January 11, 2009

Plug one, plug two [Luke Vibert]


D n' B for Papi

A Hey Student! stalwart, Luke Vibert's consistency is also incredibly diverse. While I'm a fan of all Vibert's incarnations, be it Wagon Christ, Amen Andrews or Kerrier District, no alias of his provides me more satisfaction than Plug.

Drum n' Bass for Papa, Plug's sole LP, is easily one of the more satisfying electronic music releases of the 1990s and, much like Vibert's other releases, turns genre conventions on their heads.

A common complaint among critics is that drum n' bass can sound stale and is inflexible to change. Not the case here. Anything but a conventional d n' b piece, Drum n' Bass for Papa is high concept marriage of drum n' bass, ambient and music concrete. Exemplary of many Vibert pieces, a myriad of found sounds can be found here, from obscure vocal samples to crackled ambient noises. It will also get your head nodding and feet tapping.

Two choice tracks from the album are posted below.
Plug - Delicious [Drum n' Bass for Papa LP, 1996]
Plug - A Subtle Blend [Drum n' Bass for Papa LP, 1996]

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