Laika - Sounds of the Satellites (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

THE STARS, AS SEEN FROM EARTH

elisa | Los Angeles, CA | 03/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the busy, dizzy soundscapes of "Silver Apples of the Moon," Laika return two years later with the cooler, spacier sonic drifts of "Sounds of the Satellites." There are still clanks, quirks and rattles a'plenty, but with larger spaces in between. "Prarie Dog" lopes and glistens, like stars twinkling over a grassy hill. "Spooky Rhodes" and "Breather" pillow you on lush drifts of gentle electronica. "Bedbugs" and "Poor Gal" stir up the mix with car alarms, clanks, inner city groove and outerspace noise. "Blood and Bones" hits a happy medium, tempo, noise and space.Lyrically, Margaret Fiedler is still mining the same vein she hit on "Silver Apples"--domestic violence ("Shut Off/Curl Up"), feminism ("Bedbugs"), and characters from the edge of society ("Poor Gal"). This album also contains some of Margaret's darkest lyrics ever: "Dead dreams dropping off the heart like leaves in a dry season" ("Breather"); "There are things I can't explain; why tornadoes love the plains; why my dreams have lost their wings..." ("Spooky Rhodes").Over all, a more haunting album than "Silver Apples," but just as worthy to belong in any discerning music fan's collection. And if they've still got some left, the liner notes tell you how to get a Laika snowglobe."

Haunting, ambient, complex, but always musical.

Mike P | 02/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the few records that lives up to the promise of electronic music. Some of the tracks are very complex, but they always remain musical. Laika uses a mixture of new technology like drum loops, and old technology (fender rhodes organ, electric bass) and the result is a very organic album. The songs really breathe in a way that few 'electronica' pieces do. Good lyrics also."

Synchopated layers

natures_son | Logan, Ohio United States | 01/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First listening in the car was too unfocused to really appreciate this cd. I'd have to agree this one doesn't neccessarily fit in any 'genre' of electronic. Playing now on the boom box in the quiet concentrated night, the music takes flight. Vocals thick and husky, yet still flying about like the higher voiced siren types. Sure you could dance to it, but not the same old bass drum endless mix. These folks are exploring some new areas. Not exactly world beat, cousins in conception perhaps. Organic drumming, electronic backfill. Guitar much apreciated. The lyrics will take a few headphone listenings. You can spend time with this cd. I'd suggest it, if you are looking for something intelligent but genuinely inventive. And still, fun. Feels more like a celebration than the moody stuff that many of their contemporaries are putting out these days. I wish I could provide a comparison, but I can't. That's one of the better reasons to consider the music. It is unique. Contemporary, not over the edge for the sake of 'originality'."

Don't judge this CD by its cover

Richard Stoehr | Bremerton, WA USA | 05/15/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Laika on the local independent radio station, and I instantly liked what I heard. Dark, moody, and atmospheric, it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. I found their CD (at Amazon, no less!) and bought it soon afterwards. When I received it, I was almost turned away just because of its cover. A kitschy, silly-looking photograph of a moonscape under a plastic "snowglobe" bubble, with the hand-written name of the band and the album scrawled across it -- it frankly doesn't look like much.Putting on a brave face, I started playing it anyway... and was positively delighted with what I heard. The same moody and ambiences I remembered from when I heard it on the radio, but even better, because there were 12 tracks of it."Almost Sleeping," the fourth song on the album, is one of the best. An ideal song for driving at night, its steady beat implies motion through dusky air, with Margaret Fielder's soft vocals singing through the gloom. I've put it through its paces, keeping me moving when my own eyelids wanted to close, almost sleeping, but awake and vibrant."Shut Off/Curl Up" is a strange, uncomfortable song, but compelling. The repeating vocals, like a mantra, accompany a strong beat and a warbling keyboard sequence. It's a song about trauma and pain and the dark places of the soul where we shut away the world. "If it hurts, push harder." Possibly the best song on the album, though not the easiest to listen to.The remix of "Blood and Bones," on the other hand, is definitely meant to be a little more fun. Primarily instrumental, with a short vocal sequence at the end, it's a jazzy, upbeat song with an undertone of darkness. They call it the "moody mix," and I can see why."Starry Night" sounds like the van Gogh painting that is its namesake, "Martinis on the Moon" is a quirky, curious romp, "Spooky Rhodes" lives up to its name -- each song manages to establish itself well in the short time that it plays. Perhaps the only problem I have with the album as a whole is that it never seems to establish a consistent feel. I get the feeling of bits and pieces from it as I listen, and I enjoy it a great deal, but as a whole it's signified by rapidly-shifting moods and patterns.This is a good CD, perhaps even great in ways, despite its fragmented sound from song to song. Sometimes trip-hop, sometimes jazz, sometimes fast, sometimes slow -- its somewhat schizophrenic nature may be intentional, but it can be off-putting in the wrong mood. In the right frame of mind, however, it can be just the thing. I dig.Listen for the extra bonus item several minutes after the end of the last track, about Laika the dog (cheesy but fun!), and just try not to look too much at the cover! Enjoy..."

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