- Audio Cassette (Sep 16 1997)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Polygram Records
- ASIN: B000005HQW
- Other Editions: Audio CD
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
As a behind-the-scenes guru on U2's Pop, Howie B tried and pretty much failed to teach the Irish superstars how to catch a techno groove. On his latest solo album, he continues his quest to educate the mainstream, offering a class in Electronica 101. But his efforts pale in comparison to those of his protégés in the London trio Headrillaz. A veteran of Bristol's influential Soul II Soul collective, Scottish mixmaster Howie B knows that he is poised post-Pop to reach the biggest audience of his career. Last year's Music for Babies was a charming ambient effort inspired by the birth of his daughter, but it didn't garner much attention. With Turn the Dark Off, he opts to present a sort of Whitman's Sampler of current electronic sounds, including solid but unsurprising samples of trip hop ("Hopscotch"), drum & bass ("Fizzy In My Mouth/Your Mouth"), and ambient house ("Limbo"). For the benefit of those older listeners who are still having trouble with this new-fangled music, Howie B includes "Take Your Brother By the Hand," a track co-written by former Band leader Robbie Robertson. It features Robertson reciting pseudo-Beat poetry ("Where am I, on this elevator to nowhere?") over a strange and slinky groove, but it never really establishes a mood. Overall, Howie would have been better off focusing his considerable talents to hone a particular sound, as he did on Music for Babies, rather than dabbling half-heartedly in a lot of them. --Jim Derogatis
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Big-beat approach to sonic pranksterism, Mar 31 2000
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Turn the Dark Off (Audio CD)
Howie B's second solo disc takes a big beat approach to the sublte audio trickery this producer wunderkind is so fond of. "Turn The Dark Off" is slacker big beat, really. Imagine if Kruder & Dorfmeister set out to lull listeners into a warm, pot-smoke haze just to kill the vibe later by turning on a gigantic fan.Howie B's always understood the humor behind electronic music, and that's what's really going on here. Dig the chase-scene frenzy of "Angles Go Bald: Too," which tongue-in-cheekly shoots for being mind-numbingly repetitive. Even on the Doors-inspired collaboration with Robbie Robertson ("Take Your Partner By The Hand"), Howie B's sometimes comical use of Robertson's Burroughsian poerty prevents the track from being creepy.
The lo-fi sound prevalent on this album came at a time when high-dynamic acts like The Prodigy, Underworld and The Chemical Brothers were predicted to dominate the States. In a way, this disc proves why electronica failed to capture American audiences--we're a nation accustomed to flacid guitar heroes swallowed up by lavish production values. Nothing more than a collection of sonic pranks and groove exercises, "Turn The Dark Off" embraces everything rock-weened Americans hate: Music sampled, assembled and otherworldly tweaked by machines which have yet to be popularily considered as instruments in their own right. In a way, that's why the album's so cool.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breakbeat Touchstone?, Dec 18 2009
By Grant J. Overend - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Turn the Dark Off (Audio CD)
It really surprises me that I don't hear Howie's name dropped more frequently. This blew me away when I first heard this LP. Incredible production, catchy melodies and a beautifully organic quality so sorely lacking in most electronic music. 12 years on and I still dig this.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the more unique artist., Aug 16 2003
By Gregory Gross - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Turn the Dark Off (Audio CD)
When I listen to Howie B I am reminded of two other "fellow travalers", Cris Bangs and Kid Loco. All three have styles that are hard to catagorize because they draw from many sources. Even when some tunes don't work like they should you still wait for the other tune rather than throwing the cd agaist the wall. I liked the "hop-scotch" nature of this cd, as Howie tries many styles, some working and a few near misses. These artist are heard from seldom(with the exception of Kid Loco)but when they emerge it's usally well worth the wait.
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