Search - Bent :: Programmed to Love

*Brilliant Stuff*

Sean | Dublin | 01/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The cream of the recent 'chill-out' tidal wave. On a par with Air's 'Moon Safari' and towering above Groove Armada and Kinobe. Read my track-by-track synopsis below to prove it's diversity in styles.1. Exercise 1 Quirkily amusing Aphex Twin style outing that shares a similar tune to The Orb's 'Oxbow Lakes'. The intro is funny too.2. Private Road Emotional synth sweeps over an Irish Beth Orton soundalike. *Very good*. Like much of the album, it has melodies that stick in your head and leave you humming them all week.3. Cylons Of Love Very Air. Laid back track with Vocodered vocals and lush piano. 4. Chocloate Wings The album's low point. It just doesn't fit in that well with the other songs. Upbeat dance track with cheesy lyrics about wanting to look at some girls chocolate star (ooo-er).5. Invisible Pedestrian More like it. Moody bassline with thumping drums over the top.6. I Remember Johnny Tinkling pianos, breakbeats and a really, really smooth bassline.7. Swollen The album's high point. Sorta like Air, it fits sultry, breathy lyrics over a hypnotic 'Bladerunner' type tune. I think this is being released as their next single.8. Welly Top Mary Breezy Summer evenings wasted away drinking, smoking and making love to Welly Top Mary. Nice. 9. Irritating Noises I'm not so sure about the male vocal but it plods along nicely enough. What is he crooning about anyway?10. Always (three parts) a)Always in my heart:Club-style dance track with all the cliches: Operatic diva chanting over the top with a Euro type bassline. Saved by a truly mind-altering piano loop.b)Toothless gibbon: Frenzied techno with a monkey screeching in the backround. Sorta amusing, but ultimately irritating.c)To the bridge: Mellow hip-hop beats with children singing 'London Bridge is Falling Down' over the top. Nice album closer.;)"

Worth the money

lady detective | east coat | 07/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Typically, in my reviews, I shy away from encouraging people to buy imports. Unless, of course, the album is very, very good. With Bent's latest, it's a case in point. This is one of the most exploratory, every song is good, albums I've come across in a long time. The second song, private road, I've practically worn my cd player out listening to. Bent successfully does what so many other chill-out/potpourri of sound bands attempt to do. It's upbeat without be down right dancey, and downtempo without being comatose. I urge you to dive in."

Lovely, lovely...

Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 04/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was recently introduced into Bent by a friend at work who knows of my appreciation for material such as Everything But The Girl, Air, Zero 7, Tosca and Thievery Corporation. He wasn't wrong. This debut album by DJs Simon Mills and Nail Tolliday totally blew me off my feet! They make extensive use of loops and samples, as well as some robotic-sounding vocoders here and there, but still retain a very unique sound to them, thanks to the atmospheres they successfully create with the synthesizers in the backgound.Most likely you have heard the two hits, "Swollen" and 19-minute-long "Always" with samples of Norrie Paramor in the first third of the song ("Always in my heart"). However the rest of the album is every bit as good. In particular the first half of it is my favorite: "Exercise 1," "Private Road," "Cylons in Love" (uhhh! Battlestar Gallactica times... they were, oh so good!) and "Chocolate Wings."As a last comment, you might want to dig into the three versions available for this album: the US version which contains some tracks not originally present in the UK release from 2000, the UK version (which this review is about) and a "combined" version which contains a total of 18 tracks. All in all, an excellent choice to drive, read, write or program to, or if nothing else, simply to chill out to."