LFO, Frequencies
Featured Album
LFO pushed analogue synthesizers to relate human emotions and made a classic
At the time of its release in 1991, LFO's Frequencies sounded like the future: Mark Bell and Gez Varley's blast of bass-heavy electronic music neatly synthesized its debts to electro, techno and hip-hop into something altogether new and exciting. Nowadays, it sounds a bit like a time capsule — as much forward-thinking electronic music is wont to do. Nonetheless, there are treats to be had for the curious neophyte and the nostalgic raver alike. "Simon From Sydney" — a reference presumably to sometime keyboard player Simon Hartley, who Varley went on to work with under the name Feedback — is lovely IDM, mixing chirpy synths and electro beats. Meanwhile, "Think a Moment" presages and eliminates the need for Bola and a host of other forgotten oceanic electronic producers that were to come.
The crown jewel here, though, is clearly "L.F.O." which, unlike much of the surrounding material on Frequencies, sounds as vibrant as ever. It's an undeniable classic of the genre, wrapping its snake-like analogue synths around a propulsive beat that is almost laughably simplistic — and laughably addictive. Despite standing head and shoulders above the rest, "L.F.O."'s charm is largely down to the same elements you can hear all over Frequencies: A duo pushing analogue synthesizers to relate human emotions, whether it be love ("Love Is the Message"), understanding ("You Have to Understanding") or groovy distortion ("Groovy Distortion," natch).
