Madonna - Ray of Light [1998]
Family matters have always been a good forum for Madonna. After all, 1989’s “Like a Prayer,” dealing with the breakup of her marriage, her mother’s death, and her complicated relationship with her father, shattered the notion that Madonna was an artist best relied on for singles; the deep and expressive set made for a mature album that could be enjoyed from start to finish. Unfortunately, subsequent recordings weren’t as sharp: “Erotica” and “Bedtime Stories” definitely had their moments but just as surely had their share of filler. Luckily for us, “Ray of Light” picks up on the flip side of “Like a Prayer”: this time around, Madonna’s the parent, and the topic of family provides (more…)
Prodigy’s music in The Fat of the Land portrays several scapes of electronica wrapped with traces of heavy metal and hip hop breakbeats. This CD shows just how talented Prodigy can really be. It is a complete representation of the mind, body, and soul that can be found in Electronic music.
With each release, Ratatat has further pushed the boundaries of modern instrumental music. In their first album, Ratatat, they introduced their sound, causing people to wonder “Is it electronic, video game-style music? Is it rock?” It’s both! With Classics, they refined that sound, and indeed made a ‘classic’ album chock full of catchy tunes and interesting soundscapes. On LP3, while the pacing of the songs is largely similar to those in their previous albums, in that there are plodding, atmospheric numbers along with punchier ones, the mix of textures heard here is quite rich and varied, blending to create clear pictures of where they might be heard. For instance, I interpret “Mirando” as a trip through a jungle in a river boat, “Flynn”: 