Amon Tobin Album Review
I first discovered Amon Tobin’s 1997 album Bricolage in the disparate and disorganized ‘electronica’ shelves at the local Borders. I remember picking up the CD and being intrigued by its cryptic title and semi-abstract photos. I’ve been a buyer of electronic listening music for many years, but at the time finding a good lead on a quality artist was rare. Often, I had to take a chance on buying someone I’d never heard of, let alone heard. I’d been burned all too often by sub-par dance music hiding behind slick packaging, some of which I’m even now still selling-off. When I turned Bricolage over, the nondescript song titles and the trusted Ninja Tune label logo were the only signs it might be my kind of thing (I didn’t realize it, but I had heard Tobin’s music released under the name Cujo). Bricolage was like nothing I’d ever heard before (except maybe in my own head) and a cut above most of the generic IDM and drum and bass music of the time. It set the bar of excellence for many years to come, and subsequent releases Permutation, Supermodified and Out from Out Where have furthered Amon Tobin’s legacy of sonic innovation.
Now, Tobin has released Chaos Theory - Splinter Cell 3 Soundtrack. It’s fitting this new album was written for a video game, as I’ve long thought his work was the soundtrack for some epic, imaginary film. Tobin’s multi-layered musical style combines dizzying beats, colorful electronic noises, dark synth drones and scratchy sample fragments for a dense, warm and mysterious sound. Each of these ten new tracks explore Tobin’s beautiful world of light and shadow; this time evoking glimpses of special forces, stealthy snipers and ninja assassins. The intrigue of night vision-tinted espionage — poised guards and lurking agents, booby-trapped safes holding international secrets — is punctuated by frantic, distorted drum rolls; shimmering cymbal crashes; staccato, alien synth stabs; and grainy symphonic string pads; all swimming in a murky pool of distant echoes and organic reverb. Every track is impressive, but my current favorites include ‘Ruthless’, ‘Theme from Battery’ and ‘El Cargo’. Tobin’s intense music on Chaos Theory swells between deep, lush ambience and raw, ominous fury; sounding at once both ancient and futuristic; an epic soundtrack for video games, indeed.
Purchase (Amazon): Chaos Theory, Bricolage, Permutation, Supermodified, Out from Out Where, Collaborations & Remixes
I first discovered Amon Tobin’s 1997 album Bricolage in the disparate and disorganized ‘electronica’ shelves at the local Borders. I remember picking up the CD and being intrigued by its cryptic title and semi-abstract photos. I’ve been a buyer of electronic listening music for many years, but at the time finding a good lead on a quality artist was rare. Often, I had to take a chance on buying someone I’d never heard of, let alone heard. I’d been burned all too often by sub-par dance music hiding behind slick packaging, some of which I’m even now still selling-off. When I turned Bricolage over, the nondescript song titles and the trusted Ninja Tune label logo were the only signs it might be my kind of thing (I didn’t realize it, but I had heard Tobin’s music released under the name Cujo). Bricolage was like nothing I’d ever heard before (except maybe in my own head) and a cut above most of the generic IDM and drum and bass music of the time. It set the bar of excellence for many years to come, and subsequent releases Permutation, Supermodified and Out from Out Where have furthered Amon Tobin’s legacy of sonic innovation.
Now, Tobin has released Chaos Theory - Splinter Cell 3 Soundtrack. It’s fitting this new album was written for a video game, as I’ve long thought his work was the soundtrack for some epic, imaginary film. Tobin’s multi-layered musical style combines dizzying beats, colorful electronic noises, dark synth drones and scratchy sample fragments for a dense, warm and mysterious sound. Each of these ten new tracks explore Tobin’s beautiful world of light and shadow; this time evoking glimpses of special forces, stealthy snipers and ninja assassins. The intrigue of night vision-tinted espionage — poised guards and lurking agents, booby-trapped safes holding international secrets — is punctuated by frantic, distorted drum rolls; shimmering cymbal crashes; staccato, alien synth stabs; and grainy symphonic string pads; all swimming in a murky pool of distant echoes and organic reverb. Every track is impressive, but my current favorites include ‘Ruthless’, ‘Theme from Battery’ and ‘El Cargo’. Tobin’s intense music on Chaos Theory swells between deep, lush ambience and raw, ominous fury; sounding at once both ancient and futuristic; an epic soundtrack for video games, indeed.
Purchase (Amazon): Chaos Theory, Bricolage, Permutation, Supermodified, Out from Out Where, Collaborations & Remixes