grinning ape - the greatest ape
new download only release from the ever improving svc records label. this time round, things are a little different. no folktronica, no bedrooms, no guitars. just pure beautiful machine made music.
yes people, it's the return of the glory that was 90s ambient techno.
now that warp have moved onto maximo park and things that dont go bleep in the night, its been up to new labels such as the excellent dust science label to carry the torch. in an act of beautiful synchronicity (black dog returned last year with the superb silenced album), grinning ape has at last (this album has been on the go for nearly 10 years apparently !) got around to getting this debut polished off.
opening with a massive headphone perfect ambient soundscape, 'a.p.e', the thin scattershot beats are strapped firmly into place, and away we go for the albums title track, 'the greatest ape'. thick rich ambient warmth surrounds the midi drum chaos, making this rather more welcome than it actually sounds. ok, the reference points are obvious, and when tracks are called, 'selected ambient really does work', it becomes clear that the creator of these tracks has a wicked streak running though him.
so, for anyone who wants to revisit those times when such names as b12, lfo, and of course the aforementioned, black dog dominated the pcb circuitry, then i urge you to dig deep (£3 for the album is 256kbps form!) and get mellow.
oh, my only complaint : 12 tracks which only just break 30 minutes !
i don't want to have to wait another 10 bloody years for the follow up ..