Plaid - Spokes '2003/2019

Tracks list

Tracklist:

[5:25] 01. Plaid - Even Spring
[6:00] 02. Plaid - Crumax Rins
[5:07] 03. Plaid - Upona
[6:02] 04. Plaid - Zeal
[5:48] 05. Plaid - Cedar City
[5:31] 06. Plaid - B Born Droid
[6:47] 07. Plaid - Marry
[5:16] 08. Plaid - Get What You Gave
[6:41] 09. Plaid - Buns
[6:10] 10. Plaid - Quick Emix

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AllMusic Review by John Bush
When Ed Handley and Andy Turner left Black Dog Productions in 1995 to record
strictly as Plaid, they unfortunately jettisoned the sound of their own classic
material. The style they embraced was organic but chilly, propulsive but also
airy, and more heavily melodic than any other techno act of their time. Four
albums later, in 2003, Plaid released Spokes amid the self-started hoopla of a
return to the classic sound of pre-BDP-breakup classics like Mbuki Mvuki and
Scoobs in Columbia. (Ironic, though, that the duos previous record, Double
Figure, glossed on the old formula as well.) Fans anxious to hear tracks minus
the steel drums and overworked melodies wont be completely satisfied with
Spokes; nearly all of this territory has already been plotted with more detail
and flair on Handley and Turners first three records. That said, its a simple
matter of deciding which of these retreads have traction anyway and which are so
thread-bare theyre in danger of dissolving completely. On the plus side,
listeners will be able to rely on Upona and Zeal, particularly excellent
examples of the ghostly electro that first launched the pair back in 1995. On
the other extreme, though, Cedar City and Get What You Gave are rewrites so
blatant they sound as though theyve already appeared on at least two Plaid LPs
previously. Worst of all, Spokes has many more examples of the latter than the
former.

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