THE AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS

Not content with the most extreme change of direction in the history of music - from techno to 60's psychedelic prog rock - AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS aka FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON went further and produced a second psychedelic disc a couple of years after the first. Where the first disc (The Isness) had power, this is flaccid. Where The Isness had beauty, this has mundanity. And where The Isness gave us the sounds of nostalgia, this gives us - well, ill-considered noise. Apart from the first track, a prelude to disappointment, this album is uniformly without merit. It was as though their market research had led DOUGAN and COBAINS to believe all their listeners wanted was a 'sound-alike' record. We still get the wide variety of instruments, most from the East, the electronica is still as weird as ever and the production is sumptuous, but these parts do not make a cohesive whole. Moreover, there are virtually no songs here. No meaning to attach to these sounds of the 60s. 'The World Is Full Of Plankton' raises its head for a moment above the primordial ooze, but that's about it for this record.

There's only room in your collection for one faux-sixties psychedelic sound-alike record, and it ought to be 'The Isness'. Do not be tempted to buy this.

What should prog fans make of it? The album is a heady mix of retro-prog and twenty-first century production values, with an enormous variety of instruments - featuring heavy reliance on Eastern influences - and some reasonably respectable singing. Sitars, tabla drums, string quartets, flutes, banjos and chimes mix with the superb electronic wizardry COBAINS and DOUGAN are famous for to create a compelling psychedelic journey. There are some standout songs: the instrumental 'The Lovers', for example, is flat-out gorgeous, though it does stray into techno territory. 'The Mello Hippo Disco Show' is full-on retro keyboard heaven, Hammonds and mellotrons, giving out a 'Strawberry Fields' vibe, with absurd 'I Am The Walrus'-like lyrics. 'Elysian Feels' and 'Go Tell It To The Trees, Egghead' are excellent instrumentals, while 'Divinity' is a golden track, oozing bliss, stepping in DONOVAN's shoes and (probably) just avoiding cheesiness - though SIMON AND GARFUNKEL might want to sue. It even incorporates a dreamy brass section. 'Her Tongue Is Like A Jellyfish' is a bizarre juxtaposition of beautiful strings and weird electronic noises. The gorgeous 'Meadows' pays homage to PINK FLOYD's 'Grantchester Meadows', though the mighty Floyd were never this strange. 'High Tide On The Sea Of Flesh' channels early TANGERINE DREAM. Trust me, had this stuff been released in 1968, it would have sold millions. It really is very good. The final track 'The Galaxial Pharmaceutical' (and if that's not a hint I've never heard one) is an absolutely brilliant prog rock epic (divided into two parts on my promo), building to a superb climax, and is a must-listen for every lover of progressive music. The psychedelic feel is utterly convincing.

And that's the trouble. This is retro-prog, harking back to a time most of us barely remember, and as such is dissociated from contemporary life. When we listen to records from that time we not only hear the music, we relive old times. We can do no such thing with this material. Because it is so out of its time, because it is so obviously a re-creation, the album must be approached with caution. Those who crave originality - whatever that is - should steer clear. For the love of God, run! But if you want something with compelling tunes, crystal clear sound and that 60s psychedelic vibe, this is the album to get.

AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS was formed to allow the duo to experiment a little more freely than their label would allow them to using their FSOL name. They released this one album in 1993, then put AA into hiatus, mainly because this experimental music became the stock-in-trade of FSOL. AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS was resurrected a decade later to allow the duo to record a few psychedelic albums, which is why they appear here in PA.

Confused? Welcome to the world of IDM.

What you get here is a fairly respectable dance album. Not, I must make clear, house or trance, but a collection of techno soundscapes that tend towards the ambient. The tracks segue into each other in trademark FSOL fashion, are sample-heavy and clever, but by no means represent the best of the genre. FSOL's own work 'Lifeforms', 'ISDN' and 'Dead Cities' are better places for the prog-inclined listener to visit, leaning more towards the ambient, coupled with real power and menace. Only one track on this album approaches the best this duo were capable of, the eponymous 'Ephidrina', built around a sinister loop. 'Liquid Insects' is the best of the rest.

AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS (and, indeed, FSOL) are a classic example of a genre that is heavily influenced by the progressive rock movement. Their music is long and complex, the tracks often share motifs with each other, and the songs build to a conclusion. The beats may sound as though they belong on the dance floor, but the best of IDM is comprised of sophisticated rhythms.

This album is not representative of the AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS catalogue, and is best passed by by the average progger.