LUKE VIBERT VS SPAC HAND LUKE

Perhaps it’s a good thing that the Rephlex mob haven’t sold out and become the alt.pop stars they could so easily and cheesily be. But at the same time I wonder if moving in endless experimental circles for the sake of it isn’t sometimes a little contrived and an exhibition of musical stubbornness as much as a proud display of integrity??

I mean there was a certain point 3 or 4 years ago when every Rephlex or Warp London rave culminated in 2 or 3 hours of complete head rinsing, fast, nasty, heavy and mental shit drilling bastard hard bassssss the like of which cleans you out very quickly

It was pure Nihilism – the electronic equivalent of death metal and after a while it got tiring. It’s Saturday night and you’re off your box and you just want to love everyone and everything, and instead you’re faced with a tirade of noise at 2am that you can’t dance to unless you’ve had 23 pills and a pint of super unleaded straight off the forecourt.

Perhaps I’m not hardcore enough and should have been going to the Ministry of Sound, or perhaps it was cutting edge and one day I’ll boast ‘I was there!!!’ But that infernal, too quick, too nasty, racket sounded more like being heavy and loud for the sake of it – like turning up your stereo because you know it pisses your neighbours off, rather than because you want to hear loud music….

Anyway this record isn’t quite like that, in fact in sound it's nothing like that. I am however not convinced it’s anything other than a temporary stagnation from Mr Vibert. In fact, more than anything else Luke Vibert Vs Spac Luke sounds, as it’s title suggests, a little like a record that’s fighting itself.

My main bone with this is that there's nothing that stands out or at least very little. Whereas Multiple Stab Wounds is close to a rousing romp and just the sort of track where obtuse and apparently unmixable resources of much dance, easy listening and hip hop are spliced together into damn fine melodic and groovy music, such moments are very few and far between. Instead there are a few too many tracks that plod along with no particular verve or direction - tracks like Barrave which mixes well known hooks, samples and beats of rave, but does nothing new or worthwhile with them. Maybe it works LIVE! at Bangface, but it doesn't work for me on the platter in the front room…

Yes boss, I’m sorry, but I've listened through this a good few times now and I can’t get into it at all. It feels like an album of out takes and leftovers.

This so, I can’t be mean about Vibert for very long. Indeed, the sheer volume of his output means the odd duff record and/or track is bound to sneak out amongst the others comprised of more or less total genius ….

So, if you’ve yet to sample Viberts other multiple delights get to it right this instant, but don't start with this...