Let's Get Killed

i kind of got bored #sorry

cool i guess

that was so fun. feels like movie montage music for walking around nyc so i will definitely be listening to this as i do exactly that.

The "James Bond" release saved this from one-star territory.

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.

Just like Fatboy Slim. It's not terrible...just...dull

I've never heard of David Holmes or this album before, and I'm not terribly familiar with a lot of electronica music. Before starting this project, I would have thought that I would love a lot of the electronica albums on this list. I love synthesizers, keyboards, and drum machines, so I thought this genre would be right up my alley, but that hasn't really been the case unfortunately. Maybe this album will be the first electronica album to blow me away! Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this album very much. The overall sound was fine, but I found it to be pretty boring overall. Most of the songs didn't really go anywhere interesting, and there weren't many hooks, riffs, or melodies that caught my ear and made me want to hear more. Oddly enough, two of the songs that I enjoyed, "Radio 7," and "Don't Die Just Yet," happened to use samples of songs that I already knew (the James Bond theme and Serge Gainsbourg's "Historie de Melody Nelson"). Both of those songs feel very rooted in the time that they were recorded, but David Holmes managed to use them in a way that felt right at home in nineties electronica. I enjoyed "Caddell Returns" as well; I liked the slower pace of the song, and electronic sounds created a really cool atmosphere. Other than those songs though, this album really fell flat with me, with the songs about New York feeling especially out of place. If the overall theme of this album was about New York, or about urban life, I could see these songs fitting in better. This album wasn't unlistenable, but it certainly wasn't for me.

Background music but no more.

Not the worst techno of the 90s I’ve had to endure on this journey. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. Probably would not revisit.

Fun little album here with some cool beats. Nothing too exciting though.

Very obviously influential on artists to come

At my gym they loop repetitive, boring, annoying junk like this. I just put music on my headphones and drown it out.

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.

Sampling radio and adding 90s breakbeat is cool yall. I was so happy when it ended.

And just like the intro... New York is the s*^t! File this under New York.

It's very hard to listen to songs that do not change meaningfully over a 6-8 minute period. If you're building a track over a bass line, great! At least make some variation in the bones, for me at least. The throughline of conversations with New Yorkers was interesting and cool. I enjoyed the new rendition of the Bond theme too. Overall though, this was background music to me.

6.5/10

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

It's fine but not awesome or anything not really list worthy

Nothing special or memorable

Repetitive. Unoriginal. Not horrible but not for me.

passed me by as background music in the main. Not offensive but not engagingat all.

I had never heard of this and was a bit excited when it came up on the car stereo as "Electronica". That said, I found it pretty boring. I was expecting Aphex Twin or something ambient. I didn't find the beats all that imaginative, and the samples and whatnot seemed to just be trying to tell us over and over that the sample is from New York. I have a hard time giving it a two, but it barely deserves better. Ah, I just read the Wikipedia summary, and it's all clear now. Another relatively lame UK entry in the 1001 because the author is from the UK. Particularly obvious when the entry is from the 1990s.

3.5 - Enjoyed, bit too long. I like trip hop

I thought this was a pretty cool gritty sound collage album, though I'm not sure I'd really go back for much. Feels like a blend of Fatboy Slim and Illmatic. 3.5/5

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

Enjoying this album quite a bit. Quite entertaining.

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

Too slow for clubbing, too fast for studying. Not a fan of this kind of electronica. The integration of the streetscapes was cool though.

James Bond theme covers are always welcomed

ganz ok-ish electronic record. würds nit nochmal hören

liked it actually

Mixed opinion on this. Not sure if it's ok or just rubbish.

Enjoyed.

Good dance music

Love this album

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

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

No.

Totally fine background music, but pretty generic.

27/1001 Being in my prime (ha!) in the late 90s, I am aware of the name David Holmes but only vaguely know what he is all about - DJ, producer, film scores, remixer etc from the more alternative end of the dance spectrum - and have not listened to this album until now. Entirely instrumental, the music here is very much of its time, referencing a fairly eclectic spectrum of late-90s electronica but with a less chart-friendly vibe than your Fatboy Slims and Basement Jaxxes. Not necessarily my bag, this is inoffensive background music lacking any massive hooks (or any vocals to speak of at all) that manages to be interesting and a bit dull at the same time. If I were a DJ, I can imagine slipping some of these tracks into a 90s indie set to add a bit of variety, perhaps. The street chatter which punctuates the album (*checks notes* recorded by Holmes on a trip to New York 10 years earlier) doesn't really add much in my opinion, although some tracks do incorporate the recordings more creatively. It's all right, and does what it says on the tin, but I'm not sure it warrants being on this list and I'm not sure I'd return to it for my own listening pleasure too soon.

Umm, yeah, that's an electronica album. Didn't mind this as much as the Goldie album, but several of the songs still overstay their welcome. Which I guess is the thing, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. But hey, they're not all 10+ minutes long, which I do appreciate. The interludes or skits or whatever were interesting though, and it at least gets points for doing something different with the Bond theme. Overall I thought it was fine for what it is and certainly could've been worse. Not sure it belongs here, but then I'm generally not a fan of the genre.

This kind of electronica is pretty shit. It's really minimalist. It's not something you can dance to or even nod your head along to, it's just kind of there. The only good bit in the whole thing was the rip off of Melody Nelson, but then all they really did there was put a rubbish drum beat on top of it.

Good background music but not for me

Not for me. I could enjoy some of the grooves, but then all good will was repeatedly lost at the spoken dislogue segments.

More or less... 2 points

I was already familiar with Gritty Shaker. I’m not sure if I’d listen to this again but I did enjoy it. I downloaded it anyway. Its atmospheric. Perhaps in the right situation I’d revisit it?

was it my bias for chill electronic music that caused me to enjoy this album more than the average person? maybe, but i still loved it

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.

Underwhelming but not offensive. I quite like the James Bond theme remix.

This gets a big "who gives a fuck?"

no thanks

I enjoyed this.

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

This is like trip hop/house music, but super low energy. Dude establishes a beat, then leaves for 5-6 minutes and calls it a song. Not the worst electronica I've heard, but definately not my cup of tea. There are no real lyrics, dude just samples some people talking which is kinda lame. Favorite songs: Radio 7, Don't Die Just Yet, My Mate Paul Least favorite songs: Listen, The Parcus & Madder Show, For You (fuck skits), Caddell Returns 2/5

"It's like hip-hop without any rapping. And good riddance" -me Let's Get Killed, though a bit underwhelming, is one of the better albums from contemporary R&B – if you can really call it part of the genre. Some white Irishman putting together miscellaneous hip-hop beats with various disconnected interludes doesn't sound, on paper, like your typical 90s R&B. But without most of the lyrics and rapping, both the musician's and listener's attention is pulled to the instrumental. And I'll be honest: it's pretty darn good. A little repetitive and uninteresting at times, sure, but not having to actively tune out some generic, unmelodic, loudly-mixed shouting is a relief. The song Don't Die Just Yet is a really nifty soundscape of shifting guitars, bass, contrabass, mellotron, and a constant hip-hop-produced drum beat. It's far and away the best track on the album. Radio 7 is obviously a derivative track by design, but it has its own merits. Allusions to Black and Hispanic culture at the beginning give the track a lot more meaning than it would've had otherwise. Rodney Yates and Gritty Shaker are two other highlights for their well-selected hooks. But there are also some particularly weak tracks, including Freaknik and Caddell Returns, that really put the latter half of the album into "flop" territory. And of course, interludes are (nearly always) unnecessary. Cut them out and we'll have ourselves a deal. 2/5 Key tracks: Gritty Shaker, Rodney Yates, Don't Die Just Yet

why

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.

Very fun techno. Love the samples of New Yorkers

I thought this was great. Somehow it hadn't crossed my path at the time but I was enjoying other albums in its wheelhouse at the time (Bentley Rhythm Ace, Midfield General, Squarepusher) and would definitely have bought this if I'd heard it circa 1997-99. It may not be something I'll be putting on regular rotation but I'll come back to it at some point. The field recordings make for an interesting touch which could've come across a bit as cultural tourism but for me they punctuate the longer tracks and vary the pace a bit.

A largely boring album, the beats are simple and it sounds like a movie soundtrack. This lines up, as Holmes' discography includes many film albums like the Oceans' films. It is easy listening and really inoffensive, and I did like the groove in Don't Die Just Yet, which is easily the best song here. But overall, it's not super interesting.

To me this was just background noise. No clue how this could be considered a must listen before you die.

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.

Interesting….didn’t completely hate this. Again quite good train vibes. Got boring after a while, wanted to listen to something else.

I like this, movie soundtrack style, would have listened when it came out. Enjoyed the New York references and that James Bond theme reminded me of Goldeneye which is probably where the song came from.

Pointless voice samples begin every track. Then bass/drum rythmn starys, and that's about it. Dance music only.

Insanely boring, overly repetitive beats. I can'T believe this album made it here.

This album makes me want to kill myself.

Listening to this again would lead me to madness and despair.

Good musicians not my style.

Sounds like a movie soundtrack. Okay for driving.

This isn't a quintessential 1 star that makes me want to peel my ears off. I just... don't get it? It's a spy movie? Set in inner-city New York? I respect movie scores a ton, but where's the movie? I can't will myself to listen to this again, and it's lazy to bait it as EDM, or really anything other than garbage.

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

Generic 90’s pop dance. Nothing more to report sadly.

This is just unpleasant noises strung together without being melodic. It’s so bad it could be used to keep birds off a building.

This was an unexpected listening gem

Dug the guitar in Don't Die Just Yet, but otherwise didn't care for it

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.

From the intro I hated it

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

What a slog. Felt like it would never end

A vibe, but could do without.

2/5

This sounds like being cool in the late 90s.

287/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

"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.

Из того что удалось послушать: музыка прикольная, слова какая-то ерунда, на propellerheads похоже, годится.

Fine Unremarkable

Lots of those songs enter by one ear and go out by the other but it's still pleasant while it lasts.

I do not need this in my music life.

I don't understand the importance of this record. It sounds very middle of the road. It came after DJ Shadow and Goldie and stuff. It didn't bring anything new to the table. There's not much EDM on the list if you consider how popular it is, but Most EDM albums are as boring as this one. Not enough variation. The loops are too short and repeated too often. However, it's not annoying. It is good background music. Favorite song: This music goes in one ear and out the other, so I don't care.

Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser de la «reprise» de Gainsbourg, qui me semble très proche de l'originale (où est la ligne entre hommage, citation et appropriation?). David Holmes est assurément un artiste habile, mais l'ensemble m'a paru très cérébral. Je n'ai pas beaucoup connecté.

En fond musical, j’imagine que ça le fait. C‘est pas forcément irritant, c’est juste pas grand chose.

It's the dollar store version of a Fatboy Slim album. I don't want to get killed, but I wouldn't mind a little more variety. Favorite Track: "Let's Get Killed".

Nothing about this grabbed me. It was just meh

Incredibly slow and dull album at the start. Quite a boring listen and found it really hard to get through. The tempo changes hardly existed in a lot of songs and they went on for way longer than they needed to. By the end there were some more interesting elements though. The James Bond song was pretty decent, if largely reliant on the original sample. The Serge Gainsbourg song was also great and saved this album from a 1 for me.

There are many albums on this list that get a whole lot more interesting if you just read a bit about them on Wikipedia. This is one of them. Apparently David went to New York with a tape recorder and just recorded a bunch of sounds and strange people in the city, and then used that as basis for the record. I even found a small 30 minute documentary about him from '98 on Youtube that I watched, quite interesting. The album definitely feels conceptually complete. There is a vision for the album, and every song feeds into and realize that vision. All songs just fit very well together. The whole record also feels extremely 90s with the breakbeat or drum 'n bass-like drum patterns, something which I am not a big fan of. They are centered way too much in the songs for me and take over quite a lot, leading to many songs sounding the same. The scratch sound effect is also something I don't think I've ever heard on anything except 90s or early 2000s music, and I don't think anyone would dare use it anymore. What is interesting to me about this record, apart from the production method, is how it was very evident that it got progressively better to me the more I know about it, and the more I listened to it. I have alluded to this before that it's sometimes hard to appreciate something when hearing it first time, but here it was extremely clear as I wasn't very impressed when I put it on at first, but now think it's a quite decent record. Some of these songs were a bit too long and repetitive, but I found 'Gritty Shaker', 'Rodney Yates', 'Slasher's Return' to be my favourite songs. I was determined to make this a strong 3 star album, but I think I'll stretch it to a weak 4. I realize this is entirely because this is a bit of my jam, but also because I've become quite biased after researching the album.

Perfect music to code to! Was a great soundtrack to my bughunt. Enjoyed the bond-sampled song "Radio 7". Mostly worked as background music for me, had a nice 90s feel to it with the drumbeats and samples. Nothing really special stood out but will keep it on my "focus" rotation.

Sod off sherlock

Mish mash of tunes, hip hop, vibes, and New York street talk that somehow works (mostly). Curious.

Fine to listen to while I work. Not the most engaging though, not sure why it is on this list. I think other albums of this genre could have taken its place.

Boring

Forgettable.

House music isn't really my thing, but I thought it was pretty good.

An collection of 90s techno. I enjoyed some parts of it, others fell flat. I can hear the stylistic choices Holmes was going for and why it was selected for the Oceans franchise. Overall- decent album. Probably a 2.5/5, not quite a 3

Gritty Shaker was actually how Len used to describe the sexual technique of one of his wives. 2.3

I'm not feeling it.

Let's Get Killed is not my speed for electronica or similar, it's really quite dull or awfully repetitive in placed and mostly sounds like a generic action or spy film soundtrack. It's not without its merits at times, like I really liked Rodney Yates, that sort of approach is much more my thing, so while it hits that spot at times, it doesn't do it often enough to get more than a 2/5.

Didn't particularly enjoy this tbh, a bit too laid back and not enough exciting going on. 2/5.

Interesting

I found it a little boring.

Only good part is the James Bond theme.

Great, some more generic 90s electronica. /s. 4/10.

When I found out that David Holmes ended up making music for films, about halfway through Rodney Yates, the album started making a lot more sense to me. I can hear this sort of stuff being played over a spy or heist movie montage, with some sort of narration going on to distract from the fact that the music itself is so highly repetitive. I’m actually not sure if I’d call Let’s Get Killed bad at all, I just can’t picture wanting to sit down and listen to it all the way through again, because the music itself is so highly repetitive. I can’t think of any more ways of incorporating because the music itself is so highly repetitive naturally into the review, I think the album’s sapping my creative, because the music itself is so highly repetitive

Not bad

I didn't like it at all. It sucks

Takes a couple of listens to appreciate but there are a lot of great tracks on this record. Very groovy house music. Not surprising that Holmes has been involved in so many movie soundtracks.

Unexpected pleasure

I can appreciate why this is interesting but not my thing

Sick beats in the greatest city in the world

bad

I could review this album, but I would just be repeating myself, yet again, about how repetitive, uninteresting and directionless this type of music truly is. And then I would be no better than this album.

Truly all I was thinking throughout this is when is it over. There were a couple songs that I thought would fit in like a spy movie, but I wouldn’t listen to this again. It was different for sure, but not something I’d ever say was necessarily good.

I like the concept of the album - kid visits NYC with a tape recorder and talks to all kinds of characters, weaves a trancey electronic album around it all. The concept was far better than the execution. It's just a tough album to get through - at best it's fine as background soundtrack for doing something active and I could give it credit for that but it's just boring and filled with repetitive loops that would amuse me had I made them myself but as for releasing as-is let alone calling it an album i *need* to hear is a bit presumptive. Pass. 4/10 2 stars.

I enjoyed it, but the fact that it was just 5 minute long instrumentals made it feel like a chore.

Relies a little too heavily on dialogue samples. Let the beats breathe!

With all the car horns and other sound effects probably a bad idea to listen to this while driving. 2.5/5

infelizmente o tamanho das músicas e/ou o tamanho do disco tornou uma experiência que começou agradável em algo que ali nos 30min eu só queria que acabasse logo (e não acabava)

It was an album. I liked the field recordings and it was fine

I can see how this genre of music influenced videos games around the time, very Jungley/Breakcorey. Not something I'd listen to casually though.

I enjoyed that more than I expected, even added a song to my playlist.

The longer songs were at least two minutes too long. It's one thing to repeat a theme, but if there's no building up or tension/release, it just gets annoying after a while. I did like a couple of the longer songs, but things like the title track just... trim it down some, man. Top tracks: "Radio 7", "Don't Die Just Yet"

Did I hate this album? Aside from the NY street sounds and dialogue, maybe not. But did I really enjoy it? Nothing really stood out except for Head Rush on Lafayette (but that was only an 80s track), Radio 7" (the Bond redub), and the last song Don't Die Just Yet (ironically just when I was feeling like I needed to die). Still, I found myself reaching for the skip button a lot on this album. Damn 1,001 we were on such a roll there the last few albums. Looking at all the unknown artists (to me) upcoming, we could be going the other way.

I'm not a big electronica fan, but I definitely enjoyed this album. Great grooves throughout and it kept my interest. I particularly appreciated the quality of the drum programming. Would revisit. Favorite tracks: My Mate Paul (pulled me in immediately), Let's Get Killed (really liked how the rapid bass drum beat started as the voice-over said "my legs start going like this", like his legs are shaking on the bass drum. Also liked how the dark music fit the narrative), Freaknik, Caddell Returns, Don't Die Just Yet.

Ok bakgrunnsmusikk, langt, spionere, elektronisk, samples

I wish this album was killed before it released. Holy crap it was super generic. Maybe in the 90s this held up, but in 2024 it sounds generic as hell. Also the samples included for interludes and such are uninteresting as hell. 100% more Brit bias on this list.

Nur instrumentaler Funk. Hab's nicht zu Ende gehört.

Ho-hum breakbeat music. It's fine for what it is, a moment in time. Absolutely not essential listening.

It was interesting. Not amazing, but not bad.

This is sweet.

Boring - doesn't ruin my day since it's background music but I had to listen to THIS before I died?

This is actually quite good as background music I'm not paying attention to. However it's a bit boring actually paying good attention.

Woke up so cheerful on Christmas Eve and got this. The music is fine (reminds me of lots of modern film scores, I guess?) but the title just made me laugh. (ntm.)

Didn’t think this one was anything special, got a bit bored halfway through so not the greatest album on this list

This was not that great… quite basic electronica that went on overly long and didn’t hold my attention.

Boring but fine

Genius IDM

It took some research but I’ve been convinced of the reasons for inclusion, I just didn’t like it much.

Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music. Thou shall not make repetitive generic music.

If I was feeling rude, I’d say, “What is this shit?” Radio, traffic noise, repetitive drum codas, puleeze… 1/5

it’s alright a bit too long and a bit too one note

Pre-listening tracks: never a good sign when an album’s first track is called Listen. Girl are you begging me to listen cause now I’m skeptical Post/during listening thoughts: yawwnnnnn okay whatever. This is like barely music. An album full of GarageBand templates and loading screens 2/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: ??? Half of this was literally talking like Least fav tracks: I didn’t really like any of it

55/100. This album had its moments, but overall, it left me underwhelmed. The beats were solid at first and even gave the album a nostalgic 90s vibe that I genuinely enjoyed—it felt like stepping into a time machine. Unfortunately, as the album went on, the beats became increasingly uninteresting, and the overall experience just didn’t hold up.

Chill instrumental trip hop electronica with hip hop, dub, electronica, acid house, indie rock and WOMAD influences combined for a cinematic feel. Nice and relaxed background music - the lynchpin of many a 'music to study to' playlist.

It started off with a song that just kept saying the f word over and over so I kind of lost interest pretty quick. However it wasn't terrible.

Długo się zastanawiałam czy dać jedną czy dwie gwiazdki. Dałam jedną, bo dało się przesłuchać. Monotematyczne, reptytywne, nie rzucające się w uszy. Niektóre kawałki nawet do przesłuchania, inne zbyt irytujące, aby kiedykolwiek do nich wrócić. Nie jest to płyta do której będę wracać i myślę, że spokojnie mogłabym umierać nie wiedząc o jej istnieniu. 2.5/10

Dull, repetitive hotel-ass music. Like I've just checked into the Embassy Suites and the decade-old TV with comically large bezels is welcoming me by highlighting the signature cocktails to be found on the Level 2 mezzanine. I know this guy from his work on Soderbergh movies, and I think a couple of these tracks are actually in Oceans 11. But Holy Christ are these uninspired and unnecessarily long. A 30 second snippet as Clooney and Pitt exchange grins is one thing, seven and a half fucking minutes of the same 5 second loop is something else entirely. And how do you make the Bond theme boring???

Coolia trip hoppia, ysäri actionleffa musaa. Toisissa kappaleissa taas hyvä hämyinen tunnelma. Parhaat: Rodney Yates, Caddell Returns

I had this on CD first time around - but picking it up again after 20 year plus hiatus I don't think it has aged well. Feels like bigbeat but clinical / by numbers and without any energy or joy. A soundtrack to a forgettable early 2000 action film. A low 2.

Absolute crap.

Really fun electronic vibe

After seeing that David Holmes wrote the soundtracks to Oceans Twelve and Oceans Thirteen (and I assume Eleven too) I didn’t know what to expect with this album. Then again, I haven’t seen those films so I guess that adds up. I did like this though, and I can certainly see why he scores films. There was a tense sense of drama throughout, and I loved the sampled vocals. It reminded me a little of Lemon Jelly with the use of samples, but I’m pretty sure this came out earlier. So yeah, interesting fun album.

2/5

Not very interesting electronic

2.5 stars. Like his work scoring "Ocean's 11" film more than this album. Some of it is good, some of it is forgettable. Weird violent interludes/spoken word vocal sampling of rough underground of NY in beginning of a lot of songs. Standout is "Don't Die Just Yet" with some string orchestral sounds.

I could tell right out the gate this was gonna be a long hour. Not for me.... Boring, repetitious garbage...

"oh is this finally over?!" - me, when I realized the album had looped back to the beginning (still one of the stupidest features I've ever seen, Spotify)

Pleasant enough, although the best track here is actually by Serge Gainsbourg. Works well as background music.

Tight beats, but loose with all the chat shit in-between tracks. I could have done without that.

I’m not very informed to discuss this, my knowledge on DJing could be written on the back of a stamp, although this sounded like one of the urban movie OST that I have from this time, even before I got to the Bond theme, so can only go off how it sounds to me, today. I don’t dislike it per se, but by its very repetitive nature it seems somewhat monotonous and lacking in vitality, being more background than anything. So yeah glad to expand my horizons and listen to a full album of whatever this is listed as, won’t be rushing to follow up though

A pack of emptiness, a big nothingburger.

Interesting. Minimalist and influenced by multiple genres. This definitely sounded like it should have been rapped over, but whatever. It was fun enough.

hmmm never heard of these guys either. But 1997 was a good year. The year I graduated from HS. And the year Angelica was born. A sound clip from NYC starts out the first track, sounding like it might be hip hop? Reading the Wiki now. Electronica, lets go! This second track is pretty cool. It's got nice deep bass, and cool beat, also cool sampling. Okay this was pretty good. 4 stars.

It’s a worse Nujabes album

Bien

An album that expanded the acid jazz movement of the mid and late nineties and was the album that got Stephen Soderbergh's attention which resulted in him tasking David Holmes with making the iconic acid jazz score for the 2001 remake of OCEAN'S 11.

I have a high tolerance for crappy techno, but this is some seriously crappy techno

has some good moments but it's tiresome as fuck.

This is one of the few albums I haven't been able to finish since I started this project. Not because I really disliked the music, but because it was so boring I couldn't stand it. The verbal monologues at the beginning of the tracks were a little interesting, but after that it was just repetitive backing tracks to a 2000s action movie DVD menu screen. Couldn't bother listening to the whole thing. 3/10

not unlistenable but feels a bit low effort and pointless Standout: Don't die just yet

Oh, wow, super cool! Had never heard of David Holmes, but the artistry here is remarkable. It's genuinely impressive!

Before his rise to fame as a film composer, particularly in collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, David Holmes was known for crafting eclectic electronic music infused with cinematic influences and innovative sound design. Let’s Get Killed is a cult favourite among experimental electronica and trip-hop fans, standing out for its unique storytelling approach. On the surface, the album’s many references to New York may seem unusual coming from a Northern Irish DJ. However, discovering that Holmes recorded much of the album in New York itself—capturing street conversations and ambient city sounds—casts the project in a new light. This field recording technique transforms the album into a vibrant sonic journey through chaotic urban streets, with samples and beats woven together in an immersive narrative. Though the album works best when experienced sequentially, a few tracks stand out. "My Mate Paul" shines with its infectious groove, jazzy horns, and driving electronic beat. "Rodney Yates" offers a slower, atmospheric mood, hinting at Holmes’s future cinematic style. The hauntingly lush "Don’t Die Just Yet" reimagines Serge Gainsbourg with a contemporary twist. At the same time "Radio 7," a James Bond-inspired pastiche, blends vintage soundtrack motifs with modern beats to great effect. As a whole, Let’s Get Killed is an entertaining dive into a genre I don’t often frequent. While a few tracks occasionally meander or feel overly long, the album’s immersive nature makes it easy to get lost in its urban landscape. Though not as polished or widely celebrated as Holmes’s later works, this album remains a snapshot of his artistry in his early career. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? Honestly, no. While the album provides a fascinating glimpse into Holmes’s early experimentation, it is not as accomplished as other electronic albums released in and around the same year. Would this release make my personal list? No. Will I be listening to it again? It’s unlikely to make its way back into my regular rotation. It’s a compelling listen in context but doesn’t quite hold up to repeated plays for me.

doesn't work for me

More fun ambience, like The XX a perfectly decent album I see myself returning to. Favourite track: Gritty Shaker.

That's not my taste in music. But ok. Strange.

I like this record just fine, but the best part of it is just a remix of half of Gainsbourg's Histoire De Melody Nelson, and also another Gainsbourg standard, probably his most famous song -- Le Poinçonneur des Lilas. Which like of course samples can still be original works but it's less of a sample and more of a straight up remix album, or like just the actual songs but instrumental with some extra kick drum tracks added on top of it, unless there's something subtle I'm missing. I did like it but what I liked best about it was the part that Gainsbourg did. There's also a rework of the James Bond theme too? I don't know. It doesn't feel worthy of being on a list if you know the references it comes from, which aren't deep cuts at all nor is he really adding much of anything to them. It's a very derivative and half-baked album, and if I wasn't such a sucker for 90s electronica I would definitely give it a 2.

This record was clearly produced by someone who was looking to get killed.

A good little funky ditty.

Pretty good, but not really the same staying power as other electronic music of the time. It feels dated, but I still enjoyed the listen. 3.5/5

Well, time for another weird electronica album that i had never heard of until now with Let's Get Killed. Honestly, i wasn't really going in with the highest expectations but man oh man this album really grew on me. The actual songs here were actually really catchy when i could remember them due to their length making only one song stay in my head for that time and the intermission tracks did manage to fit well with the album's theme. There is even a reworking of the 007 theme here which i thought was interesting. Granted the album is long and repetitive but i still enjoyed it enough to give it a 3.5. Best Song: Let's Get Killed Worst Song: Head Rush On Lafayette

Not bad, good background music to have on while working ...

I’m giving this a five because it passed me by at the time but if I’d have heard it when it came out I would have loved it. There’s a few tracks I recognise - at least a couple from Spaced - and the ones that don’t are funky or trippy or just generally cool. I might dare to suggest it’s a bit of its time, but I like it!

Classic….

Familiar yet new-to-me. Definitely one for the collection

This was okay. I did really dig one track, Don't Die Just Yet. Then I read that he reworked songs from Serge Gainsbourg's album Histoire de Melody Nelson for that song. I knew of Gainsbourg, but had never actually listened to him, so I listened to the Melody album and really like it. I also love the way Belfast remixed those songs. I'm sure the album deserves better than a 2, but it's not the type of thing I'd seek out again aside from that one song.

Annoying new-funk jazzy vibes. Not my type of music

i’ve got a soft spot for these 90s big beat guys but this is less memorable than most

Zusammenhang- und belanglos.

No.

I listened to it while doing a semi-tedious task at work and it was pleasant. Liked ‘Slashers Revenge’ (the dub one) the most. The spoken bits are pretty prominent. Important for the artistic context, and sets it apart from trip hop stuff like Portishead, but kinda dates it.

I hadn't heard of David Holmes, which is neat, because I've been wanting to get into this genre and was expecting this list to basically be 1,001 classic rock albums. I got really into Fred again... last year (or the year before?) when his Boiler Room set got big, and I loved Porter Robinson's latest album. Are those reasonable comparisons? I'm an electronic newbie! Anyway, I like this and will be adding it to my collection. It does feel very ~of its time~, but I also love the 90s NYC aesthetic so that's not a problem for me! 3 stars.

BOOOORING. Do we really need more 90s British electronica on the list? No. I don't think we do. I think I've had enough of it by now. There is absolutely nothing special about this album to me. The sound is fine. It works for what it is. Unfortunately, what it is is uninteresting, at least to me. The skits, if you can call them that, are weird to me. They're not Ready to Die levels of bad, but they don't really serve a purpose to me. The album's pretty long, but it could've been worse. That's this album to me. It could've been worse. It's not quite at Haunted Dancehall levels of terrible for me, but it's still a very weak album pick for a list like this. Low 2/5.

If I was drunk/stoned after a night clubbing and wanted to vibe for the remaining wee hours, I'd stick this on. Since I'm neither of those things, this is repetitive and SO 90s

meio médio

That aged badly…

A collection of funky and well-crafted beats; it's just a shame that most of the songs don't really change or evolve all that much and often run on for a minute or two too long. It's still pretty neat background music though.

Fine easy listen. Very 1994

Sure, I could be into this -- I liked the incorporation of found audio

It was alright

Not bad, not good.

Not sure where all the hate comes from, a bit simple but fun listen

2.5

Not my type of music but appreciate. Some nice safe sounds

Low key but loved it!

This was actually a super annoying album to listen to.

Some of these bests are interesting. Not bad for background music. Extremely New York, well captured by the Irishman. I really don’t understand the vitriol towards this album here. It’s quite melodic and musical as electronic music goes. A lot of critiques here seem to be stock objections to a genre rather than genuine consideration of a particular instance of it.

I liked this! It reminded me of Propellerheads, which is from the same era of electronica. I do usually go for Propellerheads when in a mood for this type of thing, but it’ll be nice to have this tucked in my back pocket for the future, too.

3.75

Not my thing 🤐

Electronic music. Enjoyed it

I’m torn because I like the beats and what he’s doing, but they conjure images of aggro hipsters trying too hard to be cool and maybe it’s just my state of mind, but I can’t wholeheartedly endorse such inducements.

I am really enjoying this. It’s got that ‘darkness’ that a lot of early electronic music had a la Orbital/The Orb/Underworld but it sounds more modern and put together a la Aphex Twin/Squarepusher. I think you would consider this pre-‘bit beat’ but I guess right on the cusp of that movement (Moby, Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Daft Punk)

09/10/24 This album did nothing for me.

First heard this album in Oct 2024. Had no idea what to expect, just knew he was from Belfast. I was digging the album halfway thru the first listen, and have been loving the album on my third listen in a row. I hear Basement Jaxx, some N.O.W.

Never heard of this before and come next week I’ll have forgotten all about it. Didn’t hate this, some of it was pretty cool, but found the James Bond song very cheesy. Can’t see why this needs to be on the list.

This is pure dross with no redeeming features. I don’t know who David Holmes is, but as a piece of music in isolation it’s not one that deserves to be remembered. Onto the next album please.

I liked how creative this album was but I just don't think I could get in the right headspace for it truthfully. I should revisit this because there was a high level of art and work that was obvious but I just really listened it to once and that was it but I could see a world where this gets multiple listens and four stars.

I really appreciate how many instrumental tracks this list gives us. This album was just fine. I think I was expecting to dislike it more than I did based on reviews. This album feels so very 90s to me, which shouldn't be surprising, but I really like that aspect of listening to this album. There are some songs I really like and others that I do not care for, and overall I could see myself putting on this album again for background music at work and just skipping the songs I feel most meh about.

how could anyone think Brit DJ music was important enough for this many albums? feels like a prank. get killed, list.

Yes let’s

Yeah, im the target audience for this and even i thought it was rubbish. It doesnt really go anywhere, do anything or have much merit. Should have been a car advert soundtrack

another redundant electronic album. the only thing mildly interesting about this album is the sampled “vignettes” that are used as intros on several songs.

Meh. This is more like 400 Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die and 601 Albums That This One Fucking Guy Likes.

Ein wilder Mix, für mich nicht das richtige. 1/5

Interesting, atmospheric. Better as part of something than as the main feature. Good as background music, would make a good soundtrack.

Probs a 2.7

I like to take a look at the history of an album while I listen to it, especially to find out why it was included on this list. For this album, I saw a lot of references to the "cinematic quality" of this album. Apparently, David Holmes has gone on to compose a lot of music for movies, hence why it's important in retrospect to look at these reviews. The problem is, that's kind of like saying "this music belongs in the background". Calling music cinematic is like saying, there's no purpose to this music outside of what it could provide to a visual scene. Imagine all the famous pieces of movie music you know. Some absolutely wonderful, amazing pieces. The star wars theme for example. Now, take them out of that context. Would they be good? For sure. But would they be as famous, or would they be AS good without the context of the movie? No. Because music made for cinema is made to not be actively consumed, so to speak. It is not the focus, it is there to enhance. Two parts combine to make a greater whole. Without it, without any vision, the music is rendered meaningless. It honestly makes the album somewhat, for lack of a better term, offensive to the sensibilities. I'm sure this would work really well if someone made a super cheesy and very late for the cultural moment version of Do The Right Thing, or a really lame and unfunny version of Friday (since, due to the samples, it sounds a lot like white people hip hop, where we remove all the swing and interesting rhythmic qualities). There is nothing stand out about it, and it really makes me wonder why it was included on the list, since it doesn't seem to have been inspirational or really culturally relevant. Furthermore, imagine you took someone who was a complete blank slate to any form of digital/electronic music. They've purely been listening to bands with instruments for 20 years and had no idea you could even use computers to put together music, or sample, or anything like that. This would instantly turn them off of said music, and probably give them a, in their eyes, completely justified strong anti-sampling view. Every song takes one or two main samples, poorly removes anything interesting from them, loops 2-5 seconds of it, and that is put over the WHOLE ENTIRE SONG, basically the foundation. Then some even shorter samples are thrown in to create the sense of progression, even though it's not there. Even I have made similar sounding songs, except I would never think to release them because they sound amateurish and terrible, because I'm an amateur beginner. Honestly, I am not one to generally hate music. I welcome all types that aren't modern pop country. I didn't even give one star to Bjork, and I hate Bjork's music with a dying passion. I was going to give this three stars when first listening to the first three songs. Then it dropped to a two throughout the album. Then I went back and listened again, and it just became even more offensive. That's why this album is getting a 1. Further listens just really drives home that there's is basically absolutely nothing here. It's filler commercial music, put to an album. It's basic copyright free youtube music, that creators never pick because it's just too obviously copyright free music, due to its lack of musicianship, interesting ideas, general melody, and the complete monotony and reptiveness of it all.

cool blend of field recordings and jittery electronica but it's (‘say the line, Bart!’) too long in my opinion. I found the first couple songs to be the best, but the uneasy 2nd half of the album, especially after the 4-drug cocktail bender, get points for being eerie as heck. The dub song is also 🔥 HL: "Slasher's Revenge", "My Mate Paul", title track September 26, 2024

Sounds like a soundtrack from a bad, low budget 90s movie about hacking.

What the heck was that

An album drawing a lot from the worlds of instrumental hip hop, not unlike the music of DJ Shadow, and big beat groups like 'The Chemical Brothers". I love those two artists so it was a shame that I left the thing with less-than-stellar impressions. Despite it acting perfectly in the context, I don't want to sum it up as background music, but it certainly doesn't have that engaging grip and diversity to keep me focused for its nearly one-hour runtime. The samples just aren't that creative - though I did like those little interlude snippets. It still sounds great all things considered but, again, in a more let your mind wander sort of way.

Didn't really click with me. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood for it, but it seemed like pretty generic breakbeat

The editors of this book really want you to like 90s electronica, but this album just sounds like the rest of them… at least to me. Not bad, but really not interesting.

Intriguing - has the feeling of a soundtrack. Not sure I need to hear it again -

A little funky, a little strange, a little raunchy, a lot repetitive. I liked some of it.

Meh. Don't care too much, at all actually for electronica. This at least felt a little better than most. But still pretty repetitive, as is the usual for these electronica albums.

Yep. A big wave of nostalgia with this one

What a genuinely boring and repetitive album. I can sample street talk and mix it with the 007 theme, too. That doesn't make me an innovator. Sorry, I meant, What a brilliant and captivating album. For someone tripping balls.

Album kind of reminds me of the ratchet and clank ost for some reason Its not that bad. Im not super familiar with breakbeat music so if the generally considered to be bad breakbeat, then consider intrigued by more highly regarded breakbeat albums As for this one: There's some interesting and creative production on here, however most of the album feels a little drab. Nothing horrible though.

First thought was movie music & it turns out this guy has scored a few flicks. And reworked the Bond theme…okay.

Fine album, but without some lyrics it feels really dull after some time.

This felt like a remix of elevator music. 1.3

Didn't love it, but didn't hate it either. Was fine...at best. Electronica is not my jam.

me pareció bastante copado 7.5/10

73% Best: My Mate Paul; Gritty Shaker; Radio 7; Don't Die Just Yet Must-Hear? Not quite, but great background music

Nothing really to hate, but it's only ambient music - maybe for movies? nothing for the 1001 list. 0 is not possible, therefore 1

One of the better electronic albums but still not my cup of tea

I thought this album was just "good." It didn't "wow" me or impress me or really make me want to add it to my "collection" to go back to, but it was chill and easy to listen to the one time. The "interviews" in between the songs were mostly annoying to me, though, and that is a big piece of why I can't see myself listening to it, again.

Another really uninspiring electronic album. There’s no Autechre or Squarepusher on this list but somehow there’s space for this, make it make sense

Well, that was something.

Not Brilliant

Thoughts before listening: Never heard of David Holmes, and I do not recognize this cover. I'm going to guess its British and either lo-fi indie folk or some sort of electronic music. Review: Its British electronic music...and pretty boring electronic music in my opinion. This just isn't a genre that I get very excited about, especially when its more an album of beats than actual songs. I'm just not hearing much here that rises above background music. 1-star for me.

Cinematic but repetitive. Def has that early mid nineties vibe to it. Not quite my cup of tea but captures a niche genre. Background music. 2.5/5

Different, doesn't have anything I would call a banger, but it's a vibe if you want something more moody and atmospheric

Was ist das? Klangspielereien mit tollen Soundeffekten, angedeuteteten Jazz, coolen Sprachcollagen. Dieses Album lebt von der Atmosphäre und kann nicht nebenbei gehört werden, sonst überhört man die wichtigen Details. Das war ein Werk dieser Art, das ich vorher in dieser Intensität noch nicht vorher gehört habe. Dafür liebe ich diese Challenge. Ich weiß nicht, ob ich dieses Album öfter hören kann, dafür ist es mir zu wenig melodisch. Trotzdem ist mein Fazit: absolut hörenswert!

Glad to hear this. I found the recorded street dialogue wearisome, but i suppose it adds ambience. The tunes were great though. The guy clearly knows what he's doing.

Amazing variety of 90s electronic sounds here. In spite of how different each song is it still manages to feel very cohesive. Part of this is probably the effective use of field recordings throughout.

Interesting, yet very boring. Great background music for a cocktail bar. Otherwise not listenable. 😴

Not great. Really pretty unremarkable. Gonna do a 2.5 though because it made for decent background music.

The fact that I hadn't heard of David Holmes before, and the cover, led me to the conclusion that this would be some sort of electronica. I was right, but I was incorrect on how I'd feel: this might be one of the few electronica albums on the list that somewhat demands attention as opposed to fading gently in the background. I'm a big fan of the breakbeat drums, the varied influences, and the little tangents that the various citizens of New York City have to offer. Favorite tracks: "My Mate Paul", "Gritty Shaker", "Freaknik"

Can’t believe I missed this in the late ‘90s. EDM jazz.

3.5

CTRL C + CTRL V. Nothing much to grab onto. The beats are decent, but nothing really stands out. It tries to have the mood of something like Massive Attack, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. It just doesn’t stick.

Not bad, just bland and uneventful. 1001 albums to listen to in the background and not pay attention to before you die. Slasher's Revenge is a dub banger, though!

Meh

Niet best, vond het soms irritant en soms heel matig.

eh

Very dull background music that isn't very cool or innovative. Every song sounds the exact same, which is a generic drum beat and some 'urban' New Yorker talking in the background. It's a very safe algorithm, and being safe, it's lame. And this is totally unrelated but that album art is really cheap.

Weird sound bites and electronic soundscapes. Who listens to this shit?

I'm enjoying it, but I genuinely can't find why this is regarded by some as such a classic

Alusta loppuun solid! Miehistön arvio pyöristyy 4-5 arvoissa neloseen. 4/5

Muutama kiinnostava biisi, mutta keskimäärin vähän ohut levy.

Eeh, felt like it was tryna be edgier than it really was. Pretty standard techno beats. Good background music but to me a less memorable version of duck rock

Dull techno. Nothing to write home about. Low 2.

Favorite Track: Radio 7

Je pense que c'est l'album le moins mémorable de la liste, j'ai zéro souvenir de la moindre toune pis j'suis juste le lendemain

I slept on this guy back in the day. This was exactly the type of record I was looking for when I thought I was a “cool triphop DJ” Yeah, sure, it’s a bit dull now but 4 stars for how I would have felt about it 25 years ago.

mah come sottofondo ci può stare ma non resta in mente..

Go ahead Dave,I'll catch up later

My intense hate-on for electronic music continues! I just don't get it. It's so repetitive and boring. Potentially great for soundtracking a DVD menu or a call center queue, but not for active listening. Bits like the James Bond sample were fun for a while, but went on too long. The dialogue samples were sort of neat. But all in all, these cycled and recycled beats aren't for me, and other than the list's obvious UK bias, I have no idea why the author included this.

whatever

Now I mean this is cool, but could use some idk MF Doom on it ykwim?

It's okay.

extremely average electronic music. i like the "Ocean's Eleven" soundtrack too, but this type of music is a lot more boring without Clooney and Pitt talking over it.