Search - Praxis :: Subharmonic

An experiment with no results worth hearing.

Shane Carey | Phoenix, AZ USA | 07/31/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

""1984" is an EP of 80s synth drum beats and samples with occasional bits of scratching thrown in for good measure. This may catch Praxis fans by surprise because of what it doesn't include: no Bootsy, no Buckethead, no Brain. That's right: as little as it is possible to say that any Praxis album is similar to another, this one is completely different.The title track's drum sounds and beat strongly recall Herbie Hancock's "Rockit", a perfect choice for setting the tone by virtue of the narrow period in 1983-1984 in which those sounds didn't sound dated yet. Unfortunately, the drum beats become increasingly simplistic as the disc draws on, and the samples laid on top of them (from such mundane sources as "Little House on the Prairie" and the Olympic Games theme) add little to engage the listener other than the occasional attempt to Name That Tune in two notes.Chaos is interesting; ambient conveys a mood; but perhaps I only enjoy abstract forms when I can defy them by finding such meaning. With this disc, I cannot. That it is clearly an experiment is the one thing it does have in common with other Praxis releases. But their other experiments, whether successful or failed, at least find some interesting results. I've been reserving one-star ratings for recordings that arouse a genuine antipathy, but now I realize that such a recording would at least be worth a listen for provoking SOMETHING."

This is the classic Praxis

Stefan Manzow | 03/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found the other reviews quite disturbing, this is the original praxis Bill Laswell in full effect.

Vintage material, very close to Art of Noise...maybe the same sampler used...

Get this it is music history.



And I am new to the other praxis records...will curiously check them out...



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