Published on Jun 24, 1999
I’m not ashamed to admit it: sometimes I fear the unknown. As
much as I like exploring new musical territories with this job,
there are some times where I just am afraid to give something a
try. Maybe it’s because I have some preconceived notions about what
the disc might be like, or maybe it’s that I’m not ready to give
that particular genre a try just yet.
Case in point:
Adamski’s Thing, the latest release from the British
alterna-dance artist. I can’t explain why I wasn’t anxious to
listen to it, but I was one step away from sending it to another
reviewer, when I happened to tune into our Imagine Radio station
(yes, I do tune into our own station) and “One Of The People”
happened to come on.
(Editor’s note: We no longer have a station at Imagine
Radio.) It had a beat and a groove that drew me in instantly,
and after hearing the song just one time, I was hooked. So much for
the unknown; whatever had I been
thinking about this disc?
Now that I’ve had the chance to listen to the entire disc,
Adamski proves that he can not only talk the talk, but he can walk
the walk as well. The 12 tracks on this disc (as well as the
annoying “hidden” track – if I ever catch the bozo who invented
this craze, I’m gonna strangle him) all are a lot of fun to listen
to. After going through this disc, if you’re not tapping your foot
to these tracks or humming at least one of the melody lines, you’re
probably dead.
It takes a little time for the groove to really lock in as the
album opens with “Memories Of The Future,” but once it settles in,
you’re going to have a hard time breaking loose from it. Adamski
and his crew wax over the material smoothly, making tracks like
“Existential Boredom,” “Intravenous Venus” and “Champagne Or Real
Pain?” individual five-minute parties that flow into each
other.
But what sets this music apart from what I guess I thought it
would be is that Adamski isn’t creating strictly dance music, or
strictly pop music. Each track nimbly walks the line between the
two genres, occasionally dipping its toe into the waters of techno
as well, creating a unique sound that fans of many genres can get
easily addicted to.
There are only two minor negatives I found with
Adamski’s Thing. The only track that doesn’t live up to the
high level of expectations that Adamski sets is “God’s Teeth,” a
song that just can’t get around its electronica half-beat to become
something better. And, as previously mentioned, the “hidden” track,
which is another remix of “Memories Of The Future”. Memo to all
record executives out there: If you’re gonna put hidden tracks on
the CD, fine… just
don’t hide them behind
ten minutes
of silence! Play the track once the final listed song ends, or
don’t put the goddamn thing on the CD, okay?
Adamski’s Thing is the kind of disc that you might not want
to give attention to if you’re not familiar with his style of
music. But once you’ve tasted it, you’ll wonder how you lived
without his music in your diet for so long. Even with one or two
small potholes, this is most definitely a journey worth taking.