Laurent Garnier Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Few things about this two-disc mixed set make clear sense, especially when they are viewed through the eyes of a techno neophyte. Once the contents and contexts are examined, however, everything falls into place. Roughly one-third of the tracks contained on these mixes from Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig can be classified as techno; the majority has more to do with the roots of the form, while a handful of tracks -- all of which are on Garnier's disc -- have very tenuous (geographic) ties. Though the discs are subtitled "The Detroit Perspective" and "The European Perspective," both are very Detroit-centric. Garnier, the European, delivers the former: a short history of Detroit through soul-jazz, hip-hop, proto-punk, funk, and some actual techno. Craig, the Detroiter, delivers the latter: each track in his mix was made in Europe and struck a nerve with the young clubbers and radio listeners of his city, and they encompass Italo disco, Franco disco, industrial, synth pop, and early U.K. techno. Garnier's mix, which is presented as one 78-minute track with no indexing, is given some extra enhancements: the tracks are interspersed with chatter between him and Underground Resistance affiliate Buzz Goree (as the two drive from Detroit's Eastern Market to the Submerge building), a short snippet of discussion with UR's Mad Mike Banks, the mumbled musings of underground house genius Kenny Dixon, Jr., and the beyond-chilling broadcast of a shootout from the 1967 riots. Craig takes a more playful approach on his fully indexed mix, guiding the listener from track to track with his impression of the Electrifying Mojo (a legendary Detroit DJ), yelps, and reminiscences. He transitions from Kano's "It's a War" to Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Computer Games" with the following: "This is out to all y'all who used to roller skate to this -- Northland Roller Rink, Eight Mile Road, shoot the duck." While this seems like a missed opportunity to plumb the depths of a very deep, wide, and rich archive of strictly Detroit-birthed electronic music -- much of which has never made it to CD in any form -- the two jocks present very unique, knowledgeable, and personal views of the city. Even card-carrying Midnight Funk Association members who danced to Ken Collier, left gallons of sweat on the floor of the Music Institute, and directed tourists to the Stooges Wax Museum can appreciate this. [In addition to the CD, Rapster also released separate, single-LP editions of each volume in 2006 as well.] ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'The Cloud Making Machine'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 10
Label F Communications
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What The Critics Say
Numerous veteran producers of dance music made safe albums throughout the early 2000s. They either confined themselves to being inspired by nothing but their past releases or lost their way entirely, turning out muck that didn't illuminate any more than a nondescript chillout compilation. Laurent Garnier, however, takes more chances than ever with The Cloud Making Machine, a sprawling, moody album guaranteed to throw longtime fans for a loop (if 2000's Unreasonable Behaviour didn't do it, this one will). The producer is joined by several musicians, including pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, vocalist/oud player Dhafer Youssef, and percussionist Sangoma Everett. In a sense, the album is an extension of 2004's Excess Luggage, his imposing five-disc mix that took in Detroit techno, Chicago house, film scores, dour chamber pop group Tindersticks and British folk-hero John Martyn. Few tracks are related in any way to the dancefloor, and even those are slightly bent, regularly funneling into compositions that inspire deep thought. The whole thing is more visual than visceral. While some producers are content with making albums that take few risks and no more than a couple spins to understand and quickly forget, The Cloud Making Machine requires a lot more from its listener. It's often impenetrable and there are a couple derailments -- hear the Stooges-inspired knuckle dragger "(I Wanna Be) Waiting for My Plane," which also turns out to be Garnier's "We're an American Band" -- but it's never off-putting. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'Unreasonable Behaviour'
Release Date 3/28/2000
Tracks 12
Label Import
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What The Critics Say
More complex and idiosyncratic than his previous full-length works (and much less danceable as a consequence), Unreasonable Behaviour focuses on midtempo jams in the verge between evocative techno, electro-jazz, and even melancholy synth-pop. If 1997's 30 was his Chicago album, this one is definitely the Detroit installment, from the Motor City shoutouts at the end of the excellent "Communications from the Lab" to the future-imperfect electro track "Greed (Part 1+2)." Still, most of these tracks come closer to updated jazz-fusion than techno, with highlights like "City Sphere," "The Sound of the Big Babou," and "Forgotten Thoughts" driven by fuzzy, distorted melodies with dreamy synthesizer lines over the top and an emphasis on live(-sounding) drumming. He'd surely think twice before plugging any of these tracks into one of his DJ sets, but Unreasonable Behaviour is a solid fusion of jazz and techno. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'X-Mix-2: Destination Planet Dream'
Release Date 5/12/1998
Tracks 1
Label K7
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What The Critics Say
Laurent Garnier's first and most celebrated mix CD easily makes the case for proclaiming him the most fluid and possibly best DJ in the world. Precision crafted with tracks by techno's most inspiring and emotional producers, including Kenny Larkin, Dave Angel, and Fred Giannelli, the mixes intertwine like delicate cosmic threads. Tracks fall together in perfect harmony, with Garnier stretching the mixes as far as they can possibly go. As a result, each transition becomes its own musical creation. As with all of Garnier's mixes, the entire CD is encoded as one track. This may make it difficult to find your favorite individual cut, but it is Garnier's mixing that is the central feature. The music is a stellar example of acid house's coalescence of styles. Nearly every record exists in a nebulous state between house, techno, and trance, created before the three split into distinct genres. Of special interest is the Carl Craig remix of a track by BT, done before the two split into the separate and often antagonistic techno and trance camps. As a result, the disc is miraculously free of cliché or repetition. It is an adventuresome journey through electronic music's melodic and futuristic potential, with joyous acid lines to mark the path and shimmering hi-hats to light the way. Though not as viscerally moving as Garnier's Mixmag CD, nor as epic as his Laboratoire Mix, X-Mix-2 may well be the defining release of Garnier's career. His later achievements as a producer and continuing status as an international techno icon still trace directly back to the sweeping musical aesthetic on display here. One should not claim to truly understand techno without hearing this mix. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
30 is a seemingly effortless blend of classic Chicago jacking house with minimalistic acid funk and the occasional detour into trip-hop and ambient house. Enhanced by Laurent Garnier's longtime DJ work, the superb mix and feel for what should come next inform production skills to an incredible degree. The single "Crispy Bacon" is one of the seminal moments in the history of acid, while "Sweet Mellow D" and the mid-tempo "For Max" provide other highlights. The superb jacking theme "The Hoe" and "Flashback" (dedicated to the recently deceased Armando) are two of the more overtly Chicago-inspired tracks, but 30 is a stunning album throughout. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Shot in the Dark'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 11
Label F Communications
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What The Critics Say
As a DJ and producer, Laurent Garnier has never attempted to disguise his endless love for classic Detroit techno and Chicago acid-house. On his first album, Garnier blatantly follows the blueprint laid by the music's pioneers, although he rarely lives up to the lofty expectations. It seems as though Garnier's technical skills did not match his musical aspirations. The cutting acid whip of "Astral Dreams" takes the minimal jack beat to the next level of aggression, but loses most of its funk in the process. "The Force", with it Darth Vader vocals, is "Garnier's attempt to re-create Lil' Louis' dark masterpiece "Blackout", but comes off more joking rave than epic apocalypse. The hyper-speed "Geometric World" follows like an exploding hoover blitz, moving the record even closer to Belgium hardcore-rave and further from the original Midwest soul. Fortunately for Garnier, all can be forgiven by the fact that his later albums would reach, and in some ways surpass, the historical landmarks he continues to visit. Shot in the Dark is comforting proof that even the most astoundingly talent musicians need time to learn their craft. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
