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Air Liquide
Red
Release Date: 1995 10 24
Label: Sm:)e

Seemingly more of a compilation than anything else -- almost half the tracks have remixing credits from the likes of Vapourspace and Jammin' Unit (which admittedly just means half the band remixing itself!) -- Red still holds together surprisingly well as an album-length collection of Air Liquide's clinically aggressive techno, mixing both sheen and electronic dirt together quite well. Even more impressive is how it's held up over the accelerated life-cycles of modern dance-based music -- unlike many releases aiming to be clearly of their time first and foremost, Red sounds like it just wants to be damn good, period. "If There Was No Gravity" betrays the origins of the album more than anything else -- the slightly drifty, slightly dippy whispering about mythology and the like is very post-ambient chill circa 1994, when the original song appeared. Jammin' Unit's remix plays up a squalling bass loop, while adding all sorts of creepy, subtle loops during the instrumental breaks, making the song more than the sum of its parts. "Interactive Warlords" sets the general tone of Red right from the start, both perfectly propulsive and with a just-soft-enough side balancing out rough bursts and clicks not that far removed from the Aphex Twin's fascination with technical aggro. Titling one track "Tanz Der Lemminge II" is a nice nod to Krautrock's Amon Duul II, though the crisp techno beat of the DJ Hell/Tom remix is not exactly something you'd hear on Wolf City or Yeti. As for the Vapourspace remix, while it's not on the level of Mark Gage's own highlights like "Gravitational Arch of Ten," his take on "Theme from Robot Wars -- System Engaged" does have a nice slow build to it. With a dollop of prescience added for effect ("MP3," titled after the then-new format but years before it became the record companies' boogeyman), Red is worth looking into if one gets the chance. Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks:

	Title	Composer	Time
1	Interactive Warlords	Walker, Jammin' Unit	8:07
2	If There Was No Gravity [Jammin' Unit Remix]	Walker, Jammin' Unit, Applegate	4:02
3	Der Laufer	Walker, Jammin' Unit	4:17
4	Live in New York, Pt. 3	Walker, Jammin' Unit	6:24
5	Live at Ultraschall, Pt. 2	Walker, Jammin' Unit	2:31
6	Tanz Der Lemminge II [Straight Outta Hell Remix by DJ Hell and Torn]	Walker, Jammin' Unit	5:21
7	Ek-Stasis [NYC Bass Mix by DX 13 Vs. Marshall]	Walker, Jammin' Unit	5:05
8	Psychocandies II	Walker, Jammin' Unit	5:48
9	Theme from Robot Wars - System Engaged [machine invasion remix via vap]	Walker, Jammin' Unit	6:31
10	This Is Not a Mind Trip [Temple of Boom Remix by Black One]	Walker, Jammin' Unit, Applegate	6:43
11	Live at Ultraschall, Pt. 1	Walker, Jammin' Unit	2:28
12	Mp3	Walker, Jammin' Unit	5:39
13	Hal's Favorite	Walker, Jammin' Unit	3:44