Aho: Wind Quintets

Advantages: Jaunty space pop With 3 good ears for melody.
Disadvantages: Familiarity may breed something much less damning than contempt.

...If the thrill of distant adventures in stereoland is your want then 'Mars Audiac Quintet' is the planet you should visit. Futuristic music that sounds like it was created back in a time when the instruments being used had not been invented. Confused, well you listen to this album and you'll know what i mean. Fronted by the positively frothy laetitia sadlier whose dulcet french tones orbit around beautifully spaced moog surfaces. Most of the tunes appear to be of a similar repetitive nature, so much so, that dizziness after the 'lab is almost inevitable. Tim Gane who writes the music used to be in scottish indie group McCarthy and met Sadlier at one of their gigs. This dreamlike meeting meant that when mccarthy finally split up, Stereolab was born. Stereolab have been experimentalists from the start and are infused with a super... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good tunes- Rahzel great
Disadvantages: done before?

...Bristol deejay and producer Size's '97 debut New Forms was an aptly titled breakthrough in electronica with its hypercharged fusion of futuristic drum 'n' bass with bebop jazz. It was, and remains, untoppable. But his long-anticipated followup In the Mode comes as close as anything could. Returning to a dystopic urban-jungle landscape, Size and his backing quintet navigate a labyrinthine funhouse of smacking speed-freak beatboxes, disorienting vocal syncopation and brooding keyboard robotics familiar to fans. But compared to the impenetrable two-CD New Forms, In the Mode is accessible. More of these tracks qualify as actual songs, with lyrics, verses and choruses amid the skeletal squiggle 'n' slam. Two standouts: In Tune With the Sound, with human beatbox Rahzel, who weaves his magic so seamlessly with Size's you can't tell where... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Haunting, passionate music to get lost in.
Disadvantages: It's classical and this puts people off before they even try it.

...It is entirely due to Floon’s enthusiastic review of Schubert’s Quintet that I am writing this. I was browsing the classical reviews seeking some recommendations to try and happened upon this. I only have one example of Schubert in my collection (Rosamund) and quite enjoy it so thought I would give this a go too. So off to the Library I went and returned clutching The Raphael Ensemble’s superb rendition of the String quintet. Oh joy – Oh heaven I seem to have hit the jackpot of chamber music. Schubert’s life is the quintessential example of the romantic notion of the neglected genius who dies in obscurity. An entire generation passed before his most substantial achievements even saw the light of day. The quintet is among them. It was one of his last works written only weeks before he died at such a tragically young age of 31. Although... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful