HW: Nik thoughts

[Jon Jarrett]

On Tue, 22 May 2001, Paul Mather wrote:

> On Tue, 22 May 2001, Nick Medford wrote:
>
> => On the subject of Nik: what is the deal with "Nik's Space Ritual", "Past or
> => Future", "Prophets Of Time" etc? Could anyone post comments on these
> => albums... I'd like to hear them but I'm a bit too sceptical of the whole
> => "Nik-rehashes-his-glorious-past...again" bit to just go out on a limb.
>
> Of those three, I'd rank them best to worst as follows: _Past or
> Future_, _Nik's Space Ritual_, and _Prophets of Time_.
>
> I would say _Past or Future_ is pretty much essential and I unreservedly
> recommend it.  The _Space Ritual_ one is uneven, although it has some
> standout moments like "D-Rider".  _Prophets of Time_ is for Nik
> kompletists, at least as far as I'm concerned.

        Yeah, it's not up to much. The P'Orridge poetry readings are
worthwhile and the two or three electronic pieces which are basically
Grenas, del Rio and Fox quite nice; of the actual Nikwerx however only
`Stonehenge Decoded' lives up to its old glory and the two newish Nik
pieces are very odd.

        But then, there's _Sphynx_ and although not everyone agrees with
this I can't think of very much to reccomend that album beyond, firstly,
the version of `The Weighig of Heart and Negative Confession' which is
good and the original flute track at the end which is worth something to
have. Nonetheless the original Sphynx album is *so* much better.

        I picked up a comp. on Dossier ages back called _Sonic Attack
2001_ from Selectadisc in London, which has a fair stab at best of
Nikwind on it. I'd say get that and _Past or Future_ and then proceed with
caution. It also has some Anubian Lights on and a couple of remixes of
_Sphnyx_ tracks. Beware - these are quite good! Don't be fooled, the
originals are still pants. Or so it seems to me.

        I shall now drop off the net again for I hope only a short
while. Yours,
              Jon

--
       Jon Jarrett (01223 514989)     jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk
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  "There is a certain pleasure in being mad, which none but madmen know"