Luke Slater Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Luke Slater is a dance club veteran, and one of the people credited with fusing the sounds of U.K. and Detroit techno. His sound is rather chilly and often quite minimalist, but even when he's working with a minimum of musical elements he manages to hold your attention by introducing subtle variations that compel you to stay tuned. His contribution to the Fabric series is essentially a live album -- a DJ mix performed in one long session, though in the studio rather than in a club. It features contributions from such eminent artists as Spank Rock, Switch, and the Juan Maclean, as well as secret-handshake names like Raudive and Perspects. Although all of them share a similarly dry vibe, some are more minimalist than others: on one end of the spectrum is Shakes' "Sister Self-Doubt," which is actually a fun and new wave-y song, and at the other end is Basic Channel's "Phylyps Track II/II," a grey and featureless track that becomes almost physically painful after the first minute-and-a-half. ("GT (Version 2)" by Planetary Assault Systems is similarly arid and unenjoyable). Somewhere between are Slater's own "She Showed Me Heaven" (docked a point for gratuitous smarminess) and Colin Zyskowski's pleasantly glitchy "For the Asking." Not bad overall. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Fear and Loathing, Vol. 2'
Release Date 10/12/2004
Tracks 41
Label Resist
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With a decade-long recording career that has spanned as many albums and dozens of singles and EPs, Luke Slater has always been one of England's finest techno chameleons. From his early IDM albums and storming drum-centric techno recorded as Planetary Assault Systems to his brainy electro-funk and recent yet mercifully brief misstep into the realm of electroclash on his 2002 album Alright On Top, Slater has cut the path more often than followed it. On his first release after his critically panned techno-pop accident (and an unusually long break in his prolific release schedule), Slater has decided to take stock via the sequel to his Fear and Loathing double mix CD. The first Fear and Loathing was an epic techno barrage that to many ears sounded the death knell for the '90s fixation with the harder, faster, louder pace of minimal and looping dance music. The second installment gets to the hard techno as well...eventually. But before it does, disc one offers a dubby, glitchy, at times purely ambient affair. Building from his own gaseous and beatless "Long Last" to playing mind games with the clicks and wiggles of Isolée and Brothomstates, disc one is a head-nodding affair that trades in interesting sounds and clever effects rather than propulsive beats. As can be expected, disc two starts off with a funkier electro pace, scoring points with Dopplereffeckt and Renegade Soundwave before going off full bore with new jack techno faves ("Rocker"), storming techno classics ("Women Beat Their Men"), and techno/industrial hybrids (Nitzer Ebb's gritty "Murderous"). Whether this mix will help Slater find his bearings won't be confirmed until he releases some new music of his own. But like all of his achievements, and even in his few failures, he's proven to be unafraid to go way beyond what is expected from your typical techno star. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
An "album with songs" -- as Luke Slater described his third album on Mute -- from techno's best trackhead? Purists and DJs can rightly despair that tracks from Alright on Top will take much more concentration to slot into their sets next to Ben Sims or Millsart. Still, Slater giving over half the album to vocalist Ricky Barrow (formerly of the Aloof) turns out better than expected, certainly a radically different album than his others. Slater's distinctive style of pummeling electro-techno is still audible, though occasionally he's content to simply recycle a few electronic pop conventions rather than explore new ground. "You Know What I Mean" rages like any post-millennial electro-industrial band, while "Stars and Heroes" works in sequencer territory reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder disco or Depeche Mode synth pop. Alright on Top does have some amazing productions ("Only You" and "Searchin' for a Dream" especially), but too much of the album is ruined by Barrow's trite lyrics and over-reaching delivery. ("You Know What I Mean" begins: "I'm here/Looking for nothing looking at someone/Maybe you got what I need.") Barrow fails at his frequent attempts to hit the heights of legendary falsettos from Horace Andy to Marvin Gaye, and rarely succeeds at his quest to summon the stoned beatitude of Spiritualized's Jason Pierce. It's admirable of Slater to dive right into the world of vocal/production collaborations instead of simply dipping a toe in the water, but tapping a better vocalist would have produced much better results. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though his production work references everything from retro-electro to funky breaks, Luke Slater's still a purist on the decks, and his double-disc mix treatment for React keeps it deliciously simple (similar to Dave Angel's 39 Flavours of Tech-Funk from a couple years previously). Slater introduces the set with the raggedy sax solos and furious bongos of a self-titled single from Birdland, then quickly moves into more bangin' territory, courtesy of tracks from Ben Sims, Jeff Mills, DJ Shufflemaster, James Ruskin, and no less than three from his own Planetary Assault Systems alias. Slater stretches out on the second disc, beginning with a minimal DHS jacker from 1989 (!), stringing together left-field tracks from Two Lone Swordsmen and DBX. Minimal techno favorites like Mills, Pacou, and Mr. G make appearances midway through the set, then Slater turns to tech-house with breakbeat tracks from B.L.I.M. ("Eskimo"), Tipper ("Tug of War"), Si Begg's S.I. Futures project ("I Like That (Brand New)"), and, to top it off, an FC Kahuna mix of Felix da Housecat's 2001 burner, "Silver Screen - Shower Scene." He's no Hunter S. Thompson on the decks (thank goodness), but Luke Slater proves his touch is good as gold. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The follow-up to a very well received major-label debut, Wireless sees Slater expanding his range as a producer into backbeat-driven styles like old-school rap and electro, a far cry from the pummeling techno of his youth but no less intriguing despite the fact. From a lesser techno producer, Wireless would smack of a breakbeat sellout, an album that simply trades in Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim's brand of old-school techno. But just as Moby wisely stuck to his melodic strengths while crafting a breakbeat-inspired album (the same year's Play), Slater never deserts his own strongpoint -- intense, pummeling drum programming. There is a big difference, here; Slater's not just reaching for copies of old blues records and drum breaks. The tracks here are upfront, sinister, electro-inspired throwbacks, songs like "Sum Ton Tin," "Hard Knock Rock," and "Body Freefall, Electronic Inform" that throw dozens of electro effects into the pot with a subtle flair, from deep vocoder vocals to acid squelches to waves of synth menace. Wireless is a listen that's immediately rewarding and compelling. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Luke Slater had always trafficked in high-precision techno with emotion (just like his Detroit idols), Freek Funk is his most precise and emotional yet, quite experimental, and with a range of sounds from abrasive techno to ambient soundtracks and string-laden house. One of the few British producers who seems to realize that interesting sounds aren't quite as important as investing the music with spirit, Slater came up with one of the best techno LPs of the year. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It might be hard to believe, but before he was one of the world's top producers of electro-tinged techno, often clocking in at tempos over 130 bpm, Luke Slater produced several albums of strictly home listening-approved ambient techno. The year was 1995 and acid-fried gurus such as Mix Master Morris and Dr. Alex Patterson were searching beyond the 4/4 rush of the rave to a higher, if sometimes sillier, spiritual side of electronic music. On Slater's second album, recorded under the name 7th Plain, he mines darker territory than the true ambient maestros. Although his tempos, when they are present, are relaxed and congenial, "Think City" broods slowly while "Doup" opens up into a funky break for the middle two of its seven minutes. Only "Hectic Bag" even hints at Slater's forthcoming transition into hard techno maverick, with a cavernous kick that plays out a tribal rhythm from deep below. But this is definitely a mellow and somewhat dated affair from an artist who would rise to stronger work. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
