After listening to this CD for three months it is still as hard as ever to capture the sound of the new Gridlock in words.
My friend Stuart has suggested "Mechanical Ambient" as the description of the new release by Mike Wells and Cadoo, nicely
describing the ambient feel of this disc while retaining the complex structure of current electro. The first track, "fix",
makes use of stereo sound to throw sounds through one ear and out the other. The song sounds as though it may be damaged
and in need of repair at the end, where it becomes erratic and irregular before dying altogether and bursting into the first
echoing clank of the second track, "front". The beats are not as hard and pounding as the earlier Gridlock material, but
more intricate and subtle, adding nice rhythmic and structural texture over the soft warm ambience that fills this record.
My personal favorite on this disc is track three, "voiceless", because it introduces the soft whispered vocals that replace
angry snarls and growls on this CD and it also contains a very nice outro of spinning soft melodies that melt away the mind.
Track four, "UH4.17", begins by pummeling some very fast dryft-like drum patterns at the listener before fixing itself into
a pleasant soft electro groove with a quirky fast bass melody and clicking rhythms that are different for each ear. I should
mention that this CD is much more rewarding on headphones. Due to the subdued nature of this disc, the usual Gridlock listener
will not have to worry about annoying their neighbors or coworkers with loud banging or growling, and will be able to hear if
anyone should speak to them with this disc on. Again the untitled instrumental pieces play a role in the structure of the disc,
track five being a particularly nice example with a sort of falling or collapsing feel through the whole track. Sorry, I can
only describe what the disc does to me and your own personal experiences may vary. Track six showcases another new Gridlock
feature, the female vocals. Amazingly, they fit well with the subdued and calmer sound of this CD for a pleasant yet intense
listening experience. I would strongly suggest buying this CD, since it is not like any of their previous works and therefore
has a freshness to its sound. It contains versions of the tracks released on 5.25 and a few recent compilations, yet these
previously released tracks do not begin to touch the true beauty of this completed work. In my opinion, the 7" split with O2
was put out because the Gridlock track on it was more similar to their old sound and would not have fit in on this new disc.
This is the most innovative release yet from Gridlock, and takes a treasured place in my CD book waiting for the new Dryft to
by inserted next to it.
Review by Nicholas Joseph Ferro 2001