My reviews

Broadband G-URL
I used to look for tunes like this to do with my singer back when I had a duo and we did dance gigs and people absolutely wanted something besides the usual casual-gig fare: four-on-the-floor, syncopated synth stabs, enough guitar to keep the dancers feeling comfortable; something like this would have been useful because it sets the mood and lets dancers know that they are not going to suffer through a bunch of tempo changes and such, then the female vocal comes in taking the vibe further. But I could never do this sort of rhythm and synth accompaniment, and certainly not the guitar stuff. I, too, could stand to have the vocals a little more out front (actually the guitar riffs at the beginning as well), and I probably would have washed the vocals with a bit more reverb or effects (that comes from playing behind a singer constantly turning around and telling me to wash her with more ‘verb). I like the guitar statement at about 2:00 as well because the rhythm is busy enough and works well with the simpler anchor of the guitar.

Eh-Oh
I would like to have been a fly on the wall with Kenny with the vocal recording. It recalls all the questions on this forum back in the day when people were trying to figure out how to get stuttered vocals without getting a “Disk Too Busy” message and the lockdown. Andrew, can you enlighten us on exactly that point here? Were they longer vocal samples on velocity sensitive pads or a synth that triggered different parts of the sample at a different velocity (or gate, for that matter). My brain is smoking a bit wondering how you did them. Same with some of the fast snare riffs: I can’t imagine doing that with the snare on one pad. Or did you use a different program? I am fond of minimalism of this sort because it forces an artist to make a statement without overwhelming the listener with stuff (for lack of a better word).

Don’t Make Me
Might I ask about the vocal processing? I can’t figure it out. Pitch-shifted, but what else? Doubled. But can you enlighten me further here? Intro fooled me a bit before the vocal came in; I was expecting something else; the vocal comes in and grabs me by the collar, like being grabbed by someone in a passing train. Very effective. I also can’t really figure out your rhythm breaks later in the song, that is, which rhythm instruments you’re using for some of the breaks -- which are very effective in providing breathing room before the in-your-face vocal returns.

Kill Process
Great trance vibe, very euro-sounding (or does all trance sound “euro”? I’ve never been able to duplicate that vibe). You make very skilled use of a lot of synth sounds that I never know what to do with -- I suppose genres really do have something to do with personality. The slithery synth lines and arpeggiation are nicely matched with each other and with the four-on-the-floor beat; so why can’t I take the same sounds and come up with something like this? And I have indeed listened to trance, but -- . BTW: nice use of reverb on the synth lines. Might I ask what sort of reverb you used on the different lines? It really is difficult for me to get this kind of spaciousness and balance with reverb -- mine tend to wash each other out. Yours don’t. Why?

Want 2 Be
Again, I’m envious of the production and balance. Very clean production, clean separation of instruments among one another and with the vocals, and nicely balanced reverb. I agree with Kenny about the unexpected complexity, but listening through it a couple of times I notice that, quite frankly, there are not all that many separate instruments at work, it’s just that each has a definite roll: strings, background bell-like synth with its statement, another synth statement later in tandem with it, bass synth at :50, rhythm on bottom + vocals out above it: it’s not a massive ensemble, but the complexity is there and very clearly defined. Very smooth production, with the kind of clarity I wish I could achieve.

Aesophygus
I’ll repeat what I said earlier about genre being a personality thing, and I’ll repeat Kenny’s question: Oscar, you okay, Dude? For me this is an example of musical stream of consciousness at its most fetching: yes, it’s long; no, one doesn’t lose interest, since the tune keeps carrying on a conversation with itself (which in some ways is what a good jazz solo does). My wunnerful wunnerful wife has been listening to it, and her take on it is that it’s hard to let go of because it keeps saying something and taking you down different synapses, like following a tunnel full of sensory data that is somehow quite coherent. As far as the SP808 is concerned, my first thought is: man, you would have to have a lot of samples on a lot of pads, at least at the beginning before bouncing things down. Unique piece, Oscar.

Wormhole Party Line

Kenny: yes, just a single, short bass-guitar riff beneath the rhythm, then pitch-shifted along with the synths.
I tried to do something that was the opposite of broadband, namely, the primitive telephone party line, but through a worm hole. The graphics on the CD itself inspired the “swoosh” at about 2:25; I mean, what is it like to pass through the center of a worm hole? (Thanks to Fran in Western Australia for the wormhole fractal graphic.)
And thanks to Alice for her cameo.

Twisted Pair
Great drum programming, not at all the rhythm instruments I would expect delivering that riff and vibe. I do think the vocals have enough processing in this tune -- at least more reverb would wash them out, it seems. This half-dub (?) (NY dub? Garage dub? Buddha-dub? What is it?) rhythm style makes me think there’s more to do with this sort of rhythm idea; great idea. Tight, well-stated composition musically, gives the vocal story plenty of room after creating the vibe. And, yes, a bit of Buddha-lounge riffs in the background, very effective against the video-arcade punches and dialup sample. I would just never think to put this stuff together like this in a mixed genre of this sort.

Turple Soap
I think I, too, would want to process the vocals a bit more, but see above about working with a whiney singer for so long. Short but no-question-about-it musical statement with clearly stated musical vibe.

Inconspicuous Consumption
Yes, I remember this story well when it was on the news, and remember not being surprised at all, which may say something about my take on human beings at this point. Hannibal Lecter was not out in left field when he spoke about having a fine chianti when he ate the guy’s liver. Well-chosen musical background to the clips. Might I ask which synths you used? The harsh, incessant bell-like sample is an effective, sepulchral evocation of funeral bells, at least for me (if you didn’t mean that, at least for me it also evokes it); it really makes the vibe what it is, and the drone at the end is quite appropriate.

Bravo, everyone. I know it’s a small group now, but it’s trés cool encountering everyone’s “personality” again like this before everyone drifts back into cyberspace. The variety of ideas and approaches and musical statements is always a trip.