Laika - Lost in Space - Volume One (1993-2002)
(Too Pure)
A two-disk overview of the first decade of this highly underrated electronic chill-out duo (Margaret Fiedler and Guy Fixsen, both ex-Moonshake, accompanied throughout by John Frennett and Lou Ciccotelli) is a handy catchall for completists, particularly disk two, which features a couple of remixes (Maxwell House's one-man groove machine on "Prairie Dog" and Jack Danger's "favourite-ever remix" on "Looking for the Jackalope"), a live track from Italy ("Red River"), several B-sides ("Lie Low" and "Lyin' Goat"), and a few Peel Sessions ("Jackalope," "Badtimes" (complete with hilarious new made-up-on-the-spot lyrics), and "Go Fish"). The first disk compiles the best from their four full lengths, providing an excellent overview for newcomers who may recognize the name, but not the music. As an added bonus, the informative, self-penned track annotations reveal more about the band's mindset during the creation and recording of the music than an entire ream of press clippings.
Highlights include the hypnotic, techno-bordering-on-acid-house metallic sheen of "Sugar Daddy," the crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside dichotomy of "Breather," wherein Fiedler's sexy, breathy vocals coo and woo over the industrial shuffle beat in the background—perhaps "Heavy Breather" would have been a more appropriate title? A chill out classic that leads into "Coming Down Glass," a sexy Tom Tom Club mix with a heavier bass line that actually recalls David Essex's "Rock On!" The story behind the song is a sick reminder to stay out of the phone booths in NYC's Grand Central Station, but you'll have to pick this up to enjoy it.
Some tracks, like the dull, repetitive "If You Miss" will only appeal to fans, as will the Bongwater-goes-techno "Bedbugs," apparently used in a couple of straight-to-video films and an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" Although I must give kudos to Fiedler for her spot-on Ann Magnuson impression, which is apparent throughout and can be distracting if you're a big Bongwater fan Laika me. "Go Fish" suffers from a technical glitch that the couple decided to leave in—they forgot to mute one of the vocal tracks, rendering the resulting round-like (as in "Row Row Your Boat") rap session unintelligible, which is what should have happened to the fucking foul-mouthed piece of hip-hop shit called "Beestinger," a new track about Bill fucking Monica. And I would have preferred more singing from Fiedler instead of all her spoken word rapping on "Uneasy," although the director's pretentious description of the video is priceless!
Admittedly, as during the ridiculously lyricked "Shut Off/Curl Up" (taken from perverted love letters from a couple of Margaret's college boyfriends), I thought I was listening to the Lords of Acid, but the hypnotic, chill-out grooves are quite relaxing more often than not, and the material is much stronger than "Laika-minded" groups, such as Black Box Recorder, Air, Portishead, et al. Two hours of low impact techno chill-out music is probably too much for one sitting, the water is certainly fine enough for more than an occasional dip into the first decade of Laika's not unpleasant romantic cha-cha and ambient techno/trance music.
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