Future Primitive (1994)

In 1994, the Los Angeles-based producer/composer Haslinger came up with one of the year's more memorable and interesting electronica releases when he recorded Future Primitive. This is a club-friendly effort; some of the high-tech tunes have an industrial/EBM flavor, while some of them are moody instead of aggressive. But one doesn't have to be a club hound to get into this ambitious CD -- Future Primitive doesn't lose its appeal if you choose to sit down and listen to it instead of dancing to it. Although Haslinger employs ... Read More

In 1994, the Los Angeles-based producer/composer Haslinger came up with one of the year's more memorable and interesting electronica releases when he recorded Future Primitive. This is a club-friendly effort; some of the high-tech tunes have an industrial/EBM flavor, while some of them are moody instead of aggressive. But one doesn't have to be a club hound to get into this ambitious CD -- Future Primitive doesn't lose its appeal if you choose to sit down and listen to it instead of dancing to it. Although Haslinger employs three vocalists -- Clair Marlo, Todd Washington, and former Labelle member Nona Hendryx -- Future Primitive is, for all intents and purposes, an instrumental album. The vocals are merely background vocals and they are there to serve Haslinger's needs as a producer/composer. The same goes for the various samples that Haslinger provides -- the samples are meant to compliment his melodies, beats, and synthesizers. Critics of electronica contend that a lot of it is aimless and directionless; they feel like they are getting nothing more than a beat and are not being told any type of story. But Haslinger's electronica usually has a sense of purpose. Whether he is being influenced by industrial and EBM, funk, or world music -- whether he is being forceful or moody and relaxed -- Haslinger knows exactly what he is doing. World music, in fact, is a prominent influence on this CD, especially Middle Eastern and Arabic music. Like many Middle Eastern and North African pop artists, Haslinger realizes that an Arabic-minded melody doesn't have to be played on an oud -- it can be programmed with synthesizers. Future Primitive is worth searching for. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi Read Less