Search - Various Artists :: Offbeat

Madcap for Offbeat

04/04/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Love the jazzy beats. I was expecting a more electronic/dance vibe but was quite pleased to find a smoky chill trip on the beats. Each time I played it - I liked it just that much more. Plus, it benefits a worthwhile cause."

Eerie, disturbing musical soundtrip

RockerDad | Renton, WA USA | 03/10/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the stranger releases in the Red Hot AIDS Benefit series. The album contains a mix of electronica, trip-hop, post-rock, spoken word, and ambient interludes. It forms a uniquely cohesive whole due to interludes that connect the various performances. It also is the gloomiest and darkest work released in the Red Hot series.



While the album as a whole certainly gels smoothly together, nonetheless, much of the album is essentially forgettable background noise (The pieces attributed to My Bloody Valentine are essentially Kevin Shields playing ambient noise in the distance-certainly don't go out of your way to buy this thinking it's some long lost Valentines classic; and Moby's track, while politically charged, is simply a baby crying over incidental laughter).



That said, there is some stunning, haunting music contained within. Laika's 'Looking for the Jackalope' ranks with the best things they've done. The guitar line on Tomandandy's 'Cartridgemusic' will never leave your head. And Soul Coughing and David Byrne both contribute thrilling beat-inspired sound collages.



So, while I find myself putting this album on at times for gloomy, rainy night background music, it is certainly not for all tastes. If you enjoy the work of Portishead, Tricky, or 'Combustication' by MMW, then you should like this."