Sean Deason - Allegory & Metaphor (2000)

Detroit ambient techno bliss. I got a bunch of shit done earlier, had a workout, then met my buddy for a couple beers, and now I am laying on my couch, petting my cat, and listening to this record. At some point, this became my idea of a perfect Saturday.

Track listing:

1. Creation

2. Phunk

3. Allegory & Metaphor

4. 2030 AD

5. Ambience

6. Interlude

7. Zig

8. Psybadek One

9. My World

10. Hiphoptrak

11. Another Interlude

12. Allegory & Metaphor (Revisited)

Every now and then there comes a time you must defend

Your right to die and live again

Also listen to:

Ro70 - Ro70 (1995)

Miss Dinky - Melodìas Venenosas (2001) 

Keren Ann - La Disparition (2002)

Downtempo, melancholic French folk pop/chanson from the eternally pensive Keren Ann. Fingerpicked acoustic guitars, wavering strings, barely-there percussion, jazzy pianos, and muted horns provide a lush, autumnal backdrop for Ann's warm, whispery voice. It's all extremely easy on the ears. As much as I love this record, I actually thought of it as a result of my previous post due to its inclusion of one of the earliest instances of intentional AutoTune abuse of which I'm aware: the trip-hop flavored outlier "La corde et les chaussons".

Track listing:

1. Au coin du monde

2. Le sable mouvant

3. Les rivières de janvier

4. La corde et les chaussons

5. Surannée

6. Ailleurs

7. L'illusioniste

8. La tentation

9. Mes pans dans la neige

10. Le chien d'avant garde

11. La disparition

Restons ici, le soleil est moins pâle, le vent moins sidéral

L'eau est bleue, bleu foncé, tu t'endors

Also listen to:

Astrud Gilberto - I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do (1969)

Pierre Bachelet - Pierre Bachelet (1975)

Proem - Negativ (2001)

I'm up too early on a Wednesday morning, felt like a perfect time for some IDM. If you've listened to a lot of IDM, you kinda know the drill here -- gauzy, melancholic synths vs. static-y, glitchy beats -- but Negativ is an excellent distillation of this style.

Track listing:

1. Below Me Reds

2. Cold Water (Flat)

3. Running with Scissors

4. Long Distance Tiara

5. Protobella

6. Pretty Song for Alyssa

7. Take Your Pants Off

8. Bolt Action Aardvark

9. Pears in Evening Wearz

10. Access Mike (Failure to Connect)

11. Negativ Reinforcements

12. Skylup

13. Bolt Action Aardvark (Brothomstates Remix)

Go to sleep you little creeps

If you like this, you'd like:

Arovane - Atol Scrap (2000)

Funckarama - Solid State (2001)

Tricky - Nearly God (1996)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:

Tricky & Gravediggaz - The Hell E.P. (1995)

Dark, impressionistic, trip-hop-adjacent magic from one of the true geniuses of the genre. The strangest and most abstract entry in Tricky's discography, Nearly God has been relegated to relative obscurity, due in part to the aforementioned strangeness, and because as far as I can tell it hasn't been reissued in any form, including on digital/streaming platforms. It also probably didn't help that he chose to release it under the moniker Nearly God instead of Tricky. I'm hoping that its lack of commercial availability means that no one's gonna bother lodging a copyright complaint because no one's actively making money off of it. Guest collaborators/vocalists include Björk, Neneh Cherry, Terry Hall, and, as always, Martina Topley-Bird.

Track listing:

1. Tattoo

2. Poems

3. Together Now

4. Keep Your Mouth Shut

5. I Be the Prophet

6. Make a Change

7. Black Coffee

8. Bubbles

9. I Sing for You

10. Yoga

11. Judas [bonus]

11. Children's Story [bonus]

I can vibe to anything

So I have to hide from everything

More along these lines:

Laika - Sounds of the Satellites (1997)

Anja Garbarek - Smiling & Waving (2002)

Blue Foundation - Blue Foundation (2001)

Trip-hop of the dark, sexy variety, which is, ultimately, probably my favorite kind. Generic Ultra Chilled artwork aside, Blue Foundation is one of the best lesser-known trip-hop records that I'm aware of. It's the project's debut full-length, and sure, they might not yet have fully developed a sound that's significantly distinguishable from the heavyweights of the genre (i.e. Massive Attack, Tricky, and Portishead.) "Jabber" in particular directly jacks both Tricky's foreboding flow and his signature move of interspersing it with whispery female vocals. Counterpoint: who fucking cares? It's dope.

Track listing:

1. Wiseguy

2. Grand

3. Witch of Trouble

4. Crushed

5. Jabber

6. Hollywood

7. Burgeon

8. Black S

9. Mazda

10. Hide

11. Cutting Me Up

12. J. Hurt

13. Evo

Slowly my awakening

My breathing in haze

If you like this, listen to:

Red Snapper - Prince Blimey (1996)

Alpha - The Impossible Thrill (2001)

Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows (1993)

Shara Nelson came up with Massive Attack, singing and/or cowriting almost half of Blue Lines, including "Safe from Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", their first two hits. Aside from one non-album track, that's where her involvement with The Wild Bunch ends, and I'm guessing it's because she started pursuing a solo career. What Silence Knows, her first solo record, is built on the same kind of danceable, soulful trip-hop that she made with Massive Attack, but skew more pop/R&B/soul. It's a great record, and I think it sold moderately well in England, but it didn't make much of an impression anywhere else, and seems to have largely fallen from pop cultural memory.

Track listing:

1. Nobody

2. Pain Revisited

3. One Goodbye in 10

4. Inside Out

5. Uptight

6. Down That Road

7. Chance

8. Thoughts of You

9. How Close

10. What Silence Knows

But if you hurt what's mine

I'll sure as hell retaliate

If you like this, listen to:

A Guy Called Gerald - Essence (2000)

HÆLOS - Full Circle (2016)

Baxter - Baxter (1998)

Baxter was positioned for crossover success. At the end of the 90s, conventional wisdom was that the future of music was "electronica", a catch-all genre that generally translated to drum-and-bass/jungle/techno/trip-hop with more conventional song structures and vocals. And that's pretty much exactly what Baxter was, minus the techno part. Plus, they had major label backing. But their name was nondescript, their vocalist didn't present herself the way that female musicians were/are expected to, and they didn't really write hooks, so no dice. I ended up finding Baxter/this CD via an add-on deal with the first purchase I ever made from our overlords at Amazon -- another debut album from an also-ran trip-hop artist -- so someone was obviously having trouble unloading copies.

Track listing:

1. Television

2. Fading

3. Love Again

4. I Can't See Why

5. Ballad of Behaviour

6. Political

7. Possible

8. All of My Pride

9. So Much I've Heard

10. Oh My Love

Turn on the lights

And watch me run

You might also enjoy:

A Guy Called Gerald - Essence (2000)

HÆLOS - Full Circle (2016)

Tipsy - Uh-Oh! (2000)

Second album by the great, inscrutable Tipsy. For those unfamiliar, Tipsy pairs electronic/IDM with mountains of samples from old easy listening, exotica, and lounge records. While Esquivel-fueled 'electronica' was fairly popular around the turn of the millennium, Tipsy's dense, manic, unrelentingly imaginative take on the microgenre was unparalleled. Their first record's the classic, if they have one, but Uh-Oh! is equally worthy imo.

Track listing:

1. Hard Petting

2. Papaya Freeway

3. Hey!

4. Sweet Cinnamon Punch

5. Neon Tetra

6. Wig Out

7. Reverse Cowgirl

8. Swallowtail

9. Moisture Seekers

10. Kitty Takes a Ride

11. Fur Teacup

12. Pink Mood

13. Bunny Kick

14. Suez Motel

15. XXXmas

16. Seaweed

17. Zombie's Mood

18. Eclipse of the Sun Virgin

Firecracker

You may also like:

Martin Denny - Forbidden Island (1958)

Stereolab - Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night (1999)

Solex - Solex vs. The Hitmeister (1998)

Should-be classic debut from Solex, a.k.a. Amsterdam-based artist Elisabeth Esselink. Built on off-kilter drum loops; Esselink's cooing, at times kinda punk vocals; and heaps of dusty, fragmented samples, Solex vs. The Hitmeister is trip-hop by default, but is without a doubt its own strange, whimsical, woozy scene. One of those records that never failed to make me feel extremely hip when I'd put it on while getting stoned with friends in high school, even though none of my friends in high school really liked shit like this. And if you're one of the friends in question (I know at least one of you comes 'round here from time to time): don't lie, you know you only listened to anarcho-punk, NIN, and Weezer.

Track listing:

1. One Louder Solex

2. Solex Feels Lucky

3. Solex in a Slipshod Style

4. Waking Up with Solex

5. Solex's Snag

6. Rolex by Solex

7. There's a Rolex on the Run

8. Solex All Licketysplit

9. Solex for a While

10. Some Solex

11. When Solex Just Stood There

12. Peppy Solex

13. Solex Is Barely Dressed [bonus]

Tabloids will be all over it

More along these lines:

Luscious Jackson - In Search of Manny (1992)

Cibo Matto - Cibo Matto (1995)

Opiate - While You Were Sleeping (2002)

First off: I've been off the internet because my parents have been in town. I hadn't seen them since Christmas 2019, so it was absolutely wonderful, thank you for asking. Really wish we lived closer.

Second: I've been watching more TV than I normally would over the past, oh, year and a half or so, and I only recently noticed that one of the more prevalent trends in advertising is playing off of the viewer's anxieties around insomnia. Tons of ads in current rotation do this, and it's a real bummer because that means that focus testing/surveys/etc. have found that we as a society are having trouble sleeping, and it's probably because everyone's approximately one bad news story away from a panic attack at all times.

So with that in mind, here's a bit of glitchy, low-key, mostly downtempo IDM that is perfect both for sleeping AND lying in bed worrying about the future. Whatever fits your lifestyle. You'll recognize the opening track as having been sampled in "Undo", which might be my favorite Björk song.

Track listing:

1. 1% in 2/3 Speed

2. Srain

3. Late

4. Drømte mig en drøm

5. Last Dr. Pepper

6. GM Memory

7. Opto File 1

8. Insert

I'm praying to be in a generous mode

You'll also wanna hear:

Oval - Systemisch (1994)

Arovane - Atol Scrap (2000)

Monaural - Monitor Interference (1999)

Detroit experimental psych that takes from dub, drum n bass, and space rock. Has a slightly rough, homemade feel, which tracks considering that it was "recorded exclusively in Monaural's dining room studio."

Track listing:

1. Dot

2. Brek

3. A (To the 10th Power)

4. Reed

5. Working Title

6. Last Exit

7. Light Module

8. Icebox

9. Untitled [unlisted track]

Blur my thoughts again

Also listen to:

Divination - Ambient Dub Vol. II - Dead Slow (1993)

Pocahaunted - Chains (2008)

MMOTHS - Luneworks (2016)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:

MMOTHS - EP (2012)

Woozy, abstract, downtempo electro-dream pop. Distorted washes, glimmering synths, odd time signatures, pulsing rhythms, murmured vocals, late-night vibes.

Track listing:

1. You

2. Deu

3. Phase In

4. Para Polaris

5. Verbena

6. Scent

7. Eva

8. Lucid

9. Body Studies

10. 1709

11. Phase Out

12. Ohm

13. Naoko Pt. 1

14. Naoko Pt. 2

Eternal present

You should also listen to:
The Third Eye Foundation - Semtex (1996)

Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By (2001)

HÆLOS - Full Circle (2016)

Speaking of best-of lists: here's an album that definitely would've been on mine if I'd made one (for non-black metal records) in 2016. There was a bit of a trip-hop revival that year, and imo HÆLOS was the best of the bunch. Earnest, downcast songs with dual male-female vocals and a sweeping, almost arena-ready sound. I have no concept of how popular this record was/is, but I do know that Full Circle has been in steady rotation 'round these parts since it came out, so I want to make sure that everyone who should hear it, does.

Track listing:

1. Intro/Spectrum

2. Pray

3. Dust

4. Full Circle

5. Earth Not Above

6. Oracle

7. Alone

8. Separate Lives

9. Sacred

10. Cloud Nine

11. Pale

A sun from the wasteland, calling

Bringing us back home

Also listen to:

Laika - Sounds of the Satellites (1997)

Echostar - Sola (2003)

Cibo Matto - Cibo Matto (1995)

Perfect, food-obsessed first EP by the great, undervalued Cibo Matto, whose loose, hip-hop/trip-hop-informed sound lands them somewhere in the realm of Odelay-era Beck. Cibo Matto features early versions of three songs that ended up on Viva! La Woman -- including their two 'hits' -- as well as a surprisingly beautiful take on "Black Hole Sun". This band was a goddamn treasure.

Track listing:

1. Beef Jerky

2. Birthday Cake

3. Know Your Chicken

4. Black Hole Sun

5. Crumbs

Shut up and eat

Too bad, no bon appétit

You might also enjoy:

Luscious Jackson - In Search of Manny (1992)

Justin Warfield - My Field Trip to Planet 9 (1993)

The Dolls - The Dolls (2005)

Related:

Luomo - Vocalcity (2000)

Vladislav Delay - Whistleblower (2007)

First and only album by this trio featuring German vocalist Antye Greie, electronic musician Vladislav Delay, and composer Craig Armstrong, who I first discovered due to his considerable contributions to Protection by Massive Attack. Abstract, jazz-influenced trip-hop composed largely of piano, glitchy electronics, skittering percussion, and Greie's sparse, fragmented intonations. It's Sunday, I feel truly relaxed in a way that I haven't in, oh, about four years now, and I really hope that you feel the same.

Track listing:

1. Martini Never Dries

2. White Dove

3. Soul Skin

4. The Dolls

5. Night Active

6. Choice

7. Kukkuu

8. Collect the Blue

9. Star-Like

10. Motor City

11. Favourite Chord

12. Sunbird

Can you hear the gunshots?

If you like this, try:

A Guy Called Gerald - Essence (2001)

Alpha - The Impossible Thrill (2001)

Red Snapper - Prince Blimey (1996)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Red Snapper - Making Bones (1998)

I've been slowly burning through an extensive backlog of unpublished comments and requests, and apparently back in February, someone requested more Red Snapper, AND I just so happened to be listening to Red Snapper when I finally saw said request, so here we are. Honestly, what with everything in the world being so goddamn awful, I've been feeling pretty depressed, and this is one of the first records that's truly lifted my spirits in a while. Prince Blimey is their second and probably best album. A super-tight rhythm section driven by heavy double bass, plus lots of saxophone and spaced-out guitar.

Track listing:
1. Crusoe Takes a Trip
2. 3 Strikes and You're Out
3. Thomas the Fib
4. Get Some Sleep Tiger
5. Fatboy's Dust
6. Moonbuggy
7. The Paranoid
8. Space Sickness
9. The Last One
10. Digging Doctor What What
11. Gridlock
12. Lo-Beam

Our aim is to satisfy

Also of interest:

Luke Vibert -
Big Soup (1997)

DJ Spooky -
Optometry (2002)

Anja Garbarek - Smiling & Waving (2002)

Related:
Japan - Adolescent Sex (1978)
The Dolphin Brothers - Catch the Fall (1987)
Rain Tree Crow - Rain Tree Crow (1991)
No-Man - Together We're Stranger (2003)

Excellent third album from Norwegian vocalist/songwriter Anja Garbarek. Cryptic, unsettling songs backed by downtempo, string-heavy, jazz- and electro-tinged sounds courtesy of a cast of musicians that includes, among others, Mark Hollis, Steven Wilson, and Steve Jansen.

Track listing:
1. Her Room
2. The Gown
3. Spin the Context
4. Stay Tuned
5. You Know
6. Big Mouth
7. The Diver
8. That's All
9. And Then
10. It Seems We Talk

I'll get back to you

If you like this, try:

Savant -
The Neo-Realist (At Risk) (1983)

David Sylvian -
Blemish (2003)

DJ Spooky - Optometry (2002)

Optometry is a full-length collaboration between trip-hop great DJ Spooky and a whole bunch of very talented jazz musicians, and it's a remarkably even split between the two sonic worlds. Probably my favorite DJ Spooky record, and definitely one of my favorite trip-hop records, if it counts as one.

Track listing:
1. Ibid, Desmarches, Ibid
2. Reactive Switching Strategies for the Control of Uninhabited Air
3. Variation Cybernetique: Rhythmic Pataphysic
4. Asphalt (Tome II)
5. Optometry
6. Sequentia Absentia (Dialectical Triangulation I)
7. Rosemary
8. Dementia Absentia (Dialectical Triangulation II)
9. Parachutes
10. Absentia Absentia (Dialectical Triangulation III)
11. Variation Cybernetique: Rhythmic Pataphysic (Part II)
12. Periphique
13. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World

Across the morphic fields

Also listen to:

Richard Thomas -
Shoes and Radios Attract Paint (1998)

Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit -
Secret Rhythms (2002)

Ro70 - Ro70 (1995)

Atmospheric IDM that generally lands somewhere within the realm of dub-techno, from German producer Roman Flügel. Jittery rhythms, echoing synths, and uneasy drones.

Track listing:
1. Einklang
2. Gog
3. Alma
4. Room 385
5. Visible Speech
6. Magog
7. FM Rhythms
8. Balloon Above Java
9. 10 to 10
10. Künstlicher Ausklang

4-door body cell

If you like this, try:

Black Faction -
Internal Dissident Part I (1999)

Claro Intelecto -
Neurofibro (2004)

Nobukazu Takemura - Child's View (1994)

HELLO, MY MILLIONS OF FANS, I AM BACK. I'd like to tell you that there's been some kind of major event, good or bad, that has prevented me from posting for the past month-plus, but the truth is, I've just been busy, my head's been elsewhere, and I haven't really been nerding out on music too much. And I can't really say whether I'll be posting on here again tomorrow or in another month or so, we'll see. But I can say with certainty that it feels good to strap some headphones on and zone the fuck out, and for whatever reason, this is the first album that I thought to put on. Downtempo electronic tunes -- with elements of exotica/lounge, jazz, fusion, R&B, and hip hop -- from Japan. Enjoy.

Also, I see all of your re-up requests. There are too many for me to tackle right now. Soon, hopefully.

Track listing:
1. Phases of the Moon
2. For Tomorrow (Childlike Mix)
3. Ivory Tower
4. Searching
5. Another Root (Menelik's Rap Mix)
6. Rill
7. Crescent (Monika's Universe Mix)
8. The Future with Hope (Sample and Hold Mix)
9. Time and Space
10. Pastral Waltz
11. Ill at Ease
12. Let My Fish Loose
13. Science Fiction (Menelik's Rap Edit Mix)
14. One Blue Moment (No Talk Remix)
15. Serene
16. The Lake of the Winter

A sign

You'd probably also like:

Red Snapper -
Making Bones (1998)

Nujabes -
Metaphorical Music (2003)