BETH Round 1 - Newbuild vs (Chill Out)

[Skinny]

I'd be quite happy to see Newbuild win the whole tournament. Unapologetic acid house that just makes me want to dance. Really effortlessly mixes both very experimental, almost mathematic synth lines with something far more urgent and primal. There's a constant sense of forward motion, powering on like a juggernaut you'd be stupid to try to stop. A work of genius that still sounds modern today.

Whilst not unpleasant, I've never fallen in love with Chill Out. Whilst the flickers of pedal steel are great, it just feels way too silly for me. There's nothing subtle about the field recordings or the musical samples, and - despite its obvious links to the rave scene - I'd struggle to even consider it house or techno. Not a bad album by any means, but not really my thing.

Easy decision for me, but both are enjoyable.
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[Graeme2]

Not heard newbuild for ages so need to find it as need to blast it in the car ha. I remember it being very punk in a way and full of enthusiasm and inspiration, maybe a bit samey overall but all good. I personally wouldn't call it a genius record, to me sounds like they had all the correct roland gear, set them off and messed about and had a great time. Nothing wrong at all with that though.
Couldn't get through chill out, feel a bit like what skinny said. Best bits the guitar but the whole thing just sounds naff. Like a bad version of the orb with the best bits taken out. Or a parody. Like Norman said, maybe they are clever and being ironic but at the end of the day it sounds naff to me, whether it's clever or not. Now don't get me wrong, if you heard this after clubbing all night off your head, getting home 4am, have a bong, then put this on and stare at the stars in the garden, it's probably incredible.

[Jimmy Dread]

Chill Out lads, Newbuild's going through 11-6
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[undefined]

well seems I was a bit late here but I'm pleased with the outcome. Like others, I wouldn't mind at all seeing Newbuild take the whole thing. It's always interesting comparing it to later 808 State work; all their sonic signatures remain consistent but they get progressively more polished and practiced over the years. Newbuild is dirty, raw, made from shitty synths and whatever the fuck these guys could find that made music. I've heard it referred to as house's And Nico and I think that's apt. There's something going on here that really nobody had really touched on quite like this before, and nobody (not even 808 State themselves) has been able to fully replicate since. Possibly the most simply visceral house album in existence


also Flow Coma is a top 10 track fo serious



Chill Out is cool. Not something I love per se but it's nice stuff. I just don't have much to say about it I guess, which might be it's major downfall for me, it's just so nondescript. If anyone's interested, before they were the KLF, these dudes were The Jamz and The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and they did this absurd hip-hop/plunderphonics/bizarro house record that I prefer to anything they did after even though it's probably objectively worse