I was 14 in 1994, My Dad (who I stayed with on Friday nights post-divorce) had a Sky TV package, which meant my first encounter with FSOL would have been the Lifeforms AV video on MTV Europe's 'Ambient Chill-out Zone' show, which I think was on after midnight. I loved those videos, particularly the animated 'Spike' - that dramatic twitch it gives in close up really left an impression on me. I was obsessed with computer animation at the time (something which wore off as CGI came closer to looking real), so I watched the show whenever I could in the hope I'd see the video: this was my gateway into contemporary electronic music. a year later I saw Orbital at Glastonbury and was converted entirely.
I bought this cassette the week it came out. I was so obsessed with it I used to carry it around with me everywhere, in case I found myself somewhere I could put it on. 94 was the year of my GCSEs and the summer after my exams was one of great freedom and exploration for me and this was a huge part of the soundtrack of that. Because I had the tape, I always treated it as one continuous piece of music. And because it was the same on both sides I would always just listen to it all the way through, the frequently turn it over and start it again.
My first FSOL was the My Kingdom tape and I was the same - it was one side-long piece, really, rather than separate parts. It lived in my parents' car for years after I got the CD version, I think they got incredibly sick of it!
Another superb and absorbing deep dive. Glad you mentioned the pic disk 7” of lifeforms and the promo cassette, affected to my wish list. I remember the Lifeforms video got very heavy rotation on MTV’s Chill Out Zone (back when MTV played music (old man yells at cloud moment there!) and I’d always wanted to get my hands on the Longform video they kept mentioning. Really looking forward to the next chapter. ISDN has long been an all time favourite of mine.
The Lifeforms EP is sensational. As an 18 year old FSOL were real eye openers back in the day. A gateway into the wonderful world of ambient music. Let's hope it gets a reimagining like Cascade, My Kingdom and We Have Explosive?
@@hoppy303 as I mention in the video, if it included the Liz Fraser vocals a reimagining would need to be released on Universal - unless they got her in to re-record them too, which I can’t see happening sadly. I believe there are further reworkings in the pipeline though.
Much as Papua New Guinea is one of the best pieces of electronic music ever made, the Lifeforms EP is another leap forward. The sounds used, soundstage size and production engineering are still beyond me. It's so well crafted I can almost see what I'm hearing. It sounds organic, but so abstract it's nowhere you recognise. But it works. Some albums are gold from the first sound to the last, like gravity has slightly shifted while they're playing. For me, this is one of them. Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, There Is Nothing by Ozric Tentacles and Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush are others for me.
Floridian chiming in. I personally don’t have the flyer anymore but there was a flyer for some type of broadcast to occur at MARZ nightclub in Cocoa (east coast of Florida). We did go that night but I don’t remember that far back. I’ve asked my brother if he still has the flyer as he has a lot of flyers from that time period and if he has it maybe he can post it in the FB group. If he doesn’t I can ask DJ Yogi who was one of the main DJs at MARZ since it’s opening and still has flyers. So to say there was some type of broadcast in Florida is possibly true.
Path 4 has always been a huge inspiration. The buildup before the beat drops is staggering. It’s a shame to hear Liz hated it. It’s the best track she’s been on, other than Teardrop IMO.
@@absentwithconcept yes it was the design republic.. dunno if you can find it, but i saw a verry cool docu here on yt about psygnosis' history.. i guess i was confused becouse wipeout3 had a track called expander.. but its a dj sasha track..
While the visuals are doubtlessly dated I think they have really come into their own as an aesthetic, a moment in time. And with the general ongoing 90s revival I see a lot of design that looks like this on contemporary music releases, especially post-vaporwave, Oneohtrix Point Never, etc.
Radiotrance Mix tracklist
00:00 Transmission intro
02:14 FSOL/Dead Can Dance Sound Samples
04:30 Open Enclosure
07:10 Domed Enclosure environment
09:11 Dirty Shadows
13:02 Recreation Room environment
13:52 Vertical Pig
17:00 Rachmaninoff environment
18:06 Hendrix environment
19:25 More Noise Please environment
20:35 Environments - Birds
21:45 Environments - Gong
22:48 A Study of Six Guitars environment
24:54 Lifeforms (Path 5) - (from Lifeforms Paths)
28:19 Vit environment
29:00 Transmission end
I was 14 in 1994, My Dad (who I stayed with on Friday nights post-divorce) had a Sky TV package, which meant my first encounter with FSOL would have been the Lifeforms AV video on MTV Europe's 'Ambient Chill-out Zone' show, which I think was on after midnight. I loved those videos, particularly the animated 'Spike' - that dramatic twitch it gives in close up really left an impression on me. I was obsessed with computer animation at the time (something which wore off as CGI came closer to looking real), so I watched the show whenever I could in the hope I'd see the video: this was my gateway into contemporary electronic music. a year later I saw Orbital at Glastonbury and was converted entirely.
I bought this cassette the week it came out. I was so obsessed with it I used to carry it around with me everywhere, in case I found myself somewhere I could put it on. 94 was the year of my GCSEs and the summer after my exams was one of great freedom and exploration for me and this was a huge part of the soundtrack of that.
Because I had the tape, I always treated it as one continuous piece of music. And because it was the same on both sides I would always just listen to it all the way through, the frequently turn it over and start it again.
My first FSOL was the My Kingdom tape and I was the same - it was one side-long piece, really, rather than separate parts. It lived in my parents' car for years after I got the CD version, I think they got incredibly sick of it!
Another superb and absorbing deep dive.
Glad you mentioned the pic disk 7” of lifeforms and the promo cassette, affected to my wish list.
I remember the Lifeforms video got very heavy rotation on MTV’s Chill Out Zone (back when MTV played music (old man yells at cloud moment there!) and I’d always wanted to get my hands on the Longform video they kept mentioning.
Really looking forward to the next chapter. ISDN has long been an all
time favourite of mine.
The Lifeforms EP is sensational. As an 18 year old FSOL were real eye openers back in the day. A gateway into the wonderful world of ambient music. Let's hope it gets a reimagining like Cascade, My Kingdom and We Have Explosive?
@@hoppy303 as I mention in the video, if it included the Liz Fraser vocals a reimagining would need to be released on Universal - unless they got her in to re-record them too, which I can’t see happening sadly. I believe there are further reworkings in the pipeline though.
@@absentwithconcept that's great news about further reworkings!
Much as Papua New Guinea is one of the best pieces of electronic music ever made, the Lifeforms EP is another leap forward. The sounds used, soundstage size and production engineering are still beyond me. It's so well crafted I can almost see what I'm hearing. It sounds organic, but so abstract it's nowhere you recognise. But it works. Some albums are gold from the first sound to the last, like gravity has slightly shifted while they're playing. For me, this is one of them. Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, There Is Nothing by Ozric Tentacles and Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush are others for me.
Good stuff - thanks :)
I really need to dig out Paths for another listen it's been a while. Another one of my favourite FSOL releases! Thanks for the awesome video :)
Floridian chiming in. I personally don’t have the flyer anymore but there was a flyer for some type of broadcast to occur at MARZ nightclub in Cocoa (east coast of Florida). We did go that night but I don’t remember that far back. I’ve asked my brother if he still has the flyer as he has a lot of flyers from that time period and if he has it maybe he can post it in the FB group. If he doesn’t I can ask DJ Yogi who was one of the main DJs at MARZ since it’s opening and still has flyers. So to say there was some type of broadcast in Florida is possibly true.
Ah, fascinating! There's still so much mystery about the broadcasts - if you do find anything out I'd love to see it!
Path 4 has always been a huge inspiration. The buildup before the beat drops is staggering. It’s a shame to hear Liz hated it. It’s the best track she’s been on, other than Teardrop IMO.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a vocal I love more than this. It still gives me chills after thirty years.
great video again! i always thought that the expander cover art was somehow related to wipe0ut-2097.
Interesting - a couple of years before so probably just a coincidence. It was the Designers Republic who did the game art there, wasn't it?
@@absentwithconcept yes it was the design republic.. dunno if you can find it, but i saw a verry cool docu here on yt about psygnosis' history.. i guess i was confused becouse wipeout3 had a track called expander.. but its a dj sasha track..
Wipeout 2097: The Making of an Iconic PlayStation Soundtrack - Noclip
Documentary (this one, worth the watch)
@@pantovXpander is a superb prog house tune. Sasha at his best.
@@pantov cheers, I’ll definitely take a look at this, looks interesting!
While the visuals are doubtlessly dated I think they have really come into their own as an aesthetic, a moment in time. And with the general ongoing 90s revival I see a lot of design that looks like this on contemporary music releases, especially post-vaporwave, Oneohtrix Point Never, etc.
When’s the next one!
In the next week hopefully - been quite ill so everything's been delayed but back on it now!
@@absentwithconcept glad feeling better, looking forward to next episode
Btw does anyone have copies of Ramblings of a Madman 2 & 3 books they don’t want? :)
Random are you on instagram?
@@rogeranderson1744 technically yes, as absentwithconcept, but I need to actually use it haha. Definitely need to up my socials game.