Andy Stott – ed Me By / We Stay Together

This one should be considered an Album. Both Cds offers an impressive dark experience, a trip to a decaying, morbid and dark world. It feels like the danger is always imminent. It's always dark and there are shadows moving all the time. Places look abandoned , monochromatic and ancient. in the first cd my top track is "ed me by " track 3 and 6 are also very good. in The second cd my top track is "Submission", also tracks 2 and 7 are very good.

Andy Stott compiles two albums into one package, and what a dark, brooding package it is. On ED ME BY, the thick grind of 'New Ground" creates a sonic sludge, above which a single voice floats. "North to South" picks up the pace, though the haze of sound remains omnipresent, even as the mutated horns bubble on through, while "Intermittent" is cleaner, though no less heavy, despite the altered soul sample. But things don't get much darker than on the creepy, brooding "Execution," which is the stand-out track here, with its bass-thrum and the granulated voices. On the title track, a hint of melancholy strings itself through, while "Stitch House" picks things up to a slow house beat, with "Love Nothing" almost straightforward in its approach. With WE STAY TOGETHER, Stott starts with the ambient "Submission" and the gurgling and train track rhythm of "Posers." But "Bad Wires" gets almost industrial, with only the slightest hint of a melody. The first part of the title track brings down the tempo to a shuffle but it settles into a comfortable groove, but "Cherry Eye" returns to the dark sludge, even as it urges you to dance. "Work Gate" offers some new percussive elements, and the second half of the title track carries a dark but warm hum in its heart. Taken together, these albums are bleak and beautiful, both challenging and completely satisfying.