Alternative Press
De:Bug
Eye
Overload
Urb
Vital

Alternative Press (USA)
Toronto Label and Allies Resurrect The Spirit Of '80s Electro-Pop

Tracking through 1997 and 1999 releases, respectively, Snow Robots 1 and 2 capture the post-Warp Records world of electronic listening music, where strong, synth-heavy melodies lord over the resurrected spirit of '80s electro-pop. Kingpinned by the crisp and delicate sounds of Solvent (Jason Amm) and Lowfish (Gregory De Rocher), these comps also feature David Kristian, Rephlex's D'Arcangelo, and Brioche Kretzaal (Brian Flanagan, a.k.a. Datathief), as well as charged techno remixes by Detroit's Adult and Skanfrom. Where Ersatz Audio Records nails down the campy-electro thing, the Snow Robots comps show that Suction's got the game on the electro that looks forward. 4/5

De:Bug (Germany)
Suction, unser Daycare Centre für kanadische Roboter, lässt sich nicht lumpen und wirft mal eben zwei fette Compilation CDs auf den Markt. Nicht unschlau das, wo sich doch auch in Europa langsam Menschen für Solvent und Lowfish (Labelgründer und Hauptmusiker) interessieren. Los gehts 1996, und schon damals war alles super in Kanada. Solvent und Lowfish rocken, sind deutlich harscher und punken voller Freude im Kinderzimmer. Mit an Bord auch David Kristian, Adult Lali Puna steuern Remixe bei und zwei neue Tracks gibt es obendrein. Fürs Geschichtsbewusstsein. 4.5/5

Thaddi Herrmann

Eye (Canada)
Gregory Lowfish and Jason Solvent of Toronto's Suction Records reissue a hoard of mainly out-of-print gems under the appropriate, Juno-ready term "robot music." The presence of Aphex Twin's analog bubblebaths and Autechre's symphonies of synapses firing and misfiring in your head loom large over the first collection of the grim sounds of machines gaining consciousness, coming to life and rising up. The layers upon layers of patterns, deft sounds darting over synth beds, hums and spitfire electro beats are dominated by Lowfish's consistently impressive contributions and trumped by David Kristian's masterful mindfuck "Vitreous." If Snow Robots was Ultravox!, Volume 1 would be the moody John Foxx era while Volume 2 represents the effortless pop of Midge Ure. Tinfoil Teakettle (a Solvent and Lowfish collaboration) help out by putting a finger on the second installment's spiritual home with "1982 for You," as we pick up just before groups like the Smiths effectively ended techno pop's early-80s moment. Solvent's melodic excavations are slightly overshadowed by Lowfish stealing some of his partner's thunder with "Igloo Mux" (a Bach suite played by a young Vince Clarke) and "Sieve" (a malfunctioning program - or programmer - gone apeshit). Proudly analog and admittedly nostalgic, Suction reminds us where some of the country's best updates of artificially intelligent dance music reside. 4/5

Overload (UK)
Suction's engagement with a retro synth-pop sound predates the last two years burgeoning rise of this re-visited genre, however these two compilations effectively take us to the points of no return in both a forwards and a backwards direction. Volume 1 collects early out-of-print tracks with 2 up-todate remixes and 2 unreleased future tracks, whilst volume 2 collects later out-of-print tracks and combines it with more remix projects and fresh tracks. Taking the latter first it's tempting to assume that as Suction moves forward the sound seems to move backwards and customises an idealised 1980 (as opposed to 1980s) sound executed by the later punk-electronic scene and the early futurist scene - for example Human League and Visage. Without re-visiting the specifics of the spookiness and cultural technics of 1980 in 2001, it has now reached the point that Suction (arguably the best in this field) have passed through the simulcrum and are now producing better 1980 tracks than those produced in 1980. Gregory and Jason work their alchemy better than many of the newcomers to this scene, and their selection of cohorts such as D'arcangelo, ISAN and Skanfrom seem to be able to sample and freeze that undefined moment when pop breathed its last sigh and gave itself up for girl/boybandism.

Volume 1 is considerably more revealing, as you are given the chance to bench-test your guesses as to how the Suction sound manifested itself before the synth-pop sweetness of today. Not an easy task to pin down the origins of a sound that progresses backwards in 'cultural time' as it goes forward in 'real time'! Like a washing powder advert on the tv, the results are startling, with more a case of 'the inside of a dalek' than 'the emporers new clothes'. Suction's beginnings stir in their development of "distortion pedal new wave" - a nasty mash-up of breakbeat, industrial and acid with the odd Autechre carcass put to the sword. It's discomforting listening, and the notes reveal Suction's own reaction to their disillusionment with the "digital irony" prevalent in the bedroom electronics scene. The tracks themselves bear testament to the US (and Canada) take on the UK drill and bass scene pushing forwards agonisingly slowly in fits and starts through labels like Hydrant and Plug Research, until the scene impacted with its own over dwelt on reflection and splintered into the crypto-hip-hop of Schematics, the sonic execution of Kid 606 and the sublime elctro of Suction. Thisvolume does contain a highlight with the inclusion of 'Big Robot / Deep Pond' in what appears to be an industrial-electro re-work of 'White Lines', whilst the two unreleased 'future' tracks return the listener to the soft clad sanity of modern day Suction. Though calling the track 'Steve Strange' is a bit of an easy option - how about 'Mind of a Toy Thief' for a better working title.

Urb (USA)
Early '80s industrial music was assembly-line audio that used repetitive structure like techno, but rarely its melodies. Some tracks on Snow Robots Vol.1 and 2 correspond to grim industrial schematics, but more enjoyably, this Canadian label is also interested in the sounds of the electro-loving robots working the shop floor.

Snow Robots Vol.1 collects Suction's singles from 1997; alongside contributions from Adult., Lali Puna, Pest(e) and David Kristian, tracks from label founders Solvent and Lowfish bear visible references to the sounds of Cabaret Voltaire and Skinny Puppy cited in the label's literature. They stand in contrat to newer material tacked on the compilation, selections aspiring towards the melodic styling of Aphex Twin, OMD and Human League.

Collecting their '99 singles, Vol.2 sees Suction's curators continuing on this cheerful path in the company of Roman Rephlex contributors D'Arcangelo, Swedish popsters Pluxus and Skam collaborator Brioche Kretzaal. Both volumes offer an interesting picture of the Great White North's friendliness towards machinated dance music., but Vol.2 is the better half, offering a selection with ample IDM cred but enough sexy melody to suggest that the producers have used their bedroom studios for something other than solitary knob-twiddling.

Vital (UK)
It's party time for the robots. Suction Records celebrate their 10th (and 11th) release with a retro of the old vinyl and let control go in various remixes. Robot Music is something they have invented themselves and harks back to the synth pop music of the early 80s, Depeche Mode, Human League etc. Raw beats and analogue synths, but almost everything on Suction is instrumental.

Volume one starts with pre-suction, a band called Pest(e), which already has the blueprints of its successor Lowfish. Then 2 12"s are present by Lowfish and Solvent, and a 12" by David Kristian. Needles to say that they are all out of print (Pest(e) released a cassette). The styles covered here are techno in a crude form, and is less refined then the later releases. Traces of Aphex Twin next Panasonic.

Volume two contains threee vinyl releases, but a lot more people. You'll find next to Lowfish and Solvent, D'Arcangelo, Pluxus, Tinfoil Teakettle (being Lowfish and Solvent) and Brioche Kretzaal. Plus three remixes by isan, Skanform and Mat 101. The music featured here is much more melodic, less crude, with sad keyboard notes (as in Pluxus' 'Ers Majestat'). Whereas some parts on Volume one sounded a bit off right now, after all these years, the music on Volume two is still pleasent and entertaining. Like popmusic should always sound.

FDW