 Various
Artists
"M1: A Magnanimous Compilation" CDR
Magnanimous
Records
Genres: ambient, experimental, electronica
Magnanimous
P.O. Box 541
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
Mar 22 - 28 2004 |
M1: A Magnanimous Compilation collects eight tracks from eight
different ambient and electronic acts from Shepherdstown, West
Virginia. Though it's a small community, the town has apparently
fostered quite a fertile base of new, experimental electronic
music. This cheap (six dollars), limited-to-100-copies release
is recommended for those few music fans willing to give a new scene a
try. The main problem with this compilation will be its limited genre
range. There are many ambient music fans out there, but most
might be hesitant to buy a disc filled with a bunch of no-name
artists. This is unfair, however, as lots of this record's material is
quite good.
If one is able to overlook their obsession with brand-name
electronic music, they will likely be pleased to discover quite a few
positively enjoyable offerings on M1. Matthew P.'s
"Ruretiflurems," for example, is a brooding, evil soundscape,
and Natrul's "Descending Part I" is engagingly
dark. A few of the tracks drag a bit however - Red Orchestra's
"The Other Side," for example, is needlessly long and
tiresomely uneventful.
Overall, this is a very solid compilation from a scene most people
are likely completely unaware of. I could see it being noticed
more by the public if it were given away as a freebie or sold at a
bargain basement price.
82%
Fun Fact: Shepherdstown is the oldest
town in the state of West Virginia! Read more here.
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 8 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
