Earth Beat Visions - A History of The Future Sound of London 13: Lifeforms

Comments · 41

• TE

  @Tehrasha · 2 years ago (edited)

  I bought Lifeforms entirely based on its cover art.  I was looking for something 'different' and it was sitting at the front of the rack labeled 'Ambient'.  As a 2CD set, it was a little pricey, but I took the risk.  Dropped the first CD into my car's deck for the 30min drive home, and did not get out of my car till the 2nd CD ended.  I just drove around for 90 minutes utterly gob smacked by the album.  Been a rabid FSOL fan ever since.

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• HO

  @hoppy303 · 2 years ago

  The one we’ve all been waiting for. Sensational.

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• MA

  @Matth3wMull1n · 1 month ago

  They are the best.

• RE

  @RECU420 · 6 months ago

  This is my favorite álbum ever.

• CO

  @communication001 · 9 months ago (edited)

  You've absolutely smashed that definition of ambient in the nineties sense. I feel you for going into battle with kids who think this genre is the same as soundscape electronica. As you say often the chill out room errupted into a massive dance floor. A DJ might even get carried away with what was happening. Ending up with two dance floors and no chill out room the organisers would noticeably have to enforce another DJ and a sudden complete return to very chilled vibes to dampen the outrageous fire. How is that possible if this is supposedly soundscape type music? No it was often nigh on dance music and the difference was often only in that it was also good to sit and listen to. As you say lots of samples about drugs and spacey stuff. It's about these characteristics. It's a scene not a science. It's about a space to not necessarily dance in between dancing. The space is the thing not anything else ie the music is chosen because it fits the idea of the space. It's not about some definition of it confirming to a type of music at all I'd say. That's what's incredible. They'd accept anything. What I might say as someone so studied music at this time, is that there was an idea in music with regards to just listening to the sound at the time. And of course minimal classical was a big thing too. So those two, both different off shoots of John cage and the fluxus rebellion against atonalism, were present. And recipients in the space created were a new kind of listener. To be into the music you had to accept frequent samples of classical ambient music and you had to be able to relax your ear and listen to the quality of the sound. Many didn't get it and rebelled against the whole dance music thing. But that meant whatever you threw in that space, if one could imagine perhaps an experimental ambient room DJ in some low attended corner of a festival or something, as listened to and accepted. Experimentation was encouraged even in some corners. People understood that the DJ was creating a space , throwing in things for you to get into in drug spaces - mentally that is - or just on a clear head tripping out on life. Ps yes I've heard your one where you tackled this battle ground on your chill out series. But I prefer how you put it here. The wat you said it could have beats but maybe just melody was more prominent than on the dance floor. PPS I'm avid to develop a catalogue of djs doing a curated run down of different artists and labels. We need to catch some of those seminal tracks by people that otherwise disappeared. It's easy to know about the big names. What were the seminal tracks? I've found a few. From prepare to energise by torch song, Der Mussolini by DAF music is the answer by colonel Abrams to everything is ... By mescalium

• RA

  @raulnovoa30 · 2 months ago

  For me Lifeforms introduce me to a new way to listen electronic music. My best friend gave a mp3 and ended up buying the CD then the vinyl. On my last trip to Costa Rica me and my gf took lsd and listen entirely to this lovely masterpiece. Thanks again for this videos, so much information here, good job!

• WI

  @williamkerr1059 · 2 years ago

  Remember the day I bought it, was on nightshift working solo in a workshop so brought in a decent hifi and blasted the brilliant album all night.

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• JU

  @jubeninpucho3776 · 2 years ago

  Brilliant! Lifeforms and Accelerator were soundtracks of my life in the mid 90's. Absolute works of art. Thanks for the documentary|

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• SP

  @spacehoppermark6161 · 2 years ago

  It also has my fav' artwork of all time, & like you say, absolutely suits the organic music within!

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• NM

  @NmeshTV · 2 years ago

  that black environments cover in the booklet completely threw me for a loop when i was 15.

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• RE

  @RECU420 · 6 months ago

  I have a few memories with Lifeforms..The first time I understood ambient was in 94 with my friend Carlos in his apartament in Acapulco.<br>I also remember in that era we used to go to Puerto Escondido. There was this huge rave. Several days long, this is the last day way past midnight, most people tired gone or &nbsp;just wanna chill. So I know the DJ hand him out my double CD of Lifeforms. And then with full PA I listen to the heart beat and the first notes of cascade. HiFi, 4 am, we smoked herb and went back up to my cabin where the music from the PA sounded gorgeous. <br>We smoked more herb.<br>Lied in my bed with my GF at the time, a girl from Michigan looking how the lighthouse at the distance was in synch with the beat of the music.<br>How crisp the loud volume was.<br>An indescriptible memory of life ❤️🌿💯 Ill never forget.<br>The clímax came when we went back down to the party, the sun was coming out, the last songs of &nbsp;Lifeforms &nbsp;blasting, the people all like in awe. The light of dawn, Special moment. 1995

• RA

  @raulnovoa30 · 2 months ago

  Thanks for all this!