Some more from ambient techno masters, the Future Sound of London.
Cascade, released as a single in 1993, introduced the commercial music world to the new FSOL sound. Despite its length, clocking in at nearly forty minutes and stretched over six parts, the track made the UK top 30. With subtler beats, ethnic sound effects and striking artwork (featuring the band's trademark 'spike' model, The Electronic Brain), Cascade was a bold step into a lush, ambient world (see Pt 1 for downloads of Cascade). "Lifeforms" followed in 1994 to critical acclaim. The eponymous single from the album featured Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins on vocals and is quite lovely. The album itself featured epic, ambient soundscapes, with each track flowing from one to the next with no pauses in between. Throughout the record, familiar motifs and samples repeated themselves, sitting alongside tropical birdsong, rainfall, wind and an array of other exotic sounds, lending the album a natural, organic feel, backed up by the environmental landscapes that filled the artwork booklet. The album was also a top 10 hit on the UK album chart.
We wanted to release a very immersive, mind-blowing piece of music that was long and would deeply drench you in it...Lifeforms was redefining 'classical ambient electronic experimental' — that was the phrase we used. - Cobain on "Lifeforms"
1994 also saw the release of the limited edition album "ISDN", which was as close to a live album as most electronic acts get - it featured live broadcasts FSOL had made over ISDN lines to various radio stations worldwide, The Kitchen, an avant-garde performance space in New York and several appearances on the late John Peel's celebrated BBC radio "Sessions" shows, to promote "Lifeforms". These shows marked the evolution of the Kiss FM shows of 1992 and 1993, moving away from DJ sets and into ambient soundscapes, with previously released material performed alongside unheard tracks. One live performance to BBC Radio 1 featured Robert Fripp performing alongisde the band. The released album's tone was darker and more rhythmic than "Lifeforms". Cobain stated that with "ISDN" they had wanted to achieve something epic and grand but no matter how much technological or personal support they had (and they had everything they could have possibly wanted) they never got to truly do what they envisioned; he admits to wanting too much at this time, even though the album was successful; the 90s, for Cobain in particular, were a time of frustration and feelings of not being able to do what they wanted to even though the technology at the time did not fit their grand ideas.
FSOL - Lifeforms Path 1
FSOL - Lifeforms Path 2
FSOL - Lifeforms Path 3
FSOL - My Kingdom Pt1
FSOL - My Kingdom Pt 2
FSOL - My Kingdom Pt 3
Buy product direct from FSOL
Cascade, released as a single in 1993, introduced the commercial music world to the new FSOL sound. Despite its length, clocking in at nearly forty minutes and stretched over six parts, the track made the UK top 30. With subtler beats, ethnic sound effects and striking artwork (featuring the band's trademark 'spike' model, The Electronic Brain), Cascade was a bold step into a lush, ambient world (see Pt 1 for downloads of Cascade). "Lifeforms" followed in 1994 to critical acclaim. The eponymous single from the album featured Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins on vocals and is quite lovely. The album itself featured epic, ambient soundscapes, with each track flowing from one to the next with no pauses in between. Throughout the record, familiar motifs and samples repeated themselves, sitting alongside tropical birdsong, rainfall, wind and an array of other exotic sounds, lending the album a natural, organic feel, backed up by the environmental landscapes that filled the artwork booklet. The album was also a top 10 hit on the UK album chart.
We wanted to release a very immersive, mind-blowing piece of music that was long and would deeply drench you in it...Lifeforms was redefining 'classical ambient electronic experimental' — that was the phrase we used. - Cobain on "Lifeforms"
1994 also saw the release of the limited edition album "ISDN", which was as close to a live album as most electronic acts get - it featured live broadcasts FSOL had made over ISDN lines to various radio stations worldwide, The Kitchen, an avant-garde performance space in New York and several appearances on the late John Peel's celebrated BBC radio "Sessions" shows, to promote "Lifeforms". These shows marked the evolution of the Kiss FM shows of 1992 and 1993, moving away from DJ sets and into ambient soundscapes, with previously released material performed alongside unheard tracks. One live performance to BBC Radio 1 featured Robert Fripp performing alongisde the band. The released album's tone was darker and more rhythmic than "Lifeforms". Cobain stated that with "ISDN" they had wanted to achieve something epic and grand but no matter how much technological or personal support they had (and they had everything they could have possibly wanted) they never got to truly do what they envisioned; he admits to wanting too much at this time, even though the album was successful; the 90s, for Cobain in particular, were a time of frustration and feelings of not being able to do what they wanted to even though the technology at the time did not fit their grand ideas.
FSOL - Lifeforms Path 1
FSOL - Lifeforms Path 2
FSOL - Lifeforms Path 3
FSOL - My Kingdom Pt1
FSOL - My Kingdom Pt 2
FSOL - My Kingdom Pt 3
Buy product direct from FSOL
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