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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

En-Tact

The Shamen

1990

En-Tact
Album Summary

En-Tact is the fourth studio album by Scottish band the Shamen, released in 1990. It was the first Shamen album to feature Mr C, and the last to feature Will Sinnott (who died on 23 May 1991). It fused the band's past psychedelic rock sounds with the rave act it became, developing a style that represented multicultural dance music.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.43

Votes

12303

Genres

  • Electronica

Reviews

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Feb 27 2022
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2

Really putting the shame into shamen

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Jul 28 2022
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2

Like being at a rave with all the lights on.

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Mar 17 2022
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1

I pride myself on being somewhat of a chameleon. And being able to adapt. But someone, anyone, get me out of this gay bar.

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Feb 27 2022
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1

Listening to this record was like washing your dick in a sink after spending two weeks shagging the granny out of your own cat.

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Jun 07 2021
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1

Absolute garbage. Repetitive, uninteresting, dated, meaningless new-agey-druggy lyrics, awful sound, terrible singing - tedious beyond belief. Not even close to being an essential album and nothing like the best example of its genre. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

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Jul 28 2023
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4

Never heard of this. But this was great. An album pointing forward to nineties rave culture. There are way too many dismissive voices towards electronic music on this site. This is definitely accomplished dance music, with varied and surprising layers mixed into its pulsating repetitiveness. It fit perfectly for this Saturday night. Contrary to what a lot of the commentators write, I believe this is on equal footing with the more famous acts of the era. Just look past the 90’s dance rap stuff and you’ll find a good electronic record. Stand outs: “Possible Worlds: Deep PSI”, “Hyperreal Orbit”, “Lightspan Soundwave” and “Progen 91”.

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Nov 13 2022
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5

Somewhere in 1993 I discovered Boss Drum, The Shamen’s follow up album to En-Tact. I fell in love with the sound and enjoyed listening to that album. For whatever reason I never ventured any further into their catalog. I enjoyed this album as well. The opening track Move Any Mountain and the Pro Gen remix at the end are fantastic. The rest of the album was great. My raving days may be largely behind me, but this is a great high-energy choice for doing work around the house!

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Aug 26 2022
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3

This is a solid sequence of tracks. With a tab of acid, it'd probably be 6 stars.

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Dec 29 2021
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2

I did not enjoy this even a little bit. I don't think I would enjoy this even if I was at a rave all hopped up on ecstasy. Nothing personal against The Shamen, I'm sure they are fine fellows, but it's just not my thing. 2 stars.

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Jun 20 2021
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2

I don't know man, I am sure this is someones vibe. But as a person not alive in 1990 it feels super old. Like not aged super well, I could see it being like a new synth electronic thing. But man, It's so old, it feels kinda comedic to a certain point. And it's like crazy long. Felt like a slog to get through. to each their own, however this isn't mine.

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Feb 26 2024
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1

Annoying vocals over awful noises.

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Mar 17 2022
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1

Track 1: 9 seconds in and rapidly approaching "No." Track 2: "I'm SMOOOOTH - Like water from a fountain!" *ugh* Track 3: END

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Jul 22 2021
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1

Don’t think this aged very well...

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Oct 27 2021
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2

Schwierig. Hat seine Momente. Über weite Strecken allerdings alles andere als abwechslungsreich. Mich nervt solche Art elektronischer Musik sehr leicht, da macht dieses Album keine Ausnahme.

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Mar 05 2021
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2

This album started with high hopes from me. A promise of mixing psychedelic rock and hardcore hip hop rhythms from Spotify's band description, however this was not what I expected. This is because this album actually comes from their acid house era which they became known for. This album started out with a bang, and soon became very samey to me. I know that's the case with this kind of music so maybe it needs a few more listens from me to get to grips with the subtleties of it, especially as i'm not really listening well when coding these days. To be honest this is a no from me dawg. 2 because I liked some tunes but mostly it's not my cup of tea.

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Jun 18 2023
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1

One of the worst things I've ever heard. Everything that was wrong with the 90s. Example lyric: "Yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah Y-y-y-yeah yeah Yeah yeah Ooh oh, ooh oh, ooh oh Yeah yeah hyperreal Ooh oh, yeah yeah hyperreal" Hypersh*t. Rating: 1/5 Playlist track: Pro-Gen Date listened: 17/06/23

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Aug 19 2022
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1

From the first song, I thought I would need to be wearing parachute pants to truly enjoy this album. But then Human NRG took a left turn and made me think I should have taken drugs to enjoy it. Maybe both were required and would have been epic. In the end, I made it to Hear Me and turned it off.

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Mar 27 2022
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1

What the fuck is this shit now? I feel a hatred and rage of Joan Crawford proportions coming on. “NO ELECTRONICA!! NO ELECTRONICA EVEEEEERRRR!!!!!”

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Feb 18 2022
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1

It's like someone drilling into my forehead. Make it stop.

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Aug 11 2021
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1

Horrible pseudo multi-cultural rave music. Truly execrable.

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Oct 12 2023
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2

The Shamen may have made a weird swerve from psychedelic rock to house music here, but I guess they get some credit for embracing house and helping popularize the genre on an album, outside of the club? But the credit for a style that evolved in the Chicago club scene with African American DJs going to a Scottish rock band is kind of weird. And it was early in the evolution of house music, but most of "En-Tact" is pretty boring. Or annoying, as in the case of "Omega Amigo."

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Nov 13 2022
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5

Another solid groove for a Saturday dance party. Really enjoyed it!

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Jan 05 2022
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5

Really good early 90s electronic music. Solid all the way through

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Dec 22 2021
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5

1990 - Techno, Electronica, Acid house, House music

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Jan 11 2024
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4

I liked the first 4 songs. More interesting than most house music. Then it fell off a bit.

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Oct 31 2021
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4

The Shaman were actually pretty good at one point, when Will Sinnott was still around and Mr C wasn't talking over the top of every track. This is probably their peak, when they were still mixing some of their psychedelic roots into a house sound, and before they lapsed into one dimensional rave party anthems.

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Feb 26 2021
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3

You thought I was gonna give this a 1, didn't you?

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Feb 16 2024
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2

A time capsule record, from the London rave scene of the late-80s/early 90s. First few songs I was into, but then it became repetitive. I can see how this fits into the acid house/dance genre. But I honestly wouldn’t listen to this again.

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Jun 18 2021
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2

I don't think I've ever listened to an album more reminiscent of the 90s than this one. Some decent melodies and occasional guitar work on here, but it's not enough to escape the LP's datedness or lack of forward momentum.

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Dec 07 2024
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1

At 880 albums in, I’m starting to feel like I’ve heard every British electronic record that was released in the 90’s. …and now they’ve all coalesced into a megalithic mash of synthetics and breathy vocals that haunts my waking hours.

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Nov 06 2024
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5

This is awesome!! It's like the beginnings of techno in the 90s. I actually really like this so far.

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Sep 27 2024
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5

I’ve always had a soft spot for these early electronic albums, and this one really hits the mark. I’ve known about The Shamen for about 30 years, especially their track “Move Any Mountain,” but this was my first time listening to the whole album. I can see why it was so groundbreaking at the time. It’s a reminder that to really appreciate this kind of music, you have to consider where it fits in history. This album is a blend of early techno, breakbeats, and acid house with a bit of an ambient feel in the background, making it great for either a party vibe or just chilling out. The production is packed with samples and loops, a hallmark of dance music from this era. I didn’t realize until now that The Shamen used to be a psychedelic rock band and switched up their sound with this album. Now I’m curious to check out their earlier albums.

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May 30 2024
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5

8.5/10 - The first three songs I absolutely loved and there were a bunch more that I enjoyed too. I would completely understand if someone did not like any of the songs but it works for me. 666 edit also was fantastic.

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May 27 2024
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5

Ik heb The Shamen altijd wat links laten liggen, omdat die hits allemaal wel geinig zijn, maar zeker niet meer dan dat. Ik kende vooral het hieropvolgende album Boss-Drum. Het album van een aantal bekende nummers. Maar niet dat album staat in de lijst (wellicht ook een te kort album), maar dus dit minder bekende album. Een snob-keuze? Zeker niet! Ik wordt positief verrast door dit album. De hit is nog wel een wat suffer euro-dance achtig plaatje wat ook op Boss-Drum had kunnen staan. Maar de rest is een hele fijn begin jaren ’90 geluid dat soms zelfs wat zelf flinke stappen de rave induikt. Een geluid dat ik wel mis in deze lijst. Waar is bijvoorbeeld Experience van The Prodigy? Jullie houden toch zo van debut-albums? Sterker nog, ik ken veel van de geluiden uit latere rave platen. Althans, ik denk nu dat The Shamen vaak eerst was. Maar het is een onderzoek op www.whosampled.com waard. Ik twijfel wat tussen een 4 en een 5. Laat ik de ondervertegenwoordiging van dit genre de doorslaggevende factor maken.

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Mar 18 2024
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5

What a vibe it feels so modern and timeless at the same time! And the transitions are awesome

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Mar 06 2024
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5

Never heard of them but enjoyed the album. Easy to listen to and good for coding.

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Dec 29 2023
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5

All the tracks sound mostly the samey, still a classic album

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Dec 07 2023
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5

That was amazing. I've never heard of this group. Would have been 100% into these guys if I had discovered them when they came out in the early 90's.

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Oct 09 2023
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5

A lot of dance albums rely on repetitive hooks, this clearly sets out to take you on a journey using electronica. only knew them as a novelty with Ebaneezer but this a great piece of music.

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Mar 22 2023
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5

Kick back and have a party , this album is banging

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Jan 31 2022
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5

I am familiar with THE SHAMEN and the album EN-TACT, since I have it, but I haven’t listened to it to since the early 90’s, since the rave culture went out of fashion. After listening to EN-TACT, I knew I would like it at the beginning from what I remember from it, but I was rather surprised how well the album held up after repeated listening. I thought it would sound dated after a while but, no, it still sounds fresh and vibrant although the rave culture has subsided. I like EN-TACT more now than I did in the 90’s. I’m glad for this re-listen. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, THE SHAMEN’s EN-TACT Is the only album listed. Rate Artist: THE SHAMEN (5.0) Rate Album (Year): EN-TACT (US 1991 Original) (5.0) Ranking of THE SHAMEN - EN-TACT songs No. Title Length Ranking 01. "Move Any Mountain" (Progen - Beatmasters 7") 3:28 10.0/10 02. "Human Nrg (Massey)" 4:39 10.0/10 03. "Possible Worlds: Deep PSI" 3:44 10.0/10 04. "Omega Amigo" 4:44 09.5/10 05. "Evil Is Even [Edit]" 4:23 10.0/10 - Instrumental 06. "Hyperreal Orbit" (Early Fade) 5:22 10.0/10 07. "Lightspan" 4:39 10.0/10 08. "Make It Mine" (v1.3 Lenny D Vox) 3:32 10.0/10 09. "Oxygen Restriction" 3:49 10.0/10 10. "Hear Me" (O My People) (Edit) Orbital 5:11 10.0/10 11. "666 Edit" (Move Any Mountain) 4:48 09.5/10 12. "Make It Minimal" 3:18 10.0/10 13. "Hyperreal Selector" (Edit) 4:01 10.0/10 14. "Lightspan Soundwave" (Edit) 4:19 10.0/10 15. "Progen 91 [I.R.P. in the Land of Oz]" 5:21 10.0/10 Original US 1991 Release 149.0/150 = 9.93 / 2 = 4.97

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Dec 16 2024
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4

Like this way more than I thought I would 4/5

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Nov 21 2024
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4

7.5/10. It does feel a little bit cheap, but I really like its vibe. This album gives me cool club vibes, and I feel like grooving to it. I don't care about its negative reception!!! :)

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Oct 24 2024
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4

Now this was a vibe, it sounded like if Tears For Fears had a love baby with Wham! Do with that information what you will.

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Oct 18 2024
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4

This was so cool. If you're reading this, I implore you to listen to it while playing any N64/PS1/DC era racing game. NFS or Gran Turismo.

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Oct 16 2024
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4

I know I’ve heard this album before but I have no idea where. Good early house.

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Oct 03 2024
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4

I get the feeling he can move any mountain

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Sep 20 2024
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4

Apparently the tracklist listed on the book is the vinyl tracklist, which is different from the 1990 CD tracklist, which is also different from the newer 1991 USA tracklist (which is also the one on Spotify)? I was gonna give it a 3 mainly because it's too long and filled with fluff, but considering the vinyl tracklist I guess I'm changing it to a 4 Favorites: "Omega Amigo", "Hyperreal Orbit", "Make It Mine", "666 Edit"

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Aug 16 2024
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4

Back when this album came out, you have to understand there wasn't much else like this. Rave Music was kind of getting started so to to have a group that were essentially a rock band pick up samplers and sequencers and release something like this was revolutionary. Sure others followed and did it better but En-Tact had made this list because of what pathfinders they were. Move Any Mountain is still an anthem

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Aug 01 2024
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4

Where do I start? When I tell people I love the Shamen, people always think of 'Ebeneezer Goode'. It's very depressing. Their debut is in my top 5 all time great albums, their second is in my top 50 (For some reason, you can't find them on streaming sites!) Where does this fit? Top 2000 probably. I discovered them on the J Peel show with 'Knature of a Girl' in 1987 and loved them from that moment. When I heard 'Omega Amigo' for the first time in 1989, there was a huge departure from their previous sound. Next was 'Progen' in the same year, I expected it to be a huge hit, but no... (that only happened when they renamed it Move any Mountain!). The nearest they got to their old sound was with the single 'Make it Mine' with it's great guitar hook. 'Hypereal' is just dreamy and was probably the first time I came across the genius of W. Orbit. 'Lightspan' is probably the best non single track on this rather eclectic and what sounds like, thrown together album. They were still experimenting and finding their feet in a different environment to which they began. It isn't perfect in any way, and it's not helped with the tracks being rejigged on streaming sites, which makes it a bit different to the original release. It still gets 4 stars

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Jun 14 2024
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4

Electronic, 1989. Animado y no cansino.

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Jun 05 2024
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4

Interesting as a precursor to EDM - especially enjoyed 1 Possible worlds 2 Hear me

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Jun 05 2024
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4

I listened & chose my rating, then looked at some other reviews. LOL I'm sticking with mine, I like this style of music. It's great for work, keeping me energized to get through the day.

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May 30 2024
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4

Enjoyed it WAY more than expected. Some late 80s electronic. Its like New Wave meets Nine Inch Nails meets something i dont even know how to identify. Maybe because i went in with such low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. Would listen again, not daily, but again

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May 27 2024
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4

En daar zijn ze weer, de beatjes en de samples. Wel grappig dat dit iets jonger klinkt dan het is, ze waren hun tijd enigzins vooruit. En ow, wat waren ze net als iedereen blij met de van de tv opgenomen stemmetjes die in hun computer stonden en te pas en te onpas ertussen konden mikken. Zoals bekend is voor mij de achilleshiel van dit soort platen de elektronische leegheid en de eindeloze herhaling. Die vallen hier mee. Ik word er eigenlijk best vrolijk van, dus vooruit maar weer.

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May 22 2024
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4

This is really good music to listen to while going on a caffeine fueled cleaning rampage

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May 13 2024
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4

I've been an Electronica hater on here but I actually liked this one. It's not as plodding and repetitive as other albums in the genre I've heard. It was pretty groovy.

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Apr 04 2024
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4

I learned of The Shamen after the re-release of "Move Any Mountain" in 1991. I never came around to listen to this album, but I loved their next one, "Boss Drum", released in 1992. "En-Tact" foreshadows what "The Shamen" would transform into. It is a bit rough at the edges, but still full of positive energy.

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Mar 08 2024
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4

The bad reviews on this one I think are reacting to the sometimes corny rap lyrics, but the music itself is fucking awesome.

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Mar 01 2024
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4

I liked this record. Interesting beats, positive lyrics.

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Feb 16 2024
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4

Happily surprised by this. Some tracks sounded ahead of their time. Some were hit and miss.

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Feb 07 2024
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4

01) Move Any Mountain (Progen - Beatmasters 7") - 10,0 02) Human Nrg (Massey) - 8,0 03) Possible Worlds: Deep PSI - 8,5 04) Omega Amigo - 8,0 05) Evil Is Even [Edit] - 7,0 06) Hyperreal Orbit (Early Fade) - 8,0 07) Lightspan - 7,5 08) Make It Mine (v1.3 Lenny D Vox) - 8,0 09) Oxygen Restriction - 7,5 10) Hear Me (O My People) (Edit) - 7,0 11) 666 Edit (Move Any Mountain) - 6,5 12) Make It Minimal - 6,5 13) Hyperreal Selector (Edit) - 7,0 14) Lightspan Soundwave (Edit) - 7,5 15) Progen 91 [I.R.P. in the Land of Oz] - 8,5 TOTAL: 7,70 (77/100) I love me some 90's dance music. Very refreshing after all that 70's rock. "Move Any Mountain" is definitely the hit that opened the road for "Ebeneezer Goode", "LSI", "Boss Drum" and other hits from the next album. It is maybe a bit too long for my taste, but never the less, it's a good dance album and great representation of the mighty 90's.

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Feb 01 2024
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4

I had never heard of this band before, but the music was a lot of fun.

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Jan 15 2024
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4

Some excellent tune - a nice discovery

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Jan 01 2024
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4

Really fun listen. Standouts: Move any Mountain, Make it Mine, Possible Worlds, Omega Amigo, 666 (edit), Make it Minimal, Progen 91 Singles: --------------------- Omega Amigo Pro-Gen Make It Mine Hyperreal Move Any Mountain

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Dec 19 2023
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4

This was the most late 80's/early 90's album I've ever heard.

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Nov 29 2023
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4

Electronic, 1989. Animado y no cansino.

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Nov 17 2023
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4

Охохо, какие низкие у альбома оценки! А мне так зашло)) какой-то лютый микс всего: рок, поп, евро денс, электроника... Странные повторяющиеся мотивационные тексты, странные ремиксы в конце. Да, возможно этот альбом плохо "постарел" и сейчас слушается страшно старомодным, но мне понравился!

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Nov 16 2023
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4

I went into this completely blind and am very surprised by how much I enjoy it. I'll say it does seem to wane a bit on the back half but over all it's very good.

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Nov 09 2023
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4

Was so unexpectedly good. Such a good vibe switch up. I would have loved it in the 90s!

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Nov 09 2023
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4

Fun fun fun! It was like dance and hip hop. Enjoyed this a lot!

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Nov 06 2023
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4

this was a very fun album, I enjoyed it!

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Nov 02 2023
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4

So I already had some experience with this band because I listened to boss drum whenbterrence McKenna mentioned he recorded with them on their album. I love this kinda stuff. One of my regrets is that I wasn't born during the 90s when the rave scene first started so I could go to a rave that was still rooted in the psychedelic revolution. This kinda dance music is so much fun and I wish it had more of a place in today's club landscape. Maybe it does and I'm just not that in touch. Also possible. Either way this music is making a new genre and is good and does what it sets out to so it's gotta be respected.

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Nov 02 2023
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4

I'm adding this album to my Spotify library, because I like listening to music like this but I never put it on!

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Sep 24 2023
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4

Some cool electronica on this but it does get a bit samey and is overly long. I'll admit I am partly giving this a 4 to balance out a harsh average for this one.

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Sep 14 2023
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4

I’m glad I didn’t know about this in the 90s. I would have thought it awful and everything I hated about music. Now in the 20s I can hear it and respect it. Was happy to have this one on the list.

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Jun 29 2023
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4

Groovy and pop-y. Good bopping your head music.

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Jun 27 2023
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4

An interesting curio from the time before techno became mass-marketed and saturated. The music is interesting and experimental, the lyrics are absolutely awful and sound like they were written on a cigarette packet at 3 AM. "Move Any Mountain" shows up three times on the album, which is a shame (n) because it overshadows some of the better instrumental tracks here.

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