Electronic > Ambient Electronic > E

Advantages: beautiful ,soulful music
Disadvantages: none

What is Enigma? A band, a project, a state of mind, an attitude? Although people may be able to put a vague musical style to the name, it is a name well chosen. Information about Enigma is not that readily available but a bit of digging will reveal a Romanian musician called Michael Cretu and a long an intricate history. Cretu began playing piano at the age of five and has been involved in making unique albums, both as a solo musician and as a collaborator ...
...Mike Oldfield, Cretu moved in a more ethereal direction and under the name of Enigma has been releasing music that defies being pigeonholed. In 2001 after over a decade of successful albums, a greatest hits was forthcoming under the title "Love, Sensuality, Devotion" or L.S.D. But before we plunge headlong into this celebration of the bands finest moments, what sort of thing are we going to find there? Enigma remains a band that encroaches on many ... Read review

Advantages: Introduction to the ambient and punk godfather
Disadvantages: Leaves you wanting more

This Brian Eno creation is in two halves- a louder part and an ambient part , and all tracks give an insight into the methods used by Eno to create sound. His love of ambient- he created after all!- comes tjough in some beautifully crafted pieces, Here he comes drifts effortlessly into Julie with..., and By This River, - you can feel yourself there. These tracks are in stark contrast to the 'punk' style of Kings Lead Hat (an anagram of Talking ...
...70s and 80s). The thumping guitar treatments take you back to the era when aggression was the norm. Buy it and experience the unusual sound of Eno's voice, rarely used in recent times and hear how Eno has beeen an inspiration to bands for the past quarter of a century. ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely, timeless electronic folk that is just... lovely, really
Disadvantages: Nothing to grab you musically; quiet and isolated; I'm being pretentious

...harmonising off into the night. Verses of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation may sound like the sort of crappy Christian music that God probably hates himself (He only likes the Christmas carols, I'm told) but in reality turns out to be more about charming, whimsical off-pop than anything else. What's off-pop? It's not pop in the sense you know it. Off-pop is music which sounds like it could be pop, if only it had the right sort of punchy beat behind ...
...to become a pop classic if only the band had put in huge basslines and snappy rhythms, but instead they've gone for a more folky approach, and it pays off in the long run. The music if offbeat but enjoyable, in a hazy sort of way. Nothing much stands out apart from 'The Disco Song', but everything is nothing if not accomplished and breezily pleasant. Don't go expecting large hooks to come flailing out and get you fascinated in the music; you're ... Read review

Advantages: Massive Tunes, Cheap, 38 tracks
Disadvantages: Lots of MCing

Dubstep Allstars Vol.5 is the fifth album in the series of mixes showcasing the talents of the UK's most rapidly evolving and contagious genre. For those unfamiliar with Dubstep, it is a genre that has emerged in the past decade or so, but has begun to pick up speed in the last two or three years. It is a carefully crafted mix of heavy sub-basses, reggae, jazz, and other electronic subgenres such as Drum 'n' Bass and Techno. Perhaps its most distinctive ...
...from Croydon, Norwood and Brixton, Dubstep looks set to take over dance floors worldwide. This Allstars instalment is mixed by one of the leading DJs in the scene; N-Type. Although the tracklisting says that the album has 38 tracks, N-Type has actually thrown in well over 50 tracks in to the mix - including the massive hit 'Night' by Benga. At a mere £7.99 this album is almost a gift. Each track blends seamlessly into the next, meaning one can easily ... Read review

Advantages: great music
Disadvantages: i haven't found any

...wide taste in music, and this slotted in perfectly, with all the upbeat music one after another, I couldn't keep still, I had to get up and dance - even though i looked a bit silly dancing around my bedroom, but who cares. So plug in your ipod to the speakers and turn it up because you are in for a night of dancing and great music. I recommend this to anyone who is up for a bit of a boogie, don't bash it until you try it, it's great. ... Read review