April 26, 1999
Floating In Shallow Water
They're boring and they're from Canada, but they're not [a]Boards Of Canada[/a]....
2 / 10
They're boring and they're from Canada, but they're not Boards Of Canada. Though they plug into a similar circuit-board of stressed electro atmospherics and blown-fuse beats, Legion Of Green Men are far too sonically staid to compare to the Warp visionaries (And your point being... - Ed). Their billowing instrumentals attempt to conjure a pastoral sensuality from echoing dub beats and spiralling synth FX, but the result sounds like the spaced noodlings of a couple of prog-tronica hippies.
, and giving their wibbly broadcasts names like 'A Forest Primeval (Patience Part 1)'- an attempt to confront the reality of the ever-advancing industrial machine by scattering Enigma-esque warblings over soporific drum loops. For eight minutes.
The final track, 'Listener Defined Noise Floor', is so quiet you can only hear it if you turn the stereo up really loud, thus (one assumes) emphasising the limits of man's desire to control nature. Of course, being civilised, technophile creatures, you'll have executed an act of free will long before then and pressed the 'off' button.
Like Swampy, Legion Of Green Men lack style, guile and original ideas. Thank the Lord for concrete, smoke and combustion engines.
NEW! For the latest music videos and backstage interviews, check out our brand new sister site, NME Video.
Comments do not always reflect the views of NME, or IPC Media, for guidelines visit our Ts & Cs page