Search - Meat Beat Manifesto :: Autoimmune

Possibly the best Meat Beat album since Subliminal Sandwhich

David Dodson | Lowell, MA United States | 04/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If RUOK took Meat Beat in the direction of modern hiphop done with access to a room full of rare vintage synthesizers, Autoimune refines that vision to a razor blade and adds a splash of everything that has made Meat Beat work from album to album. Eclectic, polished, ugly, beautiful, and soulful. Solid Waste echoes Freindly Fa$cism era Consolidated and songs like Edge Of No Control and Asbestos Lead Asbestos while other songs echo everything from Jack Dangers solo work on Important Records to strait ahead hip hop and dub. All is infused with challenging rhythms and gut shaking bass.

"

Not Jack's Best

Grunt Hog | Vancouver, Canada | 03/04/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Remember when Meat Beat Manifesto used to write actual songs? You know, with structure, a sense of progression from beginning to end, occasionally with lyrics, choruses, and the like. It seems as if that approach has gone out the window in recent years, with releases like RUOK, In Dub, At the Centre, and now Autoimmune largely ignoring any kind of focused songwriting. Instead these albums are collections of repetitive, monotonous drum and bass loops overlaid with a lot of unpleasant squelchy sounds, chunky arrhythmic percussion, and predictable samples from international radio stations.



I think Autoimmune represents a low point in MBM's sound. It embodies all the weakest elements of his recent releases and takes the songcraft to new levels of laziness. These tracks simply don't go anywhere; they are defined by their utter lack of direction or energy, making this the first truly boring MBM album. Even the CD cover lacks originality, as the grid concept echoes the cover of RUOK.



To be fair, it does have a couple bright moments. "I Hold the Mic!" is a truly excellent Meat Beat track that shows he can still pull off a tight, trippy and well-mixed song with a devastating bassline if he puts his mind to it. And "Return to Bass" is held together by a fun vocal sample and isn't as meandering as the rest of the album (although it would've benefitted from a more propulsive beat IMHO). The rest is pretty forgettable when compared to such classics as "It's the Music," or anything off "Actual Sounds & Voices."



I don't want to be too negative as MBM has produced more than its fair share of great electronic music over the years. This disc, however, is not the best example of their sound.



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Mind Bending

C. Grimaldi | Brooklyn, NY USA | 08/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a test.

This is only a test.



Short Review: Just Buy It!



Long Review:

I recently saw Meat Beat Manifesto (Great live show) and heard a bunch of tunes that were new to me and very mind bending. I didn't check out the merchandise area because there were about a million people around a 4 x 4 table. So once I got home I did some detective work (aka check amazon.com) and find Autoimmune. First thing I would like to say is the recording is top notch. It is pure sound. The second thing I can say is the music is very deep or rather has a lot of depth. It is the kind of music that makes your mind feel like it has expanded one thousand feet out of your head. This CD alone makes me want to buy $1000.00 headphones. With so many good MBM recordings it is hard for me to say this is the best, but as of late, it is what I listen to most when I want to experience Jack Dangers world. You will not be disappointed with this CD. I am hard pressed to say that there is one bad song. If MBM comes by your area don't miss the show. Just buy it!"