VARIOUS ARTISTS
We Are The Music Makers Vol. 1
WATMM001CD
WATMM Records 2004
17 Tracks. 72mins21secs

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As independent websites go, We Are The Music Makers has become one of the respected havens for fans of electronic music. Originally an Aphex Twin resource site, when it was called Joyrex, the webmaster, also known as Joyrex, expended the site to become the ultimate electronica resource site, with focus on Aphex Twin of course, but also Boards Of Canada, Squarepusher and Autechre.

Alongside this, a thriving community has developed over the years, especially through the Expert Knob Twiddlers section of the forum, which provides a space for amateur electronic musicians to promote their work. The idea of collecting some of the work created by regular posters there was the logical following step. Regular contributors to the EKT section of the forum were invited to submit tracks. The hundred of compositions received were narrowed down to just seventeen, and collected onto this impressive testimony of the sheer creativity of some of these artists.

Although the compilation was originally put together a while back, it still provides a credible platform for these artists to showcase their work and hope for more recognition. WATMM Vol. 1 is an extremely varied compilation, which not only reflects the interests of the site’s regular visitors, from drill’n’bass to ambient and from sharp abstract to wonderfully evocative and warm electronica, but also the wide musical scope covered by electronic musicians over the years. Although some of the tracks on offer here reveal their influences a tad too hastily – the most obvious ones being Aphex Twin and Boards Of Canada -, some others carry them exceedingly well. Yet, what is extremely striking here is the sheer quality of these seventeen tracks. From the classic electronica of Eff One (Rusuden) to the haunting Electric Flux contribution, Theodore’s Bedroom, from the quirky and cartoonesque Tarantula Brush (Cell), to Synthetrix’s dark Space Freight, the diversity of ambiences and approach is only matched by the creative spirit being these compositions.

Limited at just one thousand copies, WATMM Vol. 1 reaches far beyond its website’s circle of contributors by providing a credible platform for unsigned artists, and is an essential collection of tracks for any electronic music fan to own. One can only hope that it will give some of these artists enough exposure to get their work noticed by established labels. Then, WATMM will have fulfilled its mission entirely.

4.4/5

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Some Paths Lead Back Again – A Compilation By The Marcia Blaine School For Girls
HPLL010
Highpoint Lowlife 2005
17 Tracks 00mins00secs 

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The mysterious Marcia Blaine School For Girls have been around for a few years now, sporadically releasing seven-inch singles or contributing tracks to various compilations for labels as diverse as Static Caravan, Benbecula or Dalriada, yet their profile has remained, until now, resolutely underground, despite having recently supported artists as diverse as Isan, Jimmy Edgar, Yellotone or Alias. Highpoint Lowlife label boss Thorsten Sideboard noticed them during one of their live performances, at Sonar three years ago and consequently tracked them down. Soon, the idea of a compilation focussing on Scottish electronic music came up, eventually concretised with Some Paths Lead Back Again.

Collecting the work of friends and collaborators, including Izu, Feld, Daigoro and the ever-excellent Chris Dooks, as well as various MBSFG side projects (Accrual, The Village Orchestra, Production Unit and Rose & Sandy), Some Paths Lead Back Again is nothing short of excellent. Despite the variety of styles collected here, from subtle electronica (Daigoro’s Sleepy Fish, Feld’s Puffin, Dooks’s Dukkha) to abrasive techno (Izu’s It’ll All Be) and abstract hip-hop (Production Unit’s superb Ruskoline Monster), this album remains extremely consistent all the way through, each track bringing a particular tone to the mix and contributing to the overall mood. Interestingly, although their work is prominent all the way through, MBSFG happily leave the leading roles to others, but their contributions appear to somehow dominate, with the epic twelve-minute long Routed To The Spot providing one of the best moments, and their work as Production Unit and The Village Orchestra especially also strongly noticeable. Elsewhere, Chris Dooks presents two very different compositions here. While the delicate Dukkha is typical of his past work, Aviaphobia, an a-cappella ode to his fear for flying, introduces a serious dose of humour. Daigoro and Feld both provide some beautifully textured electronic moments while Izu focuses on harsher terrains.
If unfamiliar with the Marcia Blaine School For Girls, this collection could be an interesting point of entry to their work and can only be a call for them to finally step into the limelight permanently by releasing a complete album of their work. In the meantime, Some Paths Lead Back Again is an extremely pertinent and outrageously enjoyable collection of electronic music.

4.7/5