Reviews:

Press Release (Soleilmoon release date January 23, 2001)

Reflecting on the effects the Cold War had on the shaping of his world, Robin Storey explores the dichotomy of his childhood with the expansion of his artistic expression into the dark and sinister world of drum and bass. This is a story of reflection, recognition and re-evaluation.

"As the relics of the Second World War were being dismantled the sites where once had been airfields with all the paraphernalia of conflict were being replaced with the shiny new technology of warfare that required little or no administration by humans. Tall masts and shiny white domes became the architecture of the brave new world. Clinical destruction on a global scale became a reality and these architectural icons set on a landscape of wild beauty and endless horizons became a daily backdrop of my childhood. On one hand, I was lucky enough to grow up in a very beautiful, albeit starkly beautiful, part of Englandand on the other I was daily reminded and forced to think about the stupidity that mankind is capable of: fighting over prejudice and fears, over ideas and religions"

Angelic voices, some childlike, mesh with atmospheric sounds of wind; nature and imagination create an almost womb like sense of security and wonder. But always lingering in the background is the chaotic and frantic crashing of drums and bass, encroaching on every side and seeping into the innocence. Some times the drums and bass are the only thing you hear, deafening your ears to any hope or idealism you once had.

Includes Sony Media "Acid" software on disc two, for users with Microsoft Windows computers. Allows you to remix Rapoon in an infinite variety of ways. Both CDs will play in normal CD players, of course.

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Robin's complete comments regarding the recording.

As you get older some things tend to make a bit more sense than they once did .

I grew up in the shadow (literally) of the cold war .

As the relics of the second world war were being dismantled the sites where once had been airfields with all the paraphenallia of conflict were being replaced with the shiny new technology of warfare that required little or no administration by humans.

Tall masts and shiny white domes became the architecture of the brave new world.......clinical destruction on a global scale became a reality and these architectural icons set on a landscape of wild beauty and endless horizons became the daily backdrop of my childhood.

This album is an acknowledgment of the dichotomy of my childhood....on the one hand I was lucky enough to grow up in a very beautiful, albeit starkly beautiful, part of England....and on the other I was daily reminded and forced to think about the stupidity that mankind is capable of.

Fighting over prejudices and fears ,over ideas and religions .......

Where does drum 'n' bass come in?

A few years ago I thought it was crap...and didn't want to listen to any of it.

Just shows you shouldn't close your mind.

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There is something sublime about the music of Rapoon... An understated beauty that crawls up the spinal column of your subconscious, delivering an epiphany of audio revelations. Rapoon is the primary project of one Robin Storey, ex-member of :zoviet*france:, visual artist, and prolific songwriter extraordinaire. Rapoon as an entity is characterized by ethnic, even tribal, rhythms and percussions. Interlaced throughout this cultural textbook of beats, we find fluid string sections and introspective sample work. Does this sound appealing yet? It should. The latest release by Rapoon is a 2-cd set, deceptively tagged as 'Drum N' Bass'. While there are D'n'B elements aplenty on this release, it is certainly nowhere near as garish as the majority of that particular genre, instead serving as a backdrop to the usual array of sounds and textures that Rapoon has such a masterful command of. According to the official press-release;

"Reflecting on the effects the Cold War had on the shaping of his world, Robin Storey explores the dichotomy of his childhood with the expansion of his artistic expression into the dark and sinister world of drum and bass. This is a story of reflection, recognition and re-evaluation."

An accurate description, to be certain, but there is so much more to it...

The feel of this release is at times that of haunting antiquity, with an abundance of treated samples from classic recordings dating from the earlier half of the 1900's. 'Cold War: Drum N' Bass' would be the perfect soundtrack for judgment day, when all of mankind's more enviable accomplishments were being weighed against our transgressions. At other times, this album feels like the soundtrack to some lost science fiction film noir. But running concurrent with the diversity of sounds and moods that 'Cold War: Drum N' Bass' offers is the exquisite hint of hope, that persistent whisper that perhaps there really is some light at the end of the tunnel for us all. Any of you who have ever read any of my previous reviews will know how much esteem I place on emotionally evocative work, and this is amongst the most powerful examples of what I love as far as just feeling the music. By no means a light work, 'Cold War: Drum N' Bass' is one of the finest releases I have heard in some time, and I feel no doubts at all in saying it is a must-have album.

review by Psionic
Starvox