New Forms

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Full Cycle's core members of Roni Size, Suv, Krust and Die spent six years sniping innovative twelves from their studios in Bristol before the majors finally started reaching for their chequebooks--Giles Peterson eventually clenching the deal for his well respected Talkin' Loud. A couple of singles and a slew of remixes followed before this album was released to critical acclaim. Switching between the minimal to the full, oppressive to the inviting, "New Forms" nods its head to the jazz experimentation of the sixties. At the same time, it retains a cutting edge feel, proof that the sound of Full Cycle is, without any doubt, one of the most advanced operating within drum and bass. "Share the Fall," captures the spirit of the whole album with harsh bass stabbing at clicked breaks and tumbling rolls, the trashily EQ'd vocal slicing apart a strung out midsection and hazy atmospheres before the beats solo out to stalk individual members of the roaring crowd. As at home in a club as it is in a car stereo or living room, "New Forms" has proved to be a seminal album that, though uniquely drum and bass, aspires to something much larger.--Kingsley Marshall

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Description
By far the funkiest of the numerous high-profile drum 'n' bass albums released in 1997, NEW FORMS, by Bristol, UK DJ Roni Size and his crew Reprazent, is one of the few that sounds as if it has a chance to appeal to the uninitiated. The basic drum 'n' bass design--high-speed breakbeats, minimal melodic underpinning, diva vocals--remains. Size and his partners apply the blueprint to song forms instead of soundscape/groove collages, and they don't chintz on textures, infusing the digital whole with numerous analogue sounds.
Even thevocals stand apart from that of most club-ready albums. Twosuperb raps hint at the possibility of a hip-hop/d'n'b alliance that would serve both musics: MC Dynamite's crunching opener "Railing" and Bahamadia's work on the title track harken back to the days when rappers could move the dance-floor with a rhythm other than the funky mid-tempo. And even the instrumental workouts, like the mesmerising "Brown Paper Bag", which rotates on samples of a stand-up bass and an acoustic guitar, have the sort of hooks and grooves that just aren't found on most electronic music platters. NEW FORMS is an album that remarkably lives up to its bold title.

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2007-06-03 rating:
much better than in the mode
I thought the previous album "in the mode" had good ideas going on but it all sound too forced and pressured to me. This however is more calm, controlled and allows the jazzy/bassy style of r.s to show through better, rather than being pasted over by skittish beats which trashed "in the mode" to pieces. Obviously that does get you press attention but also ruins what r.s is best at. But now he has made the album that was trying to creep through previously.

Just go straight ahead and buy this if you have heard and liked brown paper bag which you should because it is one of the best d&b tunes of all time!

Despite new forms not being d&b in the traditional hard, nightclub style, it opened a new door and showed the way forward in terms of more funky style d&b(think high contrast/london elektricity). Theres a hint of jazz influence behind this album which is refreshing and different. The use off some more realistic sounding bass lines of a real double bass is something that should be used more in d&b.

There some not so good tracks on here hence the 4 stars but there is good variety and imagination aswell as a small handful of classic tracks. Anyone into brown paper bag or those artists mentioned will lap this up. An important album in any d&b cd collection, large or small.

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review by: date: 2007-03-13 rating:
Patchy, but what wonderful patches
As the first track declares: 'Yes, something of a different pace!' I can't say I enjoy all the songs on the album. The chord structure and vocals on 'Share the Fall' and 'Watching Windows' could be stronger, and 'Mad Cat' is two songs: one that is horrible and difficult to listen to overlaid onto a wonderful drum beat. But forget all that, the other songs are inventive and fantastic and 'Destination' is probably one of the greatest songs in any genre. I listen to the Hospital Records podcast and unfortunately modern drum and bass has not been able to surpass this tour de force, moving too far away from the original instruments. Again, as the second line of 'Railing' says: 'Fresh, into 97 make haste'. 1997 was a good year for music.

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review by: samd102 date: 2005-03-08 rating:
A legendary album......
New Forms (Reprazent) is the legendary jungle/drum & bass album released by DJ Roni Size and the full cycle label back in 1997. With the obvious exception of LTJ Bukem and Goldie this was the first official offering of what has become to be known as 'intelligent drum & bass' and what a classic, pioneering album it was. And still is. Nearly ten years on and New Forms still provides deep, intelligent, atmospheric drum & bass listening and from a personal perspective takes me right back to the teenage years of the 1990's. The album begins with the energetic 'Railing', the better known 'Brown Paper Bag' (non vocal mix), the AMAZING 'New Forms' with wicked vocals provided by guest 'Bahamadia', the futuristic sounds of 'Let's Get It On' & 'Digital' before progressing to the euphorically uplifting 'Heroes' & 'Share The Fall' with all tracks retaining that drum & bass element necessary to truly convey this genre of electronic music....The fact that Roni Size recieved the Mercury Music Prize Award that year for ' New Forms' basically sums up the critical acclaim that this CD rightly generated. It really is a classic that will go down in history within the drum & bass / electronic / digital scene.....Furthermore, for all those open minded music lovers who can appreciate music not specifically made by 'real' instruments I would definetely reccommend this for ambient, intelligent beats.....Much respect to the one & only Mr Roni Size.

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review by: aidanmcguire date: 2003-10-23 rating:
Still Fresh
Bought this one the week it was released in '97, still listen to it today, how many D&B albums stand the test of time? Still love it!


review by: djrevivalist date: 2002-08-21 rating:
Choice
Roni Size took off in a big way after the release of this album. I remmeber hearing "Brown Paper Bag" for the first time and thinking drum and bass shouldn't sound this good. People have over played the jazz element on this album. It is very jazzy, in places and when it needs to be, but it is also soulfull and funky.

To often drum and bass albums go off in one direction. Even other classic records such as Bukem's logical progression have similar a sound to them and as good as the tracks are, they lack variety. What Represents managed to do so well was develope a proper album and not a compilation. The opening onslaught of Railing energetically flows into Brown Paper Bag, Hero's is more soulfull and chilled and tracks like Morse Code follow, Adam F's style, a fuller bassy route. The real stand out track is "Share The fall" it fuzes jazz funk into drum and bass in away no other producer has ever managed, it rumbles and drips out of the speakers. If you ever get a chance to see the live set Roni and co did on Latter with Jules Holland, check the version of Share The Fall. Like many other of the legendary drum and bass producers Roni's recent stuff has been a little disappointing but fear not this album is good enough to last a life time.

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