Arpanet

Wireless Internet

★★★

The internet age is coming and we're all wondering how humanity will cope. Of course this album starts off with a cryptic intro song, "The Analyst", which uses a computer generated voice to inform the listener about the future of internet and cellphone technology. Of course a lot has changed since 2002 and this uncertainty has been mostly eradicated, but it would've been interesting to experience all that. 

The next track gets right into it, "Illuminated Displays" uses some acid beat making with these shimmering synth keys that really add a layer of comfort to the whole track. Also with the tracks "I-Mode" and "NTT DoCoMo", I'm pretty convinced they're basically the same thing. The latter of which is just longer and adds some vocal samples. Both are pretty basic and forgettable to me though. 

"Wireframe Images" is a great Drexciya type song that really shows you what Detroit techno is all about. The song after is a beat-less track that is pretty basic and you sort of realize, while going deeper into this album, where all of the influences originate from. Just like a lot of techno from Detroit, the motorik and Kraftwerk influences are hard to deny, essentially creating the basis for this new experimentation. While that may be the case, this album came out quite a while later. 

To me, it is not that unique or innovative, simply just a reiteration of all the techno music that came out years earlier. The last two tracks are pretty good though, and really if you want to listen to music like this why not just go out and hear those Drexciya albums. I'd say they're much better. 

Favorite Song: Wireframe Images