'Stereo' -Underground Sounds
UNS 105

Low-Fi Generator

One of the most striking aspects of this album is the vast range of styles which the adept Mr Immel is capable of producing- he's certainly an eclectic character, one minute creating densely-layered dub-tinged breakbeat tunes, the next flipping acrobatically into driving squelch techno, then chucking in guitars or other seemingly inappropriate instruments before the listener has even noticed. He also has a propensity for switching the style of a tune dramatically, by introducing choruses, manic bass interludes and other such stunts, yet somehow making it all work perfectly- even though such antics sometimes occur completely unexpectedly, they always seem to fit. He's a low-frequency ninja of some description, leaping out of the shadows to deliver killer bass assaults without a moment's warning, particularly on the title track, which features some of the best wobbling bass I've heard in a long time- it's just so big -so big, in fact, that the first time I played it it caused some sort of seismic disruption and made my tape collection fall from its perch.

The album kicks off with 'Deep Deep Down'- a peculiar and unique techno-type workout composed of compulsive kick-drums, a lazy hypnotic 303 bassline and a gorgeous chorus which appears all of a sudden and should totally baffle the listener, but it all comes together beautifully. The next track, the breakbeaty 'Stereo', has already been mentioned for its intense basslines although it's another high quality tune, which in true Lo-Fi Generator style leaps rapidly between genres, constantly defying categorisation. It's hard to say which of the tracks on this album stands out from the rest- there are several tunes which I particularly like, including the third track- 'Uuh'. This one's supremely cool- a slow funky bassline ties itself perfectly to slinky breaks, interspersed with what sounds like an out-take from the Roobarb theme music. The thing is, the next track could also be my favourite, and the one after that, and the one after that and so on.'Stereo's' finest quality is that it almost sounds like a compilation album due to Immel's impressive stylistic versatility. 'Stereo' displays a keen appreciation of sound itself, obviously fostered by Marcus' degree in audio physics, and re-listening to the album reveals new finely-tuned frequencies which subtly add the extra dimension to his sound. The excellent quality of production throughout makes it all sound crystal clear no matter how many sounds are in the mix, and Immel knows just when to drop them and kick in with something really special. Somehow the man manages to marry utterly bonkers experimentation with the kind of melodies which artists who grace the popular hit parades would kill for. This artist could very well be a very big thing in the near future.


This wonder of modern science scores a hefty 9.909 out of ten. Well worth getting hold of.

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