Tempering the
industrial
tilt of their previous
Reload
material with slower, more graceful rhythms and an ear for melody unmatched by any in the
downtempo
crowd,
Mark Pritchard
and
Tom Middleton
produced the single best work in the
ambient house
canon. The tick-tock beats and tidal flair of
"14:31"
are proof of the duo's superb balance of beauty with a haunting quality more in line with
Vangelis
than
Larry Heard
(though both producers were heavy influences on the album). On several tracks the darkside appears to take over -- the pinging ambience of
"9:39"
-- but for most of
76:14
the melodies and slow-moving rhythms chart a course toward the upbeat and positive. ~ John Bush