HECTIC SL

My favourite and least favourite PC games of 2011

2011-12-15T17:46:00.001Z

Favourites - in no particular order

Batman: Arkham City - such a slick game, probably the most impressive of the year.

Battlefield 3 - the single player wasn't much more than a tech demo, but the multiplayer has improved well over Bad Company 2.

Dead Island - a real surprise package. Was it going to be a clone of Dead Rising (which I don't enjoy) or Left 4 Dead? Turns it out was a weird but fascinating blend of the two.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Did a good job of living up to the name. Just a shame it had to be consolified in many ways, otherwise it could have been amazing.

Driver: San Francisco - this is the game that got the biggest grin out of me this year. Solid, smooth and enjoyable with a very clever gameplay innovation in Shift.

LIMBO - this is the best indie game of the year, and probably the most intriguing I've ever played.

Portal 2 - Delightful entertainment.

Least favourite

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Quite possibly the most boring game I have ever played. All hell broke loose, and I yawned.

Crysis 2 - The game actually has fun multiplayer, and the single player has lots of positives, but I was devastated when I clocked on to the fact that you can stroll past all the enemies in cloak mode, even on hard difficulty. One of the worst flaws I've ever experienced in a game.

Homefront - A pointless, shameless game

Red Faction: Armageddon - Worst possible way to build on Guerrilla, swapping open-world for linear caves.

I have yet to play LA Noire and Saints Row The Third...

Burial/Four Tet/Thom Yorke - Text 010

2011-03-18T16:26:00.000Z

What an exciting collaboration this is. When artists come together to form a supergroup like this, the results aren't always as amazing as expected. In the track below, they really are. You can hear the workings of all three artists weaving together with lush results. I'm now dreaming of an album by this lot, maybe with Flying Lotus thrown in for good measure.

The Future of the Gaming Industry

2011-02-04T22:22:00.000Z

Last Wednesday’s discussion at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Future of the Gaming Industry, left me feeling dismayed rather than excited about what to expect from my beloved pastime. According to the industry experts speaking at the event it would seem that ‘mobile’ and ‘social’ are the buzzwords for the foreseeable future. Mobile gaming and Facebook gaming are all well and good for the casual, passive gamer but where does this leave those who crave technical innovation and engrossing narrative experiences?

According to Nicholas Lovell, founder of the blog Gamesbrief, the industry is going to split into three distinctive types of games – dominant triple-A blockbusters such as the Call of Duty series, persistent world subscription-based games like World of Warcraft and independently developed games. He said we are now getting to the stage where only a “few big players can experiment in the medium” with huge financial backing. Judging by the condition of the games currently being released by these major players, there’s cause for concern.

Take the aforementioned Call of Duty as the prime example. The last two editions of the franchise - Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 and Black Ops last year – were each unveiled to a media frenzy of a magnitude not before seen in the industry. But why? They are mindless, unoriginal and built on technically flawed foundations and aging technology (check out my scathing review of Black Ops). Their target market, however, is casual gamers who play solely online for the social experience it offers. It would seem this rapidly expanding audience do not care about such trivialities as whether a gun recoils in the correct way, or whether the game’s engine is horribly outdated. What they want is to be able to turn on their games console, pick up their controller and shoot people whilst having a laugh with their mates. This is the market the vast majority of publishers will focus on, and where the big money will be spent, inevitably alienating smaller developers with bigger ideas.

Mobile gaming is advancing technically and becoming more sophisticated in content. The market for portability is ever-present, and with Sony and Nintendo focusing more on the area and developers of games for smartphones offering up an increasing number of exciting and reputable titles, it seems this industry cannot fail to grow rapidly.

Going back to social gaming, Tom Chatfield, author of Fun Inc.: Why games are the 21st Century's most serious business, said “Facebook is going to generate hundreds of millions of dollars” for those who develop games for the site. He added that we are living in a “value generation” where the “quality of attention” offered by games, now accessible enough for pretty much everyone, “is of a much higher value than other media”. Games based on simple, proven mechanics, such as Farmville and clones of Scrabble have grabbed the attention of an incredible range and volume of Facebook users. It was mentioned that half of the 600 millions Facebook users have installed some form of game app, leading developer Michael Acton-Smith to believe that in the future the question won’t be “do you play games?”, but “what games do you play?”

Call of Duty: Black Ops (Single-player) review

2010-11-18T21:54:00.013Z

The original Modern Warfare was an exciting addition to the Call of Duty series. Whilst not quite matching up to the excellence of the first two games, the move to the present from World War II was a largely successful one. Developers Treyarch took the baton from Infinity Ward for the next installment, World at War. Fair enough, I thought. A decent, if not outstanding campaign and familiar but solid enough multiplayer. By the time Modern Warfare 2 was released, the excitement surrounding the series had grown to incredible proportions. Looking past the hype, we were left with a slightly dodgy and underwhelming single-player campaign and multiplayer that was starting to feel dull and outdated, especially when going up against the vastly superior Battlefield Bad Company 2.

Now we arrive at Black Ops, which for hardcore gamers with a true eye for quality has turned out to be pretty much an irrelevant title. With the enormous sums of money Activision must be making from the series, using the same tired engine for the fourth time in a row is an indicator of their blatant greed and agenda for quantity over quality. Not only that, Black Ops somehow manages to be worse than it's predecessors both graphically and performance-wise!

First impressions then are that I'm playing a game from 2004, but I can see past that. You only have to look as far back as Amnesia: The Dark Descent to see that a game can use old tech but be brilliant. It's after about 15 minutes of play, however, that I begin to realise that Call of Duty Black Ops is not only severely flawed, but fundamentally broken. I'm referring to the fact that I had to restart the game three times as the shaky set piece system failed to initiate the next sequence, even after I reloaded from the last checkpoint. When a game relies so much on this kind of scripting, the minimum requirement is that it works. Fortunately it didn't happen again after the nightmare start. What I did experience consistently however was such nonsense as having to progress a certain distance before enemies stopped respawning, an inexcusable flaw that completely shatters any illusion that could have otherwise been built up with better coding.

While the old school run-and-gun gameplay is generally uninspired, there are some enjoyable moments. Rappelling down a building before smashing through a window and unleashing hell in super-slow motion is an example of the more engaging moments that are all too rare. For the most part, you'll be blasting your way through the levels with a feeling that you're wasting your time. I will mention however that Black Ops possesses the almost unheard of attribute of gradual improvement as the game progresses.

The feel of the weaponry has to be the worst I have ever come across in a shooter. The guns have absolutely no recoil - try emptying a clip from an assault rifle and you'll see almost no movement. They all sound like pea shooters and there is little to distinguish them. The AI is rudimentary, with no real improvement evident over even the first Call of Duty from 2003. All of which of course makes for extremely dull shootouts.

Black Ops' soundtrack is a varied and strange mixture of the cringe worthy, brave and excellent. Sometimes a godawful dance beat is introduced that does its best to detract from any semblance of enjoyment you might be having. The game's finale, however, is enhanced by a well-fitting track and when the Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil creeps in during a boat level, you'll forget for a couple of minutes how dull the combat is.

There's a story in there too. It's actually slightly more interesting than you'd expect from a game of this type, though I never found myself at all engrossed. Killing Fidel Castro is this edition's Daily Mail-baiting version of the 'airport level', which again had about as much emotional impact on me as your average soap opera.

If you're wondering why I've not accounted for the multiplayer in this review, it's because I don't see the point in playing it, and didn't. There are plenty of better ways to get your kicks online, with the previously mentioned Bad Company 2 currently leading the way. Call of Duty is however a much more accessible series that is now designed for casual gamers and console kids. Be warned; this will be reflected by the depressingly low maturity levels of the community.

Despite all this, most journos have been inexplicably generous in their reviews, with many handing out scores well into the 90s. With the game's Metacritic score currently at 85/100 for critic reviews with a user score of 3.8/10, we at least know where a chunk of the development budget went...

4/10

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

2010-10-17T12:02:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I experienced the most unnerving moments of my gaming life. Amnesia: The Dark Descent has been subject to a great amount of hype for it's scariness, and this time it is truly warranted.

I urge anyone who is interested in horror to play this game, as it might just be the most genuinely harrowing title the genre has ever thrown up. Don't forgot to turn the lights off and don your headphones!

PC Zone - gone but not forgotten

2010-07-27T12:48:00.000+01:00

Although I didn’t realise it before the news broke, the closure of the most-grown-up-yet-most-childish gaming magazine has been inevitable for a while. With PC gamers tending to be web-savvy, sales of PC Zone have fallen dramatically in the last few years and the time has come that it is no longer profitable.

It may sound strange to be saddened by the closure of a PC games magazine, however PC Zone is one with a fan base who read the magazine for its wit and quality of writing as much as the games news.

The formula of brutally harsh reviews where other magazines were too gutless, excellent engagement with readers (more recently in the form of online gaming ‘Fight Clubs’), wonderfully inventive features and dark humour ensured it has been a cover-to-cover read of mine for about 12 years.

To put the ballsy humour into perspective, this is the magazine that helped launch the career of Charlie Brooker, whose comic strip Cruelty Zoo got it pulled off the shelves of W H Smith.

Other memories that spring to mind when reminiscing on the 17-year history of the magazine are the test in which staff played games whilst becoming increasingly drunk to see how it affected their performance, and the magazine carelessly failing to warn buyers that the cover disc was filled with super-gory demos before being slapped with an 18 rating and joking about it.

September’s issue will be the last; however mourning subscribers will be praying for an online edition of some kind. Stiff upper lip and all that – maybe this is the shock I need to get with times.

How to discover electronic music online and improve your collection

2010-06-25T01:12:00.001+01:00

No matter how much time and effort you put into expanding your electronic music collection and making sure you don't miss out on any essential albums or tracks, there's always a feeling that attempting to do more than scrape the surface is futile.

Here are a few tips on keeping up to speed, completing artist discographies and discovering lesser known gems:

Electronic music forums such as WATMM and Xltronic have passionate communities with members who discuss new releases.

Discogs is one of the most invaluable resources the internet has to offer, the absolute ultimate in discographies.

Last.fm is a fantastic place to discover artists, either from your own recommendations page, similar artist lists or specific genre lists.

Allmusic is a good place to discover artists and educate yourself on genres.

Wikipedia is a good place to get an overview of the many different genres and the most high-profile artists operating within them. Check out this list.

Resident Advisor has a regularly updated album reviews section.

For me, online stores Boomkat and Bleep are the best way to keep track of new releases. Essential bookmarks.

And finally, who could forget Ishkur's legendary Guide to Electronic Music, which is now sadly quite dated.

If Valve made Modern Warfare 2 and the Bioshock pitch

2010-05-24T12:18:00.000+01:00

Valve's continued support of their games and interaction with their fans is heart-warmingly wonderful, and in stark contrast to greedy and arrogant companies such as Infinity Ward and Activision. To highlight this, one gamer has imagined what the world would be like if Valve made Modern Warfare 2, bringing back memories of just how much the actual creators screwed us last year.

Elsewhere, Bioshock creators Irrational are drip-feeding their pitch document of the game to fascinated fans, calling it a "masterful fusion of design and marketing, selling [publishers] the idea of supporting our little odyssey beneath the waves."

Concept album: Autechre - SGS-teertaiht

2010-03-24T23:58:00.001Z

Artwork TBC

To celebrate the release of Autechre's tenth full-length album I have imagined a release the duo would consider far too tacky. The title is a scramble of Greatest Hits, because Autechre would obviously never use that name. The tracklist of the first three CDs is made up of my three favourite tracks from each album in chronological order. I feel this is the most suitable arrangement as it shows how the music has developed over the last two decades. The fourth CD is a compilation of tracks from Autechre's EPs and singles, again chronological and with a rule of only one track per release. This all comes packaged as a four CD set with new artwork sleeves and additional sleeves with artwork from all ten albums and the EP's and singles.

Tracklist:

CD1
1. Basscadet
2. Doctrine
3. 444
4. Foil
5. Piezo
6. Nil
7. Stud
8. Eutow
9. Gnit
10. Cipater

Length: 1hr 13mins

CD2
1. Cichli
2. Pule
3. Acroyear 2
4. 777
5. Rae
6. Cfern
7. Pen Expers
8. Parhelic Triangle
9. 61e.CR
10. Surripere

Length: 1hr 16mins

CD3

1. P.:Ntil
2. LCC
3. Ipacial Section
4. Augmatic Disport
5. Phylopn
6. Blyz Castl (Japanese bonus track)
7. Perlence range7
8. see on see
9. d-sho qub
10. Yuop

Length: 1hr 10mins

CD4

1. Flutter
2. Garbagemx36
3. Second Scepe
4. Goz Quarter
5. Tilapia
6. Drane
7. Dropp
8. Autechre Play At Drowning In A Sea of Indiependance [Original Composition by Bic]
9. Blifil
10. Gantz Graf

Length: 1hr 23mins (part a of track cut to fit CD)

Crippling anti-piracy measures destroying reputation of PC game companies

2010-03-22T15:03:00.002Z

It seems that games publishers will stop at nothing in their inexplicably mishandled attempts to prevent piracy damaging sales of new releases. The latest high-profile debacle came from Ubisoft in the form of Assassins Creed 2’s ‘always connected’ requirement, which causes players to lose progress in single-player if their internet connection goes kaput.

Until now, little has been done to respond to the backlash from irate gamers, with DRM (digital rights management) seemingly becoming more and more intrusive on legal copies.

One Twitter user spoke for many when he pleaded “it’s not gonna stop pirates so please stop so PC gaming stays alive.” Elsewhere, a YouTube video called A Real-World DRM finds humour in the situation, showing what might happen if there was a form of DRM on everyday household objects.

Public outrage on the topic has understandably boiled over to the point that today Valve Software decided to remove Ubisoft’s DRM-riddled offering from its Steam service. According to a ‘PC games industry insider’, the move was made in order for the development giant to protect its own “reputation for customer service”.

What makes all this worse is that any anti-piracy systems implemented so far have been easily bypassed by pirates, who then upload the games to torrent sites without a care in the world. Publishers recognise this and the fact that it is causing previously honest buyers to turn to hassle-free cracked versions, but carry on nonetheless.

Companies tend to shy away from giving explanations as to why loyal paying customers have to put up with these obstructions. When they do coyly speak up or agree to be grilled by games journalists, we are subjected to deceitful gibberish such as "requiring a permanent online connection is not a happy point for a lot of PC gamers, but it is necessary for the system to work.”. That quote comes from a truly cringe-worthy interview with a Ubisoft spokesperson, who when backed into a corner about what would happen if the servers required to play the game are taken down, spluttered “that's written into the goal of the overall plan of the thing.” No, me neither.

Accusations have been made that publisher’s bizarre actions are an attempt to leave PC gamers with no choice but to migrate to consoles, therefore reducing piracy. Reaction to these sadly plausible theories is typically nonsensical and apprehensive.

Is the PS3 old, fat and stupid or is this a clever marketing ploy by Sony?

2010-03-09T14:14:00.003Z

News spread on Tuesday last week that a bug similar to Y2K sunk its teeth into Sony’s older ‘fat’ (or if we’re being PC, ‘horizontally challenged’) Playstation 3. As owners prepared themselves for the prospect of losing their saved games and being unable to play online, I couldn’t help but snigger.

Many couldn’t even play in offline mode, leaving frustrated gamers wondering what was causing the baffling ‘8001050F’ error.

The bug, dubbed the ApocolyPS3, occurred when the PS3’s internal clock switched to February 29, evidently causing the system much confusion as that date doesn’t exist this year.

The latest fiasco will have left the powers that be at Sony with faces redder than the gamers who couldn’t get their fix and whose hours of hard work (OK, play) might have gone to waste.

In a statement, Sony said: “If you have a model other than the new slim PS3, we advise that you do not use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained trophies, and not being able to restore certain data.”

Frustrated by the whole affair, gamers turned to social media to vent their anger. One comment on CVG said: “I cannot play any games, cannot log on to PSN. Your silence is doing nothing to help the situation. Looks like there is going to be millions of dead PS3’s all over the world with no fix in sight. Sony, you have just screwed up big time.” A video on YouTube called ‘How to fix PS3 error 8001050F’ showed an owner simply unplugging his PS3 and transferring the cables to an Xbox 360, whilst members of Facebook groups such as ‘I’m a victim of the PS3 Y2K bug’ offered more sensible advice.

Gamers were later left wondering why Sony failed to explain how they resolved the issue during an apology. It was later revealed that it fixed itself without any intervention from Sony. This sounds to me like a company that hasn’t got full control over and knowledge of its own hardware.

As the PS3 community flocked to forums for guidance in the wake of the crisis, it became apparent that saved games and ‘Trophies’ (an achievement tracking system) could be restored – no doubt accompanied by many sighs of relief.

Of course, the cynic in me wonders whether the whole episode was just an attempt by Sony to get everyone to upgrade to the newer, slimmer version of the PS3.

Concept album: Palimpsest - Live Excerpts

2009-04-09T18:15:00.041+01:00

Kicking off an idea I had to pass away the hours on dull weeknights, this is the first of my 'concepts'. It is a fictional compilation of excerpts from Palimpsest's live recordings and was released in the year 2212. This artist has built up a reputation as one of the best live performers since the turn on the century with intense sets of industrial beatwork and brain-melting melodies. His shows are also famous for the incredible accompanying lighting and the revolutionary Airdrug system, which fills the air with legal highs. Available on nanochip for 20 Eurasians or digitally for 15 Eurasians from all good retailers.

Tracklist:

1 | Verwandelten Kernkraftwerk, Berlin, 2200
2 | Music & Arts Festival, Somerset, 2207
3 | Endurance, Montreal, 2210
4 | Snø, Oslo, 2211
5 | Oscuridad Ligera, Madrid, 2202
6 | 竞技场, Beijing, 2209
7 | Machine, New York, 2203
8 | занятый американец, Moscow, 2208
9 | D, Nottingham, 2201
10 | 兵舎〔バラック, Tokyo, 2212

2008 Top 10 albums with mini-reviews

2009-03-17T21:21:00.002Z

A little late I know, but here nonetheless.

Tragedy, trite and injustice

2009-03-12T17:05:00.052Z

In a remarkable day for video games in mainstream news on Wednesday, reports of the previous evening's Bafta video game ceremony sat alongside stories that inevitably blamed shooters for the latest school shooting. Carried out by a 17-year-old in Germany, fifteen people were killed. Some journalists were extremely quick to point out that the killer was obsessed with shooters. The infuriating trite awkwardly shared the headlines with pictures of triple Bafta-winning shooter Call of Duty 4.

The teenage gunman, Tim Kretschmer, was described as "a quiet and reserved boy who enjoyed playing Counter-Strike." That sounds like me, but I'm not planning on doing something similar anytime soon because I've managed to retain sanity, much like 99.9% of the legions of PC gamers and console kids who love nothing more than shooting digital faces purely to let off steam and have fun.

On a lighter (albeit still cynical) note, I was disappointed with the results of the Bafta video game awards. The fact that the very best games of last year didn't actually win anything (bar Left 4 Dead) compares to the corrupt, non-bourgeois nature of music and film award ceremonies.

Super Mario Galaxy shocked everyone by taking the game of the year award, proving that mainstream appeal counts for more than the incredible technical and creative achievements of games like Fallout 3. Even more sickeningly, Spore managed to fight off competition from Bethesda's chef-d'oeuvre and Grand Theft Auto IV for the Technical Achievement award despite the seemingly universal agreement it was the most disappointing game of 2008. Perhaps strangest of all, Call of Duty 4's contrived story and forgettable characters helped it win the, err, Story and Character Bafta despite it being in competition with absorbing epics such as Mass Effect and, again, Fallout 3. People are silly.

Quake Live is packed!

2009-02-26T14:26:00.045Z

Join the queue and "hold on" while id Software "let some people in". I'm currently in line for the third time to play the revolutionary browser-only version of Quake III Arena. The number of people in front of me stands at 12775 as I write this, so I'm about two thirds of the way in from where I started.

It's like queuing for Oblivion at Alton Towers on a hot Summer's day, but free to join and not as ultimately disappointing. In fact, Quake Live is a masterfully executed reincarnation of id's 1999 classic multiplayer shooter. It runs smoothly, plays as beautifully as the original and looks great, even on my knackered laptop. The website is extremely well-designed and intuitive, with a skill-matching system approving the most suitable servers with a big green tick. Also included are global statistics and player awards, a friends list (which will hopefully prove to be as convenient as Steam's) and a bot-driven practice mode.

id have taken browser-based gaming into an exciting new era and this is surely one of the best things to do on the web. Oh, I've reached the front of the queue, time for some more Firefox fraggin'...

Various news

2009-02-23T22:34:00.014Z

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

This one's not really news, I just felt like making it known that I ran through the single-player of Monolith's sequel at the weekend and, predictably, enjoyed myself. While not original or innovative, F.E.A.R. 2 is a beautifully polished and smooth game, with awesomely stylish combat and weapons. It's linear, patronising, shallow, short and without an ending, but it's still marvellously fun to play. Definitely one to keep you occupied for a little while until the release schedule picks up.

Mass Effect 2

BioWare has released some information on the sequel to the astounding sci-fi RPG. More on that eye-opener here.

Quake LIVE

This free-to-play browser version of Quake III Arena goes live tomorrow. It's a big step for shooters and from what I've read id seem to have got it right. Play it here.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Stalker and Richie Hawtin

2009-02-10T19:24:00.033Z

Having thoroughly enjoyed both of the engrossing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. shooters, Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, I was especially excited last night when sitting down to watch the 1979 classic sci-fi film Stalker for the first time, which the games are loosely based on.

Andrei Tarkovsky's brilliant, tense masterpiece lends it's concept of 'The Zone' to the endearingly dog-eared series, however as it was made seven years prior to the Chernobyl disaster, the focus is not on an irradiated power plant, but a place called The Room deep within challenging terrain.

During the closing scene I was left not only understandably freaked out, but also wondering where I'd seen it before. Then I remembered. Minimal techno superstar Richie Hawtin, clearly a fan of the film, used it as a music video for his track We (All) Search and featured in his own homage to it for his track The Tunnel. I've embedded videos of both below. Enjoy.

Thoughts on Valve and their lessers

2009-02-06T23:23:00.062Z

A number of recent occurrences have compelled me to share my views on the lovable Washington-based software giant and a company whose quality of service is almost a polar opposite.

Firstly and most urgently, the exciting announcement of Left 4 Dead downloadable content, due out in Spring, which will include a new game mode called Survival and add the two missing campaigns to Versus mode. All for free. And in relation to this, the increasingly warm feeling I have towards the honest and generous developer at a time when corporate corruption is rearing it's ugly head and revealing the faces of Bill Gates and co. Microsoft's Games For Windows LIVE software has been a compulsory feature in some of the finest recent games, including Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV, and so far it has done nothing but dampen the experience (see the 'Fallout 3 DLC' post). It has been improved recently with an interface change, but still falls woefully short and remains an annoyance rather than a useful tool. A million miles away from the efficiency and convenience of Valve's Steam software - Microsoft need to understand that what is OK for Xbox 360 plebeians is not OK for demanding PC gamers.

I also want to comment on my current enthusiasm for one of Valve's less glamorous products. The fantastic Day of Defeat: Source has been easily outdoing my other online staples in terms of playtime for the past few months. The intense, deeply satisfying combat is bolstered by the meaty-sounding weaponry, which is fiendishly difficult to handle thanks to the high recoil. New players find themselves spraying and praying, but those who put in the practice can acclimatise to the necessity of clinical burst fire. The maps are brilliantly designed, most of them delicately balanced and consisting of exciting battle zones. They look good too, the settings not as bleak and colourless as they could be in a World War 2 game. DOD: Source provides superb variation to Valve's other online offerings and can be picked up for measly £6 - possibly the best of that amount you'll ever spend.

Finally, a word on Team Fortress 2. News on the phenomenal shooter has been scarce for a while now, but there has been official word that the Scout will be the next class to get Valve's special treatment in the shape of new weapons and achievements. And you can feel safe in the knowledge that it won't cost 800 Microsoft points.

Fallout 3 DLC

2009-02-02T23:58:00.001Z

Three packs of downloadable content are planned for Bethesda's masterpiece in the early months of 2009. The first, Operation: Anchorage, was released on January 27. It triggers a map marker and a new quest line in the Pip-boy that lead the player to a Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts base. Upon arrival, the player enters a virtual reality simulation pod to embark on a battle with the Red Chinese army for the liberation of Anchorage in Alaska.

It's split up into four missions, each with a new achievement. In all they only take a meagre two to three hours to complete. It's pretty linear fare, with straightforward level design and little scope to explore. There are some new weapons and equipment, including a powerful Gauss Rifle. The missions are enjoyable enough, without ever being exhilarating. The final battle, however, borders on embarrassingly poor. It's a fight with an ageing Chinese general armed only with a sword whose only real defence is having a huge amount of health points and therefore being able to take around two dozen shotgun blows to the face.

Unfortunately, the purchasing process is painful, with PC players being forced to use Microsoft's clunky Games for Windows LIVE service. Not only does the trickle of content cost 800 Microsoft points (with a set amount of 1000 costing £8.50, making it around £7), but I found that I had to shift hidden files and folders around to get it working. This travesty of an installation is, of course, simply not acceptable, and it made me realise why Microsoft were so quick to point out there is no chance of a refund for the add-on. It is this kind of service that is driving more and more people to piracy.

The other two content packs, The Pitt and Broken Steel, will be released in March and April respectively. More on those when they're out.

Soundtrack of our lives

2009-01-23T12:33:00.000Z

A feature by Pavel Barter of PC Zone magazine about game composition.

Preview of 2009's PC shooters

2009-01-19T22:26:00.001Z

2008 will take some beating, but if enough developers can sneak their games out before Christmas, it's possible. Not that I want them to of course, I'd prefer the release dates of big titles spread evenly rather than them all being pumped out in the space of three hours, please. Here are the games I'm looking forward to playing this year, although several of them will probably be delayed until 2010.

Alan Wake
This heavily delayed 'psychological action thriller' from Remedy (the team behind Max Payne) promises a massive free-roam world and a true cinematic experience. It could raise the bar if the Finnish developer pulls off both.

Aliens: Colonial Marines
Details are scarce on this squad-based shooter but innovative gameplay ideas have stirred up interest.

Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams
2K recently said that Bioshock could get several sequels, so there is a worry this could be rushed out. Surely a franchise with this much potential will retain it's brilliance and not become a shallow cash cow.

Borderlands
Intriguing alien-blaster with RPG elements being developed by Gearbox. The main thrust of the game's promotion is the random weapon generator, with 600,000 possible variations!

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
The criminally under-rated original probably suffered from a lack of hype and it's apparently poor film cousin. It came out of nowhere and turned out to be excellent. This time we're ready.

Deus Ex 3
The game I'm looking forward to most of all. After the second in the series took a battering from critics, hopes are high that this can come closer to doing the original justice.

Fear 2: Project Origin
Reviews are already rolling in for this one, and while it doesn't seem to setting the world on fire I have no doubts it will be a solid, exciting shooter.

Mafia II
Probably the second most exciting sequel due out this year. I loved almost everything about the gangster film-inspired original so this could be easily be my game of the year.

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising
A shiny update to the brutally difficult and realistic original is a dream come true for gun nuts.

Prototype
This sandbox action game will give the player superhuman abilities with which to run riot in New York and regain his wiped memory by consuming the bodies of those he kills.

Splinter Cell: Conviction
Another installment of this consistently great Tom Clancy series is always more than welcome. The first four managed to deliver the goods, this will too.

Wolfenstein
Reaction to details on this WWII shooter has been lukewarm at best. The inclusion of aliens came as a nasty surprise to many, but I am quietly confident iD will get it right.

AFX - Konklaver

2009-01-19T22:07:00.000Z

Read today on two heavyweight electronic music forums that a new AFX album is due out in March on Rephlex (possibly as the label's 200th release). Cue two months of fanboyism debating on the quality of the music before anyone has heard it, whether Richard is past his best and whether the rumour is true anyway.

The track lengths look appealing, and the timing is perfect for electronic music's most important artist to rejuvenate the ailing IDM scene with a long-awaited new album, so an official announcement would of course be the most exciting news in the world ever. I'm going to leave the speculation at that for now, and live in hope.

Tracklist:

1. Flan Ard (4:10)
2. Saint Water 2 (5:59)
3. Gatelewn (5:43)
4. Mist In Storage (2:57)
5. Konklaver (8:41)
6. Fashionable Headpiece
7. Kashing For (5:03)
8. In (Fank2) (9:37)

CliffyB: Console sellout

2009-01-11T20:52:00.000Z

It would seem everyone has got their opinion on what the outspoken lead designer of Epic Games has said about the state of PC gaming. Xbox kids finally have the chance to mock their superiors for a valid reason after it was revealed that Gears of War 2 would not be released on PC, and PC gamers have been left reeling after CliffyB's explanation why. He claimed that "PC gaming is in disarray". His connotation of 'disarray' being that piracy is affecting sales, nothing to do with the quality of the games, which of course continue to lead the way.

I've reluctantly given in to corporate selfishness and given half of the money to my brother towards buying the game. I feel like a dirty little child when playing it of course, so the sooner it's completed the better. Throw in the fact that it's too similar to the original and therefore somewhat uninteresting and I start to wonder whether PC gamers are missing out anyway (not just sour grapes).

If Cliffy wasn't so blinded by greed he would have noticed that the PC still enjoys a stronger release schedule than all of it's kid brothers combined. If he's abandoning the PC for good, I hope he refrains from attempting to damage it's reputation with his desperate PR.

Memorable experience 5: No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way

2009-01-08T01:56:00.001Z

This game holds a very special place in my heart. It was a close call that it even made it into my pile of Christmas presents in 2002, as my Mum told me she'd been asking shop assistants if they stocked No One Ever Lives. I'll be forever grateful that she was alerted to her ignorance. The undoubted quality of the sequel came as a surprise after the flawed original had split opinion down the middle.

I mainly remember NOLF 2 for it's slick, fluid gameplay, glorious graphical style and it's wonderfully imaginative weaponry. Also, the female protagonist, Cate Archer, stands as the coolest female to ever appear in a computer game. A factor which set NOLF 2 apart from other shooters was its locations. Hugely varied, and always a joy to be part of, they ranged from a trailer park in Ohio during a tornado to a Japanese ninja village. Beautifully lavish with colour, they were a relief from the usual bleak, grey corridors. The game tells the best secret agent story I've heard. It's delightfully tongue-in-cheek and unpredictable.

James Bond meets Austin Powers, but without the lameness, NOLF 2 is an outlandish masterpiece that stands out as somewhat of an anomaly among shooters. Technically, it's aged magnificently, to the extent that returning to it wouldn't dampen the nostalgia too much. If you missed it when it came out, pick it up for a pittance and be thankful you're a negligent enough gamer to have not enjoyed it yet.

The tricycle chase

Recommended game and music combinations (Part 4)

2009-01-07T01:07:00.000Z

Thanks to the well-publicised feast of top quality shooters that were released at the end of 2008, my earlier recommended game and music combinations now seem very last-generation. It is a homage to the strength of those few months that I deemed this update necessary. Judging by the vibrancy in the industry at present, expect to see part 5 in a year's time.

Single-player

Fallout 3
The best game in years, this RPG masterpiece has you roaming the wastes of a bombed-out Washington DC after emerging from an underground vault. Satisfying, absorbing and at times breathtaking.

Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar have edged slightly closer to free-form perfection with the latest in their brilliant crime series. Still flawed in some ways, but wildly fun nonetheless and packed with things to do.

Far Cry and Far Cry 2
I've used the recent arrival of the beautifully realised sequel as a chance to add the glorious original to my recommendations. The first is set in paradise, the second in harsh African wastelands. Both will make you feel very lonely and can be brutally difficult.

Memorable experience 4: SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle

2009-01-05T19:26:00.000Z

From a time when games were delightfully fresh and magical for me as a 12-year-old (1999, to be exact), I remember SWAT 3 as far and away the best tactical shooter of them all. In fact, the evening in which I spent hours replaying the demo's single mission (video below) is one of my most sacred gaming memories. Games seemed to last longer in those days, so I think I was still playing it in 2001, but have not returned since. SWAT 4 was brilliant, but didn't quite have the same charm. I certainly wouldn't be giggling nostalgically at YouTube videos of the 2005 sequel in the way that I do its predecessor's.

Another of my treasured memories from the game is when me and a friend spent every night of several weeks replaying one of the best missions on the hardest difficulty setting. The randomly placed AI, who when given the smallest of chances will down you, meant the player had to be meticulous tactically. Progress was always slow, tension was incredibly high and completion was hugely rewarding. There was a feeling that Sierra had simply nailed the tactical shooter experience, and I couldn't imagine it would ever be bettered. In my opinion, it hasn't.

Unfortunately, as a preteen I never possessed the tactical nous or patience to complete all of the missions, as they became frighteningly difficult. I'll always remember SWAT 3 as the first game that had me thinking tactically and sparked a worrying interest in weaponry. If there is a developer out there planning the fifth in the series, I beg you to get a move on. I promise your game won't be compared to SWAT 3, that would just be unfair.

The game's third mission

Music wise, try dark ambient for the slower missions or dark drum 'n' bass for the faster ones to ramp up the tension even further

Fallout 3

2009-01-05T18:59:00.000Z

I now realise my unforgivable mistake in dismissing what I now consider the second best single-player game of all time (after Deus Ex, of course) from my Christmas recommendations. Fallout 3 was the glaring omission and my excuse is that I had not gotten round to playing it among the bounty of great games all coming out at the same time. 43 absorbing hours later (including eight on Christmas Day, stopping only for turkey and presents) and I'd reached the almost tearful climax. If you haven't already, play it to completion.

Music review: Mr Oizo - Lambs Anger

2008-12-15T18:19:00.001Z

Quentin Dupieux's latest full-length album is a self-confessed mixed bag - the first track Hun admitting that of the collection of this recorded stuff, "some are good, some are bad and some are just OK." That track happens to be very good, impressively climaxing into the less-than-brilliant bare-bones raver Pourriture 2, which then leads into the phenomenal floor-shaker Z, and so on. Instead of continuing my review in this disjointed format, I might as well announce that I have come to a decision based on Quentin's honest statement - of the 17 tracks there are five good, eight OK and four bad. A disappointing realisation considering the consistent brilliance of his previous albums Analog Worms Attack and Moustache (Half A Scissor).

Nonetheless, any serious electronic music fan will have already scrutinised this release in its entirety and decided on which tracks belong in which of the three categories, the reason for this being that he remains one of the most popular, exciting and opinion-splitting musicians around.

As I mentioned, Hun and Z are highlights, as are Jo and Positif. Elsewhere, the shorter tracks such as Lambs Anger and Lars Von Sen are little more than filler, while tracks from the second half of the album like Erreur Jean and Gay Dentists lack the expected luminosity to match those from the first.

Sadly, the bad tracks really do reach some extremely low depths. I was disappointed to hear music so normal and mainstream in the form of Two Takes It. Bruce Willis Is Dead sounds like something from the bargain bin of a Cock Rock Disco sale and for me both of the Pourriture tracks provide little pleasure.

Integrating Lambs Anger into an Extreme Electronic Experience is an interesting experiment. You could do worse than add the tracks to your custom radio station on GTA IV or listen while playing a hectic game of Team Fortress 2, these combinations sparking feverishly high levels of quirkiness.

It's a real shame that Lambs Anger doesn't come close to Mr Oizo's first two albums, and the respect I have for the artist makes me feel dirty for having to give it such a mediocre score, when he is clearly anything but mediocre. So I'll shower now.

6/10

Game review: Left 4 Dead

2008-12-15T18:15:00.001Z

Since it's release, I've read nothing but praise for Left 4 Dead. A rare feat for a computer game (or in fact any art form), and I must admit I'm mildly surprised by the unanimous approval. Many gamers are harsh critics these days, even games like Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV seem to have caused almost as much disgust as they have joy. All credit must go to Valve for somehow developing a game that is proving to be as popular as the Team Fortress and Half-Life series.

They consistently pull off winners because they know what gamers want. Silky-smooth gameplay, satisfying and intense combat, interesting characters, enemies and locations, all running beautifully on a perfectly optimised engine. It is a thoroughly professional product, nothing less is expected of Valve.

Left 4 Dead is a co-operative survival horror first-person shooter. Four survivors, humans or bots, shoot their way through zombie infested campaigns set in the city, the countryside, an airport and woodlands. If the nippy hordes of zombies aren't enough to stop the team in their tracks, special infected characters such as the immense Tank and the pouncing Hunter provide a huge challenge on higher difficulty settings. There is a chance to play as the special infected in the well-executed Versus mode. Dying regularly is a given, it is persistence, timing and luck that can eventually overwhelm the survivors.

Choosing music to accompany proceedings is somewhat of a no-brainer. Dark, atmospheric drum 'n' bass adds to the terror of having dozens of zombies rushing you at once. It can be a truly exhilarating Extreme Electronic Experience.

So why am I surprised that the game hasn't suffered the usually mandatory backlash? Well, because content is so thin on the ground at the moment. There is roughly an hour of gameplay within each of the four campaigns, and players who tend to dip in for short blasts will usually be forced to play the first couple of levels of a campaign over and over, causing disappointing repetition. Also, the weapon count is low - fingers crossed this is an area Valve will work on. Downloadable content is expected to trickle out to extend the lifespan of the game, but considering the speed the developer works at there could be frustratingly long waits between updates.

Nonetheless, Left 4 Dead is a worthy addition to my Steam games list, which I now turn to solely for my need to shoot real people in their virtual faces. For once, those people are fighting by my side as I shoot hundreds of virtual zombies in their virtual faces.

8/10

Various news

2008-12-15T17:11:00.000Z

GTA IV's Independence FM

Following on from my post in April when GTA IV was being enjoyed by console kids the world over and I was left wondering whether it would ever see the light of day on PC, Rockstar has indeed incorporated a user-built radio station into the ultimate version of its masterpiece. Players can choose to play their own track list either in order, shuffled or with DJ banter and adverts in between. Slick.

Spotify

This had to happen eventually. A miniature download opens up a world of freely and legally streamable music with no buffering times. The free version is invite-only and an advert plays after every few songs, however an advert-free day pass costs 99p for account holders and a monthly subscription £9.99 for anyone. A peek into the future and definitely one to watch.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 confirmed

Infinity Ward has confirmed the unimaginative and confusingly named sequel to its much-loved shooter will be released in 2009 and has been roughly dated for Autumn.

Christmas shooters and beats

2008-12-12T15:05:00.000Z

Any self-respecting PC gamer will know that this year's Christmas period has been even more special than last year's feast. The story is not the same for electronic music, with a weak release schedule suggesting the state of the music industry is becoming increasingly dire. I have chosen my favourites from the thriving shooter scene and a worryingly skimpy electronic music selection.

Games

GTA IV - Finally released on PC. Neither a perfect game or a perfect conversion, but it's the most fun you'll have this Winter.

Left 4 Dead - Low on content, but high on co-op fun and zombies.

Far Cry 2 - This sandbox shooter has split people down the middle with the best graphics ever and awesome combat, but poorly simulated freedom.

Call of Duty: World At War - More impressive single-player action and multiplayer fun from the wildly popular series.

Music

Mr Oizo - Lambs Anger - One of the most inventive and unique producers around is back with an album half-genius and half-rubbish.

Ricardo Villalobos - Vasco - The best techno producer in the world delivers another batch of sprawling, mind-blowing epics.

Last Step - 1961 - Aaron Funk's more laid-back alias outdoes his latest effort as Venetian Snares with an album of solid IDM.

Music review: Squarepusher - Just A Souvenir

2008-09-30T14:22:00.000+01:00

44 and a half minutes is not enough for an album to become a sprawling epic like a number of Tom Jenkinson's previous efforts, such as Ultravisitor and more recently Hello Everything, however Go Plastic remains my clear favourite despite clocking in at a similar length to Just A Souvenir.

Now that Squarepusher seems to be moving further and further towards instrumentation and away from electronic wizardry, very much in unison with his label Warp Records, the playtime caused me to expect an album akin to Music Is Rotted One Note (my least favourite) rather than a burst of intense, tight drill 'n' bass.

Upon seeing the track lengths, I was further disappointed to see a majority of the tracks playing out in under two minutes, assuming they would consist purely of impressive but ultimately shallow bass-noodling. Imagine my initial relief then when I listened to the opener Star Time 2. An instant Squarepusher classic. Nostalgic yet original, playful yet incredibly intelligent, it is, for me, the best track of the year. As for the short tracks, it speaks for itself that I am struggling to find anything much to say about them.

The Coathanger and Delta-V are both strong tracks that reward repeated listens, but nonetheless fail to keep up the momentum gathered by the glorious starter. There is unfortunately one track which stands out a turd - I listened in disbelief as I came to terms with the fact that the horrifyingly cringe-worthy A Real Woman was produced by the same man who made Go! Spastic.

It is the centerpiece trio of Planet Gear, Tensor In Green and Glass Road that save this album from seeming like an A-side with numerous B-side fillers. These tracks each serve up similarly awesome doses of music which are better than anything you'll have heard this year.

Squarepusher has always been unpredictable and he has not failed to shock and split opinions again this time around. For me, it is another boundary-pushing experimentation with 4 standout tracks to cherish forever (each of which mix well with fast-paced online shooter action, I should add). Just A Souvenir is out now on Warp Records and the follow-up EP Numbers Lucent is out in January.

UPDATE: Numbers Lucent is a glorious return to the Squarepusher style I am most in love with - melodic drill 'n' bass. Five of the six tracks are absolutely brilliant, however sadly the closer is a poor attempt at gabba.

8/10

Game review: Crysis Warhead

2008-09-29T16:56:00.001+01:00

When moments in a game have you shouting "that was amazing!" you know it's special. This is something that the half-priced standalone expansion to Crysis achieved, which is more than can be said for its predecessor. Crysis was good, but its open-ended nature meant that moments of mind-blowing action movie linearity were hard to come by. Warhead manages this by being a tighter and more free-flowing experience, but without losing the feeling of freedom that is so important to the game. Good job Crytek.

The moments I am referring to range from effectively using the über-cool performance-enhancing Nanosuit to waste a group of the frankly pathetic Korean enemy to driving past a heavily guarded fuel station and blowing the place to hell.

The secret to the significant improvement over Crysis seems to be largely in the level design, which for the most part is rather brilliant and free of the disorientating arrangements that plagued the original.

Set on a lush paradise island of greens and blues, the scope for graphical triumph reaches far above the greys of many shooters, and although Warhead's promise of less unforgiving system specs is barely apparent, it does look better than Crysis on medium settings, which is still all I was able to use despite running the game on a PC that runs other new games with ease.

You play as Psycho, the cockney stereotype who would have been everyone's last choice based on his appearances in Crysis. Miraculously, he's actually nowhere near as offensively irritating in Warhead. The over-zealous yelling is gone, replaced by measured dialogue and more suitably placed expletives.

Continuing with the modern trend in shooters, Warhead is a short game, even for an expansion, taking around four hours to complete. However, the multiplayer side has been beefed up considerably, highlighted by the fact that it has been distanced from the single-player by having a separate disc and its own name, Crysis Wars. It's good, with the Nanosuit, vehicles and weaponry adding up to a technically impressive affair, but the immersive and addictive qualities of the heavyweight online shooters are sadly absent here.

Musically, Warhead is as much of a sandbox of choice as the game itself. I'd say choose based on how you intend to play. Cloaking deviously before switching to maximum strength and pummelling Koreans in the jaw? You might opt for some atmospheric techno. Steaming in with all guns blazing? Your favourite brand of fast-paced music should combine well to deeply satisfy the anarchist in you.

I came away from Warhead feeling almost completely positive about the experience having raced through it one glorious sitting. You should do the same.

9/10

GTA IV PC rumours and soundtrack

2008-04-23T00:49:00.001+01:00

Despite rumours of an October release, there is still no official word on a PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV as the countdown for the console release enters its final week.

In the past, GTA games have arrived on PC graphically enhanced six to eight months after the console release and the same is expected this time around, despite conflicting rumours that Rockstar have no intentions of a PC release.

The soundtrack appears to consist of two electronic music based radio stations, The Journey (ambient and chill out) and Electrochoc (electro and dance).

They feature tracks from well-known electronic music artists such as Jean Michel Jarre, Boys Noize and Simian Mobile Disco.

Players hear the soundtrack through genre-based radio stations by entering any vehicle in the game.

Previous versions of GTA have featured tracks from prominent electronic music artists such as 808 State, Omni Trio and Calyx within their radio stations.

If a PC version is released, players should expect to be able to add their own music files to a user-built radio station, as with previous editions, to create a stylish Extreme Electronic Experience.

GTA IV will be available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 from April 29.

UPDATE: GTA IV will be released on PC on November 21.

Memorable experience 3: Half-Life

2008-04-23T00:04:00.000+01:00

Recalling Half-Life’s iconic scenes as merely memorable experiences seems an offensive understatement. Although the sequel is ultimately the better game, my memories of the ground-breaking original from 1998 remain closer to heart.

The legendary Black Mesa tram ride and Anomalous Materials Lab, pummelling my first headcrab with the crowbar, being outwitted by the incredibly intelligent and lifelike soldiers, marvelling at the brutal yet strangely adorable aliens, gazing in awe at the stunning outdoor environments - all elements that contributed to Half-Life being so devastatingly revolutionary and eminently memorable.

Having originally played it as a wide-eyed pre-teen upon release a decade ago, I embarked on replaying it this time with ten years of shooter experience behind me and the purpose of unearthing the optimal musical enrichment. The mixed bag of resulting feelings were made up of nostalgia, of course, tinged with a disappointing realisation that I was tainting precious memories by playing a game that was long ago significantly superseded, but also an enthusiastic appreciation that Half-Life can still contribute to providing a satisfying Extreme Electronic Experience.

The dynamic nature of the game means the scope for exciting combinations is extensive. For the earlier alien-infested levels I preferred the aptly extraterrestrial sound of acid techno, while listening to twisted IDM during the fast-paced later levels left me feeling as if I had just pigged out on my favourite junk food.

The sparse and austere Xen world plays host to the games closing levels and it is this relocation that triggers a lapse in an otherwise tight and gripping experience. Nonetheless, music similarly eerie and barren, such as ambient and minimal techno, conjured up a cruel uneasiness.

With the Source update adding a much-needed gloss to proceedings; it won’t hurt to enjoy a rerun of this earth-shattering shooter, this time armed with your iPod.

An early level

Interview: James Hannigan

2008-03-01T00:40:00.000Z

James Hannigan is a BAFTA-celebrated composer of music for games. His credits include Republic, Evil Genius, Grand Prix 4, FIFA and many others. I quizzed him on the relationship between games and music.

On the activity of combining games with music...

“I think it's inevitable and fun because in playing some games you are partially shaping your own experience, which is unlike passively watching a film or TV.

But there are games which are manipulative and tell a story as you progress through them, and it's for those I think you need still need composers and more of a universal/pre-determined score.”

On which styles of music suits which games...

“If a game is attempting to be cinematic the language of film music tends to come into play as it is so widely recognised and understood.

There are parts of the games industry more self-contained and self-referential and I do think there is music still identifiable as 'games music' at first listen.

This used to be the case more often than now, as the sound of the underlying technology was part-and-parcel of the sound. Since digital audio levelled the playing field and brought about all this convergence, there's been a blurring of the lines between many forms of music and markets in general.

Games music means different things to different people now and I think the industry in general will continue to fragment.”

On whether the importance of music in games is underappreciated...

“Not entirely. Many games succeed with or without good music in business terms, so I think games may be less reliant on music than, say, films – at least in terms of how much music is thought of as part of games design.

In other words, people may still buy games and be satisfied by them when the music is bad or even absent in some cases. But this isn't to say music isn't becoming increasingly significant and integral to the experience.I think the function of music in games differs in that it may be less emotionally manipulative than film music a lot of the time, in order to immerse the player in a convincing reality. And it may also exist less for narrative support and more for atmosphere, as players are often in control of the 'story' themselves.

But it's hard to discuss music in blanket terms when games are so diverse in genre and purpose these days, spanning action/adventure, sports, simulations and so on.”

Recommended game and music combinations (Part 3)

2008-02-25T19:25:00.000Z

Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Splinter Cell: Double Agent
The unrivalled stealth series places the player in the shoes of a spy who clocks up kills (or not) using the shadows rather than a machine gun.

Genres - Ambient, drone, experimental electronic.

Artist walkthrough (Splinter Cell: Double Agent)
Iceland - Brian Eno, William Basinski, Stars of The Lid, Tim Hecker, Keith Fullerton Whitman
▼
Kinshasa - Alva Noto, CoH, Frank Bretschneider, Taylor Deupree
▼
Bonus Mission

Multiplayer

Battlefield 2
This is the best multi-player action money can buy. The semi-realistic modern warfare is as exhilarating and fun as it gets.

Genres - Minimal techno, Detroit techno, drum ‘n’ bass.

Artists - Matthew Dear/Audion/False, Cristian Vogel, Gabriel Ananda, Surgeon, Aphex Twin, Ceephax Acid Crew, Ed Rush & Optical, Photek, Technical Itch.

Team Fortress 2
The reincarnation of Team Fortress Classic turned out to be a staggering success. This is a wildly fun game with an awesome graphical style.

Genres - IDM, electro, drum ‘n’ bass, acid techno.

Artists - AFX/Aphex Twin, Plaid, Squarepusher, Luke Vibert, Ceephax Acid Crew, Plug, Drexciya, I-F, Legowelt, Orbital, Wagon Christ.

Recommended game and music combinations (Part 2)

2008-02-24T19:22:00.000Z

Portal
Portal is a cold and minimalist work of utter genius and a game in which not a single bullet is expired by the player. The portals are a worthy replacement for bloodshed in this criminally short but innovative outing.

Genres - Ambient, drone, minimal techno, experimental electronic.

Artist walkthrough
Test Chamber 00 – William Basinski, Stars of the Lid, Gas
▼
Test Chamber 10
Test Chamber 11 – Keith Fullerton Whitman, Tim Hecker
▼
Test Chamber 15
Test Chamber 16 – Alva Noto, CoH, Taylor Deupree
▼
Test Chamber 18
Test Chamber 19 – Plastikman, Richie Hawtin, Frank Bretschneider, Ø

Also see 'Memorable experience 1'

Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
This is the cream of the crop in the overcrowded World War 2 shooter scene. This series carries on what Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (also recommended) started with unforgettable moments of pure adrenaline and feelings of fright and hopelessness.

Genres - Drum ‘n’ bass, breakcore, Detroit techno, minimal techno.

Artist walkthrough (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)
Prologue - Dieselboy, Ed Rush & Optical, Technical Itch, Venetian Snares, Bong-Ra, Enduser
▼
Act 1
Act 2 - Cristian Vogel, Surgeon, Underground Resistance
Act 3 – See ‘Prologue’
▼
Epilogue

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
This is the best third-person shooter ever. The bullet time and brutal combat ensure this is among the coolest and most eminently playable games there is.

Genres - Drum ‘n’ Bass, breakcore, electro, acid house, tech house, Detroit techno.

Artist walkthrough
Part One - Ricardo Villalobos, Gabriel Ananda, Alex Smoke, Cobblestone Jazz, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Luke Vibert, Ceephax Acid Crew
▼
Part Two - High Contrast, Photek, Plug
▼
Part Three – Dieselboy, Venetian Snares, AFX/Aphex Twin, Squarepusher

Recommended game and music combinations (Part 1)

2008-02-05T17:46:00.000Z

The Extreme Electronic Experience can be achieved in countless different forms. It can be intense, frantic, chilling, dark, minimalist, technical, or brutal. The list could go on.

There are a number of ways I could have written this article. One method could have been recommending a range of games for specific music and another could have been recommending specific games to specific music. However I decided the best way to deliver the combinations was to recommend a range of music for specific games, as there is probably only one good shooter for every 100 good electronic music albums, and this way the variation on show is strongest. Each game has recommendations for accompanying genres and artists and an example track.

Single-player

Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex is the best game ever, and Deus Ex: Invisible War is a great follow-up that was unfortunately somewhat diluted by the restrictions a multi-format release created. The games mix shooter elements with RPG elements into a blend that is dark, technological and downright phenomenal.

Genres - Game soundtrack, ambient techno, ambient house, ambient, electro, IDM.

Artist walkthrough (Deus Ex)
Liberty Island – Biosphere, B12, Higher Intelligence Agency
▼
Hell’s Kitchen
NSF Airfield - Drexciya, Arpanet, Radioactive Man, Urban Tribe, Aux 88
Majestic 12 - Keith Fullerton Whitman, Tim Hecker
Hong Kong – The Field, Norken, Kaito, Triola, early Aphex Twin, early Autechre
Naval Shipyards – See ‘NSF Airfield’
▼
Paris – See ‘Hong Kong’
▼
Vandenberg – See ‘NSF Airfield’
▼
Area 51

Also see 'Memorable experience 2'

Half-Life and Half-Life 2 + Episodes
The Half-Life series is the most critically acclaimed PC game series ever. The staggering action and interactivity that both games bought to the palette on release were boundary pushing and remain pretty much unrivalled in the shooter world.

Genres - IDM, experimental electronic, acid techno.

Artist walkthrough (Half-Life 2)
Point Insertion – Plastikman, Richie Hawtin
▼
Route Kanal
Water Hazard - AFX/Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares
▼
We Don’t Go To Ravenholm - Luke Vibert, Ceephax Acid Crew, Gescom
Highway 17 - AFX/Aphex Twin, Squarepusher
▼
Nova Prospekt - AFX/Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Autechre, Luke Vibert, Ceephax Acid Crew
▼
Follow Freeman
Our Benefactors – Gescom, Autechre, Luke Vibert, Ceephax Acid Crew
▼
Dark Energy

System Shock 2 and Bioshock
Bioshock is the spiritual successor to the immense System Shock 2, which was released ten years ago. These are the only games that truly challenge Deus Ex for the crown of the thinking-mans shooter, with similarly ingenious RPG elements to significantly enhance the experience over a standard shooter.

Genres - Ambient, drone, minimal techno, electro, experimental electronic.

Artist walkthrough (Bioshock)
Welcome to Rapture - William Basinski, Stars of The Lid, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Tim Hecker, Max Richter, Gas, Biosphere, Colleen
▼
Smugglers Hideout
Arcadia - Autechre, Gescom, Arpanet, Urban Tribe, Plastikman, Monolake, Cristian Vogel
▼
Proving Grounds
Fontaine – Venetian Snares

Music review: Autechre - Quaristice

2008-02-05T00:01:00.000Z

Fans of Autechre will be aware that when scrutinising a new release first impressions count for little as the music is packed with so much detail. There are layers upon layers of concealed sounds that do not become apparent until the umpteenth listen.

So during the time that Quaristice landed on my hard drive and this review was posted, my count of thorough listens was hefty. Sadly, in hindsight I realised that it needn’t have been, as Quaristice seems to lack the gradually revealing nature of previous releases, and even fails to conjure up the usually over-whelming and hard-hitting clout of the first few listens. That is not to say this is a bad album, as that is clearly not the case.

Quaristice clocks in at a bulky 73 minutes, and with an unorthodox 20 tracks making up the length there is a lot for a reviewer to get his or her teeth into.

Altibzz is a suitable opener, with crisp and (dare I say) Eno-esque melodies leading into the second track The Plc, which is a solid track but regrettably nothing more, as the morphing process of the catchy beat and bass line sounds like Autechre functioning rather than excelling.

plyPhon and Perlence are deliciously dark tracks with gloomy melodies and bass reverb used to monstrous effect, yet the listener is not truly convinced this is an Autechre record until the splendid Simmm reveals the more luminous side of the duo. The track begins with a saccharine melody and beat work reminiscent of Untilted. The track degrades towards the middle, but the delicate final minute and a half is a highlight.

From paralel Suns through to Fol3 the album takes a turn for the worse. The five tracks in this bracket all seem to lack the inventiveness and edge Autechre usually accomplish with ease. However, from the schizophrenic fwzE through to the delectable closing ambient tracks Notwo and Outh9X, the listener is treated to an incredible range of sounds. 90101-5l-l, bnc Castl and chenc9 are fantastically playful and thoroughly enjoyable listens, while the melodies in WNSN and Theswere are also highlights.

In terms of Quaristice’s suitability for shooter gaming, the mechanical and buoyant tracks work well with fast-paced multiplayer games like the recent Unreal Tournament 3, while the darker tracks lend themselves nicely to a moody shooter like Bioshock.

Quaristice is out now on Bleep, however for those who would rather wait to get their hands on a physical copy it will be released worldwide on March 3. A limited edition of the album was made available for pre-order in conjunction with the Bleep release; however the 1000 copies sold out within 12 hours. The main draw is an extra CD of 11 tracks (68 minutes), which are reportedly different versions of selected tracks from Quaristice.

Returning to the here and now, the vanilla release should not only keep you bewildered and astounded until the bonus tracks arrive, but for the foreseeable future.

8/10

Music review: Clark - Turning Dragon

2008-02-03T00:14:00.000Z

Going out and buying a new album from a record store as opposed to acquiring it digitally is an extremely rare event for me these days, reserved only for albums by favourite artists that have me salivating in anticipation prior to release. The promise of Clark’s latest release was strong enough to trigger the act, and the first listen eventually turned this great promise only to mild approval.

Turning Dragon is Christopher Clark’s fourth full-length album for Warp Records after 2001’s Clarence Park, 2003’s Empty The Bones Of You and 2006’s Body Riddle. Fans were told to expect an album of more dancefloor-friendly tracks and that is generally what they are.

A number of the tracks, especially Volcan Veins with its poor vocals, tend to grate to the extent that they become unpleasant, which can be put down to Clark’s questionable decision to coat his tracks with an overly rough and distorted sound. However there are strong and memorable moments as one would expect in an album of stomping beat ridden tracks from a producer very much holding the torch lit by Warp’s electronic giants. These include the tremendous melodies in the final minutes of the opener New Year Storm, the epic centrepiece For Wolves Crew, the deep and acidic thuds of Ache of the North and the marvellously executed closer Penultimate Persian. From a gaming perspective, Turning Dragon sounds as if it was made for turbulent online fragfests in places.

Despite this scattered praise, I consider the album a step sideways rather than a step forward for Clark. There’s plenty of energy and aggression here, but it lacks the consistent panache of yesteryear.

6/10

Game review: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

2008-02-01T00:15:00.003Z

The latest in the excellent series brings the setting forward from the arguably tired World War II backdrop to the modern day, and this incarnation is the best yet.

I am still feeling an immense buzz from my latest game of multiplayer Call of Duty 4, one that easily matches those given by Battlefield or Counter-Strike when they were fresh. The frantic fire-fights coupled with the rank-climbing and unlocks make this the most addictive online shooter I’ve played. It may seem unorthodox for this review to focus on multiplayer first, but despite the awesome campaign it is far and away the star of the show, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the excuses for multiplayer usually tacked onto shooters at the last minute.

The single-player campaign is very short (I ran through it in about six hours) but so tight and enjoyable that you won’t feel short changed. There is a commendable amount of variation throughout (which couldn’t have been truly said for its predecessors), meaning that different styles of electronic music fit different missions.

For example, drum ‘n’ bass or breakcore seemed to enhance the action-packed skirmishes, while I’d go as far as to say that ambient music matched the tension of levels such as the chilling Prypiat sniper mission.

The graphics and environments are visual pleasure at its finest, the realism and polish further showing how much love has gone into this product. Missions are cinematic and brilliant (if still teetering on complete linearity) and combat, online and off, rarely fails to be intense and overwhelming.

Call of Duty 4 has taken me by surprise. Instead of the merely good single-player romp I was expecting, I was treated to a fabulous campaign and the finest multiplayer action currently available to boot.

10/10

Autechre to host internet radio show

2008-01-29T21:59:00.000Z

Electronic music behemoths Autechre will host a live internet radio show on February 23.

It will be streamed via the website autechre.ws from 8pm GMT.

The show will take place on the last Saturday before the start of the world tour on February 29 and the physical release of the duo’s 9th album Quaristice on March 3.

Rob Brown and Sean Booth’s latest release was made available worldwide for download on Warp Record’s digital music service Bleep today.

The MP3 version costs £6.99 and the increased quality FLAC version is available for £8.99.

A limited edition of the physical release has been announced.

It will feature a bonus CD with 11 different versions of selected tracks from Quaristice, special packaging and is limited to 1000 copies worldwide.

Warpmart are taking pre-orders for the regular CD and limited edition 2CD now.

Tickets for live dates are available now and more information about the world tour can be found at autechre.ws.

Memorable experience 2: Deus Ex

2008-01-27T22:22:00.000Z

There is no way I could post a series of memorable experience features and not include one for my favourite game of all time. Not only that, but Deus Ex probably has the most memorable soundtrack for a game I’ve heard, with tracks such as UNATCO (embedded below) bordering on beautiful and conjuring up thoughts of joyously playing the game almost eight years ago. It is for this reason that I feel obliged to bend the rules of the Extreme Electronic Experience and advise you to turn off your play list for at least some parts of the game, which is exactly what I did.

When reminiscing about Deus Ex, it is more often than not the UNATCO headquarters which first springs to mind. This is a part of the game that had no combat (at least during your first few visits) but was utterly engrossing and downright fun to explore.

The opening level Liberty Island was easy, but stands out as a highlight because it plays like a sandbox, with the open spaces and unsuspecting enemies allowing me to realise the awesome scope of the games combat and interactivity in the coolest of settings. The other two parts of the game I remember equally as fondly are Hell’s Kitchen and Hong Kong. Like UNATCO, these are the areas with the most interactivity and depth. For me, exploring the games nightclubs, hospitals and hotels had a much greater fun factor than the military bases of the later levels.

Game review: Bioshock

2008-01-27T00:15:00.000Z

“Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow? No, says the man in Washington. It belongs to the poor. No, says the man in the Vatican. It belongs to God. No, says the man in Moscow. It belongs to everyone. I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose Rapture.”

Spine-tingling words from the ruler of the underwater city of Rapture (Bioshock’s game world) Andrew Ryan, whose presence is just one of many exhilarating elements of what adds up to one of the best shooters of all time. Not only is this true, but the scope for musical compatibility with Bioshock is astronomical thanks to its glorious art deco backdrops and dark gameplay.

There’s little left to say about the game itself which hasn’t already been said, but the great amount of joy I took in mixing and matching different styles of electronic music with Bioshock’s awe-inspiring settings is worth recalling.

A variety of ambient, minimal and ambient techno, electro and experimental electronic music all seemed to stylishly enhance the already extensive immersion and trepidation. Check my ‘Recommended game and music combinations’ article to find out what I chose as the ultimate harmonies.

Bioshock is the spiritual successor to the legendary System Shock 2, and fortunately the game bears much resemblance to the ageing masterpiece. The RPG elements have been effortlessly implemented and set the game apart from standard shooters. Hacking, weapon upgrades, buying – they’re all present and correct, along with the excellent plasmid system, which adds a new dimension to the gameplay.

The solid range of weaponry and intimidating enemies (including the mighty Big Daddies that spearheaded the games promotion) ensure that combat is very good, if not revolutionary. The games environments are beautifully inventive, interactive and wonderfully realised by the lush graphics engine. Despite this depth, Bioshock retains a gleaming polish throughout.

So you simply must play this; it’s one of the greatest single-player experiences ever and a goldmine for the Extreme Electronic Experience.

10/10

Memorable experience 1: Portal

2008-01-25T23:42:00.000Z

Although I had witnessed the intense media coverage and hype that surrounded Portal prior it its release, I genuinely did not know what to expect from the game. When I finally played it through, I was at first sceptical of its tutorial-style nature, which lasted until the final level, however it did not take me long to realise I was enjoying a fascinating, hilarious and truly memorable (albeit extremely short) experience.

Portal is not strictly a shooter because there is no actual combat in the game, however it is first person and the player does have the portal gun. The atmosphere is very cold and sparse, and the surroundings are extremely minimalist and bland, consisting of mostly greys and whites.

Working my way through the delicately planned puzzles was a joy, and with the sarcastic computerised assistant Glados making this one of the funniest games I have ever played, it is essential the games own sounds are not sacrificed completely for music.

The showdown with Glados is the part that will live in the memory. I gradually destroyed her devices while her taunts turned to pleading. When it came to incinerating the last competent, I ran the countdown timer extremely close as my choice of music (see 'Recommended game and music combinations (Part 2)') continued to build up a sense of dread and paranoia. Glados’ song in the credits, ‘Still Alive’, caps off an ingenious and faultlessly executed creation wonderfully.

The battle with Glados

Is IDM dead?

2008-01-25T07:15:00.000Z

IDM. Intelligent Dance Music. A genre name as absurd as the music is, or at least was, brilliant. It is, or at least was, often heavily disputed what actually constitutes IDM. The fundamental reason for this being that where techno music has its 4/4 beats and drum & bass has its fast tempo broken beat drums and bass lines, IDM did not originally have its own established and recognisable conventions. There is now deliberation about why the genre was invented at all and much criticism surrounding the use of the word intelligent. The term was born out a seemingly necessary desire to lump ground-breaking artists in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s into the same category. Musicians such as Aphex Twin, Orbital, Future Sound of London and Black Dog were breaking free from the restrictive rules of existing genres. It was not until 1992 that electronic music behemoths Warp Records released their influential Artificial Intelligence series that the term was truly coined, via the tags electronic listening music and intelligent techno. At the time, IDM was considered to be only for pretentious electronic music fanatics, or the male techno elite and IDM musicians were trying to detach themselves from the techno movement.

I approached Thaddeus Hermann, owner of Berlin’s City Centre Offices label, and Gabe Koch, owner of Merck Records (two of the most successful IDM labels of recent times) to discover the thoughts of those closely associated with the term.

He said: “Somehow the term made it into the mainstream media and it turned into a description for anything without 4/4 rhythms. This is when it got bad.”

Koch added: “It’s simply a term to describe a vague categorization of music. We all need terms like that so that we can talk about and relate music to other people.”

Further use of the idiom was initiated online with the conception of the IDM mailing list in 1993, which functioned as a forum for discussion on leading IDM artists and Artificial Intelligence. Incidentally, when I questioned Mike Paradinas (µ-Ziq) on his feelings towards the term, he bluntly answered: “No one uses or used it in UK. Only Americans ever used the term. It was invented by Alan Parry who set up the IDM mailing list.”

Use of the term, the popularity of the artists and the fertility of the scene began to soar in the mid-90s. Warp Records artists such as Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher, Plaid and Rephlex artists such as Cylob and µ-Ziq became the most distinguished IDM artists, consistently releasing critically acclaimed and cutting-edge music while simultaneously remaining in the background due to lack of mainstream appeal. In the mean time, charting artists such as Orbital and The Orb who had previously been known as IDM were shipped to the Electronica moniker alongside The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers, a term created by the American media to categorise the most famous electronic musicians.

Between the mid to late ‘90s, the second wave of acclaimed IDM artists emerged. This included artists from Planet Mu such as Luke Vibert and Jega, Skam artists such as Bola and Gescom while Warp and Rephlex also revitalised their rosters with names like Mira Calix, Bochum Welt and Bogdan Raczynski. Meanwhile, other labels had taken notice of the blossoming IDM scene and thus artists such as Amon Tobin and Mouse on Mars became respected names in the field.

At the turn on the century, new IDM labels and their musicians began to garner great respect. These included Merck (Proem, Lackluster) and City Centre Offices (Arovane, Ulrich Schnauss). Despite this surge the early pioneers of the genre continued to produce the most ground-breaking and commended records. A particularly significant player who also began to build a strong reputation around 2000 was the irrepressible Venetian Snares, whose breath of fresh air was enough to ensure that he is now regarded among the biggest names in IDM.

The third and current wave of IDM artists began to appear around 2004. By now, the genre had developed and morphed to the extent that the sound of the music and the market had formed its own conventions.

Herrmann said: “I think the problem was that everybody had a clear idea of what IDM was supposed to be. Processed beats and experimental sounds maybe made more accessible with some warm melodies. People got bored of it pretty soon.”

The conventions are evident in the work of all of the most prominent names of the third wave, including Kettel, Ochre, Marumari, and Wisp and have been picked up the majority of the second-wavers. Whereas the music used to be ground-breaking, the third wave artists seem to have a distinctly uniform style and the genre has become oversaturated.

Herrmann said: “There have always been great tracks around but the trademark sounds got horribly overused and became redundant. There was a huge wave of new record labels releasing mainly mediocre tracks, killing the fact that there was this new music around instantly. So IDM, originally a term for “intelligent dance music,” turned into something else.”

Therefore, it is worth pondering whether the current sound of IDM warrants its tag. It is arguable that any intelligence has vanished with the safety of the conventions and lack of originality. And whereas IDM was always considered to be at best difficult to dance to in the early days, the current sound surely does not constitute dance music at all. So to answer the question ‘Is IDM dead?’ would demand considering whether IDM as a name has lost all meaning, or whether the music itself has lost all life. First it must be debated whether the term should have been created in the first place or at least have been allowed to survive. Much criticism has been leveled at it in the past by artists and journalists operating in the field.

Herrmann said: “Nowadays, I do not like the sound of the term. Whenever someone mentions it, or uses it to describe their own music, I immediately become skeptical, expecting weak and boring tracks.”

In 1997 Aphex Twin said: "It's basically saying 'this is intelligent and everything else is stupid.' It's really nasty to everyone else's music.”

Kid 606, another well known IDM artist, has said: "I hate IDM and its elitist champions. It makes the music sound so much more than it actually is.”

And Cylob said: “Anyone who applies the term IDM to my music deserves to be shot."

It is clear what has happened is that the moniker IDM in its original form is now redundant and scoffed at, however the second and third waves of artists that held the torch lit by Aphex and Autechre are now officially recognised as belonging to the genre of IDM, and that is not going to change for the foreseeable future.

Herrmann said: “The term is dead, but there is still great music out there which would theoretically fit the term. And of course, some key players in the game continue to produce music and naturally evolve their vision. A lot of things have happened since the high times of the term. Record sales crashed, labels closed down and most importantly, new trends, such as acoustic sounds, influenced the former strictly electronic sounds. This changed the music and direction of the genre before media understood it.”

In terms of the music’s liveliness, the popularity and excitement surrounding the current crop of names in the field is significantly lower than it was with the second and, much more so, the first wave. In fact, bar a handful of exceptions, the original pioneers still reign supreme and produce the most inventive music. Nevertheless, there are still good quality IDM records being produced that merit applause despite their lack of originality.

Koch said: “The 'sound' established so many years back has been run through the works, and come out mostly mapped and explored. A lot of people listened to the early stuff and recreated their own versions, much of which was less than interesting. Do I still listen to tons of IDM? Of course. But it’s not generally a genre that much new music is being created in that people are interested in. I still use the term now and again, and I don't get offended by people using it.”

So, IDM as we knew it is a distant memory, with reminders from the big names now depressingly infrequent, however IDM as we now know it is very much alive, albeit in a less influential and popular, but still respectable form. IDM is dead, long live IDM?

What is Gescom?

2008-01-25T07:10:00.001Z

Electronic musicians are infamous for burying their projects in a deep burrow of conjecture and mystery, and there are few more enigmatic guises than Gescom. Much like the recent The Tuss records on Richard D. James’ Rephlex Records, there is an abundance of conspiracy theories that deliberate the pseudonyms veracity. However, whereas The Tuss’ work is accredited to a (probably fabricated) Brian and Karen Tregaskin, but is widely suspected to be the creation of Richard D. James himself, Gescom’s roster, which varies from release to release and track to track, has been partially disclosed. Yet it is believed the majority of the contributions remain unaccredited, leaving the door wide open for followers of the project to speculate to their heart’s desire. If the past is anything to go by, that is exactly what electronic music fanboys do best. Rumours pondering whether Gescom is an abbreviation are also rife, with Gestalt Communications being the most frequent suggestion. Additional incongruous allusions include Global Enterprise Communication Systems, and Global Engineering Systems Components.

The Gescom moniker is often mistakenly recognised as merely being Autechre’s more dance-friendly and approachable side-project. This perception is as misguided in terms of the actuality of who is involved as it is absurd in terms of the often non-dance-friendliness and experimental nature of the music. However, there have been releases under the alias which were accredited as being produced solely by Autechre. The duo, which consists of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, are documented as being among most exceptional and important innovators in the field of electronic music.

The Autechre FAQ, a Q&A which attempted to settle the whirlwind of conjecture surrounding the pair, says: “Sean Booth calls it an 'umbrella-project'. The whole Gescom crew consists of almost 20 people.” Despite this, the only other confirmed contributors are Andy Maddocks (Sonic Beat Alliance and one half of Meam), Darrel Fitton (most prominently known as Bola and to a lesser scale Jello), Mike Williamson (Made), Rob Hall (Ad Vanz) and Russell Haswell.

The release of Gescom’s new mini-album, A1-D1 (the first new material in four years), has in some cases been met by electronic music fanatics with more interest about who was involved with the production than the music itself, which incidentally sounds so convoluted for the most part as to mirror the confusion surrounding its creators.

While scouring through discussion about A1-D1 on the popular electronic music forum Xltronic, notable comments included: “I’m a little surprised there has been so little reaction to the music itself” and “I couldn’t see Sean and Rob putting their name to this, it sounds like shit. Let's hope some other anonymous loser did the other tracks”.

Gescom has released material on SKAM, Warp Records, Clear, OR, FatCat Records and Source Records and has been active since 1994, the year which saw the release of the Gescom EP and Motor. The former was accredited to Rob Booth, Sean Brown, Darrel Fitton and Rob Hall, as well as an unidentifiable entity called Daniel 72. The latter remains unaccounted for. In 1995 and 1996 four more 12”s were issued. These were C&D (Andy Maddocks and Autechre), The Sounds of Machines Our Parents Used (unknown), Key Nell (unknown) and Key Nell Remixes (remixes by Autechre). 1998 saw the release of Minidisc (supposedly the first ever Minidisc-only release) which was unaccounted for, but suspiciously released on Russell Haswell’s OR label. Also released in this year were the This and That 12”s, which are unaccredited but again feature remixes accredited to Autechre among others. There was then to be a five year hiatus until 2003’s ISS:SA was released, again unaccounted for, as is the latest release A1-D1, which surfaced on 22^nd October this year. Gescom has also produced remixes for Marco Passarani, Push Button Objects, Man Parrish and Hecker (an electro-acoustic musician who is closely related to Russell Haswell).

So, the question that predominantly remains is who else is involved with Gescom and which releases are they involved with?

A quick e-mail to SKAM revealed zilch, with the response from the label’s establisher Andy Maddocks being: “I’m afraid nothing shall pass these lips.”

One method of speculating is by comparing conceivable contributors’ music to Gescom’s music. The style of the releases has varied wildly, from the superb formulaic IDM of Key Nell to the heavily experimental bleeps and clicks of Minidisc. Autechre’s influence is blatantly evident in most of the tracks; therefore it is probable the electronic music behemoths provide at least a helping hand in all of the releases. It is feasible that there are contributions from Autechre’s Warp Records label mates such as Plaid within the more formulaic tracks. The intense sounds of ISS:SA and A1-D1 easily suggest that SKAM label mates such as the magnificent Team Doyobi participated. And it wouldn’t be a surprise to discover that an electro artist such as Drexciya took part in the creation of The Sounds of Machines Our Parents Used. The guessing game could go on and on. Oh and by the way, any murmur that the mighty Richard D. James is connected with the project has been hastily met with dismissal.

Gescom will continue to exist as a stage for an unknown number of artists to anonymously work in an unknown number of combinations. Is the assurance of anonymity an incentive for participants to take more risks with the music while ensuring the reputation of their main projects remain intact, hence the heavy experimentalism? Perhaps. One almost unanimous detail is that the music has been consistently excellent, and providing that continues, it should not matter who is responsible for its creation.

Music review: Cristian Vogel - The Never Engine

2008-01-25T07:05:00.000Z

For me, Cristian Vogel has always been one of the more interesting techno musicians and I approach his releases with optimism. His style is unique and detached from the typical techno sound. The Never Engine is Vogel’s second album of 2007 after August’s Music for the Creations of Gilles Jobin, a highly experimental non-techno release on his own Station 55 Records. He returns to Tresor after a five year absence with what is among the most accessible techno in his discography, which came as a surprise considering that Vogel’s concept for the album is bordering on nonsensical.

Following complex explanation surrounding “interpolation between data-states” and an “engine code-named the Xpute” we are told this is the “first chapter documenting the sonic results of concentrated research and development into what could be one of the more important steps into orgone -driven electronic music.” The chances are you, like me, will be in the vast majority who do not understand and quite frankly do not care for Vogel’s methodology and are more interested in the quality of the product. What we have then is eleven slices of experimental techno that are as much dance floor material as they are headphone material.

The tracks follow somewhat formulaic foundations – fascinating, often stomping, beatwork, accompanied by deep basslines and bleeps. A casual listen might reveal bare-sounding tracks with a lack of variation throughout, however it is these factors that contribute to what can be an enthralling listen. Raw austerity and provocations of intense paranoia are rarely conjured up so convincingly. It is difficult to identify tracks as highlights from such a solid and similar sounding bunch. "XPUTE theWoopWoop" is based around a simplistic hook which somehow manages to sound phenomenal. "rogue PROTOCHI" and "PROTOCHI rearMount" take this a step further by adding eerie underlying drones to the stark and driving rhythms. "SKX engineUnderwraps" almost gives the impression of Vogel’s mysterious Never Engine crashing, as the track becomes disjointed before the beats are replaced by abrasive noise for the last few minutes. The two variants of "BOPX_BOCX" are the grooviest tracks on the album. They are more laid-back and glitchy with emerging basslines that go beyond the extreme simplicity of the other tracks. The closer "PERCOL ecoDrive" is similar to "XPUTE theWoopWoop" in concept and almost as awesome.

Vogel has reported “further massive refinements to these so-called 'NeverEngines' which will emerge from Station 55 as soon as they are fit for human consumption." So expect follow-ups to this brand of conceptual gibberish and hugely absorbing techno music.

Music review: Gescom - A1-D1

2008-01-25T06:55:00.001Z

The elusive Gescom project has resurfaced with its first new material in four years. A1-D1 is a six track mini-album available on CD, and in two parts as A1-B1 and C1-D1 on 12” vinyl. As has been a factor in the past, there is much attention placed on exactly who produced the music. Naturally, there are no accreditation's, with only Booth and Brown’s participation presumed.

A1-D1 is an extremely intense, convoluted and dense listen, however it inexplicably retains a distinctive stench of old-school. This is due to the unexpected assortment of samples exploited within the tracks. The blend of abstract and more conventional sounds is generally used to good effect.

The standout tracks are "A1" and "C1." The former is based around an insanely catchy fast-edit arrangement, which chops up and deteriorates accordingly. The latter contains an achingly beautiful melody, which is progressively concealed within a coating of complex beats and layers.

"A2" is a magnificent acid track which is easily the most straight-forward and conventional track on the mini-album. "B1" is a strong track which uses various samples accompanied by elaborate beat manipulation. "C2" is an electro-acoustic piece which sounds suspiciously as if previously acknowledged contributor Russell Haswell got in on the action. The last minute or so of this track, it is worth noting, is a snarled joy. The immense "D1" is a nine minute long mash up of Adonis’ classic acid track "No Way Back." As awesome as the rehash is, there is a feeling that sampling should not become the focal point as it is here, as Gescom is capable of much more, which it proves with the other sample-heavy tracks on the record.

In hindsight, the style of Gescom’s releases has often provided a glimpse of what is in store for the subsequent Autechre release. This notion corroborates with the similarities between Gescom’s EP ISS:SA and Autechre’s album Draft 7.30 in 2003 and to a lesser degree Gescom’s Key Nell EP and parts of Autechre’s Chiastic Slide in 1996 and 1997 respectively. If A1-D1 is indeed a taster for Autechre’s next release, it seems Booth and Brown should prepare for a mixed reception comparable to what 2005’s Untilted received. Zealous Gescom and Autechre fans will undoubtedly lap this up and hesitant followers will gradually comprehend its intricate allure, however this is probably not a great starting point for those new to the enigmatic project. If you haven’t already, check out Key Nell, ISS:SA and The Sounds of Machines Our Parents Used before you approach this.

Music review: Venetian Snares - My Downfall (Original Soundtrack)

2008-01-25T06:30:00.000Z

The joyfully/irritatingly (delete as applicable) prolific producer has made a typically swift return after March’s Pink + Green and June’s Sabbath Dubs with the release of his second classically-inspired album. My Downfall is the spiritual successor to 2005’s excellent Rossz Csillag Alatt Született, which is probably Aaron Funk’s most acclaimed work. This, on the other hand, is a release that is undeniably good, but nevertheless ranks alongside his more forgettable work.

The central reason for this being that the usual mind-blowing breakcore has been omitted from all but four of the 14 tracks. Even when the beats do make a more than welcome appearance, the memorable moments that were so abundant in Rossz are intermittent at best.

Perhaps the most satisfying factor of My Downfall is the dark and sinister feel that the music captures. The brilliantly executed orchestral instrumentation is often haunting and bleak. This is most conspicuously noticeable on tracks such as "Colourless and If I Could Say If I Love You." Another highlight is the sound of the elegantly plucked strings in "I’m Sorry I Failed You." Less remarkable tracks include the four "Holló Utca’s, "which are ultimately somewhat feeble, and the Satie-esque "Mentioning It."

The finest of the four naturally excellent breakcore tracks comes in the form of "My Half," its splendid melodies and vigorous Amens work towards an epic climax. "My Crutch" and "The Hopeless Pursuit Of Remission" are worthy additions to Funk’s snowballing catalogue of breakcore productions. It is only "Integraation" of the four which comes close to being spoilt by a slightly overwhelming hoover.

If you preferred the more tranquil moments of Rossz to the chaotic breakcore sections, then the chances are you will enjoy this. If not, you may be left feeling short-changed. Either way, this album is not the triumph that Rossz was.

The truth about electronic music and it's future

2008-01-25T06:15:00.000Z

What would be the first thing that came to your mind if I mentioned dance music? Depending on your age and musical conditioning, the answers could range from anything to one of ABBA’s more upbeat numbers to a techno anthem that is currently doing its rounds in the clubbing scene. However, how would this change if I was to utter the phrase electronic music? Sure, a majority would go blank. Most of the others would think Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Kraftwerk to name but a few. And the minority left would bark out a barrage of names such as Aphex Twin, Autechre and Venetian Snares with pretentious glee. Who? I hear you ask. Fearless and challenging pioneers of a generation, the fanboys would have you know. These names may not have the stadium-filling abilities of Fatboy Slim, but the critical acclaim is there for all to see.

It’s time to find out who is really driving electronic music forward and which artists are getting the most recognition by fans and critics. Everyone knows that trance music died around the time of the millennium. It is no longer the major force it once was, and many top trance DJ’s realised this and moved on. The reason it’s not still as popular today is because the limits of the genre meant that producers hit a brick wall. Everything had been done. The genre had been “nailed”. This meant that two genres that had taken a back seat to trance were able to blossom in the early noughties. House and techno are now the recognised genres in mainstream electronic music. This summer in particular saw a surge in successful techno-house hybrid tracks. As I write this, the second biggest dance tune of the summer, Fedde Le Grand – Put Your Hands Up For Detroit, lies fourth in the Official Top 40. Despite the mainstream acceptance of these three types of electronic music, the talent of their most respected DJ’s must be questioned. The 4/4 beat that is the signature of almost all of the tracks now sounds tired to many listeners who are in search of something edgier. An exception can be made for a certain type of techno music. This is minimal techno, or less commonly, microhouse. While some are sceptical, there’s no denying that some fascinatingly unconventional sounds are emerging from this fairly new subgenre, especially from gurus such as Ricardo Villalobos and Richie Hawtin.

While a small amount of techno and house producers continue to keep the music sounding fresh, there is an underground community that is constantly breaking boundaries and conventions. The fan base has been understandably limited to those with an open mind throughout its lifespan; however there have been certain artists who have become huge. Most readers will not be familiar with this type of music, and would more than likely be horrified if they heard something at the extreme end of its spectrum. The music is most commonly referred to as Electronica. This word is a product of the American media and should not be used at all. Instead, it is experimental electronic music, ambient music or increasingly IDM (intelligent dance music). These are descriptive names. The first two give the listener an idea of what to expect, but IDM is possibly the most absurd genre name in the history of music. It is often debatable whether the music is intelligent, whether it is danceable and there have been occasions whether the tag ‘music’ is deserved. A healthy number of artists that produce this music have acquired a mainstream audience. Brian Eno and Kraftwerk were and still are household names for creating ambient and electro respectively in the 70s. More recently Air, Röyksopp and Moby are among the artists who have become famous for their brand of “chillout” music. The more experimental side, and arguably more ground breaking, has seen artists such as Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and Boards of Canada acquire a less significant mainstream fan base. Despite this, the examples above are among the many artists who have sparked the most curiosity and acclaim among music critics, especially in the past few years.

It’s been established for some time that critics are not blinded by the most popular trends and know how to judge electronic music, but what about listeners? I decided to peek into the world of Last.fm, a thriving music community on the internet, which tracks members listening habits for others to view, to get an insight. Winners of the Best Music Community award in the BT Digital Music Awards 2006, the expanding project is providing increasingly accurate figures on exactly how popular any given artist or track is at the time. The charts make for very interesting reading. And they are almost completely incomparable to the top 40. These are figures that have been unattainable until the birth of Last.fm, and they reveal information that is surprising to say the least. For example, Aphex Twin is in 150^th position in the artists chart, hovering just above the likes of Elton John, Bob Marley and, yes, Fatboy Slim. Casual music fans would see this as an anomaly, but those ‘in the know’ would almost expect him to be commanding this kind of position. Boards of Canada, another massively respected IDM act, pop up at 211, sandwiched between Elvis Presley and Kasabian.

The top of the charts are more predictable and annoyingly rarely budge from week to week. The top 10 consists of sickly pop acts such as Green Day, Coldplay and The Killers. It’s then quite a way down until the first strictly electronic act appears. In fact, it’s not until number 78 that mainstream electronic artists Air, The Prodigy and Daft Punk appear in a cluster. It’s like waiting for a bus. Many will argue that the reason these artists can reach such lofty heights is because the majority of Last.fm users are nerdy shut-ins, and they are probably right, but how will the charts change when Last.fm inevitably and deservedly gains a varied mainstream audience?

If underground electronic music artists continue to put out fresh and challenging records, there is no doubt we’ll see new mainstream success stories, like Röyksopp and Daft Punk, but despite major support from music critics, there is little chance you will see five or six electronic albums in the charts at the same time for many years to come.

How has the internet changed electronic music?

2008-01-25T06:00:00.000Z

The thought of buying a record from a high street record shop is now alien to many people. Being an electronic music enthusiast, the methods I use to hear about the latest must-have and getting my grubby mitts on a copy have changed drastically in the past couple of years.

Firstly, the emergence of ‘net labels’ has meant that artists who wouldn’t have had a chance before can now reach the hordes of electronic music fans who now use the web as their main source of finding out about the music they love. Because these online-only organisations do not charge for their releases, they are becoming increasingly popular, and have provided a gateway for artists to go on to bigger things. Well-liked labels such as Merck have been known to pluck artists from net labels. The ability to release music in this way also means that there is more electronic music being produced at the moment than there ever has been, which can’t be a bad thing for fans.

When recently faced with the dilemma of deciding whether or not to fork out precious sterling for a shiny CD version of Squarepusher’s latest effort, I opted instead to pay a reduced price for the digital version from an MP3 website.

If you plan to stay on the right side of the law, which I must responsibly recommend, buying MP3’s legally is now easier than ever, and a number of labels and online record stores now have a dedicated MP3 downloads service.

Bleep, the Warp Records-owned MP3 download site, is currently at the forefront of providing the best new electronic music in digital form, mainly because the influential label has shown the pulling power to lure many of the most popular labels into making their catalogues available for purchase.

The German techno label Kompakt also has its own download site, which is, along with behemoth Beatport, threatening to snatch the crown as the best electronic music MP3 provider, as their rapidly expanding digital stock now even showcases Warp’s back catalogue, while they’ve resisted making theirs available on Bleep.

Trusted music specialist Boomkat has recently launched its own MP3 service. While the amount of music available at the moment looks puny compared to Bleep and Kompakt’s sprawling roster, it will be interesting to follow its expansion and eventual head to head with the giants.

There are pros and cons of choosing MP3s over CDs, with possibly the most substantial pro being the convenience that downloading MP3s offers. However, if you don’t want to make the effort or part with the extra cash for a CD, you miss out on that sensational feeling of a having a brand new physical item, something to hold and the excitement of playing it for the first time. If you use a file-sharing program to download MP3s, you are getting free music, but at the same time you are breaking the law and begrudging the label the money they would have gotten before file-sharing came to prominence, and therefore potentially damaging the quality of their future output. Artists have been quick to make their feelings known on the subject, with Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea’s rant particularly memorable. It’s a moral dilemma that consumers must tackle by themselves.

Music review: Mira Calix - Eyes Set Against the Sun

2008-01-25T05:35:00.000Z

If ever there was an album that is perfectly suited to the BBC’s staggering Planet Earth series, this is it. Mira Calix, aka South African Chantal Passamonte's third full length album for Warp Records majestically combines avant-garde electronic music with field recordings of natural sounds taking place in the forests of Suffolk, where she currently resides.

Eyes Set Against the Sun uses experimental beats much more sparingly than her previous two efforts, One on One and Skimskitta, instead focusing on instrumental melodies, her own vocals and even a school choir alongside such sounds as raindrops falling and leaves rustling. Her music has now developed to the extent that her pieces can now be considered as compositions rather than tracks. Further evidence to highlight her growing involvement with classical music includes the music she was recently commissioned for the Geneva Natural History Museum and her tour with the London Sinfonietta.

Opening piece "Because to Why" is likely to be met with mixed reactions. It begins with the soft sounds of the school choir and is followed by the sound of a meandering violin and eventually a beautifully airy layer. It breaks down, however, into a cluttered and overpowering ending which may leave listeners feeling disappointed. Flawed genius? Perhaps. "The Stockholm Syndrome" steps back into more familiar Calix territory. It is one of only two beat-orientated compositions on the album, and one of the only ones to start as it means to go on. Chantal’s own apathetic singing voice compliments it excellently.

The short-lived "Protean" is among the highlights. This time the field recordings provide an elegant backdrop to the sublime layer that breezes along throughout, rather than acting as interference. The first half of the epic centre-piece "The Way You Are When" consists of delightful plucked strings but unfortunately suffers the same fate as the opener, as it disintegrates into a combination of abrasive industrial sounds and noise.

"Tillsammans" is another brief piece which justifies a lengthened stay with its gentle, plodding glockenspiel melodies. "Umbra/Penumbra" is the other 'beat' piece which offers a glance into the Calix we used to know, being possibly the only longer track which would have sounded at home on her previous albums.

Mira Calix has undeniably unleashed a breath of fresh air on a genre which is struggling to conjure up new and exciting ideas. Time usually spent by most artists polishing productions seems to have been used manufacturing an innocently unfinished and rough feel. Although not without its glaring flaws, the organic, delicate and simply beautiful charms this album offers must not beunder-appreciated.

Music review: Team Doyobi - The Kphanapic Fragments

2008-01-25T05:30:00.000Z

Alex Peverett and Chris Galdwin now live on opposite sides of the world, but this isn’t getting in the way of their progress. Their third LP, released on the Skam label, is proof enough of this statement. From the off, it is clear that The Kphanapic Fragments has a more focused sound than previous efforts. What were once nuggets of a host of different melodies and rhythms all crammed into the same track on Cryptoburners and Choose Your Own Adventure, are now stretched and given care in terms of mutation and development. Considering the nature of the two albums, The Kphanapic Fragments might have been more aptly named as Choose Your Own Adventure, and vice versa. This makes for a less bumpy ride and a more consistent listen on the whole, however my only gripe with this change in direction is that the element of surprise and the stunning array of tunes on offer before seems to have vanished slightly.

The first two tracks, “Hipatropic Doyobi Drive In Freefall - Dinosaur Green Grass Revisited” and “Dawn of the Apes – Heavy Light Cylinder,” display an ambient side of Team Doyobi that rarely surfaces. They take up half the album, clocking in at over 15 minutes each. Things get kicking with “Metabeast;” a roaring, stomping piece that also wanders from the usual Doyobi sound. “58008” and “Test008” tread more familiar territory, with the zaps and bloops accompanied by delicious mutating melodies. “Mostly Harmless” ends the album on a high, as arguably the most accomplished track they have produced.

Team Doyobi cemented their reputation as a front runner in experimental electronic music when they toured with Autechre in 2001, and this album will do no harm to the Leeds-based duo’s tag as one of the most inventive acts around.

About HECTIC SL

2008-01-24T18:35:00.002Z

Welcome to the only blog that focuses solely on the activity of playing PC shooter games whilst listening to electronic music.

My name is Adam Winfield. I am a 23 year old PR worker based in London and this is an experience that I have enjoyed passionately with countless combinations over the years that my interest for the two mediums has flourished.

If you have already experienced the chaotic joys of this pastime and want more, this blog will bring you the latest news and reviews on both fields, interviews with those in the know, features on memorable experiences and information on recommended game and music combinations. If not, I hope you are willing to accept the challenge and be sucked into the world of the Extreme Electronic Experience.