My thoughts on Pitchfork's 150 best albums of the 1990s; #130-121
Reminder: three completely subjective criteria. 1: do I like it, yes or no? (Basically, is this for me?) 2: Would I recommend it to anyone, yes or no? (is this for anyone else?) and 3: Is it better than STPs "Core"? (The lowest bar. Few things are better than "Purple," but Core should absolutely be in the top 150, so that's the bar.)
130: Maxwell: Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite (1996). Not my thing.
Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no
129: Tom Petty: Wildflowers (1994). One of the very few immortal albums of the 1990s
Like it: yes. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": yes
128: Drexciya: Neptune’s Lair (1999). A revelation. I'd never even caught whiff of this artist. Phenomenal. Listen to "Surface Terrestrial Colonization" as soon as you can.
Like it: yes. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": yes
127: Sinéad O’Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990). She's great, the album is good. It's very hard to judge here.
Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": maybe?
126: Ol’ Dirty Bastard: Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995). ODB was a real one. He's not as good as Wu-Tang together hitting their stride.
Like it: yes. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": no
125: Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West (1997). I love Modest Mouse as much as the next middle-class, ealy-40s curmudgeon. Deserves to be higher.
Like it: yes. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": yes
124: Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes (1992). Tori Amos was of her time, and a hugely important artist. Do I enjoy listening to her? Not really.
Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": probably
123: Guided by Voices: Bee Thousand (1994). This is...not music. I guess it didn't say these had to be MUSIC ALBUMS, but this is too far. I don't get it, and I don't get why anyone would get it. *Cary-Grant_out.gif*
Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no
122: Roni Size / Reprazent: New Forms (1997). It was fine, but it didn't sink in very deep and all the songs sounded the same.
Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no
121: Garbage: Garbage (1995). Hell. Yes. In my bubble, Garbage never got the esteem they deserved. They were both of their time and ahead of their time. No matter how many times I listen to this album, I never tire of it. Top-notch 1990s stuff here.
Like it: yes. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": yes
At its most fundamental, being a crazy cat person means being perpetually aggrieved that you cannot in fact befriend and potentially adopt every cat that you see.
[Part 3 of a five part series where I’ll go chronologically thru every full-length single-artist dnb LP from 95-99 that I can find. Only including records where a majority of tracks are basically within the genre and new material. No remix albums, No VA compilations, No trip hop records with one dnb track, etc.]
With the first commercial peak of the genre, 97 will have the most spots on this list. Majorly influential classics include Roni Size - New Forms, Adam F - Colours, and Photek - Modus Operandi. Arcon 2, Jonny L, Panacea and Fauna Flash demonstrate the turn towards darker, edgier styles that had been taking place on dancefloors. Dnb goes global as Italy, Germany, Brazil, US, and Japan are represented in this list.
personal favorite: Boymerang - Balance of the Force
underrated/lesser known pick: Kid Loops - TimeQuake
one standout track: DJ Soul Slinger - Chega de Saudade
Movement - Perpetual Drum & Bass Motion by Bryan Gee / Ray Keith
2000
Drum n Bass / Jungle
Whooo boy, this one here was absolute fire, folks! Back in 2000, Movement, one of the best club nights in the world for both drum n bass and jungle, decided that they were going to expand beyond the confines of their regular Bar Rumba venue in London and take their show out on the road. And in order to do that, they set up their own small label so they could release mixes, and used this super dope double-disc debut in particular to promote their upcoming inaugural tour.
So what we have here with this pretty slept-on release that I can't even find decent album art for (😩) are a pair of sets from consummate dnb legends: one from Bryan Gee, who along with Jumpin Jack Frost founded the stalwart V Recordings, and the other from Ray Keith, an early pioneer in the jungle and dnb scene too. Together, the two of them provide us with a glimpse of what a night at Movement sounded like, with Ray Keith laying down a more nostalgia-tinged 'classics' set, and Bryan Gee mixing up a slate of 'currents.'
But what might be confusing here is that, if you didn't know any better, you might get these two discs confused, because while Bryan Gee's mix is chronologically the more contemporary one, it really doesn't sound like it! My man strings together a whole bunch of deliciously chaotic jungle jams from a then-present day, but being that jungle was a predecessor to drum n bass in the first place, his selections make his set feel a whole lot more vintage than it actually is. And what's more is that you might think that the 'classics' disc would be the better of the two as well—because, well, they're classics!—but the newer disc that sounds older is definitely the better one here, because while Ray Keith does a good job of keeping things steadily chugging with a slew of similarly constructed dnb selections until his final, far more intense leg, it's Bryan Gee who goes full-on bananas with his session by leaning far more heavily into that raw, atom-splitting, junglist bliss 🫨.
There are a total of 19 tracks in Bryan Gee's mix, and from its fifth one—Krust's "Kloakin Device"—to its fifteenth—The Pedge's "Whats Up Now Partner"—he manages to unleash an absolute, brain-battering barrage of mostly y2k jungle fury, sublimely putting on full display why Movement was one of the greatest club nights in all of dance music at the time. Ray Keith's contribution here is pretty damn good, but Bryan Gee is just on a whole different level with his disc; and part of the run that makes his set so incredible includes a banger from Ray Keith himself too! Gotta love that!
And for those who might be unfamiliar with the sonic differences between jungle and drum n bass—a topic that is perpetually up for debate in and of itself—here's a 90s jungle playlist post I did sometime ago where I tried to explain it as best I could 😅.
Listen to CD1 here.
Listen to CD2 here.
Highlights:
CD1:
Breakbeat Era - "Ultra Obscene"
Shy FX - "Bambaata"
Reprazent - "Brown Paper Bag"
Marcus Intalex & ST Files - "How You Make Me Feel"
Reprazent - "Watching Windows (DJ Die Mix)"
Swift - "The One"
Bad Company - "The Nine"
Souljah - "Fade 2 Black"
John B - "Salsa Remix"
SS - "Lighter VIP 2000 AD"
Renegade - "Terrorist (Dom & Roland Remix)"
Digital & Spirit - "Phantom Force"
CD2:
Dragon - "Noodles"
Q Project - "Champion Sound (Total Science Mix)"
DJ Krust - "Kloakin Devices"
Ray Keith - "LFO"
Twisted Anger - "Dread Come 2 Conquer"
Digital - "Ease Off"
Phantom Audio - "Remote Control"
Digital - "One Ton"
Wots My Code - "Dub Plate (Total Science Mix)"
Ram Trilogy - "Titan"
Bad Company & DJ Trace - "Tumpa (Flashback)"
The Pedge - "What's Up Now Partner"
Supply & Demand - "Love the One You're With"
J Majik Feat Kathy Brown - "Love Is Not a Game (Original Mix)"
Solid State - "Just a Vision (Marcus Intalex & ST Files Mix)"
Peshay - "Nu Jack Swing"
https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240709_MorningMonarchy.mp3
Download MP3
Lavender logarithms, buying bitstamps and artificial arboretums + this day in history w/debatable crypto activities and our song of the day by Crimethinkers on your #MorningMonarchy for July 9, 2024.
Notes/Links:
Is an ‘anti-woke’ economy emerging?; Some companies are marketing themselves as woke-free to attract conservative customers.
https://www.morningbrew.com/brew-markets/stories/2024/06/01/is-an-anti-woke-economy-emerging
Laden With Debt, Gen Z Faces Daunting Housing Market; The obstacles holding younger generations back include historically high home prices, stagnant inflation, debt and spending habits, and wages.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/laden-with-debt-gen-z-faces-daunting-housing-market-5678453
Many hiring managers are posting fake jobs. One reason may surprise you.; Job seekers are being asked to navigate fake job listings being posted by potential employers.
https://archive.is/oEIXQ
Just keep bringing up the 6 gorillion and act offended by any reasonable questions
https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1656389726589947922
‘What can we say to make it look like Israel is not committing war crimes?’: Dutch prime minister (Jan. 25, 2024)
https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/what-can-we-say-make-it-look-israel-not-committing-war-crimes-dutch
The British Lancet just announced that Israel may have killed up to 186k people in Gaza, or more. Here you are offering your support to them. You are a joke, a liar, a charlatan, and now a war criminal.
https://x.com/ecomarxi/status/1810289881567900067
Haaretz (Further) Confirms IDF’s Use of Hannibal Directive on Oct 7
https://decensored.news/haaretz-idf-hannibal-directive-october-7/
‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree [aka holocaust] in Gaza
https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/
Image: Israel Lavender AI machine directing Hamas in Gaza war
https://medium.com/@ml_artist/israel-lavender-ai-machine-directing-hamas-in-gaza-war-478bb946acb7
Video: ‘Lavender’: How Israel’s AI system is killing Palestinians in Gaza (Audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkgexnnzKt0
Hannibal Directive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive
Roni Size / Reprazent – “Brown Paper Bag” (Inst. Edit // Vinyl // Audio)
https://www.discogs.com/release/19968-Roni-Size-Reprazent-Brown-Paper-Bag // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Forms // ANOTHER MONARCHY EXCLUSIVE!
The Liberty Justice Center Files Opening Brief in First Amendment Lawsuit Against Federal TikTok Ban—Legal Challenge Gathers National Support from Across the Political Spectrum
https://libertyjusticecenter.org/pressrelease/the-liberty-justice-center-files-opening-brief-in-first-amendment-lawsuit-against-federal-tiktok-ban/
Robinhood to Acquire Bitstamp
https://blog.bitstamp.net/post/robinhood-to-acquire-bitstamp/
Video: Robinhood to Acquire Bitstamp in $200M Deal (Audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKzyE1FsZY0
Speedworld – “The World’s Toughest Rally” (Inst. // Cassette // Audio)
https://www.discogs.com/release/30981802-Speedworld-Safari // https://speedworld.bandcamp.com/album/safari // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZDhwcQ42s
Laid-off tech workers advised to sell plasma, personal belongings
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/laid-off-bay-area-tech-workers-struggle-jobs-19545761.php
AI pushes Google emissions upward; AI helps spur rise in Google’s emissions
https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/ai-google-emissions-report
Video: Google blames AI for its carbon emissions | WION Tech It Out (Audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C70pStv30hg
Don Dorsey – J.S. Bach: “Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971: III. Presto” (Inst. // Audio)
https://www.discogs.com/release/11782539-Various-Everything-You-Hear-Is-True // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachbusters // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NfMB1yNt_s
July 2014 – Page 2 – Media Monarchy
https://mediamonarchy.com/2014/7/page/2/
Flashback: Coming soon – B...