5th Exotic, The - Quantic > Reviews > Quirky, electronic madness

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Brilliantly original, uplifting & energetic, as well as downbeat & soothing
Disadvantages:	Some tracks very repetitive

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Will Holland is a Brighton-based musician, DJ and record producer, and records under various pseudonyms, namely "Quantic". He incorporates a wide range of musical styles into his music, including jazz, soul, hip-hop and salsa, brought together with a very urban, modern beat. Much of Quantic's sound is completely original, Holland taking the lead with tons of instruments including piano, guitar, organ, drums and saxophone.

THE ALBUM:
I'm very surprised this hasn't been reviewed - it's been neglected for two years! Released in January 2002, it was Will's first full-length album, it's competition largely the likes of Mr Scruff, Groove Armada and Nightmares On Wax.

"The 5th Exotic" is a mesmerising, dreamy compilation of tracks heavily infused with a retro ambience. Lazy jazz, thumping hip-hop beats and some energetic salsa rhythms all make an appearance within the album's tracks, making for a wonderful, addictive listening experience.

THE TRACKS:

"Introduction"
A strange, quirky intro with a strange male voice encouraging us to "turn a machine on". It is a nice little touch Will has added here to help introduce this experience - it's a brief, bizarre monologue bringing to mind retro B-Movie dialogue. It perfectly compliments the album.

"The 5th Exotic"
A bouncy and extremely cool track, taking us straight into the essence of the album, never letting go. It has an infectious melody and catchy rhythm, with a jumpy synthesised electronic organ. It drifts into a Moby territory, with some epic synthesised strings and some sexy whispering vocals. One of the absolute best tracks on the album.

"Snakes in The Grass"
Echoing keyboard notes and a heavy bass open this track, and are an element that keeps it sounding modern; most of it is made up of clashing symbols and 60's-style groovy trumpet melodies, giving it a great old-fashioned jazz feel. It wouldn't seem out of a sheek 70's heist film.

"Infinite Regression"
With a more hip-hop feel to it, this track is heavily narrated. A repetitive drum beat in the background is catchy and interesting, and some nice downbeat strings add a relaxing element to the track, complimenting the humourous retro dialogue (evidently from an early bond film). I felt this track was far too long, and could have been a nice little intro into the next offering...

"Life In The Rain"
This track has a really nice, calming jazz feel to it. With some cool 70's keyboard work and an energetic, jumpy beat, it's a perfect chillout track - not too relaxing, not to racy. At times it is very repetitive, and hardly distinguishable from the previous track, but still a good track.

"Long Road Ahead"
Some nice hollow bell notes create quite a spooky atmosphere in this track. Whispering, foreign female vocals occasionally come through, adding a nice touch to the downbeat style. It's quite a strange piece, and one of the shortest, but helps gain back the quirky, floaty atmosphere of the first few tracks.

"Common Knowledge"
Eclectic mix of musical styles, and very Mr Scruff-esque. Western guitar slides, Mexican trumpets, funky double bass riffs. Similar to the first track, the seductive intro leads us gently into a new, calmer repeating saxophone jingle, soon joined by some soulful, and random, female vocals.

"The Picture Inside"
Another heavily repetitive track, with another spooky ambience. Some interesting samples help build up this track, with its fast tempo and edgy beats, including some crackly record sounds and haunting synthesised drones.

"Through These Eyes"
A much heavier bass and drumbeat is a welcome change from the melancholy tracks that precede it. Some nice, simple piano chords add some sophistication to this very club-influenced dance track, which demonstrates Quantic's musical variety excellently.

"Time Is The Enemy"
One of the outstanding tracks on the album. Starting off with some lovely, calming piano chords and a gradual build up of a heavier drum/symbol beat. The piano chorus helps build an epic feel to the track, blending its traditional sound with a very modern, urban tempo. Despite being quite melancholy, this track is quite uplifting and never seems to cluttered.

"In The Key Of Blue"
Beginning with a sound reminiscent of drums being tapped around a fire, drifting into a heavy tribal beat, with some humming bass and subtle symbol sounds. Everything builds up to a rather downbeat (as the track title implies) tune - despite some groovy melodies quietly echoing in the background. Some great build-up elements, with some bongo-drum choruses adding a little energy to the song. The longest, and one of the most interesting tracks.

"Meaning"
A solemn guitar riff introduces us to the very downbeat, relaxing closing tune. With some sliding guitar work, reminiscent of a lazy sun-drenched western movie, its a nice wind-down track, complete with the album's trademark retro vocals.

PRODUCT DESIGN:
The album cover retains the essence of the tracks - nostalgic 70's colour scheme, with some nice graphic features (such as the retro stereo and speakers). The inlay booklet is the standard fare - track listing, a little info on Quantic and Will Holland.

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SUMMARY:
Forget some of the sampled tracks we hear from so many DJ musicians and producers, Will Holland's "Quantic" pseudonym band is in a league of its own, it's music oozing originality, using much of its own material.

With "The 5th Exotic" as an album, it is evident Will has an impressive knack for being able to gradually build up the medley of sounds in his tracks, without them sounding messy. The album oozes originality, humour and quirkiness, whilst retaining the sophistication needed to stop it becoming too laid back. Whilst there are some very repetitive, somewhat boring tracks, there are the outstanding ones - "The 5th Exotic", "Time Is The Enemy" and "Snakes In The Grass" are perfect uplifting listening.
It may take some getting used to at first, but I'm confident "The 5th Exotic" will have you as addicted as me to it's bizarre musical offerings.