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| Plaid's second
full-length release, Not for Threes, is separated from its predecessor by one of
the most celebrated side trips in electronic listening music's brief but broad history. As
members of the Black Dog, Ed Handley and Andy Turner (together with Ken Downie) helped set
the standard for experimental techno, bringing a daring range of influences together in a
space consistently characterized by quality and innovation. As such, great things were
expected of Threes, and with a couple exceptions, the pair deliver. Although
treading far closer than any Black Dog material ever did to the sort of pop electronica of
Plaid's interim work with Bjork (who appears here on the gorgeous "Lilith"), Threes
is ambitious on different terms, moving from the abused and distorted breaks of
"Extork" and "Prague Radio" to a balanced radio-friendliness that
never sacrifices ingenuity for ease. A handful of tracks feature vocals throughout, and
while the results had the predictable effect of irritating BD purists, they actually work
remarkably well (partly because the tracks contain absolutely no trace of compositional
compromise). A few of the tracks ("Headspin," "Abla Eedio," the
too-brief "Seph") sit easily beside the very best Black Dog.
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Last update 14 sep 1999 (#) |
BY PHOBIAZERO & REIMER |
