(11.15.05) If you like the music of Richard D. James, you’ll enjoy these once hard to find recordings; but the casual fan might not be compelled to run to the store. For the fanatic who doesn’t already own a copy of these limited pressing EPs, now collected onto one disc, it’s a must have.
Originally released in 1995, they foreshadowed what we would come to recognize as the sound James would epitomize the rest of that decade. Some call it jungle, as it borrowed heavily in its beat structure from much of what was coming out of the UK scene of the time, others might say it’s more in line with a wholly new experimental form of drum and bass. Regardless of what you label the music, it was attention grabbing, adventurous in its rhythms and textures, and laid a blue-print for innumerable artists who would try and follow its lead.
HAB, like much of James’ best work, is a playful set of tracks that contain sinister elements. One can listen to a child talk about “mashed potatoes.” At once ridiculous, it also has the tone of a soundtrack produced by lunatic asylum patients. James, however, rarely relies upon simple novelty. Compositions such as “Laughable Butane Bob” and “Every Day” were just as innovative to the electronic music genre as Brian Eno and Robert Fripp’s work from the early seventies.
These tracks represented the beginning of a truly astounding period during which James would create some of his most rich and monumental recordings. It defined a sound that is now well-recognized and often copied. One wonders, however, if that crescendo now appears to be reaching its conclusion. For James, HAB was a turning point in his career as a musician. I eagerly await the next.
Hangable Auto Bulb is out now on Warp Records.
