Search - Meat Beat Manifesto :: Ruok

New Directions for MBM

Gravity James | Another Planet | 10/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record seems to mark a turning point for Jack Dangers and his project Meat Beat Manifesto. Its everything Jack can do, but nothing like meat beat has done before. You cant compare this album to actual sounds and voices, or subliminal sandwhich. RUOK? Is more of an acoustic session inside the tapelab, with jack having fun with his gizmos gadets and of course, synthi.

At first listen you'll swear its not MEat BEat. The danceability to RUOK? is hihgly minimal. Its a great cd for driving however. "What does it all mean?" is sure to please every electro-hip hop seeker, and the other songs simply show Jack's studio wizadry.

Like someone mentioned before, the production is IMPECCABLE. This isn't just an audio cd, mbm release, but more of a package of music that is intended to be a productive listening experience in the way is was created.

If your a long time MBM fan, be prepared to play twice before listening, literally. That's certainly not an understatement though, as every listen gets better and better."

Creative, but difficult

W. Brown | 01/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I also have to cut a star because the last track consists mostly of two people swearing profusely at each other, which I found rather offensive. In any case, we'll just leave the last track alone and focus on the rest of the album.

This is one of those albums where I'll say it very bluntly: it's repetitive.

Now, understand that I say this as a techno fan, so you can imagine that this is of the more repetitive variety of generally repetitive music. The songs here aren't so much songs as they are loop progressions, sort of musical spirals. (Except for "Intermission," which is just very odd. An apparently aged recording of a very tired and philosophical radio announcer, backed up by a warped jazz organ.) I tend to think that MBM is more about enjoyment than making a serious statement, and this album definitely shows it. Tracks range from the minimalistic "Yuri" to the dark and trippy "No Words Necessary," with plenty in between. This is MBM more jazzy than I've ever heard them (or him; it's Jack Dangers and a few helpers, really.) Some time ago I heard an interview with Dangers talking about the style he's doing now, and he commented that his dad is into jazz quite a bit and has influenced his musical style in that direction. That in mind, RUOK? fits in the scheme of things. The result of all this is a rather esoteric album, and one that no one will really hear by skipping around from track to track. If you really want to enjoy it (and in spite of my negativity, I will say that I enjoy all but the last track,) sit down in a quiet room and listen to the whole thing. Gradual progression is about the whole track or the whole album, and loopy music like this loses its appeal if you look for the "good part.""

I'll see your Actual Sounds + Voices and raise you RUOK

Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 11/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""RUOK" is a brilliant piece of genre-mixing from one of electronic music's most deservedly renowned figures. Jack Dangers's spacey, freeform explorations provide a welcome more organic counterpart to the more intellectual stylings of such British peers as Aphex Twin and Autechre. Taking electronica as a starting point, the compositions on RUOK veer off into other styling with abandon, seemlessly incorporating jazzy drumbeats, funky bass lines, and irresistible hip-hop rhythms. It's all wrapped tightly together in a collection of quirky, intricate tracks whose nuances should have your brain working overtime for the album's whole hour-long running time. Techno, hip-hip, industrial, call it what you want: RUOK is one of the most intelligent and forward-looking releases you're likely to hear, and a must for the adventurous listener."