Reviews (page 5 of 8)
This is the 94th album I've ranked (I did a few out of order). It's the first one I couldn't get through the whole thing. It was painful to listen to. I fell bad ranking an album without listening to it in its entirety. That sort of defeats the purpose. But this was unlistenable.
You know what, I’m glad I’ve been able to listen to an entire DnB album so I can really form an opinion on it. Having said that I never want to hear this drawn out drum back track ever again.
I could not tell when the songs started or ended because it all just sounded the same.
This won the Mercury prize??? Just awful. I really tried, but it's just relentless nothingness to my ears
Nope
I liked this a lot but an hour and forty minutes ended up being several days of commuting and sitting in traffic is not my preferred venue for d&b. Nevertheless, i love the jump up basslines. 3.5
this provoked in me the same feeling as when jazz makes me feel like my atoms are in the wrong place
will always be weird to listen to dnb in broad daylight
I like dnb but this was way too much of it
1/5. Look, I can appreciate a good drum and bass album, and being presented with 10+ on this list was more than I was expecting. It's not necessarily groundbreaking, and it goes on the "Mercury Prize winners that are not great albums" list once again. Are we sure the people deciding the Mercury winners have ears? It's hard to tell at this point. Like sure, maybe good uses for some sample in a future rap song, but right now it feels like a lot of unfinished ideas into 2+ hours of music. I don't even remember the difference between the songs honestly. Even if it was just the first CD, it's a little much honestly. Best Song: I don't remember, I'll just choose Railing cause it's kind of short and had promise
It’s really only essential if you like a really specific kind of music. Like literally just very okay. Songs are way too long and drag on. Album is the size of a large feature length film. It’s aight
It's OK/good for what it is, but 2 hours of 20 minutes of slight variations of the same drum beat and bass line means this is a one and done listen. It can get you pumped up though.
Terrible and boring
Ugh…enough with the electronica.
I remember the excitement when this came out, bringing the underground UK d’n’b scene to the masses, complete with a couple of singles. I had the CD. I liked parts. I still appreciate some of it - there are interesting flashes among too much repetition.
Overall: 2/10 I really don't like this type of music. The repetitiveness is annoying and the same constant drum beat really sucks. Fav Song: Railing Least Fav Song: Heroes
This was pretty significant when it was new. D'nb was the biggest underground scene in my hometown. This was one of the biggest names of the genre along with Goldy. It's for dancing, not for listening. It's all rhythm and sound effects. The drums are too fast and everything else is too slow. I prefer music with more going on in the mid range. And the album is way too long. Favorite song: Share the fall.
Not sure what this is intended to be. It is neither lyrical or melodic. Perhaps the driving beat works well as background music.
Roni, what? My God, an absolutely useless record. You can't even stick the cover on the wall because it's absolutely creepy. Hey, that ruined my entire morning. And the music, the sounds, are terrible.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 💿🏛️💤 Production: 🙄🤔🤷 Music: 🥁🎛️🥲 Rating: 📎(📎)/5
Me gustó la música, la sonoridad de la batería, los efectos que utilizan y los ritmos (me recordó a Venetian Snares por ejemplo). Sin embargo, la experiencia de "álbum" es desgastante. Los temas son muy largos, y hay demasiados temas. Supongo que la duración y repetitividad de los temas tiene que ver con que se trata de música electrónica bailable, por lo que no está pensada meramente para la escucha. Pero el punto es que a la escucha se extiende demasiado.
That was really great. I was never a big drum and bass fan but I really enjoyed this album
CAN'T LISTEN - DON'T LIKE IT - another album in my 1001 albums to avoid before you die list.
I can’t take it anymore. It’s awful and it JUST NEVER ENDS.
God it’s just shit. I refuse to listen to any more
Yeah i need to be in the club and off a popper for this one
Holy repetition, Batman!! Endless loop of electronic-computer googly-goop that went on seemingly forever! Actually the version I listened to did go on for a long time and when I had to cut it short after several hours, there was even more of the same to come. I get there are fans of drum and bass groups, but I can't fathom how and why this is essential? This might work in the clubs or a video game soundtrack, but to analyze and enjoy this, was not my idea of a good time.
Kind of tedious
For an album from the 90’s it fit with a lot of stuff that I listen to today. I can feel the inspiration for a lot of other songs.
There's artistry on display here but it really wears out its welcome.
There's a few bangers here, but not being a dnb fan, it all went on a bit too long for me. You can't ignore the significance of this album, though. And to all those complaining this is a sign of an overly UK centric list, let's lose those two fucking Eagles from here, then we can talk.
Only liked one song, but I’m down for more junglists.
This album is so tedious. Every song is 3 minutes too long. I skipped one song because it had a drone that sounded like a dentist drill which was physically painful.
high 3 but only bc i locked into this for like 2 hours
Pre-listening thoughts: 2.5 hrs… drum and bass… no… Post/during listening thoughts: it’s all the same and there is almost nothing redeeming about this. We were on such a good streak so makes sense we got hit with a dud 2/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: NO Fav tracks: Beatbox Least fav tracks: yes
noh kuunnellaans sitten vuosipäivä editti, editioni. jahas 5 tuntia pitkä! tämä sisältyy yhteen päivään! 24>5, joten on mahdollista kuunnella tämä päivässä.. junglisti kuitenkin. pitää junglistia arvostaa niin saatanasti ett' kuunnellaan koko homma läpi jassoo. se tiedetään elämästä sen verran että mitä tahansa teet: älä vittuile junglisteille.. keep your mouth out of the fucking junglists mouth.. en kyllä kehtaa katsoa global ratinkia tähän koska ihmiset ei varmaan oppinu tavoille, ei oo oppinu respektaa junglisteja miten he ANSAITSEVAT!... watching windows
I tried this album out and it was not for me. 1.5/10
I get it, important to drum and bass history and iconic for the time. But it’s just really long and everything sounds the same. Minimalist production and really long songs get boring quickly. The bass sound though with the sort of cello sample sound mixed with synth is sick, and a couple of hooky songs stood out.
Diese Art von Musikalbum ist wie die ungeputzte Bahnhofstoilette - Man hat sie nicht gesehen und ist bislang gut durch sein Leben gekommen, als man den Deckel öffnet möchte man nur noch kotzen. 1 Stern
Boah ne, stresst mich unnormal.
If this is your type of music you are in luck b/c this album is soooo long. I feel like 've transitioned to becoming a skid from letterkenny after listening to this. I
Couldn't find an album that wasn't 5 hours long so I only listened for about an hour but it was fine for D&B. Not really my jam (especially cause it's Br*tish) but it wasn't bad
Not bad, it was a bit gritty in a good way. Decent music to drive around too
Decent retro DNB. There are some really cool moments on this album. However a lot of it is kind of forgettable. Still, its a good album to put on, and be hypnotized by the repetition and gradual progression.
Can’t listen to this x
I hate this. 1/5
0.5
Repetitive
Generated this album yesterday and was so annoyed at getting another 90s electronica album, especially one over 2 hours long, I skipped it. I followed-up on it today though, and I can't say skipping it was a bad idea. It's long, it's repetitive, it's electronica. It overstayed its welcome by probably and hour and a half.
Good, classic DnB
фу
Drum/Bass electronica with jazz overtones. Favorite track: brown paper bag other picks: new forms, heroes, share the fall, jazz, morse code
Jaja
Solid og electro
Cool songs, but it felt repetitive. I only listened to the first disk today because of how long it was.
Great to do homework to.
I really liked drum and bass back in the late 90s, but this one just doesn't stick with me. Listened to it a month ago, forgot to write a review, listened to it again. Still doesn't do anything for me like a lot of stuff in similar genres from that era does.
I’m heavily biased towards drum n bass, so I won’t even try to be objective. I had a great time with this album, this sort of music lulls you into a flow state where you can focus of the music and do whatever you want, it’s the perfect work music for me, but it’s also just the perfect chill out and relax music.
Monotonous club beats, all too long
Brown Paper Bag and Heroes are the stand outs for me. First time I heard BPB I was so intrigued and it wasn't til a while later I learnt what it was called and who it was by which led me to track down this album. About six years late to the party but it's a great party
Drum and Bass electronic music for 1+ hour with a great blend of samples. This is strong, but also dated. It's hard to say that I would ever want to converse over this records impact, let alone spin it. A true timepiece, the aside from it accolades, does have much lasting value apart from the British Bass Heads.
Music for watching grass grow. 2 bags of fertilizer out of 5 🌱🌱
I usually love instrumentals, I like electronica, this just sounds grating. Maybe I’m just in a mood and not in the mood to hear this rn, but I don’t like this.
Sure, it’s interesting.
6/10.
That sounds much older than 20 years. Boring. Not good.
I'm going to have to disagree with Nick Hexum and say Roni Size does not come full range. I don't listen to a whole lot of Drum & Bass, but it felt like almost every song had the same beat. Maybe things ended up changing on the back half, but I had to tap out on this one.
Listened to it with my dad. At song 3, he asked when is this over. We were both done by then.
I don’t know. I don’t like it but I’m gonna play it today at work because I think it we’ll either make the kids do their multiplication timed test at super spies or they will just crash out. Let’s see.
HATED IT. Got through a song and a half and bailed. This shit was Terrible. The only Techno I like is Techno Destructo. Let’s get some GWAR on this list already 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Maybe I'm just spoiled by Daft Punk or LCD Soundsystem-type stuff...or maybe I just don't know enough about Drum and Bass, but why does it feel like it never goes anywhere? 'Brown Paper Bag' didn't have to be nine minutes....I got the gist of it in the first three. Repeat this logic for the other tracks and you don't have a 100-minute slog. I'm writing this review whilst listening to track eight. If the next 14 tracks knock my socks off, I'll gladly contact admin so I can edit my review. 1.5 stars...rounding down because it's ever so long.
it's not that the music was bad, but automatic star deduction for being that long of an album and all the songs practically being the same, in my ears.
Generic drum and bass album that had no business being 2 hours and 20 minutes long.
I like my drum and bass to veer more into trip hop than this did, but a solid album either way. Can't say I'll seek to add to my collection, but glad to be aware of it.
This was interesting. Usually, I don’t care much for Drum & Bass, but this is alright.
Completely new to me; band and the music. Since there are 53 tracks on the album (20th Anniversary) I have been listening to snippets of many of the tracks. I know this is not a good way to review, but I am just getting my first impression. Odd, repedative, could be good background music or music to drive to. I will clearly listen more. It's that intriguing.
The Apple Music version of this album is almost 6 hours long. I assume the first “disc” is the original which is already too damned long at 80 some minutes. Nobody needs this much repetitive garbage. Maybe instead of remixing your tracks work on making something interesting and listenable.
To be fair, I expect the proper way to listen to this album would be to be dressed in a full on teddy bear furry outfit, pockets full of mDMA, soother firmly in place in a warehouse full of writhing bodies. Given that I listened at the gym, pockets of my shorts full of nothing, sweating for altogether different reasons, I suppose it doesn’t have the desired effect.
A bit dated but some great ideas buried here
Another electronic album. Still a little tough to listen to casually. Nothing overly impressive. Not the worst electronic album though, nearly jungle. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
It’s alright drum and bass. Also I know how long it is but Spotify has it as an hour and I am NOT listening to this for two and a half
Brother what is wrong with dnb jungle whoever these people are? I'm on tidal so I look to see how long the album is and it's over 5 hours longggggg.... OK it's a special edition so maybe it's bot that bad..... over 2 hours... broooooo. OK now that my whining is out of the way, this is a drum and bass thing. It does drum and bass things. Not my thing. Whatever. But this had some moments of almost being something I could see listening to but not quite. I just can't with the 3 second drum loop being nailed into my skull for 11 minutes. I appreciate some evolution. But that dumb drum beat is killing me and maybe someday it won't but for now it hurts. And by the by I have not finished the album yet and I will but the last 3 songs are not going to drastically change my mind............. it did not
I did not like this
I just don't see the point. 1.5
I dunno what to make of New Forms. Drum and bass is a genre I'm unfamiliar with. Do all early drum and bass record reuse the same backbeats for over 50 minutes? Because that's what I heard and it distracted me from the sounds layered on top. Pity really. Overall: 3/10
Not my thing… 🤷🏻♂️
Not bad, but a whole album felt way too long
custom_rating: 4
Man, this was a slog. All the right elements are here - deep bass, crisp drums, atmospheric synths - but something’s missing. The energy is there, but it just loops itself into oblivion. Feels more like background noise at a mid-tier coffee shop than something I’d actively listen to. Maybe it worked in '97, but now it sounds like a museum piece. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Brown Paper Bag
Worse than fat boy slim, repetitive drum beat 1/5
If you plug your earphones into a bag of cocaine you can listen to the extended version of this album
A bit of variation between tracks, but within themselves the tracks were repetitive and far too long. This is another 30 minute album stretched beyond breaking point. According to Wikipedia, the actual length is over 2 hrs, but I’ve only listened to the hour long disc 1 because I have some shreds of self-respect still left
I don't hate it but it shouldn't be on this list.
I have never been a fan of drum and bass, mainly because it's just the same repetitive beat on a loop. This has not changed my opinion. This is too long to be on here who has got over 2 hours to listen to this shit.
Ran a half marathon and listened to most of this. I don’t get Drum and Bass but this was fine. I’m sure it was influential for the genre but I don’t care mate. Generous 3 as I was happy with my half marathon time
This record is way too long filled with the same stuff. It's all inoffensive but it isn't super interesting. 1.5.
Stinky album, felt like the entire thing was the same repetitive drum loop obtained by pressing demo on a keyboard, all the songs felt pretty much the exact same, not a single one on here I found enjoyable other than maybe the first one which was ok at best, the only album I’ve struggled to finish as well. overall 💩/10
Some solid grooves, but can't listen to more than one or two EDM songs in a row
Yeah I just don't like this genre. Every song is too long. The drums are too high in the mix and very thin, to the point where their sound is annoying to me. I didn't even want to finish this.
Ugh, another of these fin de sicle electronica CDs. This whole genre aged like milk. They should cut every one of these for the next edition. This isn't even one of the better ones from among that set. Just remarkably unpleasant to listen to. The only bits that are somewhat tolerable is when it gets really quiet, in which case it's just a blended-average of crap and silence.
Good album with DnB influences but not my piece of pie.
I like the fusion of jazz, funk and the electronic elements that create a unique and immersive listening experience.
I didn't like DnB until a bit later, at the time it felt like it was all trying a bit hard to be different. And, on reflection, this album *still* feels like that. The rhythm is there sure, but there's something missing. I don't want to get my white-boy skank shuffle on, and without that vibe, it's just some lo-fi beats and vocals. This list was definitely put together by someone living in Bristol in 1995-2000 wasn't it?
every song was at 2 or 3x longer than it needed to be. i get this was probably foundational but it sounded like a root canal. i feel like as a society we've moved away from this super repetitive droning stuff and i'm not mad about it.
a pretty dull and inessential UK 90s drum n bass album. there were occasional sparks of brilliance hidden inside the mammoth-length tracks, but overall the juice is absolutely not worth the squeeze. these records are a dime a dozen. favorites: brown paper bag, new forms
Funky
Synthesizer club-ish sounds
Techno beat with lowkey rap
RnB good. My god this is long,
That break beat had me busting moves
I liked it a LOT
I don't need this in my music repertoire, and definitely not this much of it.
Not available.
I wonder what type of people listened to this when it came out.
Ericmuziek! Beats en geluidjes! Maar ook weer veel herhaling. Maar ook weer veel herhaling. Beats en geluidjes! Het klinkt wel aardig, maar als je het bijvoorbeeld in de auto zou opzetten, val je achter het stuur in slaap. Beats en geluidjes! Maar ook weer veel herhaling.
Eind jaren '90 kwam de D&B op. De basis: één en hetzelfde ritme. Boem klap Boem-Boem klap. In de beginfase was dit genre bijna per definitie een vergeetbare 3. Het was vrij uitwisselbaar. Ik heb zelf Aphrodite behouden in mijn collectie. Had ook Roni kunnen zijn. Beide voegden ze nog net iets extra's toe. Een stukje zang bv. Het is goed dat het genre vertegenwoordigd is in de lijst. Maar het is ook slechts een basis voor de meer interessante opvolgende muziek. Met meer variatie, meer kracht, of meer creativiteit.
Het luistert als een soort zenuwachtige triphop. Het heeft ergens wel die relaxte vibe, dus het staat moeiteloos op de achtergrond op. Alleen is het ook wel vrij repetitief. Ik heb de boel halverwege disc 2 afgezet. Het album is ook alleen als disc 1 uitgebracht en die duurt al lang genoeg, dus dat lijkt me ook wel voldoende om een cijfer te mogen geven. Ik heb er verder ook weinig over te melden. Het is drum n bass, vrij kaal, pas net ontstaan uit andere housestijlen. Het had wat afwisselender gemogen, of wat meer versierd. Ik ben niet zo bekend met drum n bass, maar dit is meer Dieleman-muziek en medeluisterer Dieleman heeft me ooit een keer Hold Your Colour van Pendulum aangeraden. Wellicht dat dat niet puur drum n bass is en misschien niet met Roni Size mag worden vergeleken, maar dat album levert veel meer afwisseling. Voor Hold Your Colour van Pendulum zou ik zo 5 sterren kunnen geven, maar Roni Size haalt hoogstens een kleine vergeetbare 3.
I hate this album for how it won the Mercury prize over OK Computer. It is astonishingly terrible. What possessed the judges?
Two EDM albums in a row. Not good! Unlike the previous from The KLF, this one is not short (5 hours long is the nly version I could find...and no I did not listen t all 5 hours) and though it has trip hop flashes it is most defininitely firmly in the EDM genre and I just know when the time and place is to enjoy this kind of music. So I don't. It seems to me to have no sould and little craft. 2 stars
A record like this takes me back to my early days of DJng and going to raves. House music was all the “rave” 🤭 around this time and this album was a major contributor it seems. I’m sure I’ve heard this music before in the past, but didn’t know who it was. My friend who’s a huge DnB fan says “Brown Paper Bag” is a classic in the scene. It was also really nice hearing Bahamadia on the title track - classic underground emcee. This record is what it is for electronic music in the late 90s, and it’s a great representation of it. Not my forte, but I enjoyed it.
I enjoy EDM, but so far I'm 0 for 3 in understanding the EDM picks I've had to review for this list. I'm guessing these have been either influential in the genre or critically acclaimed. That's all fine and dandy, but also meaningless to me. I want the EDM that has been influential on the music industry at large. If that means we get more Moby and less Roni Size then so be it. I get that my ignorance of the genre likely means I'm being unduly harsh on this album. But, my God, it was so repetitive, so boring, and the vocals were part of the problem. Maybe this just didn't age well. I don't know. Drum + bass + vocal track + loop = yawn
NOT my thing. 2.3
This album is okay, I do like rhythm and flow from one track to another. However, it's likely not going to make my regular listening rotation.
So exciting at the start. Falls off pretty hard tbh but overall excellent and redolent of its time and place. An era when jazzy D'n'B looked like it might conquer the world. I mean, I'm kind of glad that didn't happen but the newness felt great at the time. Some of the tracks drag but I'm still scoring this high for overall aesthetic and vibe.
First album since I think Wonderful Rainbow that I just straight up did not finish. More like New Forms of torture.
A cool sound, makes you want to dance. But its waaaaay to bloated. Started checking the time already at the 45 min mark
This was a fun experience! Fun music
I do think this album goes on too long... even if you just listen to Disc 1, but both Disc 1 and 2 are very good and brought a very well made and fresh style in a way that is easily digestible, just as many other electronic acts did at the end of the 90's. This is definitely an album I'd put on again while doing house work or working or something where I want an upbeat piece that moves but does demand my full attention to appreciate.
Weird beats/electronica -Brown Paper Bag
Too long and repetitive, felt like I was listening to a soundtrack from an old video game …not for me
No particular fan of drum and bass, so don't think I will listen to it again, but it did put me in quite the focus while studying.
This is not for me. Good instrumentation, but very, VERY repetitive, over 70-80ish minutes and I'm lost.
I've got a known track record here for hating on UK electronica/beats/whateverthisis. This didn't convince me otherwise. Frenetic beats over monotonous bass lines with some bleeps, bloops, and samples thrown in. I don't think I do the right kind of drugs to appreciate this. The occasional vocal elevates this to "barely listenable."
2 same old electronica. At least this one was good to zone out to
Very recently played this and it's a long double album, as drum and bass often is. A fistful of absolute classics (the bassline on brown paper bag!) and an overall great background music vibe. Solid 3.5, but rounding down.
I appreciate this album was probably quite influential in the Uk garage scene. Not my style of music
S'fine
5/10. I really want to pay respect here because obviously this is a pioneering work and one of the records which set the scene for all the jungle that followed it. And I love jungle, but call me a newgen but I much prefer the more melodic stuff, whereas the tunes here are much more oriented around the drums themselves. I also think theat I consumed this via the wrong medium - in another context I think this album would go way harder but I have to rate purely based on my enjoyment from the listen I had and so I can't go higher than a 5.
Will trust the drum n bass sproingers on this one. Not for me.
Music's good, but I lost interest every time they started vocalizing.
Just not a big fan of electronic music.
I imagine this is what breakcore was born from, this album sounds like protobreakcore, if you will.
Not bad, a little entertaining, but I literally forgot I'm listening to it several minutes in. Another album which likely works on its own, but its length makes it hard to review as I'm not willing to give this one multiple listens.
Getting this album so soon after listening to Sincere by MJ Cole in full feels like a cruel joke. And that one was better. The rhythmic drumming here put me to sleep.
One hour and three minutes of jittery drum loops. There, saved you an hour of your life.
Didn't really care for this. It honestly wasn't too bad. Just not my thing. Kind of repetitive.
I had not heard of these guys. I like the drum and bass choppy sort of dance shit, but this does not remotely earn its original length, nevermind the anniversary monster.
Didn't mind - liked the double bass in Brown Paper Bag
Cet album est sans contredit une somme, un travail colossal de conception, d'assemblage et d'orchestration. Alors que je ne suis pas attirée vers ce genre de prime abord, mon attention a bien été attirée et retenue par cet album.
Repetitive and very long
Pretty fun record. Didn’t get through the 5 hour re release edition the app links to though.
just another insanely long Drum and Bass album. Fast paced beats on repeat over and over and over and over and over.
General review today, well I'm not a huge fan of this kind of music like some songs were terrible to listen to like "New Forms" or "Mad Cat" but you had some really nice ones like "Railing", "Heroes" or even "Watching Windows". I generally don't like songs which are way too repetitive and so that's why I didn't succeed to get into it but I think that this guy made a lot for the dnb back in the 90s. So good job m8 I'm just not a huge fan of your music style.
DNB LETSGO Brown paper bag starts as boring and weird, but gradually pulls you in. Finished the song not realizing I've been headbanging for the last 5 minutes Let's get it on drum break is tight af Digital : Vocals are really dry The sterero imaging in Matter of fact is really cool, so much movement Sounds are WEIRD, often sounding like they're not even in time Album cover is fucking cool I want to put 4 cause me like dnb but if I'm honest I haven't had such a great time listening
Good background music if you were hacking into the Matrix.
I'm not sure why I would have to listen to this before I died but since I couldn't make it past the first disc, I think I'll be okay.
This album makes feel ways about things. Rage and confusion come to mind, "Am I supposed to have glow sticks and am I supposed to listen to this stark raging sober?!?" I don't get it.
Yikes no way I'm listening to all 2 hours of this
Electric rave music, just about all that can be said. Listenable to but nothing special 2.
Whilst there’s plenty of interesting melodies and guest vocal collabs going on, you’ve got to love that drum pattern to love this. And I’m afraid it’s all just too much for me.
A genre I don't understand or particularly like. Basically it's music for brainless people who have no imagination or curiosity in the large world in front of their eyes. If this is an exceptionally good example of Drum and Bass then I dread to think how bad the shit stuff is.
I came here to find new music and rediscover old favorites. While it has been a mixed bag, this is the first album I couldn't sit and listen to, it sounds like you are stuck in someone's fever dream or the racing mind of Jessie Pinkman on ice. Definitely not a must hear album. I came back to it multiple times but I couldn't take the assault on my ears.
I’m glad there’s music for everyone.. this is not for me. This was terrible and I can’t believe I listened to the whole thing.
Got tired of it after a couple of tracks
Not for me. It was like being stuck in an endless computer game that I'm shit at.. or something Jeremy Usbourne made in his bedroom after getting laid off from JLB. The only saving grace is I suppose that Roni Size had to walk (through audial dog shit) so Danny Dyers Chocolate Homunculus, Mamas Cumquat and Russell Orgazoid could run (again through audial dog shit)
This is what Tyres from Spaced would have on his Mp3 player. Perpetual state of menu music from an offbeat video game in the late 90s. I didn’t like it, which surprised me because I enjoy some Roni Size, mostly from In The Mode. New Forms was initially interesting, but started to remind me of Lefteye’s verse on Never Be The Same Again (if it went on forever). Watching Windows and Heroes were my favourites, they at least had some ideas and textures intertwining and weren’t entirely unbearable. In summary, it sounds like something the less capable kids from my college would upload to Soundcloud when it first came out.
Rating this on the part I listened too. Shouldn’t need a 2.5 hr studio album
Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. One long piece that flowed very nicely.
Love the sound DnB is dear to me
Not sure why this would be considered essential to anyone. Guess it’s just not for me.
Not an ounce of musical value to be found
Nope.
I only listened to the 1 disc version linked on Spotify, not the double disc one. Even this was too repetitive and bored me though. Not my kind of thing at all
Whoa hello early 2000s. The jazzy high-tempo beat is so unique and nostalgic. What a weird time for music, super experimental, but not in a bad way per se. Fave Song: Brown Paper Bag Least Fave Song: New Forms Rating: 3/5
Najbardziej "British junkie" rzecz, z jaką miałem do czynienia odkąd ciągnąłem ketę. Ogólnie spoko, trochę ciekawych rzeczy, ale raczej nie wrócę. The Prodigy fajniejsze.
It's like I licked 90s' but it taste more mid than I remember.
7/10, divertido
I liked it
Not my thing. Terrible
Has some elements I like but mainly makes me anxious.
Drum and bass isn’t for me. Makes me think of Letterkenny and the skids. I started listening to this driving down Mt Tamborine late last night but it was putting me into too much of a trance, making me feel like I was in Mario Kart or something, and I got worried I was gonna crash, so I had to stop and take it back up this morning in a safer environment! Also makes me want to do drugs? Anyway, I like the tracks with more vocals better, like Heroes and Share the Fall. But overall not something I’d ever listen to again.
Exactly the kind of music I love putting on for a long drive home at night. I listened to Brown Paper Bag while cruising on the highway and delighted at every vocal and instrumental twist and turn. Truly masters of the drop.
Fine for background music. But I'm not really a big drum and bass guy. The tempo is too frantic for my already frantic brain.
i'm not really into drum n bass stuff and this shit is boring as hell
This would be a 2 but two albums of THIS? It's a 1.
THIS THE JAK II SOUNDTRACK BEFORE JAK II CAME OUT HOW COULD I NOT LOVE IT WITH MY ENTIRE HEART
I don't care much for the MC stuff. I am all in for the instrumentals however. Oh and some of Onalee's singing. Brown Paper Bag is such a catchy drum n bass hook, that double bassline!! It's just sex. But I don't think I had taken in it's various movements before. Delightful soft stings of jazzy piano. And there we have it, thus ends my prior knowledge of Roni Size tunes, 2 tracks in. The book scared the shit out of me with a running time of 133 minutes, which happily proves to be false. Ah. No, this is a re-released shorter version I have here. The full album is available on Spotify. Well, let's see how I go on. People whining about having a drum and bass album in here is pretty unbelievable - what do you want, yet another 70s classic rock album? Perhaps one more by Elvis Costello. Ok there's definitely a few tracks here that are just on, however it's soundscape time and we've got jazzy instrumentation to keep tingling my ears, even if they aren't bangers of tunes. So I'll allow it. I didn't really like Watching Windows, and it had begun to lose me a bit by then. So this is the end of the 'short' version of the album, I'd rate it a 3. There's some decent stuff on the second disc, I was mainly just reading though. Hot Stuff, Trust Me.
Forms, when taking shape, tends to fill perceptions held by the person or thing that it is in front of and whatever it ends up being is the very thing that it may very well be known for in eternity. Roni Size and Raprazent's New Forms, in all of its gargantuan shapes and glory, is drum'n'bass at its most bombastic, taking on all comers in its initial design and the litany of remixes that represents it. Regardless of its exhaustive nature and the repetitive feel it may sustain throughout, New Forms is the absolute peak of the top of the d'n'b mountain. It's all downhill from here.
Nope. Tried to give it a try. Nope.
Hardbass is Better
Shit the bed, this was bad. Couldn’t finish it.
This album was way too long. Each song overstayed it's welcome, and didn't really go anywhere after six minutes. I will say,some of the jazzier stuff was cool, the double bass in some songs especially. Heros was also good. But it was still not it.
Ehhh not super bad, but not my thing that much
Would have given it a 3.5 if I could. Definitely enjoyed it, but rounding down due to extreme and unnecessary length. Sheesh!
Did not need the rapping at all. “You’re gonna need a lyric proof vest” come on
was evacuating.
I'm a sucker for DnB, what can I say?
DnB forever <3.
Good.
I mean this is cooler than some of the other UK electric crap on this list. But I didn’t need to listen to this when I could’ve just watched some British TV and movies from the 90s.
I cannot get into drum & bass. It's just that simple. This isn't the worst D&B album I've heard, but still, no thank you.
Just not for me.
Railing: Vilken öppning. Groovy sång och DnB - allt jag gillar! Brown Paper Bag: Tycker gitarren är sådär i början, skön basgång. Låten tog sig verkligen! New Forms: Wow, vilken rytm Lets get it on: Chill DnB, vem hade kunnat ana. Lite meditationsvibe. Matter of fact: Vi närmar oss Shpongle-territory. Destination: Riktigt salig blandning men med en gemensam känsla. Panflöjt är alltid goofy alltså. Disc 2-4 får bli en lyssning någon annan gång.
Not my cup of tea
Drum and bass from the late 90's? I'm into it. Some of these longer tracks almost get meditative. Super fun.
Dug this a lot!
So easy to listen to while working
I don't think that I enjoy when electro songs are all over 7 minutes long and repetitive
0.5
1.15
Towards the end of this album, I really did see its possible influence and I respect that, but I was just getting through the album for the majority.
Next-up in the 1001 British Albums You'll Never Hear Again book: "Sir Morwin Hedwig Cavendish III sings lullabies from the Lake District" Yes this is all about being open and wide ranging -- but the problem is that this album is *so* niche in a "there's no goddamn way this should be on any essential wide ranging list of any size" way that after 930+ albums I finally and truly understand all the critiques about this list being outrageously British-origin heavy, so it's a little hard to not be snarky about it. Drum & Bass has its place for sure, but jeez... you've got to bring something compelling and different and digestible to the table for something so potentially polarizing and **especially** an album that's in some forms LITERALLY OVER 5 HOURS LONG. jfc. I did make it through 13 songs. Begrudgingly. Enough already. Will give 2 stars for obvious influence on the ~17 remaining people who continue to obsess about D&B (I know one!) but this is a tough task to listen to for more than a few tracks. 3/10 2 stars
This album is a bit over two hours, but thankfully the music makes it feel like it's only three.
Too long in every way possible. Came real close to being my first dnf (218 in).
Too repetitive to enjoy, the music becomes that annoying mosquito buzzing around your head.
DnB <3
ps1 racing game-ass music
I put this on while cleaning the house and man did I zone in. Very productive album.
Hi, I am trying to be a mellow Prodigy. Trying.
Some cool basslines, but I just don't know what situation in my reality requires 140 minutes of intense and constant drum and bass beats.
01) Railing - 6,5 02) Brown Paper Bag - 8,5 03) New Forms - 7,0 04) Let's Get It On - 6,5 05) Digital - 6,0 06) Matter of Fact - 5,5 07) Mad Cat - 5,5 08) Heroes - 7,0 09) Share the Fall - 6,0 10) Watching Windows - 7,0 11) Beatbox - 5,5 12) Morse Code - 5,0 13) Destination - 7,0 14) Intro - 4,0 15) Hi-Potent - 6,0 16) Trust Me - 5,5 17) Change My Life - 5,5 18) Share the Fall - 5,5 19) Down - 6,0 20) Jazz - 5,0 21) Hot Stuff - 5,0 22) Ballet Dance - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,93 (59/100) Current ranking: 327/405 139:54... My sweet Lord... This one will take few days... It's soooo long and repetitive.
not listening to 53 songs
This list is super biased with 90s british electronic music. This is ok, but nothing that feels genre-defining to me, 2* I stopped at disc 1 because I got it.
I can see the appeal of this but DJ and repetitive lyrics aren't my thing right now.
I am a HUGE electronica fan. I would say I am a techno lover that works outwards in all directions from that base. This is definitely electronica, even maybe trance or going in that direction. So why do I ... I don't love this. At first I thought maybe it just doesn't have enough expectation, it is a little too monotonous. But what do I mean by "a little TOO"? Trance is monoTONE by nature but it remains interesting, it still vibes. I don't get that vibe here (in most of the songs but not all!!) But I don't know why. Maybe it has too few drops or doesn't change up enough. It is not progressive, which does not bring you on that journey from one place to another. I suppose it just isn't ever going to make my favorites list...
Hyvää drumnbassee! Aika klassinen! 4/5
Kiinnostava ja aikaansa edellä oleva levy!
it’s long as hell but it’s also really cool so it’s okay. not sure it’s much different than any of the other techno stuff i’ve heard from here but that doesn’t mean it’s bad
Yeah, it’s long and repetitive, but it’s groovy as all get-out. Also, it holds a special place in my heart, because it’s one of a handful of records that comes from a time when this type of music began to solidify itself as something very important tome.
Doesn’t age well
2.4 1x
Not necessarily a bad album, but really not my thing. It was a struggle to get through this. 2/5
I think drum & bass is a really cool genre. However this album was pretty boring unfortunately. Favorite Song: Brown Paper Bag Least Favorite Song: Beatbox
Really surprising D&B album. Especially enjoyed Beatbox!
One of the few albums I couldn't listen through, even with the last two tracks unavailable. Just mindless DnB, alright for some people but really not for me.
För lång och fantasilöst. Hur svårt kan det vara att göra den här typen av musik?
Pretty cool but not my style.
Not enough variation to be this long.
Very enjoyable
Not a single track I would ever want to have to endure listening to again.
It’s the late 90s, beer is cheap and the Tories have been booted out. Cool Britannia is in full swing. A bunch of 20 year olds are making their way back from an all night rave, Roni is blasting out on the car stereo and the drum and bass washes over them as the summer sun starts to rise. The hints of jazz add to the vibe and they are loving life. Meanwhile everyone else on the planet is glad that the skip function exists! Top track: Brown paper bag (well the first 3 minutes of it).
Pretty sure I bought this back in the day, but didn’t really like it. And bloody hell it’s quite an unrelenting listen. Much like having to do the full Offspring or Germs albums in recent times on this list. Feel like you need a lie down halfway through. Anyway, with time has brought me a much better appreciation of drum and bass. Tbh I’d rather dance to it than techno or trance, the rhythms are more interesting. So while this had a bit too much of a ‘garage’ tinge in term of some feel and lyrical style in some places. I really enjoyed some of the tunes (Mad Cat. Morse Cose and Destination in particular). And special note to Matter of Fact which sounded like an Ozric Tentacles song with drum and bass percussion, not sure it entirely worked but it amused me. Would listen again, but not entirely sure what would drive me to do so mind.
My D&B days are firmly behind me but preferred this to some of the more menacing offerings of the time. I could listen to brown paper bag all night, in fact I probably did.
I've never heard of this album or artist before, but the cover screams "electronica" to me, and based on the reviews of this album, the vibe I got from the cover is correct. I don't think I've ever heard of drum and bass as a music genre before, but I'm guessing its defining characteristics are in the name. I tend to like electronica, so this album... HOLY CRAP, THIS IS OVER TWO HOURS LONG?!?!?!? Well, this is certainly a choice for the Monday after Thanksgiving. Might as well dive in! Overall, this album was fine. I would have liked to have spent more time listening to it, so that I could have really picked up on some of the more subtle elements of the music, but at that runtime, that wasn’t an option today. However, even with clocking in at over 2 hours, I never found this album to be boring, and I enjoyed the overall sound. I think one the biggest letdowns with this album was that even with this much material, there wasn’t a lot about it that stood out to me. “Let’s Get It On” was probably my favorite song on the album. I loved the cymbal riding on the drums, and the main bass line was awesome. The ending segue into “Digital” was really great too. “Share The Fall” had a great bass line as well, as did “Brown Paper Bag.” “Down” was probably my second favorite song on the album, and I really loved the drumming on it. I definitely wasn’t blown away by this album, but I’d be willing to give it another go some day.
2.75
Landmark debut. A brilliant bit of beat making that manages to be built in long tracks that while repetitive never stagnate. Feels like jazz drum n bass.
This sounds like something Ali G would put out.
why
Na dit album en dat van gisteren verdien ik morgen Abbey Road ofzo 1.2
Tried multiple times to get into DnB and never got it despite enjoying of other electronic music genres. This is not convincing me to become a DnB fan. If anything the opposite. If I have to listen to this album again in this life it will be completely against my will.
No really my style
I stuck with it for 2 out of the 5 hours of run time. Maybe they switch it up a bit in hours 4, 5, and 6, but I can’t imagine that’s the case. It grew redundant for me and I felt like I was listening to the same song the whole time. It was a decent song, but I wasn’t high enough to have it take me on the journey it wanted to.
Some good songs, I did enjoy the album but didn’t love it
Boring, repetitive and same-sounding. (And I only sampled the first 5 songs.) Seriously, who is going to sit and listen to 2-1/2 hours of this?! I didn't enjoy anything about it.
Atfirst I thought wow this still sounds so fresh after all these years. But then I realised, that some of the songs did not age as well as I had thought. But still a nice document of the 90s drum & bass sound.
1.5, rounded up to two I don’t think it’s worthless, I really don’t. There’s aspects of it I like. The energy is there, there’s moments where the drums get very jazz-like. It’s just it’s SO long. The standard version of the album is TWO AND A HALF HOURS, of extremely similar-sounding music. And every song is like 6-11 minutes long! It’s a struggle. Eventually just had to put it on in the background while I did other stuff, which worked well. Extremely niche reference but I think the people that know will absolutely agree, it sounds like music that would be in the background of, like, a Toonami promo for DBZ from 1999.
One of those random ass mid-90s downtempo albums that I got excited for but turned out to be pretty boring. Not bad, but Talvin Singh and Suba outsold.
More influential than it is actually inspiring to listen to.
53 song? 5 hours.. Nope, thanks. Enjoyed few tho.
No. 288/1001 Railing 3/5 Brown Paper Bag 2/5 New Forms 3/5 Let's Get It On 2/5 Digital 2/5 Matter of Fact 2/5 Mad Cat 2/5 Heroes 3/5 Share the Fall 3/5 Watching Windows 2/5 Beatbox NR Morse Code 2/5 Destination 3/5 Intro NR Hi-Potent 2/5 Trust Me 2/5 Change My Life 2/5 Share the Fall 2/5 Down 2/5 Jazz 2/5 Hot Stuff 2/5 Ballet Dance 2/5 Average: 2,25 Really fell off towards the second half.
Meh
Rating: 6/10 Way too long but better than a lot of the other electronic albums on the list, has an interesting futuristic vibe to it at least.
Groovy at times but there’s absolutely no reason for these songs to be 8 minutes and the rapping is terrible.
Today I discovered a genre I don't need to listen to ever again. Oh, but "Let's Get it On" oddly reminds me of the bee boo-boo bop song from SpongeBob.
Si fuese musica de un juego de arcade, estaria barbaro. Lamentablemente no vine a buscar eso. Además es larguísimo
Interesante, aunque no se si por el momento lo escucharía de vuelta. No sé, es rara la sensación, pero algo me generó por lo menos.
so much. too much. boring and too much.
Actually super nice genre album - good focus music and actually good over all record - never boring and kept me wanting more even with its long runtime.
Much better than most electronica I’ve heard, but not enough to make me a believer…
this and another album so heavily bring to mind a hacking sequence in any early 2000’s action film.
Classic d’n’b sound.
2 - sorry not for me
Toooo long, but I thought pretty solid jazzy downtempo drum n bass. Some of the sound palette sounds a little dated as much electronic music from this era does, especially the sort of airy new age electronic music that this verges on. But overall still a pretty enjoyable background listen. Fave Tracks: Brown Paper Bag, Share the Fall, Destination 3.7/5
Not my taste.
Would've never thought this was 90's electronic. Roni Size, right off the bat, to me, reading the name of the band, sounds like 60's soul, or big band. The first track reminds me of Gorillaz. Very cool. Not intense.
Not a “must” in my opinion
This album was ok as background music. Not super engaging, and not something I'd choose to listen to again necessarily, but I didn't mind it on while I was going about my workday. 2.5/5
Any one song is like 3.5+ range, but 2+ hours of it is just too much. 2/5
Shit, I actually played this yesterday but forgot to log it. Anyway, C-
Wow...even a lot worse than the M.I.A thing. And I thought that is bad.
I can appreciate for background music. Beats are cool for a while but a bit repetitive.
I can see this music being beneficial if you ever need to force hostages to talk. Or maybe in the background if white noise is not available. I can appreciate the drum n bass sub-genre, but this was simply too long and too repetitive.
Maybe I could see putting this on in the background if I’m in the right mood and need something upbeat and more instrumental. Beyond that, really can’t get into this.
There was a moment during this album I thought it could be a 3*. Then I had to do some work, came back to the album a few hours later and realized I still had over an hour left. I can see enjoying a track or two in the right setting (during a workout, doing lots of drugs at a rave, etc), but nearly two hours is simply too much. 2.5/5
Trash
Definitely not my style, but I could see how some could like the relaxing style of almost ASMR music.
Okay too long
Oh god, the only version which isn't remixes I could find is like 5 hours long. So I only listened to disk 1. I liked it though, reminds me of the background music at a coffee shop that thinks it's trendier than it really is. Impressive for 1997, and has not really aged in the 25 years since it came out apart from DnB being a bit of an aging genre.
I was so happy that there was finally an electronic album but as soon as I pressed play on the first track and I heard a drumnbass beat I knew that my excitement was for nothing. The thing is, some of the songs were actually really good like the title track but the beat just ruined the whole thing for me. So much wasted potential 😣
2 hrs, 19 minutes and 54 seconds of FUNNN Wikipedia says "Ballet Dance" is the last song, forgive me if I don't get into the extra 3 hours on A.M. Like the D&B compilation spearheaded by LTJ Bukem, Logical Progression, this also contains propulsive, intense beats with more atmospheric breakdowns. However, said breakdowns are less enjoyable this time around. They seem less like part of the track and more like a necessity to protect your brain from sensory overload. "Trust Me", on disc 2, sounds like fragments of a more intriguing album is buried in here. The samples are like something RZA or Nas would've used, but chopped up in an otherworldly way. Unnecessarily tedious HL: "Destination", "Share the Fall (Vocal Mix)", "Watching Windows", "Hi-Potent" 10/11/2024
2.5
Some cool bits, but just too damn long. 2.5/5
Roni Size & Resprazent - New Forms (79 min) Not as bad as I was expecting (4.01) ★★ Roni Size & Resprazent - New Forms (full 140 min original release) Oh God, kill me now! (3.25) ★½
I don't like drum and bass, and the extremely long run time didn't help either!
Started off okay, but got really repetitive and boring after a while. Not really enough hooks to keep me interested. 2 stars.
Really dated collection of cold sterile drum and bass. There’s the occasional fine groove like on Brown Paper Bag and ok vocal features like on the title track. There is a distinct lack of warmth, variety and musical interest across the project though. Really is just repetitive breakbeats and lifeless video game menu music. Also the runtime is merciless. Album is practically neverending. Discs of this are like Hydra. I attempted to start disc 2 but my mind just got frazzled very quickly after the intro.
Fait rarissime : je n'ai pas réussi à écouter l'album en entier. Pas même un titre. Comme je suis têtue j'ai même laissé filé quelques mois pour y revenir avant de noter. Rien n'y fait, ça m'agresse. Pourtant bien des groupes que j'aime comptent la Drum&Bass dans leurs inspirations, mais il faut croire que le pionnier du genre ne me séduit pas du tout...! L'impression d'écouter la même chose oppressante en boucle. Non, vraiment non.
Enjoyed this
uhgfd
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