The Positiva Ambient Collection

English / Polish version

The Positiva Ambient Collection
    POSITIVA RECORDS
    Compilation
    The Positiva Ambient Collection
    1993

      1. O.O.B.E. (Exclusive Live Version)
      THE ORB
      2. Digi Out
      THE INFINITE WHEEL
      3. Perfect Morning
      VISIONS OF SHIVA
      4. Hub
      THE BLACK DOG
      5. Halcyon
      ORBITAL
      6. Zeroes And Ones
      JESUS JONES VS. APHEX TWIN
      7. Sky High
      THE IRRESISTIBLE FORCE
      8. Mobility
      MOBY
      9. Awakening The Soul
      BEAUMONT HANNANT
      10. If It Really Is Me
      POLYGON WINDOW
      11. Kao-tic Harmony (Relic Of Relics)
      RHYTHIM IS RHYTHIM

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THE POSITIVA AMBIENT COLLECTION is a twenty-year-old compilation being the beginning and also a precursor of the future sound of ambient music. The compilation released in 1993 by a mainstream label, Positiva Records from London, which was a part of the monopolists on the music market, as EMI Records was in that time. While analyzing some different releases of those two labels, a typical ambient position in their achievements is a little surprise, but the presence of such personages as: The Orb, Aphex Twin or The Irresistible Force, can be an evidence of positive vibes flowing from this disc.

The achievements of Dr Paterson and the company begin the compilation and immediately we get EXCLUSIVE LIVE VERSION of one of the iconic tracks, which is O.O.B.E. What we will experience in those few minutes, is the real, 'OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE’ varied by some shrill sounds, with a distinctive character and timeless style presented by The Orb. The experimental sounds fueled by the percussion elements, sounding to me a bit too monotonous, is a merit of the duo from north London, which is called The Infinite Wheel and the track DIGI OUT. Visions Of Shiva is a quite interesting German collaboration between Cosmic Baby and Paul Van Dyk, who is hardly known for his ambient tracks. The achievements of Visions Of Shiva are also not so plentiful, because the cooperation between those two men ended up on the release of one single and one EP, and both of these discs are primarily works in the style of trance music. An escape from it all is a calm and gentle track, PERFECT MORNING, and the title itself tells us when we should listen to it. The next track of the compilation is the merit of one of the precursors in IDM genre, namely The Black Dog. HUB is a composition maintained in a steady rhythm, with a slight admixture of what could safely be called ambient techno. Anyway, once again we have a fairly monotonous position, but at the same time it does not make that we get bored. Orbital are the successive forerunners of electronic music who appear at the horizon of this compilation. They are primarily known from many great techno productions, but they also have in their achievements some tracks such as HALCYON. That one is dynamic, catchy, good for a brief moment of relaxation. ZEROES AND ONES is a highly experimental, ambient journey performed by Apex Twin. Some raw sounds echoing from the bare, cold, almost icy walls pierce the body. The track perfectly blends into the dullness prevailing outside the window and the penetrating cold. The Irresistible Force – another character who does not need a wider introduction. The track SKY HIGH is the position derived from the cult album of Morris, FLYING HIGH. This composition lasting almost twelve minutes contains everything needed to soothe the soul, enlighten the minds, and above all, what makes us embrace the pervasive, positive energy. Richard Melville Hall – another person better known under the name Moby. He comes from New York, and his music is difficult to categorize and define using one word, unless you just say it is the electronic music. MOBILITY is one of many proposals of Moby, maintained in a dynamic tone, with a hint of electro and plenty of distracting inserts. The whole is created without the ups and downs, passing through quite uniformly and without lasting in our memory. AWAKENING THE SOUL, and once again we have to deal with the musical experiments. This time, from the hand of Beaumont Hannant we get the track kept in a little bit trip hop climate, with lots of broken sounds, wide spaces and unidentified melodies. A dark confusion – I think that is the easiest way to describe what is happening here. The penultimate position of the compilation is Polygon Window, which is a different, and yet another face of Aphex Twin. This This countenance is dynamic in its own way, and at the same time melancholic and disciplined, joyful and sweet, yet subtle and pernicious. The last sounds are a return to the end of the eighties of the last century and a meeting with Rhythim Is Rhythim. Derick May, because he is being discussed here, created mainly the productions related to techno and other faster releases of electronic music, but as we have already seen, this compilation is a collection of some individual, ambient achievements of artists not entirely related to this kind of music. That is how, in a litte bit techno and ambient atmosphere ends this quite surprising compilation, in which we can find all sorts of experimental arrangements, which are the seed for the future proposals of this type of music.

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6.5 / 10
Tofik