Reviews (page 6 of 8)
To jest 13 dzień i moja 4 płyta z muzyką instrumentalną i to możliwe że wpływa na moją percepcję, ale nie przepadam za czymś takim.
Experimental background music and effects. Soundtrack-y.
William Orbit worked on one of my favorite albums, Madonna’s Frozen, so I was excited to give it a listen. I guess I should’ve expected it to sound this way, but I was mostly bored albeit a few interesting pieces.
Feels like it should be background music to a casual RPG. Transition between synth to piano and back did not mesh well with me
This is like very strange background music although its not so offensive to warrant a 1
Every song on this sounded like it should be a backing track to a random scene in 90s British crime film:
I thought the first song was pretty cool, and then it went downhill fast and I stopped actively listening.
90s background music. Nothing noteworthy but not hard to listen to
Starts well but peters out so it's almost not there.
This was okay, but not something I would ever want to listen to again if given a choice.
4.0/10 A lot of the songs sounded like background music for a PlayStation video game.. not horrible but nothing I would ever listen to again.
I am not a fan of this electronic style. It isn't bad, but is not my favorite. It just feels like it goes on and on. Actual rating...1.5. Liked Songs: "Water From A Wine Leaf" , "Time To Get Wize" , "The Story Of Light" , "A Hazy Shade Of Random"
it was ok, didn't impress me
28. interesting at some parts
5/10 Favourite: Water from a Vine Leaf Least Favourite: Best Friend, Paranoia
This is not something I would sit and listen to. Yet, I did so and mildly enjoyed it . With that being said will never to it again. Expected a snooze fest, ended up being pretty engaged with the first couple of tracks “Water from a Vine Leaf” and “Into the Paradise”. Experiencing the different sounds feels like letting the music pass through my body and care-free movement. However, it soon progressed to the snooze fest I for-seed it being. Listening felt like a chore. Solid background, soundtrack music.
An okay album. Not a lot of it stood out to me but i’ve now listened to William Orbit.
I like the ambient easy listening and eclectic inspirations he drew from. I’ll never listen to it again. Unless i decide to get a dangly cross ear piercing and choose to live the rest of my life in 90s dance album aesthetics. Not my favorite but didn’t feel like a waste of a listen either. I did save barber’s adagio of strings from his other album when I checked out his Spotify profile. This was better than firehose album so I wish I rated that a 2 as well.
Tbh the vibes were all over the place. There were tracks that made me trippy tho. 2.5/5
I did not enjoy this at all but it feels unfair to give it 1 star so I’m grudgingly rounding up to 2 because it’s not bad, it’s just very much not for me
Didn't get into this one that much. Background
Christ. This is just not my thing - but it is not the worst thing I’ve heard, and I don’t have a 1.5* option.
the transporter 2 soundtrack.
493/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
- this is going to be a weird one, isn’t it - I have to wonder if the author of this book just put in a few of his favorite weed albums to go to space with - it’s not *bad*, but how this is unique or transformative in ways those SoundCloud instrumental-focused GarageBand projects with >30 listens per month are not is eluding me. is it the digital effects? is it the mix of conventional instruments like piano with synth strings and a drum machine? is it the artist himself and his reputation? is it the mixing of trip-hop with other musical genres? if you told me this album was by from a 0-follower artist on Spotify, I’d believe you - even though it came out about a decade earlier, there are a few similarities between “Harry Flowers” on this album and Flaming Lips’ “Are You a Hypnotist??” in both general vibe/tempo and the chord progression - this has a lot of similarity to Suba’s Sao Paolo Confessions album, which I listened to previously through this project: the same kind of atmospheric music with minimal vocal attention over repeating beats. I do have to wonder if this is just the author’s personal preference or if this similarity (and potential bias) has also been pointed out previously by others - in the last one-third of this album, I’m no longer distinguishing one track from another; they’re mostly sound effects or audio clips over a looped beat (if that) - this seems like one in which reading the entry in the book would have been appropriate before diving in, just in understanding what the thinking was or why this, of all things, was chosen to be included (and not, say, Hail to the Thief or Hot Fuss, which were both removed in later editions, to my knowledge)
Great background music, but it drags on a little by the end.
This was what electronica sounded like in the early 90s. That’s all I’ve got. It was fine.
This was fine, but sort of bland and everything kind of runs together. I know he pioneered techno in the 80s and 90s, but honestly, the genre kind of sucks, it led to some truly awful electronic music and there are better examples.
Atmospheric and soundtrack worthy. The album has some good elements, but mainly carries a lot of the early 90s with it, including kitschy drum and bass tracks. Not bad, but not my thing.
I kinda forgot it was playing ...
Trip-hop is the one genre of ambient electronic music that I just don't fully vibe with. It's not bad, but there's just so much more interesting stuff out there. 2/5
President sleeper. Twitch.com emotes. Uhh biblethump some shit idk. This thing isnt very good. It would be fine in the background of doing something else but intently listening to this is bad for my health. Some of these could be the backing track to a futuristic racing game or a menu track and id probably like it to some degree but it doesnt have legs to stand on its own. It may be better than alot of stuff of this ilk but that doesnt make it good. Its just too repetitive and doesnt have any kind of hook I can find. Its like im the bass and there is just a bare metal hook floating in front of me. Maybe I check it out but im not putting that crap in my mouth. Just let me swim by. And thats what I shall do. Not the worst thing in the world but as soon as I stop typing it's gone forever from my world
2- Stars (4/15)
Could have worse but unlikely to play again
Not a fan
Meditative. We all have our tastes. This is not one for me.
This was enjoyable, but I didn't get much out of it. It's possible I don't have the ear for different genres within electronic music, but this just feels like that kind of lazy formulaic electronica where there is a slow build and a beat is put under some world music influences and mix in some spoken word here and there. It's not bad, just sounds cliche quite often, and doesn't veer from this formula much at all. At over an hour long, I found myself zoning it out and kind of relegating it to "background music".
I've honestly already forgotten it.
I found it a little boring and bland. Like buttered noodles, slightly over cooked.
Can’t say i cared for this
Not really my taste
This just seems like early electronic music. Not horrible, but also nothing special.
If this was 1993 I would think this was cool and a definite step up from C & C music factory. In 2025, it seems slightly pedestrian. Going for a 2
Not a big fan of electronic music outside of a few artists. I wouldn’t be bothered if someone threw this on but would never put on myself
Two for creativity. Not my sound
water off a duck's back
Jäi igavaks
I mean its good, i found it enjoyable while listening, but I dont really know when I would listen to this again, or feel like it. Maybe if i was someone studying computer science to feel really locked in, but alas i am not. I imagine this playing at zara or some pretentious speak easy. Forgot I was listening to it half the time. At some point it all starts to sound the same.
Meh. I wanted to like this album. I do like some electronica, but this just felt far too introspective to be interesting.
Meh
I honestly don’t know who this is aimed at? People who need music for 90s Amiga games?
Mid Buddha Bar music
Experimental
A bunch of dull beeps and boops
Another instrumental album that I just couldn’t connect with
some interesting beats here, and it's certainly well produced, but an hour of this very much overstays its welcome. i'm not particularly fond of this brand of music, but it's fine in normal quantities. had this had... two? three? more tracks left on the cutting room floor, this might've been up a star for me.
New age-y type album. Not really much to say. It's mood music. Good for studying or something where you aren't really listening to it. But it doesn't really excite or do anything amazing or even distinguish the songs from one another. Completely toothless. 2/5.
Background music, felt like a film soundtrack
Kinda just felt like slightly better elevator music
Sehr späte 90er irgendwie
Couldn't really get into it - sounded decent but not my taste
Album 900 of 1089 William Orbit - Strange Cargo III (1993) Rating : 2.5 / 5 Today’s album was Strange Cargo III by William Orbit. More of the electronica I don’t usually care for, but I was pleasantly surprised again. It wasn’t too grating on the nerves and actually served as some decent background music while I worked. Not the kind of thing I’d ever sit down to focus on, but I could see a place for this sort of sound when you just need something to carry the mood along. Another case where this genre proved me wrong, at least a little.
очень лифтовая музыка. почти неотличимо от амбианса по жизни. намеренно я такое слушать не буду (зачем мне белый шум)
Shitty soft core pen tracks.
Gonna give this the benefit of the doubt and assume it hasn't aged well. This shuffly, triphoppy style has been utterly subsumed by hotel lobbies and holding tones and feels very dated - which is not it's fault! But after two listens, I'm failing to see the edge which separates this from the decades of musak it no doubt inspired.
Sums up the flaws of the 90s
It's mid electronica. Even with over 1,000 albums, I don't think you get past Chemical Brothers, Moby, and Daft Punk.
Not my jam
Had some promise but it died quickly
Another electronica. Strange cargo, indeed.
The amount of albums in this style and genre being included in the list is staggering. And it seems that the more that are added, the more my ability to discern differences between them decreases. Who’s to say this bleep is better than that bloop, or this ambient chill is better than that soundscapey feel? This album continues to tick all those boxes. Background music that in the end is…well…fine.
Sure. More background music. It’s fine but my review is the same for all music in this genre. I just don’t see much separation and as long as it’s listenable and I don’t pay too much attention, it’s fine. But the difference of this album vs something else. 🤷♂️ 1.5 but rounding up because it was fiiiiine.
Totally fine background music. Didn't love it or hate it, it was just...there. 1.75/5
Kind of okay dance music, but repetitive. And kinda creepy.
Helt ok
Boring
Для мене така музика - виключно фоновий прикол. Не можу сказати, що взагалі без цікавих шматків. Той сами дабовий вплив тут відувається достатньо. Але скоріше не моє
Not my thing
... ... okay, this is serviceable and somewhat interesting in the way it sounds like music from someone who, years later, would produce Madonna's esteemed Ray of Light, but did I need to hear that person's early noodlings? Absolutely not. Jfc, if this book's editors treated rock music like they do electronica, we'd only have Boston, Aerosmith, Europe and the one album by the author's cousin's thrash metal combo. It's 1993, Albumoftheyear.org has a list of the 28 (on their site) most reviewed Electronic Album Releases from that year: sorted by ratings, "Strange Cargo" is at the bottom, #25. Where it belongs. Some of those albums above it, much more interesting and of much greater cultural significance, not in this stupid ass book: Plasticman - Sheet One Autechre - Incunabula µ Ziq – Tango N' Vectif Seefeel - Quique Jeff Mills - Waveform Transmission Vol. 1 Polygon Window - Surfing on Sine Waves Go listen to those.
Electronica almost always starts at the two-star level for me. The needle didn't move on this one at all.
I was bored by this but didn't hate the sounds
When it resembled a song it's ok. However, most of it does not resemble a song.
Wenn man das experimentelle wegdenkt, ist es mir zu poppig. Teilweise songwriting mit Chancen und für mich falscher instrumentierung
I don’t hear anything on this album that makes it stand apart from many other electronic albums. It was hard to stay awake for the whole thing as it felt very repetitive both within itself and within the genre.
Ambient electronic, not very interesting
I keep on picking up this album, dropping it, then trying to listen to it again. With electronic music I guess I'm more into the more busy and high energy kind of music, so this isn't something that keeps my attention
Good background music (sorry to say)
OK. 2/5
Some of the songs were cool - made me feel like I was in a bourne movie or something. But holy cow I can't listen to that much instrumental/electronic music. Falling asleep so quitting on the album.
Boring, too long, thinks it’s a lot cleverer than it really is
It definitely was strange but not in a good way. Some of the tracks might work as backing music for budget sci-fi films, but not just to listen to on its own.
1.5/5
Didn't bother me, didn't move me, didn't compel me. Clearly this project is the result of experimentation and dedication to this genre, but it just doesn't do it for me. Fell completely to the background no matter how I managed my attention.
Super-dated 90s electronica
Pleasant background music, but all the tracks sound the same.
I know William Orbit only from his work with **Madonna** on _Ray of Light_ and even then, only through the singles. there were a couple of decent moments, usually when the bass was prominent and there was a bit more groove to the trakcs. But much like **Aphex Twin**, this largely passed me by and probably demands a more focussed listen than I was able to give it. As such, it was little more than background music and not engaging enough for me to return to.
Pointlessly long and boring electronic music, my favourite of course.
Kind of a nice vibe but I started getting bored halfway through
Moments that I really enjoyed, but not enough of them. I could see this influencing Faithless and others, but that doesn't mean I necessarily need to have it on. Track 4 sounds like I'm walking around a village in Dragon Warrior IV or something.
Not actually horrible, but waaay toooo loooong.
I don't know, maybe some other day I'd give it something better, but it's just not terrible background music...
nonplussed
2/5
Cool beats bro
Reminded me of a lot of OST stuff I like, but as an album itself it isn't particularly anything special. Considering Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works dropped a year before this I don't think theres even an argument to be made for it being groundbreaking.
In agreement that this would have made a lovely ost for a cute sci-fantasy adventure game - otherwise pretty forgettable imo. Water From a Vine Leaf (7/10) Into the Paradise (3/10) Time to Get Wize (5/10) Harry Flowers (5/10) A Touch of the Night (5/10) A Story of Light (4/10) Gringatcho Demento (6/10) A Hazy Shade of Random (7/10) Best Friend, Paranoia (4/10) The Monkey King (4/10) Deus Ex Machina (5/10) Water Babies (5/10) 5/10
Links not good, I deduct a point for having to search. Strange Cargo II is actually better
Weird
This is really not a genre for me. It’s not bad, but I would never put this on
I may have appreciated this more on a different day in a different headspace, but I largely just found this boring. It wasn't bad, but it didn't do anything for me today. 2.3
Pleasant enough but I was pottering about whilst listening, and found it impossible to know if a new track had started whenever I came back into the room. Nice for background stuff, but not worthy of playing again when I could give it my full attention
Ambient with beats
Seems the UK bias is on display again. If someone told me this was royalty-free music, I'd believe them. I enjoy electronic music, but apart from 1 or 2 tracks, this did nothing for me.
Yeah, no.
not into it sorry
It was fine but not particularly memorable
Começou bem e na verdade até o final tem elementos interessantes, mas acho que o tamanho do disco na ajuda muito na sua consistência enquanto obra. Gostei sobretudo da surpresa de haverem ótimas linhas de guitarra em um disco tão calcado em estilos de eletrônica predominantes em sua época.
Not bad for what it is, but I generally don't want to listen to an electronic album
Trip hop is cool. This is not that.
Good ambient music. Wouldn't mind listening to it again. If I heard it again, would I know that I was listening to William Orbit? Not a chance.
Fairly tricky one, this. If someone were to describe this album to me, I would probably say it's something I'd quite enjoy. Weird, noodly noises, ambient, a little atmospheric, chilled out. It's all those things but it's also a bit boring. There's some good stuff every so often, but it's few and far between. The big problem that this album has is that it could have been halved. Seriously, all 12 tracks could have been cut to half the run time and get it down to a lovely album in a nice 35 minute package. But they go on FAR too long with not a lot of variance. Any cool beat is killed with repetition by the end of the song. I get the point of this type of music, but theres no pay off. The best tracks are the ones that are a little less dub/trip hop, and a little more ambient and pretty sounding. Opener 'Water From A Vine Leaf' is cool and almost psychedelic. 'Time To Get Wize' has a trance-like piano. 'Deus Ex Machina' is creepy. Closer 'Water Babies' is a really nice track that does bring your imagination to the miracle of birth and is probably the best of the bunch. It's bright, uplifting, euphoric, and a really lovely tune. This album is SO close to being good. It's difficult to write about because although I did enjoy it, I was also fairly bored. Potentially would click with more listens, or maybe listening to more of William Orbit's work wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.
There is nothing wrong with this, it's just background boring music. Pretty meh. I'm sure people like it, but man it's bland and doesn't even register. Really do not understand how this is essential.
Meh
hummmm it's a long groove, and it is just SO BORING
I don't know about this one
As electronics goes this is fine. Hard for me to see anything special in it. And voiceovers really detract. The most interesting stuff feels pretty unoriginal tbh. But I maintain that it’s broadly fine electronic music. 2.5 rounding down.
It does some cool stuff making electro and world mash-ups that I can recognize, but it is a slog of an album to get through it all.
More than just noise, but there isn't enough there for me to be interested in it any further.
Mildly interesting elevator music. 2.4.
This was pretty boring. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 1/5
This album may have been interesting at the time but it now songs dated
instrumental npc beats
Electronic shite
I don’t love this album by any means, but I don’t mind the slightly chilled out nature of it. It allows some of the more melodic moments to shine through a bit. It’s still not ultimately my thing, but I’m not offended by it. 2.5/5
Didn’t get into this at all. Bang average electronic twiddling.
First side is ok, b sucks. evening album, etherial digital club funk
This is some 90s hookah lounge shit. Doesn’t stand up very well, but one good song.
I started writing an essay but it doesn't deserve it. Maybe he has some historical value but it's just so boring. Everything sounds clean and clinical, but it's all just wafty chords and simple pentatonic basslines. It's not textured enough to be good Ambient music, doesn't make me want to dance. It's music for property agents. For late night terrestrial tv casino shows. If you were at the worst afterparty ever, and some student who would later grow up to be a hedge fund manager goes "Oh man, you should listen to this, it's got, like, tooootally chilled vibes but it's like really deep yeah? It's got pianos and shit so you feel really, like, spiritual?" This is the CD he puts on.
Honestly, I was kind of vibing throughout, but it doesn't feel right to give it an earnest three stars when I was hardly even paying attention.
I’m not huge into electronica, but I actually enjoyed this more than expected. My 2-year old also enjoyed dancing to it while I was making breakfast this morning, which was honestly my highlight for the entire album.
It was fine, but too long - by the last two tracks, I was wondering “isn’t it over yet?”
This is not an album for me. It all ended up sounding like ambience while doing something else. I had a hard time really listening to it because it just became background music. It is not bad, but not that interesting either. Favorite track was the opening number "Water from a Wine Leaf".
Not really my cup of tea. It’s ok at best as far as I’m concerned, as it’s a little to ambient throughout.
Not a fan of this style of coffeehouse 90s techno thing haha. Even the cover had the Asian new age vibe thing going so it ticks all the stereotype boxes. But it was a dominant style for a while so I understand the inclusion on this list.
It sounds like it's from the early 90s. Which it is, of course. I remember this dude being huge, but I was busy listening to 70s rock and grunge. It's okay, nothing I'd go out of my way for then, or now, but can hear a bit of the triphop and ambient elements that it likely influenced (which I do like). Mid 2s.
I found this one pretty boring. And I think if I were high while listening to this, it would put me to sleep.
You know, it’s alright. Started out pretty good but the ending was meh. I’d listen again for sure
#559. This sounds like something for a movie score, not something you'd actually want to sit down and listen to. Not that it's bad, this would be great movie background music, I just don't really need to sit down and listen to a whole ass album about it. 2/5: yes?
🎧Background music. It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me. I have no desire to revisit any of this. Also the last 20 minutes or so are, you could say relaxing, I say boring.
Mood music and the mood is “why am I still on hold”
generic electronic background music/random sounds
So I knew I'd be driving allot at work today so figured, why not listen to Strange Cargo parts 1 and 2 in preparation for part 3. We'll turns out I liked those ones way more then part 3 which I will be giving 2 stars but only because I finished it. Parts 1 and 2 would each get 3 stars but none of that matters and who is this guy anyway?
It's cool, I guess. But this one got old and kept going. Maybe it could've been cut down to half the length.
If Starbucks made ambient electronica
Massive Attack for people who find massive attck too threatening
Electronic music (with occasional guitars) that kind of floats in an out of a downtempo trip hop, ambient, kinda casual techno (reminds me of some James Bond Soundtrack) and some “world music” sounds. A generally decent vibe and a few cool songs and moments, nothing particularly bad about it, but largely forgettable and non-essential.
Hvis Björk ikke sang, men var triphop inspireret, og kalder det elevator techno..
Syret elektro. Lidt for meget 90er computer lyd. Bringer minder om mine år som teen-gamer
Pretty weird - even for this list
Kind of a nothing burger of an album. Didn’t bring me joy, didn’t evoke any hate, even though it was pretty chill it didn’t necessarily bring any calm. I don’t know if this had to be included. It was fine I guess. 2.5 stars?
Decent lil ambient album.
Haven't heard of this before. It's not bad but it's just background music. 2/5
Trochę takie dźwięki z kosmosu połączone z medytacyjnymi odgłosami i jakaś takim poczuciem transcendencji, które niestety czasem przeradza się w soundtrack Mission Impossible. Nie wiem, jak można się tym rozkoszować bez dragów. 4/10
This was a nice listen. Good background music for working with enough variety to stay interesting.
I was keen to check this out but sad to say I found it pretty shallow and boring. Although the production is crisp and precise, a lot of the music also feels really dated, not in a cool 'rooted in the time of it's creation' sense. Just a bit naff
This guy really knows how to start a good song, then ruin it. There are a lot of good beats in this album, but most of them are mashed together in a really grating way. I had a hard time understanding why this album would be included on this list at first - it’s not critically acclaimed, there are no big hits on it, and it doesn’t appear to be influential or historically important either. A bit of digging, however, shows that the artist has worked with a few big names (Madonna, P!nk, U2) and is relatively popular in the UK, so I assume this is one of many albums which the author included due personal preference.
Man, there are too many experimental noise albums on this list. At least this one doesn't assault my ears like some.
#ВидатнийАльбомЩодня William Orbit - Strange Cargo III (1993) Я не був раніше знайомий із William Orbit як з музикантом, але як виявилось, завжди був знайомий з ним як з продюсером. Саме William продюсував мій улюблений альбом Blur - 13, а співпрацював із безліччю відомих виконавців. Це вже третя частина його «епічної» #ambient трилогії, яка побудована, в значній мірі, на #techno звучанні та #dub -овських басових лініях. Альбом вийшов доволі атмосферний, гіпнотичний, та дуже схожий за настроєм на інший електронний #newage того часу. Ну і як ви, певно, здогадалися за обкладинкою, вплив world музики тут також великий. Завдяки ньому, кожен трек має в собі щось «містично-шаманське». І як фонова музика - він заходить доволі непогано, проте якогось цікавого розвитку композицій що дозволяли б, із цікавістю, слухати його уважно, я не відчув. А на додачу, він звучить ну дуже застаріло та, взагалі, не проходить перевірку часом. Десь на середині альбому мені стало просто неймовірно нудно, і я дослуховував його через силу. І це ще я, насправді, люблю ембієнт, тому уявляю яким катуванням альбом буде для тих хто тільки почав знайомитись із цим жанром.
Elevator music 2/5
Nothing really to say, not bad, not memorable. With a couple exceptions, ambient music is more about the connection you create with it in my eyes
It sounds fine. But this isn't my style of music, and I'm honestly just kind of disinterested. It doesn't help that a lot of the songs end up sounding incredibly similar, if not exactly the same. There are a couple songs that end up having some interesting things going on, but then it's just kind of back to the same stuff that I've been listening to the whole time. Favorite Song(s): Water Babies
Not for me.
60+ minutes beep boop for the millionth time.
Sounds like a soundtrack to an obscure 90’s vídeo game. Is that good? I don’t know, actually. It’s too long - a problem it shares with most of its genre buddies.
Fått massor av plattor i genren electronica. För helvete, ge mig Electronic Body Music.
If you like albums where you drop acid and rave in an abandoned Circle K for 3 days, this is for you. It was ok, your typical Temu Moby music. 1001 album worthy: No - 42/74
Reminds me so much of early 90s TV theme tune. Houmous & Chutney were taking a rare break from being on the road and we got into writing a bit more. We were lined up to write and perform the Clothes Show theme tune but Len signed the worst contract ever - basically just gave them the song! They ended up getting a young Vernon Kay to perform it! We soon went back to our original management! 2.4
I don't know that I've ever been so ambivalent about whether a piece of music existed or not. I guess that means I didn't much care for it.
Type of music I'd expect to score a student film about an underprivileged youth who becomes incredibly prolific in the stock market
Some of this is spy movie soundtrack (agree with john) but some of it is also giving edgy elevator music... not really my cup of tea but not completely un-listenable
Am I listening to a PS1 James Bond soundtrack?
There’s really nothing remarkable or even very interesting about the music here. It’s thick electronica with deep arrangements, but just sounds like elevator electronica. I appreciate some creative choices here, but it’s nothing I would listen to again or would recommend.
Strange Cargo III is not my speed for this sort of thing, it's so low key that I don't notice it's there, I want it loud and uptempo and in my face. Decent chilled vibes but 2/5, it's not a standout of the genre either.
This was really underwhelming, just an hour of synthy nothingness really. This kind of music has its place, but it needs a bit more to it than this album does, it's far too easy to not engage with it at all. 2/5.
2.5 it was fine
It's different.... definitely not good though. I think I enjoyed about 2 songs.
Starts fairly strong and gets progressively more nothing
Not a big electronic instrumental fan. This was alright I guess. 2.25
I don't hate it, but I don't get it either.
There’s a fine line between music that creates an atmospheric backdrop and music that becomes entirely forgettable. Unfortunately, this album falls into the latter category. While I don’t mind albums that blend into the background, this one sank so far that it left no impression at all. By the time it was over, I had already forgotten I was listening to it. Perhaps it works better as incidental music in another context, but as an album experience, it didn’t resonate with me. Score: 2/5
2,5
I thought for sure William Orbit = Orbital, but looks like that is not the case. What are the chances? (ntm.)
Lovely background music and actually has some voices!
A 90s album trying to wrestle free from the 80s featuring some tropes of both but never successfully freeing itself. But we do get early techno piano and Beth Orton.
Erg repititief, niet mijn stijl, 3.5/10.
Not for me
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🔞🇮🇳👹 Production : 🎧😐🆗 Music: ☕🎹😐 Rating: 👹(👹)/5
boring
This one does a good job at being ambient and spacey. It’s just too long and doesn’t hold my interest for the entire runtime. Favorite songs were Water From A Vine Leaf and Time To Get Wize
It was fiiiiine. It was SO background music I almost forgot to listen. Generally it was okay but can't say I found it interesting.
There were a couple of cool beat drops but this is not my thing and it would never be more than background music which wasn't all that interesting.
Electronic dance music with large strands of dub, world and ambient in its DNA, released by a producer that was so trendy in the early nineties that he ended up producing Madonna. Just like some electronic acts listed in the 1001 Albums book, there is nothing truly ridiculous in this music, and yet you can't really say that it aged very well either. Ironically, this type of music is supposed to sound futuristic and yet 95% of it quickly becomes outdated. It's music that loses its groundbreaking and cutting-edge nature so fast. Unless it's made by a mad genius like Aphex Twin... 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 7 for more general purposes (5 + 2) Number of albums left to review: a handful (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past editions of the book have mentioned ed albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions). I've temporarily lost count here. Number of albums I'll keep in my own list: half, approximately Number of albums I *might* keep: a small quarter, approximately. Number of albums I won't keep: a large quarter (including this one)
Not my thing. There are glimpses of cool beats and some nice melodies from time to other, at least in the first half, but mostly, it’s just long songs that go nowhere. And that makes the last helg og the album a gjort to get through
It all just kinda blended together
2.5 More chill, ambient electronic stuff. I didn’t really have much familiarity with this type of music going into this list, and while I’m glad to have been exposed to some new stuff, I can’t say that the albums I’ve heard thus far have really rocked my world in any sort of meaningful way. The best attempt so far was probably Air’s Moon Safari, but outside of that, a lot of this stuff has kind of blended together for me. In the case of this album, I actually thought it started quite strongly with Water From a Vine Leaf, making me think that I might be in for a bit of a surprisingly enjoyable listen, but from there, it just sort of incrementally devolves in musicality, to the point that it feels like you’re listening to ambient noise at the end with a vague sense of musicianship to it. I can’t say that it ever turned into a sort of thing that annoyed me, but it did slowly lose my interest as it went on and never successfully gained it back. I feel like if this is the kind of music you want to make, your album really needs to have a sense of atmosphere and structure to it, and this didn’t give me that - this just ended up feeling like non-purposeful ambient noise for the most part. Maybe I’m being too harsh - I get that this sort of thing provides for a relaxing backdrop for some - but it doesn’t do much for me. It’s not bad by any means, but I have a hard time rating something this forgettable that highly.
Moby without any of the hooks.
a couple of good ones though
Rather uninteresting electronica.
It was ok. A bit meh.
I do like a good ambient soundscape, it must be said. I think this would have benefitted from being shorter. Parts of it are quite good, but the overall album drags on to the point where I was bored by the end.
The equivalent of putting the TV on to any random show just so there is noise in the background while you focus on other tasks
2 out of 5. Mood music that was more background music for me.
Didn't leave an impression of any kind.
I like electonica, but this album has no curve, no starting and no finishing point.
2.5
Af hverju á þetta að vera áhugavert? Dated hljóðheimur og óeftrminnileg instrúmental electróník. Sker ekki í eyrun, batnar ögn er líður á en er bara frekar boring heilt yfir.
For atmospheric music it was fine - but when I went outside and took a walk I realized it is not great walking around music.
Just very boring.
Not bad background music. Standout songs: Water from a vine leaf Gringatcho Demento
So ambient that there was nothing to enjoy, literally just background
essentially just background music not inherently bad but I am not going out of my way to listen to this
Apple Music had Strange Cargo and Strage Cargo II, but not this one, so I listened on YouTube. It's just...sounds and stuff. I don't know what to say. It doesn't make much of an impression, honestly. Favorite track: Gringatcho Demento
Electronic, 1993 -> 2
Weird electronica... mix of voices and random sounds.
There's better electronic out there.
Loved the vocals on track #2, strong performance. The cowbell on track 8 rivaled BOC. Somehow the drum solo on #6 fell short for me. Not good gym music.
Kinda random electronic music. Heard some much better ones on the list already. But it was okay as background noise for work
Second straight day of listening to an album that contains mostly instrumentals. If you put a gun to my head and forced me to differentiate between these songs, I would first attempt to call the police, but then admit I can't tell many of the songs apart. Deus Ex Machina appears to be nothing but low noise with some dialogue from a movie thrown in there. I enjoyed the first three tracks but this fell off after that. I have heard a few other 90's albums like this, which sound like they would be played in Gap or another outlet store as background music. I know William Orbit mostly because he was the producer for Madonna's "Ray of Light" album, which I think was a superior album to this one. This is a fine album with a well-crafted sound but nothing else really stuck out to me.
it's chill. but i don't really like it. nothing obviously wrong about it but more like what it doesn't have. it doesn't have anything super interesting.
Good to hear from Beth Orton again, but kind of lame otherwise
Nah, not really. Nice enough listen, but mostly washed over me.
General thoughts: I got this after Sincere by MJ Cole, this is kinda like his older cousin but much more ambient. When they go full ambient without the catchphrases loops they can be somewhat good, but most songs are below-mid. Very cool song naming though lol Favorite songs: 'A Hazy Shade Of Random' is a nice track. Worst songs: Gringatcho Demento Cover: Not gonna lie, the cover made me think this was gonna be good. Real rating: 1.91
Do eighties and so so so.
I normally like electronic trance-like music and this album started that way but got boring fast
Perfectly fine background noise for working
2 stars. boring, kinda videogame soundtrack-y but in a bad way.
Not what I was expecting based on the cover
Unknown surpris
2.0
Not bad background music
Whats with all these so-called "super producers" making bland as fuck albums? Eno does it too... I can kinda hear the sounds Madonna must have heard when she wanted Orbit to do Ray Of Light with her, but on its own it just sounds so.... I hate to say bland again, but definitely dated
The background music one hears in particularly musty shops and cafés.
'Hazy shade of random' sums up this album well. I didn’t really enjoy it, fine as background music but not very engaging or exciting
Another alright but uninspiring electronic album. Nice enough to listen to but not worth revisiting
Nice background music but that’s about it for me.
Did my best, ended up listening to Foo Fighters instead
Not bad but boring
This sum FitnessGram PACER test type music. It was nice enough to listen to while I worked. That said, if I listened to this while I was driving, I’d fall asleep at the wheel.
One of the more unique ambient albums I’ve heard
Ganz nett, aber nichts weltbewegendes.
So here we are, more '90s electronica, and you can almost hear the sigh. Orbit has some interesting moments, but the whole package feels a little too... meh to make any lasting impact. It’s just kinda there, drifting in the background with no real sense of urgency or excitement. A couple of decent tracks manage to stand out, but even those don’t spark any major revelations. Highlights? Sure, “Water from a Vine Leaf” gives us a pseudo-Brian Eno vibe that’s borderline funky—7 minutes of passive ambient grooving. Then there's “Harry Flowers,” where a mellow piano and synth play over a laid-back breakbeat, but even this feels like it's trying to be more profound than it really is. The rest? Whatever.
I just learned electronica sparks anxiety for me. Even when it’s mellow like this. Thought it would be a good album to listen to while doing some worK. Didn’t work out that way.
This project has conditioned me to expect the worst when I see an unfamiliar electronic album from the 80s or 90s. Not as terrible as some others, but definitely won't relisten.
Was fun at first, but it really turned into a slog to get through in the middle section. Somewhat nice industrial and ominous tones throughout, but nothing that really justifies its length. Does have enough nice moments and a good enough album cover to save it from 1 star.
Favourites: water from a vine leaf, harry flowers, water babies. I thought I would like it more since the beginning was pretty good but it fell off. A bit too long and boring. 2/5
Can't really say I liked this that much. I always try to come back to this generator and catch up and I catch up on a few and then I'm hit with another instrumental heavy slightly odd or repetitive album over a minute long and then I listen to it halfway but don't love it and then I quit again. There were a few tracks that were decent but most of it was kind of abstract to me. Favourites were Water From A Vine Leaf, Harry Flowers (sounds like something that would play in the background of one of those narrator-less travel destination montages), and A Hazy Shade Of Random. Did I really have to hear this before I die? Don't know about that, but I know this is getting the first 2 in a while.
you know chill electronic music ain't it when it doesn't even hit when baked
This album starts out heavier to the trip hop side of things and it's pretty good. After about 4 songs, it strays heavier into the ambient/trance styles and kinda goes downhill for me... I'm not on enough Ecstasy to enjoy random noises. Favourite songs: Time to Get Wize, Into the Paradise, Water From a Vine Leaf Least favourite songs: "Best Friend, Paranoia" 2/5
Well, that wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t great. It was certainly music. That is all.
Favorite Tracks: Water From A Vine Leaf Time To Get Wize
Interesting sounds. I was able to focus on my work. No stand out songs though.
It was definitely strange, but I didn't hate it.
I will only ever willingly listen to this album once-unce-unce-unce.
Way too much dance, electronica, remix, etc on here.
Off the self generic electronic music. Nothing too offensive but nothing that interesting either.
There are far better records of electronic ambient music than this. But this was fine to read a book to as it provided no distraction.
Started out as background noise and somehow got more boring from there.
Weird choice. Generic electronic music. Never reached for a skip button, but will never put it on again.
Meh
Jesus Christ… that’s a Wish Jason Borne soundtrack. Still better than Nick Cave and Tom Waits.
Perhaps quite something when released, but feels a bit flat listening to it now.
Most of the time I listened to this I felt like I should be hacking into the server of a bank or following an enemy spy or some other action/adventure montage. The rest of the time I was bored. I literally fell asleep sitting at a red light listening to this. Twice. I see no reason for this album to be required listening for anyone outside people making spy movies. It wasn’t entirely bad, just unnecessary.
I dig ambient music but this aint for me
Forgettable background muzak
Reading the reviews, I was expecting worth. Quite possible just not Topp, 1001.
How much synth can I possible listen to in a single list. I didn't even know there were these many electronic albums around.
Not really any standout songs on this album for me.
Fine in the background when I was working but wouldn’t listen again.
Idk, like ok and? I am transported to a dentists office This feels like the soundtrack for the menu section of a DVD. One you’d wake up to blaring on repeat for the movie you’d fallen asleep to. That and/or bad hold music. No offense but why the fuck is this on here. The story of light was ok, I don’t mind water babies either. But the name makes me think this is what they want you to put on during a home water birth Did this dude wake up and think “how many I paint Hindu music white and tweak if for Berlin basements”
Interesting electronic vibes to start the album off. Early 90s chill house-y type, and some of the electronic instrumentation sounds a little dated by now, but I'm enjoying it. The album actually finished before I realised it had started. Not bad, but not great either. Probably sounds better when you're smashed on MCAT or something.
This wasn't terrible, but I really wanted it to end. Every song felt the same as the last and makes me wonder why these artists get added to this list in the first place.
Not as good as leftfield but ok.
Expected to hate this one, but I didn't, quite chill.
Good beats and fine electronica, but this is nothing more than forgettable, background music.
Not the worst electronics album I've listened to since starting this. But yeah, I'm getting pretty tired of all of the electronica albums on this list. It is one genre that really hasn't aged well. I get that some people like it, love it even... But it's really not for me. I almost want to rate this 1 star just because how fed up I am with all the electronica, but again, this is far from the worst one on the list so far. It at least did some things different. But still not good in my opinion.
Interesting background music but not what I was looking for.
2.9 -
This was an odd combo of electronic and jazz and I’m not quite sure what it’s supposed to be. It was okay, upbeat and funky but it didn’t offer much more than that. Seemed like it was trying to make jazz cool with modern sounds mixed in but all in all it was pretty meh. 4.7/10
Takie se plumkanie. Nic szczególnego, ale nie przeszkadza. 2/5
Not my style of music
This is what the future felt like in the 1990s. There would be two jobs: hacking and making techno to play at the permanent rave happening in the basement of an abandoned factory. This album serves both ends, mostly chill ambient stuff to put in your ears and hack into the mainframe with the odd harder edge dance track for the rave. It's decent at the latter and good at the former in a boring but pretty way. So it'll get put on a work playlist and listened to much more often than stuff I like more but is too engaging.
Mellow and easy-listening, but just not my cup of tea. I wouldn’t turn it off if it was playing, but I wouldn’t intentionally return. 2.5/5 ⭐️
4/10
When it’s good it’s ok, when it’s not it’s meh.
Not my thing, but I didn’t hate it.
Not a fan of this ambient kind of music. I suppose this having a classic 90s electronica flair helps it a little but meh. Also... how many of these are we going to have on this list? Like there is only so much pioneering you can do. In my opinion it would be much better to have actual dance music that was legitimately fun to listen to and less of this stuff that could be instead played at a clothing department store. 4/10.
Fine. Good study music. Nothing too special.
Less than essential. Probably was quite an early exponent of this rambling, expansive new ambient thing. I see this is a year before FSOLs Lifeforms came out. Not earth shattering but quietly influential and a stepping stone towards his later success as a producer.
I bumped my watch and my phone started playing this album without me realizing it. I thought it was someone’s ringtone going off….thats about all you need to know.
Better than I thought it was going to be, but really only works as background music for me.