Alex Smoke. Whaddya know?

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Q1. What does anybody know about him?
Q2. What do you think of the new album?

A1. Scottish. Soma. He must like Goth and Four Tet.
A2. The new album is fantastic. Completely different than I expected. From electronic psychedelia to ... (shudder as i use the term) ... micro-goth. And he avoids trying to just recreate "Don't See the Point" ... one of the best tracks from last year.

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Sunday, 5 February 2006 05:22 (twenty years ago)

Thank goodness this came up, I was on the verge of making an "Alex Smoke appreciation thread:

Ummm, more specifically he's from Glasgow, "Chica Wappa is the most optimistic he's going to get" as he put it, in terms of uptemp. And Chica Wappa is defenitely one of my favourite tracks ever. Incommunicado is established on my list of CD's I must have but haven't found as of yet.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Sunday, 5 February 2006 05:37 (twenty years ago)

i'm almost certain he doesn't like goth.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Sunday, 5 February 2006 05:44 (twenty years ago)

For reference: Let's talk about Alex Smoke's 'Incommunicado' album...

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 5 February 2006 06:09 (twenty years ago)

For the most part he gets overrated really, outside 'Don't See The Point'(obviously), 'Chica Wappa' and the one that ripps off 'Dominator'.

Though "From electronic psychedelia to micro-goth" means I'll check his new albmu. :)

― Omar (Omar), Sunday, 5 February 2006 12:06 (twenty years ago)

I agree with the above pretty much. Though it's probably my own prejudices, seems very dark alot of the time and the beats are very light.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 5 February 2006 12:10 (twenty years ago)

Really liked all the stuff I'd heard of his, but I'm not very fond of Incomunicado. Big let down as far as I'm concerned.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Sunday, 5 February 2006 15:13 (twenty years ago)

i still listen to incommunicado all of the time. it was one of my faves from last year, easily near the top. not sure what i think of his newer stuff...the last two vakant singles have some really nice moments, but i still like the first full-length better. haven't heard the new lp. i like the flow and melodic sensibility of incommunicado and i think the way he does bass sets off the lightness and occasional fussiness of the beats. some of his remixes are like wow dude. (alex under, andre kraml, sid lerock)

― breakfast pants (disco stu), Sunday, 5 February 2006 18:23 (twenty years ago)

i'm surprised to hear some of the indifference to incommunicado here, i think it's a lovely and astonishingly well realized album, with several absolute *corkers* of tracks (i love "drowned in sound"). haven't heard the new one, really looking forward to it.

actually met alex last night at watergate... really nice guy. i dug his live set, though i would like to have heard him on a much bigger system; the downstairs sound didn't really do him justice.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Sunday, 5 February 2006 23:00 (twenty years ago)

"Lost in sound" ;)

Pedantry strikes.

I'm giving the album a listen to see if I judged it too quickly (could be a slow burner).

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Sunday, 5 February 2006 23:04 (twenty years ago)

Also the guy is from my neck of the woods, I can get all jingoistic if it's good.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Sunday, 5 February 2006 23:05 (twenty years ago)

Don't sleep on the remix of Envoy obv. I love the Andre Kraml mix too which is funkier and bassier than most of his other stuff, I hope he goes in that direction a bit more.

Also "Neds" is ace.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 5 February 2006 23:19 (twenty years ago)

Yeah totally, and a cracker of a name for a track as well (for those not in the know the 'ned' is the Scottish equivalent of the English 'chav').

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Sunday, 5 February 2006 23:20 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

And speaking of "Neds" haha I kill me...

New album as Wraetlic really clicking for me this afternoon. Due for release in a few weeks, you can check out some tracks via Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/wraetlic

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 13 January 2013 23:21 (thirteen years ago)

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