Form And Function - Photek

Advantages: Great Innovation, huge beats
Disadvantages: Two tracks are overly commerical and bland

...Photek's (alias Rupert Parkes) second album sees him making a giant move away from the dark mathematical drum and bass approach of his debut album ‘Modus Operandi’. Where as this previous work has seen Photek lurking in shadowy alleyways twisting and distorting noir jazz breaks into new forms, ‘Solaris’ sees Parkes striding into the sunny uplands. Everything from the sleeve art featuring blurred pictures of palm trees and airport terminals indicates that Parkes has escaped the lure of the dark side. However when an artist’s previous work has been touched by blackness it is very hard for them to fully pull away from such devilish delights. All this makes ‘Solaris’ a strange enigma of an album. Although it seems to be a million miles away from the urban decay and paranoia sonically created... Read review

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Advantages: good beats
Disadvantages: nothing amazing

...Photek have emerged with their third album 'Solaris' which is far removed from their drum n' bass beats, in fact only one track, 'infinity' could be classed as drum n' bass. The vocal talents of Robert Owens are used on the tracks 'Mine to Give' and 'Can't come down', both of which are the better tracks on the album. There may be a few housy tracks, but even in these pieces you'll find a lot of elements which are distinctly Photek. 'Terminus', the first single, starts with these droning, Eastern-tinged bass punches only Photek knows how to create, building an excellent track which is, like many other pieces here, both serviceable for the dancefloor and for home listening. 'Junk' shows a completely new side, blending clanging percussion and acid sequencers. 'Halogen' and 'Lost blue heaven' offer heavily echoed, pounding trip... Read review

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Advantages: Bowie's most consistent album
Disadvantages: What In The World not a good song

...this perfectly, with the pieces shining through as well as any early ambient tracks of Eno's own. With vibraphones, xylophones and strange chanted vocals elsewhere in the ambient half, the feel is eclectic and atmospheric, and marks a sharp contrast with the three minute pop of the first half, but strangely, it fits. The influence of the album stretches far and wide; note the similarity between 'Weeping Wall' and Thomas Newman's soundtrack to 'American Beauty', or the eerie, paranoid strings in 'Subterraneans', which Photek went on to use as his trademark sound twenty years later. Whilst not an immediate album (it can take many listens to fully 'hear' the whole record), Low is a truly outstanding work, one which Bowie has never topped; an album practically without fault or error.... Read review

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