja dit is een prima album, lekker om aan te hebben en vooral niet heel vervelend ofzo. Niet een album waar ik over een jaar van wakker schrik of denk "Goh, laat ik die weer eens even aanknallen!" Maar zolang er niet of nauwelijks Techno, Trance oid in deze lijst staat moeten we ook niet te veel klagen over elektronische muziek die het wél heeft gehaald. FAVO: Lets get killed, Gritty Shaker, Rodney Yates, don't die just yet

I was a little indifferent until "Let's Get Killed" rolled in and that was bad-ass. Overall, it was fine. Didn't amaze, but was enjoyable. There was better trip-hop of the era, IMHO.

Not bad, in the context of putting it on in the background while I was working. I quite liked the concept. I'm not sure I'd want to engage with it cranked up in a dancefloor setting, but then I'm quite old. Interesting to read about what he's worked on; talented guy. Fave track was the groovy Don't Die Just Yet.

Went into this completely blind and was pleasantly surprised. Very chilled out but interesting glitch hop record that was really compelling at its best. Parts of it descended into background music territory but when it gripped me I was thoroughly entertained and relaxed by it. Thought that the New York themes and little samples of people talking were very cool and tastefully spread throughout the album.

The convos with real New Yorkers bring a lot of life to this, but it’s not enough to make it great.

I liked the recorded snippets but the actual beats were repetitive and not very interesting for the most part. 3/5.

nice cunk reference

Super

trippy troppy

Favorite songs: Let's Get Killed, Gritty Shaker, Radio 7", Slashers Revenge, Caddell Returns, Don't Die Just Yet

Some 1s and some 5s... Even out to a three.

Not baaad

Not something I would ever choose to listen to, based in genre and description alone. But pleasantly surprising.

This album is fine. It has some cool break beats that would be great for when you need something in the background that isn’t too distracting. The songs do drag on a little long, but I will definitely be adding some of these songs to my focus playlist for when i’m reading or doing something and I need background music so my mind isn’t racing. If some of these songs were the instrumental for the right rapper, this album would go hard af, but they aren’t. As is, it’s a fine album that i’m not mad if it was played but I wouldn’t seek this out unless for the specific occasion of me needing instrumental background music.

2,8/5

Let’s Get Killed has atmosphere to spare, but it often feels more like a collection of sketches than a fully realized album. David Holmes prioritizes mood and cinematic drift over structure, leaving many tracks underproduced and unresolved. While the raw, lo-fi approach fits the album’s late-night LA concept, it lacks the density and commitment that make more maximalist electronic records hit hard. Interesting as a transitional, scene-setting work—but frustrating if you’re looking for impact or payoff. 3/5

ok

This is a good electronica record. It touches on a lot of different styles of electronica music like trance, beat, techno... It's not generally my style, but every once in a while, I enjoy listening to a record like this.

Conceptually, this is wonderful, I love the use of the NYC street recording samples that Holmes acquired during his time there. There's a gritty cinematic vibe to this and I dig it. The only problem is I think every track goes on far too long and this is yet another dance album that approaches an hour long runtime.

2,8

Cool breakbeat, but simply a novelty for me. forgettable

Sure sounds like 1997

Gives me Proto Gorillaz vibes

Like to see some different things, wasn't sure what genre was, ended up being background noise but certain clips stood out and I kept listening to radio afterwards

Come album elettronico fatto di sample ci sta ma non mi ha impressionato

it was good but I would not say the best

Makes me wish I'd lived in a place with a solid club scene in the 90s. At least a few of my friends did.

3.5

fun energy but gets old quick

I was a big fan of the Ocean's 11 soundtrack, so I recognized the name. Didn't like this album as much as the soundtrack.

It was alright lots of unjustified negative comments

Reminds me, of, "Aloft", if their lobby music was inspired by "Goldeneye" on N64.

Apparently, this guy does a lot of movie soundtracks. That's not exactly surprising when this does sound kind of like a movie soundtrack at times. It's mostly just decent techno music, however. I quite like the rhythms on display, which is good as there's not much else here. The spoken word interludes are weird and occasionally irritating, but this isn't a bad album. It's mostly just good background music, little more.

This would have been a pretty good album if it didn’t have all the weird talking before almost every track. It made it near impossible to get into this thing. And even if it was cool the first time around, it eliminates the chance of enjoying relistens. Otherwise, the music itself wasn’t bad. Although I found the random cussing in the background of the second track unbearable, so I skipped that one after half a minute. So, as a whole, could be 4/5, but the thought of listening to it again is all but nonexistent, so I’ll give a generous 3.

Not bad, but nothing life-changing. Good background beats. 3/5

muy agradable la verdad, bueno para estar trabajando o limpiando por casa

Fun stuff. Oceans soundtracks rule

--Listen...short intro --My Mate Paul...interesting beats. kind sounds like we're underwater --Let's Get Killed...there's about two minutes of material that's been stretched into seven --Gritty Shaker...this one is fun. some nintendo-era sounds. don't know why it's seven minutes long --Head Rush on Lafayette...slam poetry? --Rodney Yates...a fun jazzy number. I feel like I'm in an Ocean's 11 sequel (edit: according to wikipedia, he scored the Ocean's trilogy) --Radio 7"...having a little fun with the James Bond theme. sure why not --The Parcus & Madder Show...interlude --Slashers Revenge...nice background music --Freaknik...this is fun, funky, and--yes--too long --Caddell Returns...this is some "Revolution 9" stuff. not sure if I enjoy it yet. meh --Don't Die Just Yet...my ears perked up immediately when the bass dropped. this is a groove. The strings used here sound similar to Beck's "Paper Tiger" --For You...outro

Had already saved a few of his songs from sundtracks. Specifically oceans 11. Very trippy, cinematic sound. I did enjoy this album as a background work album but didnt feel necessarily groundbreaking. Few standout tracks like Radio 7 and dont die just yet but overall probably a 3. I really enjoyed the mini interviews and samples from NYC people. Im a sucker for NY shit.

I mean it was groovy but not super interesting.

Nothing amazing. I really like the way he incorporated recorded sounds and conversations from New York into the music and gave it a very cinematic feel. As a trip-hop album I thought it was cool overall, but not something I would be dying to listen to again. But overall a good sound. Top Songs: Gritty Shaker, Let’s Get Killed, Radio 7”

The kind of album that needs to be listened to from beginning to end, really nice as a background listen, not an everyday listen for me, but enjoyable

I really liked this - a super interesting album blending a lot of different musical styles and samples. Definitely the kind of album I would put on to impress a dinner party, but maybe not one I would actively revisit on my own again and again. A super solid 3.5 stars for me.

Funky electronic -ish

More electronica. There were a couple of songs I liked, but overall, I was not impressed with this album.

Kind of enjoyable. Some people might add it to the regular rotation, but it's not for me personally.

Funnily enough I listened to this recently when looking for old 90s trip hop. I guess this is part that, part faster breakbeat stuff. And this I guess is the albums USP, live fast beats, and lots of them. Which is fine, to an extent, but unfortunately the song structures and other electronic or vocal melodies just aren’t there. So it feels fast paced but without the content to keep you very interested. The James Bond and Serge Gainsbourg ones add a bit of interest, but nothing other than novelty. All in all it’s OK, but it doesn’t stack up that favourably against its British EDM peers of the time.

Interesting enough although I was working when I listened. It was like listening to a 90s caper soundtrack. Felt like I was in oceans 11

> the Beatles Truly shocked by a lot of these reviews. I would happily listen to the Ocean's 11 score over most Beatles songs

3.5 atmospheric and immersive surprised me

It’s like electronic jazz - really liked gritty shaker!!

A combination of chill and rap it was ok not really memorable

I liked the second half more than the first!

meh 2.75/5

Not what I expected, enjoyed it

Pretty much washed over me. Didn’t hate it by any means, but not overly interesting

expected to hate it but it is actually pretty decent music too work to

interesting album but i have heard better in the same style of instrumental heavy music

I'm pretty sure I've never heard (or heard of) David Holmes' music before listening to this album, and I largely enjoyed the experience, although the general lack of vocals made it hard for me to stay focused on the tracks. I was occasionally reminded of Barry Adamson's "Moss Side Story" (perhaps just because they both sound like soundtracks to some not-yet-made movie), and I love it that the vocal recordings were all made in the mid-80s in NYC with people on (really, *from*) the streets when David Holmes visited New York as a teenager, lugging around a DAT recorder. I know the Wikipedia entry claims that he has a wide range of music styles in his dance beats, but I would have enjoyed more variety among the tracks (e.g. more tracks like "Gritty Shaker", "Radio Yates" and the decently reimagined Bond theme in "Radio 7"). Given that he worked with artists from Sabres of Paradise, I'm glad he managed to elevate this album a fair bit higher than their "Haunted Dancehall" album. I'm also glad his success on his solo work helped him land the score to the various versions of "Ocean's Eleven" (and Twelve and Thirteen).

I liked the found recordings and the electronic music had a good bouncy groove throughout.

Pretty good for an instrumental album. But it’s still an instrumental album.

kinda repetitive and boring. some cool stuff in it but it doesn't need to be that long

This album gets incredibly numbing. It may be labeled as breakbeat and trip hop, but is neither trippy, nor energetic nor interesting. Is very dull. The tracks may have some decent beats and good moments, but the vast majority are extended past the necessary. I think this album is in the borderline between bad and good. However, as background music, it gets more tolerable, so I giving it a positive score.

Like autechure and De La Soul had a baby. I actually enjoyed this. Felt like I was in a film like fallen angels, walking around a bright light neon city at night a bit drunk and the ‘camera’ is swaying fast, side to side, especially in my mate paul. Gritty shaker sounds more like the morning, then it carries on through the afternoon, then back to the evening again. It was a story.

Filmic. Interesting in parts. A bit samey and a bit dated in others.

Chill beats to study to

Album #955 Mostly instrumental beats and whatnot, with added and unnecessary profanity for some reason. The James Bond song was probably the highlight.

This album is a chaotic and electrifying escape into the depths of New York City. Built on the atmosphere of city noise and voice clips from its many characters, you really feel a connection to David Holmes and his love letter to the city. At times these tracks are danceable and grooving along until you hit a section where the beat is all over the place. It feels like someone freestyling on a drum machine with zero interest in making sense. Yet its all very effective in conveying the Homes' intention. 3.5 Stars

I went to school with someone called David Holmes, he was a dick but I quite liked his sister - nothing to do with this David Holmes though

Clasico animatis

Whilst far from being an amazing experience, this is a servicable, if somewhat underwhelming, listen.

Decent ambient hip hop album. The pacing was kind of slow for my taste, but the skits throughout paint a vivid picture of walking down an NYC street. I've never been to New York though so I don't think it hit the same.

Creative electronica

Legal. É um disco bem cinematográfico, e não à toa, visto que seu criador também foi compositor de trilha sonoras de filmes. Os samples são imersivos, e as batidas te fazem imaginar diversas cenas contendo estes personagens da vida primal e noturna de NYC. Há momentos em que o álbum se torna som de fundo, mas vou culpar a duração exacerbada. Quase 1 hora passa um pouco do limite da razão, mas dá pra tirar um proveito mesmo assim. O artista explora bem as diversas palhetas do gênero eletrônico. Estilização diversa contida nessas faixas. Um pouco de DnB, Funk inspirado nos anos 70, Jungle, Backbeat, e alguns outros que eu nem saberia mencionar. Tudo com aquele tom cinemático que eu mencionei antes, e temperado com os samples em campo, uma combinação bem intrigante e que mantém o disco em movimento, o mantém cheio de vida e energia. Ah e a canção Slasher's Revenge teve efeitos sonoros de Half Life hehe. Daora. 3.5/5

Listening felt like someone handed me a beat tape in the middle of New York, and I sat on a porch listening to it while the rabble of the city continued. Pretty cool effect, seemed like the artist accomplished exactly what he was after. Genuine "I liked it" 3 star rating here.

The audio snippets on this album, which I read that Holmes gathered during a trip to New York City a decade before this album came out, play like a right-wing fever dream about urban decay, and work as an interesting snapshot of a much different era (four bucks for a beer!). Musically, this reminds me of DJ Shadow — it’s instrumental hip-hop that makes judicious use of samples and those man-on-the-street snippets to keep things funky. While it leans toward drum and bass, it has a more of a chill-out vibe than dancefloor fare. Parts of it have a film-score feel, which tracks with Holmes’ back story. I dig the Patti Smith sample in “Caddell Returns.”

This sounds like the soundtrack to an impossibly cool blaxploitation flick or a 70s James Bond spy thriller set in New York, complete with breakbeats and sampled speech snippets. Looking at David Holmes’ discography shows that he has indeed made a respectable career in recording film soundtracks, so maybe this was an audition piece. Anyhoo, it’s strong enough to stand on its own and is a fun listening experience

This one hasn’t aged super well, but there are still some solid ideas here. The first half I found a little boring but starting from Radio 7 I started to really dig some of the grooves he chews creating. 6/10 Favorite tracks- “Slasher’s Revenge” “Freaknik” “Don’t Die Just Yet”

Very cinematic, even if you ignore the 007 one. Lots of street recordings. Interesting.

It was immediately obvious that this guy had composed the score for Ocean’s 11. The music is good, but it’s a little bit too ambient that I can’t imagine anyone absolutely loving it. It just fades into the background (as you plan a heist with the boys).

Better than Coldplay

it was cool background music, neat samples ig 2.5/5

I enjoyed it sometimes tbh. My uncle makes music like this

3/5

?? erstes mal verpasst...electronica triphop drumbase elevator...c

Was fine. Beats and background noise. Nothing stood out especially good or bad.

Don’t know much about the genre, thought it was decent, but it didn’t rise above background noise.

I read all these negative comments about this album, and dance/DJ is really not my thing, so I started with low expectations. It's not quite so bad! I liked the overall sound of the album (for the genre). He often gets (well uses a sample of) a nice groove but just sticks too long with it, and many songs get a bit monotonous after 2' or so. They sound cinematic, which I like, and I'm not surprised he has made lots of soundtracks. The NY street recordings, don't know, as a British DJ I would have found it more interesting if he stuck to his home turf. A generous 3.

This was great music to not listen to and barely enjoy. 3 stars.

“James Bond was Hispanic, fuck that shit!” - Radio 7. Not my usual listening, but I enjoyed the vibes and the skits pulled it together and made the record feel cohesive and thematic, what that theme was, narcotics most likely. Highlights - My Mate Paul, Radio 7, Lets get Killed ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listened Before? N Very interesting concept here. The snippets of recorded dialogue kept me interested enough to listen to the whole thing, and it was pretty enjoyable. Some songs drag a bit but that's normal with this genre. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: My Mate Paul

Quite nice

I wouldn't listen to this again but it's a very interesting style/concept nonetheless

Fine

Essencialmente um album instrumental... já foram 4 até agora

Kinda weird (the 007 remix?), pretty listenable, kinda forgettable... thank god he went on to score Analyze That otherwise I might not know who this bloke was!

weird ? kinda cool... mostly weird

Interesting 90s electronic album. I enjoyed the more jungle influenced bits - would’ve liked more of that. Not so sure about the James Bond song or some of the samples.

I was expecting to be more disappointed with this one but it wasn’t bad. Monotonous at times, kinda like the Fatboy Slim album I had, but there’s great samples throughout and I like that there’s these snippets of conversations with the people of New York spliced in there too. I think the penultimate track really shines and the James Bond track sounded cool. Not usually my cup of tea and I wasn’t too big on it, but it still surprised me.

Solid. It's an album I could see coming back to, and that says something. But once again, as is common in this project, this is an artist that was only big in the UK, so that also says something. 7 out of 10, rounding down.

Sometimes the beat went interesting places but a lot of times it didn't

140626 21:29 3.5

Jet Set Radio without the japanese weirdness

Listen n/a My Mate Paul 2.8 Let's Get Killed 2.4 Gritty Shaker 2.7 Head Rush on Lafayette 2.8 Rodney Yates 3 Radio 7 3.2 The Parcus & Madder Show n/a Slashers Revenge 2.8 Freaknik 2.4 Caddell Returns 3 Don't Die Just Yet 3 For You n/a Score: 2.81

Ok for background

3.5

The album has its moments, there are some nuggets of really good stuff there (My Mate Paul for example is interesting to me), and it's mostly a pleasure to listen to. Yet, some of it sounds quite dated and not experimental enough to truly be fascinating. As an album it goes the route of "collection of sounds" rather than a truly great album meaning where the songs really synergies with each other. With this process, it covers a lot of ground in terms of genre and sound, and that makes it worth a listen just for the historical factor, but it lacks coherence to truly be a standout in my opinion.

Late 90s dance, electronics, house, soundtrack stuff. Would have fit right in on the oceans eleven soundtrack. Was it on there?? Ultimately, not a bad listen for cleaning the house or something.

This is really good l

01) Listen - / 02) My Mate Paul - 8,5 03) Let's Get Killed - 6,5 04) Gritty Shaker - 7,0 05) Head Rush on Lafayette - 6,0 06) Rodney Yates - 7,0 07) Radio 7 - 7,5 08) The Parcus & Madder Show - / 09) Slashers Revenge - 7,0 10) Freaknik - 6,0 11) Caddell Returns - 6,5 12) Don't Die Just Yet - 8,5 13) For You - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,05 (71/100) Current ranking: 380/666

Interesting array of sounds with the expected grooves and monologues but a bit monotonous, repetitive and ultimately I was bored. It's not terrible and I do appreciate what it tries to achieve (plus it's not really my bag).

Mwha

Look, if it's good enough for Steven Soderbergh, then it's good enough for me.

Pretty good soundtrack music.

Not the most bothersome or boring of its genre, but not the most compelling either. It’s breakbeat that didn’t bother me at work, so I’ll take it. I’d give it a 2.5 if I could, but there was enough that I enjoyed to round up.

not really into this style. Not bad but not for me 3.0

I like this. Cool monologues at the start of songs.

This gives me the vibes of the Propeller Heads and Daft Punk. I liked "My Mate Paul", "Rodney Yates", and "Don't just die yet". I could do without the audio clips though.

It's fine. I tend to rate electronic music higher than most on this project, but the inclusion of this album is confusing. So much electronic music during this time period that are classics, genre-bending, and influential, whereas this one just kind of exists. I'll give it a 3, but I feel like 3 stars is turning into a "meh, whatever" rating.

Absolutely fine. Not sure it'll join the rotation though.

2.5

Decent electronic effort. I would prefer a little more up-tempo

*REPLAYABLE* I really like this sound, but I wish there was more variety in the music and sound design in the first half of the album. The second half really picked up and introduced a lot of variety. The Bond theme track is really interesting. I feel like there needs to be something more for the album as a whole.

not bad, not as catchy as fat boy, but ok

2.5/5. I like David Holmes.

This has a good variety of interesting sounds but as a whole, I got bored with it.

let me set the scene: it’s 7am at the airport, and i have a webpage open with the text “Let’s Get Killed” on my phone. hope nobody’s looking over my shoulder! anyway, this was fine. music to zone out and do tasks to. as i work through this project and look at the reviews i realize that the general sentiment surrounding electronic music is not nearly as positive as it is in my own head.

Enjoyed this as something I would never normally listen to (which is the beauty of the random album generator) - don’t think I’d revisit though

3.5

Mislila sam da je zakucana dvica dok nije došla predzadnja pjesma. Ona je sve što tražim od ovakve muzike. Opuštajuća, zvuči svježe, lijepo vozi. Ostatak značajno lošiji, ali ne postoje 2.5 zvjezdice.

Decent for getting high and letting it play in the background. That’s about it.

This album was a fine resource for finding music to edit commercials and videos to in the mid 2000s, but as something to listen to from start to finish, it didn't move the needle for me.

Decent music. A bit repetitive, but I can dig it. 3/5

Some interesting stuff here, and very listenable. Probably not something I'll choose to listen to again though.

Poc: eres un grafitero que e huye de la policía por las calles de Manhattan. Está interesante, parece la banda sonora de un videojuego de estética urbana. He de decir que no es mucho mi estilo y que me ha costado escuchar lo que he escuchado. No me lo he podido escuchar entero, porque es increíblemente largo para mi gusto (la mayoría de canciones son de 5 mins parriba). Pero bueno, recomiendo concretamente la canción My mate Paul, que es super divertida

long album of decent background music. some odd skits on here that break up the momentum and make the album feel longer than it needs to be. there are a few cool grooves on here, especially toward the end

This was my 3 electronic-ish music album in a row, and it’s hard not to compare it with those. It works okay as something of a movie soundtrack (sounds like Holmes is well regarded in soundtrack development), and has interesting moments. I liked the focus on depravity in NYC, but it’s not an album I feel like revisiting much.

This sort of grew on me as the album progressed. From first 10 mins I doubt it would have got as high as 2, but by the time it was half way through I was quite enjoying it. Think I'm going to end up giving it a 3.

A surprising thing happened while listening to this. I thought it sounded like something id heard before, as it there are layers to this music. Turns out David Holmes wasnt the gnarly old Baker I used to work with, but the bloke from Sabres of Paradise. It all made sense then.'Rodney Yates' is a banger.

This was a good flashback to the mid to late 90s electronic scene. This album is very much a product of its time, built mostly around breakbeats, with clear influences from acid jazz, trip hop, and hip hop. There’s even an electronic remake of the James Bond theme, which fits the album’s cinematic vibe. It’s a pretty solid listen from start to finish, but honestly, I’m personally a bit burnt out on this sound in general. It’s well done, but not something I see myself ever coming back too.

there was some cool stuff here and there but overall didn’t connect with this. epitome of a low 3

3/5 Interesting slice of life that takes you to the NY EDM dance scene of the late 90s. Very reminiscent of fat boy slim and chemical brothers. It makes for bice background music but it's not going to be something that is the sole focus of my attention

Surprisingly good. Some tracks run a bit long and can be redundant but I enjoyed it overall. Reminiscent of montage sequences in late 90s action/heist movies.

Chill electronica with sampled conversations and street noise. A bit trip-hop, a bit spy movie soundtrack. Makes sense that he does Soderbergh movie scores. This is nighttime music. I put it on as background music as I did chores during the day, and it was pretty forgettable. But then I put it on at night while knitting, and suddenly it was a vibe. I liked the strings on Don’t Die Just Yet.

That was a lot of instrumental dance music... trip-hop maybe? I swear at one point they were remixing the James Bond theme song? Overall... it was cool. It pleasant on the ears. Easy to work to. Maybe it would hit way harder on a dance floor in the 90s on MDMA? But turning my kitchen into a dance floor and doing some MDMA on a Wednesday just didn't seem feasible, so i remain underwhelmed, but positive. It's a solid 2.5 for me. But i'll give it a 3 because it's a good work album.

Wiki info: Holmes used the recordings he made in New York City of conversations and other street-level noise as samples on the album. These snippets of conversation were often spoken by people from New York's cultural underbelly, including prostitutes, pimps and drug-dealers. The samples were used in between the tracks on the album, and in some cases in the tracks themselves. The record contains a wide variety of styles within the electronica spectrum, including techno, breakbeats, trip hop and drum 'n' bass.[7] David Holmes has produced many film scores, and it has often been said that his studio albums have a cinematic feel to them.

I think it's pretty hard to make something really compelling in this genre of breakbeats sans vocals. The format really doesn't let you go too far. You can skip.

I can see how this collection of grooves got David Holmes the Out of Sight scoring gig. However, the vocal snippets tend to be more interesting than the music which I think is a bit of an own goal.

Good beats, unique especially for that time

Great album name. I've 100% said that. An interesting bunch of songs but nothing that wants me to revisit it.

this was crazy?

My opinion on techno is not new: it’s hard to judge when most of it sounds the same. Though there are elements here, this was unique. David Holmes created a version that was street smart and jazzy, with a touch of ‘70s blackspliotation mixed in. It’s like Curtis Mayfield and Skrillex had a love child. I can see how this helped move the genre from techno to trance and eventually dubstep. I swear I used to hear this at a martini bar I used to go to the early part of the century (aka, the Funky Buddha). I don’t know if I would look for it but I didn’t dislike the listen. Now I want a lemon drop martini…

Random thoughts: * This was interesting. Sort of a mash up of 90s DJ music and the Beastie Boys minus any rap. * I enjoyed the random conversations in the music. It really gave the album a feel of time and place. * I might add this to some instrumental playlists I have going for when I just want some tunes without much else going on.

Not bad EDM, but too much talking in the intros

Kind of a funky electronic album. Might go back and listen to this. Still not quite a 4 but maybe a higher 3/5. Never heard of this guy in the 90s.

I mean this was okay, but I don’t see myself returning to this quickly. Maybe when I’m studying. I liked Radio 7 and Don’t Die Just Yet the most.

My favourite was Rodney Yates. I didn't like the interludes and the intro very much, but they don't take up a lot of space. Decent album.

Kids these days are still chasing this sound it sounds great, just not for me. It sounded like the OST for some early 2000's game

Did I need to hear this before I died? No. Did I like it? Yes.

Some pretty cool tracks i def hear some samples

Ja ok. Känns som vi haft flera av denna typ av rytmiska elektroniska musik. Det är sisådär. Personligen älskar jag ju Tollstorpa "no guitar", med "techno"-esqu musik. Den här elektroniska musiken fyller mig inte med samma känsla. Det känns fattigare på nåt sätt. Svårt att sätta fingret på. Jag pendlar faktiskt mellan två och tre. Men jag gillar det nog i de flesta fallen lite mer än tvärtom. Tror jag. Svårt. Hellre fria än fälla.

Helt okej platta men bitvis för trumfokuserat, vilket blir lite trist att en timme. Skulle behövts lite mer, bättre och större variation i samplingarna (t ex som på Rodney Yates) för att kunna bli ett högre betyg.

Not my style

🎧Mostly pretty boring/background music. BUT it’s also got songs like Rodney Yates and the title track which were used in Ocean’s Eleven (2001), one of my favorite movies of all time. So it gets an extra star.

Sounds like a lazy hip hop without the vocals. I am not sure if I like it more or less because of it. Probably more

A few bops, not my cuppa tea as a wholes

I'm pretty sick of electronic on here. Maybe I don't take enough party drugs to get it.

1997. Pretty cool electric atmospheric club music of the late 90s without many vocals.

Interesting

This album felt like listening to the soundtrack of an experimental indie movie, but not the good kind. Or waiting way too long on the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas or IV loading screen. None of the samples were interesting and the whole atmosphere felt off.

I am not a music expert and this one I review just with my feelings. I didn't like it that much. It's nice, perhaps technically good or even for the time relevant and very new. Good as soundtrack, maybe to learn or focus, but not the complete album. The three first Songs were for me a bit too boring or disturbing. I don't need to listen this album one more time.l, but it was nice to know who is David Holmes.

Pretty neat club album, appreciated the different samples and it led to cool stuff. Radio 7 being a James Bond cover is bloody sick as.

Cool electronica. Once the songs fall into a groove though, most don’t develop much from there. Nice mix of loungy and dancey tracks with a hint of jazz here and there. The James Bond remix was a fun surprise.

This is a cool fever dream~ish sort of album. I often felt like I was stuck in a song however, and wanted more development or a piece to go somewhere else but it didn't happen enough. The James Bond song cover/recreation was a cool surprise. I wasn't sure if it was going to just be a sample or a full fledged reproduction but I had fun! Cool album cover. Straight to the point with that title.

Relatively boring.

Off the wall, but I really vibed with this.

Here is a copy/paste of my rant from the last 90's UK electronica album: "About 200 albums ago I had 2 straight months of 70's folk music and I kept ranting about how it is over represented in this list. Since then I have only gotten one here and there, so I guess I just got really unlucky. Now, I feel like the real genre that is over represented in this list is UK EDM/Electronica/Dance. Is the UK electronic scene really that important? I like to think I know more than the average person about music history, and I am involved in various music discourse, and no one has EVER brought up any of these artists. To be fair I don't follow much electronic music though. I feel like 1 or 2 UK albums on this list would be fine, but it feels like there are 30-40, and they always are the same. Some UK guy no one has heard of in the last 20 years that had one decently successful album in the 90's (usually a debut), all the songs have 100,000 streams, and then it is over an hour of some of the most average electronic music ever." I feel like this rant still mostly applies here, however this album has more of a Trip-hop feel and it is surprisingly his sophomore album, one song almost has 8 million streams, and it is 35 seconds shy of an hour. The album itself is fine, but not interesting enough to warrant the long runtime. Even the song lengths don't feel earned. They are fine songs and have some interesting arrangements, but nothing really happens or changes for 6+ minutes. Most of these songs could have been 2:30 and then the album could have been 30 minutes and I would move on and not really care. However, this album just drags on, and it really gets ruin by the runtime. Which is a bummer because I love triphop and this album has some potential, but it really wastes it with meandering songs that go nowhere for too long. Overall this just feels like a more boring version of Endtroducing or Oedipus Schmoedipus. Low 3.

cool i guess

Had a few cool songs, but this album is near the bottom of the 1001 albums.

I feel like it was trying to come off as being deeper than it actually was. Maybe I was missing something.

An alright album, I did like the song Radio 7 as it incorporated the James Bond theme.

I did not have high hopes for this and expected it to be similar to artists like Fatboy Slim and Goldie. I was quite surprised, in a good way, to be proved wrong! This album is innovative and fresh. Even though it’s from the 90s it doesn’t feel dated in the same way other electronica often does. While this does fall into the trap of being a bit too long and dragging on, it’s rarely boring. I wish I could give this a 3.5 because it’s not quite a 4 for me, but giving it a 3 feels harsh given how good this record is. I probably won’t listen to this again, but this album definitely belongs on this list, and it’s definitely worth hearing before you die.

6.5/10

The sounds of New York City and crack heads off the street. 6/10

Sort of interesting but at the same time kind of boring which in itself is an achievement

kinda good background music, gave me enough motivation to pack for my trip but prob wouldn’t listen to it on the daily

James Bond theme covers are always welcomed

ganz ok-ish electronic record. würds nit nochmal hören

liked it actually

Good dance music

6/10 - there was some cool parts but it was kind of weird

More mediocre electronica. Not that bad to listen to while working

Totally fine background music, but pretty generic.

Trip hop is nicely trippy to me. I like the wandering here. The echoing here. The differing styles I can't identify. At the heart, the percussiveness.

I enjoyed this.

aphex twin, fatboy slim, thievery corporation + some swaggy spoken word

I caught myself looking to see how many more songs were left on this album multiple times. That's not a good sign. Honestly, a song or two wouldn't be bad. An entire album made up of this music made me say, "yeah, let's get killed."

Now, originally I was like “no”. Then I was like “actually this is good late night laundromat music”.

It's alright. I liked the little interstitials and the beats were fun. Wasn't something I'd be thinking about for long after though.

I like this!

Electronica. Street noise with beats. Laid-back, simple beats. Different samples including conversations. Fine as background or lounge music. Cool and inoffensive, does the job.

Good musicians not my style.

Extremely average album, one good beat in Gritty Shaker, that is stuck in my head, but otherwise it's just a boring baclground music. I've never heard of David Holmes before and I'm not really surprised. Not sure what is this album doing on the list, just another example that 1000 albums might be a bit too many. 500 seems to be the sweet spot for now.

3.5

Late 90s dance music like this is quite hard to explain if you didn't live through it so I can understand younger people hearing this and being a bit non-plussed. It mostly isn't suited to a process like this where you sit on your own and intently listen. This music soundtracked getting ready to go out with your friends or being out in the pub with your friends before you went to a club or after you all went to someone's flat or possibly even nursing a hangover/coming down with friends the next day. It was communal and incidental and you probably had to be wearing a pair of cheap combats. Like a lot of music that felt so now at the time it does feel a bit stranded in its time. Btw I prefer the albums either side of this one.

Sounds like generic electronica to me. Neither bad nor good.

A vibe, but could do without.

This sounds like being cool in the late 90s.

"Let's Get Killed" is the second studio album by Belfast electronica DJ and producer David Holmes. The Wiki-listed genres are electronic, hip hop, instrumental hip hop and alternative dance. They are all applicable. Holmes used taped samples of talking to people (prostitutes, drug dealers and pimps) and street-level noise mixed with electronic music and samples. In addition to Holmes, other producers included Jagz Kooner. Gary Burns, Keith Tenniswood, Richie Femie and Goldsworthy. The album was well-received critically, and, commercially, hit #34 in the UK. After the short intro "Listen" which gives us NYC street people talking, "My Mate Paul" comes in with trip hop drums, synths and various percussion noises. "Let's Get Killed" begins and continues with a guy talking about getting killed and then getting into a fight in a bar. The music is a stark piano and two drum beat samples from Bob James and the Backyard Heavies. "Rodney Yates" has jazzy beats, synths and laser sounds. A nice mix of layering the vibraphone and a guitar. "Radio 7" was very interesting. It's the James Bond theme overlayed with a beat sample of Dennis Coffey's "Ride Sally Ride." "Don't Die Just Yet" is a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Melody." A down and dirty guitar. Dark synths. Strings. My favorite song on the album. This album was heavy on the beats and did a nice job sampling them. I found the NYC street people conversations both frightening and compelling. Besides their voices. It's really an instrumental album and sounds like a soundtrack. So, if you're into instrumental soundtracks or some decent sampling of beats, you'll like this album.