Haunted Dancehall

You know when you go to an art gallery and you think to yourself, "why am I so hard on my art? I keep thinking I need to be a perfectionist before I could ever be seen as an artist, but this random clutter is considered powerful enough for it's own expo?" That's this album. I am not a musician, but I feel I could be if this album makes it on to lists despite never even peaking in its time. Hey don't come at me, I never said I would be a good musician.

Only really knew Smokebelch II prior to listening to this - this isn't my musical genre of choice generally..this album hasn't changed that.. Smokebelch II is an absolute banger though

Saw through the gimmick right away. Not falling for it. "First conceptual techno album". Fine whatever you have to tell yourself to cope with objectively bad music. I'm a dancehall purest so if it isn't late 70's early 80's and Jamacian or Island infused, I'm walking away unphased. Additionally this is more like trance music, and its gimmicky. Sad to see a wasted Portishead remix also. One star first and foremost and never more.

First of all, not on Spotify and tough to listen to on YouTube with ads. Second, supposed to be techno concept album but I didn’t get it- rather listen to prog

I guess it’s fine but I’m not really into all this repetition. Plus when that dumb metallic sound appears it really pulls me out of it

Weird inclusion. There's not much going on here. Good to have some strange Electronica included, but over Autechre?

Another one of those “What if we expanded the artistic possibilities of dance music by making it so you can’t dance to it?” albums.

Not available on Spotify - I found it on Amazon Music but I probably shouldn't have bothered. Nothing on here that I found inspiring even though I did recognise one of the tracks.

Fuck this fucking fuckshit.

This was not as bad as I expected it to be but the 12 minutes of beeping at the end really made me consider pulling this down to 2.

Somehow, I don't mind this at all. I've found myself inexplicably drawn to moody dub lately (well...really just anything involving Al Cisneros). At some point, though, it became tiresome. Then I started to actively dislike it and wonder whether it was ever going to end. And then I realized that YouTube had just casually moved on to playing whatever it thought I wanted to hear next. So I don't really know when the transition into dislike actually began. Giving this the benefit of the doubt - 3.5 stars, rounding up to four.

I know nothing of Andrew Weatherall or the Sabres of Paradise, and this has all the markings of another of the 1,001 book's informal "Bigger in the UK" series. The Warp Records imprimatur guarantees some level of quality, though for me personally, it also usually means I'll appreciate it but not enjoy it. So it goes with Haunted Dancehall, which unfortunately faded into the background pretty quickly, aside from "Ballad of Nicky McGuire" (which I liked) and another time when I thought I'd gotten an app notification, but it was from the song. By the time the sonar sounds arrived toward the end, I was ready for it to be over.

It's not on Spotify, but after reading the reviews I feel like I dodged a bullet

Nope

This started quite slowly but hit some high notes towards the end.

Not at all what I expected from a techno album. Very minimalist soumd structure, which didn't work for me until it did. Still falls victim to the same issue of all electronic albums of going on way too long (album and song length), but there are some interesting things going on that kept my attention more than I thought it would. The second half is much less engaging, and I would argue the album would be much better if just cut in half. Top tracks: Duke of Earlsfield, Planet D, Tow Truck

Definitely enjoyed this. It deserves higher than a 2.4, but I also only gave it a 3, so....

Odd sound for sure, like running through the inside of a cyborg's brain, organic and mechanical all mashed up into one long running current. Sounds like it should be paired with an animated movie about a little robot mouse fighting through a junkyard in a cyperpunk world. Its compelling to me and very easy to listen to even though it's delisted on my main streaming platform. Will keep their name fresh in my mind for the future.

How to describe? Dance/dancehall with heavily electro filters to sound robotic/futuristic. Bit of industrial feel too. Purely instrumental so far (track 2). And not all about the beats, drums do drop out for more atmospheric sections. It's fine, but there's not much to latch on to and it's so long. Best track - Wilmot 2.5 stars - it's fine, but too long. I'll round down to a 2. It just doesn't justify its existence

niezłe gówno 1

This album sure was haunted.

Experimental at best, difficult to listen through entire album of essentially the same song.

I loved how mechanical this one sounded. Every song progresses nicely and it didn’t feel like it was wasting my time. Very much enjoyed this album. Favorites were Duke of Earlsfield, Planet D, Return To Planet D, Ballad Of Nicky McGuire, and Chapel Street Market 9am

Wilmot Theme

This one was kind of all over the place, but in an interesting way. “Wilmot” was pretty cool. The dub/jazz vibe was not really a sound I’m used to hearing mixed with electronic music. “Tow Truck” stood out too. That guitar riff had a definite James Bond vibe and made me picture some opening credits sequence. There were a few things like that scattered around the album that made me pay attention, but most of it was still pretty easy to let play in the background. Cool in spots but that was about it.

Not bad at all.

This was so good I memorized all the lyrics after 1 listen.

Nice electronic album with a dark undertone.

lol this was so weird. but i was boogying to it. but so weird

I am not sure about this one. Did not enjoy.

не думаю что буду переслушивать, но в целом вайбово, напомнило amnesia scanner.

Really a 1.5, last track kinda saved it from being a 1 tbh

huh..

Context is important. The fact that this came along when it did speaks to creativity that's further reaching then it's genre.

6/10… experimental / dancehall / *1994

I liked a few tracks, especially Wilmot

3-му альбому подряд ставлю 5*. Эти товарищи - открытие для меня. Очень мощный и интересный IDM. Скачал всю (к сожалению небольшую) дискографию

Sounds like a Dub record that’s been left to rot in a flooded studio for 1000 years before being reconstructed by robots. So weird that it’s really hard to rate.

I remember a friend had a Sabres Of Paradise 12” way back when this album came out, which was awesome. Might have been Wilmot on here, as that has the same tune, but isn’t the version on whatever SOP 12” that was. Disappointing this album isn’t like that. It feels unfinished, and never really goes anywhere. I’ve read people slating this and praising this but it’s an uneventful 2 for me, sadly.

First track: a toilet is haunted and will not stop running. A wizard is casting a spell trying to fix it.  Track 2: spell not working, now hitting with a wrench.  Track 3: zoombinis playing tennis Track 13: demented seagulls Last track: robot farts

def a weird one

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. I don't love it, but during the first track I was certain I was going to hate it. The soundscapes are inventive, with enough dynamics to keep things just interesting enough. This is not foreground music though. Letting it run in the back while my brain is processing other work I found it just fine. A decent groove, not distracting, but a little more intentional than some atmospheric albums I like. It is a bit too long of an album. I hit the halfway point feeling pretty good. If it wasn't for this project I would put it down and listen more on another day. And that's okay for any album.

Meh. Loses a star because its not on Spotify.

Interesting

Last track was cool but the rest of this mostly was not. This was more noise than techno it seemed.

Non eventful ambient sounds

DNF - I could make this, and, that is not a good thing

Bleep bloop album. Kinda mindblowing that this was worthy of a remaster. It's not the worst bleep bloop album on here, but like, why 1*

This was not as bad as I expected it to be but the 12 minutes of beeping at the end really made me consider pulling this down to 2.

0/10 songs so bad made me Pitiful that this band had to waste their money on the worst shit ever i would try to understand it if it was famous but it isnt. its not nich its not experimental its just fingernails on chalkboard sounds for 1 and 17 min

Super originale

Unsure why the fairly low rating. It's fine background music.

Just a bunch of noise

Not enough to keep me interested.

dude can you call it a concept album if it's that label dependent on the text you wrote that accompanies your album? I mean I guess it is because that's what's going on here. So let's break it down a bit, we got some fun dub with wubbing bass synths and very metallic, sloppy and slushing drums that feel industrial but are more on the friendlier side. They're not the clanks and bangs of a depeche mode or NIN album, but they're very poppy and friendly. They're a bit tinny at times, but it's fine. The ambient pads are nice and there's some loooooong attack pads that ease chords in and out of the passages. I feel that it's a bit of a shortcut to call this a concept album if you just write a concept that goes along with your music. It's great to help me lock in with work. I don't know about it being required listening. It seems to be a heavy influence of trip hop. And I can feel that halfway with Duke of Earlsfield. There are some distorted 808 bass hits here with a somewhat hip hop beat. I don’t think it should be a required listen though. I’ll respect the influence, and maybe more so on video game soundtracks, but yeah…not needed

🪄👾🗡️🫧🔉

The (insert band name here) are a British electronic music group from (insert English town here). The (insert band name here) were formed in (insert English town or city here), England in 1992. (British Bloke) formed the group with engineers (**Or DJs) Jagz Kooner (Yeah that one probably works for most of them) and (additional pudgy, dorky white man) and became responsible for the (Insert name of meaningless house party here). I finally have a template for these reviews! Thanks, Wikipedia. Maybe I will reach into my pocket and flip you a quarter that you seem fond of begging for these days. I hate everything. I'm going back in time to perpetrate large scale arson against British dance clubs. Colonialism and pretentious techno passed off as culture. These are the worst things the British Isles have ever produced, and for these crimes they have yet to atone. 0 HIGHLIGHTS: Lizzie's in a box (in a box)

I think I nope’d out of this one faster than any other album so far. 745 albums in and still being served up utter garbage. There are reasons some of these albums are obscure. Because they suck.

Even if I liked Sabres of Paradise, I think I'd argue they don't need to be on this list. I love me a bit of ambient trance, but this is just garageband nonsense. I used to teach 6 year old kids in primary school how to make music on apps like remix live. And I'd challenge them if they used too many repetitive loops. I'd be having words with SoP if they submitted this as their final work. Edit update: I think even if I were sabres of paradise, I'd argue this shouldn't be on the list.

Really interesting and I’d listen to it again but has to go 3 stars based on other albums.

Hell yeah! Origins of electronica. This was waaayyy cool and much better than anticipated.

Inoffensive stuff, but the album is too long. Overall, it has the feel of a bunch of sketches made prior recording a real album.

So pleased to find this on the list. A singular, atmospheric vision. Was one of my main entry points into realising that electronica can - and should - be way more than a thundering 4/4. Rest easy, Mr Weatherall. Fail we may, sail we must ✊

couldn’t find on Spotify

I mean... It's pretty good. But as an album, it's too long and repetitive. I enjoy this kind of music, but Aphex Twin, for example, makes similar music, and it just doesn't feel as boring. I think this album isn't varied enough, and about halfway through it just became background music. As an album, I just don't think it rates better than average, but individual songs certainly could.

no me gusta mucho el estilo, y eso que el ambient lo banco bastante

It’s long, repetitive, dubby, ambient dance. Brilliant. I have a lot of amazing albums like this from the 90s from a broad range of acts. This might not be absolute top tier, but it’s up there. I don’t believe I can think of a name bigger than Weatherall as a figure more respected in the music realm I was occupying at the time. His work as a DJ, producer and remixer had a direct impact on so many of the records and artists I was listening to. When he put together his own group with Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns, it was exciting to hear what they would sound like. Soundtracky and dubby, superimposed on downtempo beats was probably not unexpected but it was very welcome. ‘Haunted Dancehall’ isn’t even their best album imo, but I’m glad they made the 1001 at least.

No. Just no.

After the music didn’t give me much to write about, and having a little bit of time on my hands tonight, I went down a little rabbit hole on this band and album. There’s actually a book called The Sabres of Paradise about a Muslim resistance leader in the Caucasus region during the 19th century wars between the Russian Empire and the mountain people of that region. It’s been said that the band named themselves after this book. The name of this album is Haunted Dancehall. The band presented it as a concept album paired with excerpts from a novel of the same name. Each song had a corresponding passage from the novel printed on the inner sleeve credited to an author named James Woodbourne. But the thing is, there is no James Woodbourne and there is no Haunted Dancehall novel. So basically, this is the soundtrack to a book that doesn’t exist. I like the book theme. Does it have anything to do with reviewing the album? Nope, but I only wasted about 30 seconds of your time and not an hour and 17 minutes like the album did. You’re welcome.

This is the music playing in every H&M clothing store in malls across America. No value. Just background noise.

They say there is a time and a place for everything. They have never listened to this.

The best part of the album was the Big E ad that ran at the start of the video.

Not on Spotify

i have never heard a more apt title

Impossible for the mood I was in

Meh. Minus a star because on youtube

4/10 - this becomes a struggle towards the end, reminds me of that reddit post where a dude has sex to similar sounding music (although to be fair that was much worse)

Generated 8/31/26, did not start listening until 9/11/26. It's pretty long and it's only on YouTube so this may be a bit of a fractured listen. I like it well enough though, it's certainly pretty unique techno/dance music and you can tell a lot of thought goes into these beats. I'm VIBING with the track Duke of Earlsfield for sure.

Wasn't sure what to expect with this one. Not bad overall. Pretty cool sounds and laid back.

Mostly noise? I don't really get this one. I guess it was experimental for its time, but it kind of just sounds like a lot of the weird presets on a Casio keyboard getting hit randomly. There are a couple decent ones (I enjoyed Tow Truck because it kind of sounded like a James Bond theme), but most are just annoying.

I didn't know this, and it was a pleasant surprise (especially considering the dreadful reviews). I'm not really into techno, but I'm always down for some good electronic music if it's weird or creative enough. Sabres of Paradise fits the profile : it's a fairly experimental album, where you can feel the producers trying to push the boundaries of EDM by incorporating new and strange noises and cinematic loops. Some songs sound like the retro soundtrack of an 80s exploitation movie, while others could almost have been made by JM Jarre. The album is a bit long and some tracks are less interesting than others (the B-side tends to be much better than the A-side), so I wouldn't play this every day at home. But I certainly had a good time with it, and it makes for excellent background music. It's repetitive enough not to be intrusive, all while retaining a bizarre, ominous atmosphere and a minimalist retro quality that make it something like... dark dub ? Industrial downtempo ? Psychedelic synthwave ? It's hard to pinpoint, but it works for me. And after two country albums in a row, this feels like heaven. 7/10

In theory, I should like this. It’s dark, atmospheric, very trip-hop, very Bristol… and yet it just doesn’t work for me. The frequent lack of rhythm and the repetitive nature of the whole thing really get in the way. It’s not unlistenable, but too often it feels like successive layers being piled onto a fairly uninspired foundation rather than actual songwriting. Some of the sound effects also feel painfully old-school now. Not enough substance in my opinion.

It's okay, but supremely boring.

Diarrhea disco!!!!

01) Bubble and Slide - 5,5 02) Bubble and Slide II - 5,5 03) Duke of Earlsfield - 5,5 04) Flight Path Estate - 5,0 05) Planet D (Portishead Remix) - 6,0 06) Wilmot - 6,0 07) Tow Truck - 5,0 08) Theme - 5,5 09) Theme 4 - 5,0 10) Return to Planet D - 4,5 11) Ballad of Nicky McGuire - 4,5 12) Jacob Street 7AM - 4,5 13) Chapel Street Market 9AM - 4,0 14) Haunted Dancehall - 4,0 TOTAL: 5,04 (50/100) Current ranking: 948/1018

instrumental repetitivo

2/10

I mean… not unlistenable? It’s purely instrumental. It does have this eery, haunted, liminal vibe. Like the type of album you should hear while walking in the woods in the middle of the night. It sounds like the soundtrack to a crime documentary. I found it impossible to focus on the album. Very easy to start doing other things and forget that this is playing in the background, you sort of tune it out. 3/5

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - The opener is very loose but a little bit more focus comes in on Bubble And Slide II. I think things can get slightly too repetitive but generally I enjoy the sounds. Duke Of Earlsfield is OK but doesn't really grab me. Planet D is a good track and I also enjoy Wilmot. The next few tracks pass me by but Ballad Of Nicky McGuire is pretty good. Chapel Street Market 9am is fantastic, probably my highlight on the album. After a bit of a rocky start this grew on me.

J’étais pas du tout prêt à ça, s’était mega weird, genre de machinarium Minecraft type beat s’était Fucking cool

This is awful. Sounds like someone just screwing around in the studio, making noises. I really can't imagine how someone decided this is something people need to hear before they die. Looking forward to looking at the book tonight to see if there's an explanation that makes sense. This album being 76 minutes long makes me feel like I'm being punished for something.

Album avec une ambiance incroyable, je comprends l'inconfort de certains lors de l'écoute mais il vaut le coup. Son préféré : Wilmot / Bubble and slide 2 ; A réécouter !

Meh didnt love. Instrumental electronica should be a top anything

Some nice background techno. I could have this going for a myriad of activities.

Had to source this on YTube and it took us a while to muster up the motivation to do this. Unfortunately, it was not worth the effort. Really not for us. Repetitive and botibg

This album made more sense when I started thinking of it as a Kraftwerk or Jean Michel Jarre album rather than an early example of dance music. Esoteric.

This was good, but a lot longer than I was really prepared to listen. I had to break it up into manageable chunks, but I did enjoy most of the time. Four stars.

Aptly named. The haunted dancehall tracks were eerie. Liked the cheerier sounding ones like Bubble 2, Tow Truck, and Title. Interesting listen.

Interesting album. Electronic jazz, jazz dub. Wasn’t sure at first but ended up really enjoying this album

I think this might be the worst album I've listened to to date. It's so bad that it isn't available on Spotify and I had to listen on Youtube Music.