Adamski's Thing

Adamski

ZTT / Universal Records, 1998

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamski

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/24/1999

I'm not ashamed to admit it: sometimes I fear the unknown. As much as I like exploring new musical territories with this job, there are some times where I just am afraid to give something a try. Maybe it's because I have some preconceived notions about what the disc might be like, or maybe it's that I'm not ready to give that particular genre a try just yet.

Case in point: Adamski's Thing, the latest release from the British alterna-dance artist. I can't explain why I wasn't anxious to listen to it, but I was one step away from sending it to another reviewer, when I happened to tune into our Imagine Radio station (yes, I do tune into our own station) and "One Of The People" happened to come on. (Editor's note: We no longer have a station at Imagine Radio.) It had a beat and a groove that drew me in instantly, and after hearing the song just one time, I was hooked. So much for the unknown; whatever had I been my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 thinking about this disc?

Now that I've had the chance to listen to the entire disc, Adamski proves that he can not only talk the talk, but he can walk the walk as well. The 12 tracks on this disc (as well as the annoying "hidden" track - if I ever catch the bozo who invented this craze, I'm gonna strangle him) all are a lot of fun to listen to. After going through this disc, if you're not tapping your foot to these tracks or humming at least one of the melody lines, you're probably dead.

It takes a little time for the groove to really lock in as the album opens with "Memories Of The Future," but once it settles in, you're going to have a hard time breaking loose from it. Adamski and his crew wax over the material smoothly, making tracks like "Existential Boredom," "Intravenous Venus" and "Champagne Or Real Pain?" individual five-minute parties that flow into each other.

But what sets this music apart from what I guess I thought it would be is that Adamski isn't creating strictly dance music, or strictly pop music. Each track nimbly walks the line between the two genres, occasionally dipping its toe into the waters of techno as well, creating a unique sound that fans of many genres can get easily addicted to.

There are only two minor negatives I found with Adamski's Thing. The only track that doesn't live up to the high level of expectations that Adamski sets is "God's Teeth," a song that just can't get around its electronica half-beat to become something better. And, as previously mentioned, the "hidden" track, which is another remix of "Memories Of The Future". Memo to all record executives out there: If you're gonna put hidden tracks on the CD, fine... just don't hide them behind ten minutes of silence! Play the track once the final listed song ends, or don't put the goddamn thing on the CD, okay?

Adamski's Thing is the kind of disc that you might not want to give attention to if you're not familiar with his style of music. But once you've tasted it, you'll wonder how you lived without his music in your diet for so long. Even with one or two small potholes, this is most definitely a journey worth taking.

Rating: A-

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© 1999 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of ZTT / Universal Records, and is used for informational purposes only.