Technology

Title: TECHNOLOGY
Catalogue Number: LAIR CD 4
Produced: 1993

Although not quite a concept album, "Technology" nevertheless has an overall theme. In some ways it is a celebration of the studio technology which is used by Snare to create his music. The other inspiration for this album was to create something that would be enjoyed by lovers of electronic music, but would also prove palatable to those who enjoyed house, dance and techno. For Snare, "Technology" was a bridge between the "audio worlds" of his previous albums and the high-energy sound of his future band, Impact.

From the opening tracks "Technology" and "Datascape", it is clear that the instrumental melodies are still very much in Snare's style. However, many of the drums, high-hats and percussion sounds will be more familiar to those who remember the club-oriented music of the early Nineties. "To The Limit" is the first track that actively embraces this, with a very danceable bassline coupled with church-like chimes and sharp synths.

"Ode To 85" is unusual in that it is titled after a particular piece of equipment: the Yamaha SY85 synthesiser, which was a new addition to Lair Studios at that point. Structured like a ballad, but with contemporary drumbeats and piano sounds, it very much shows off the capabilities of its namesake.

Later tracks on this album are influenced by the club culture of the time. "Rave Wave", "Dark House" and "Technophobic" incorporate samples and melodies that give the feeling that the tracks are bursting to be played at high volume in a nightclub, or even better a warehouse! Extremely danceable and energetic, they propel the listener along at high speed towards the terminal velocity of "Round And Round". With its machine-gun bassline, interweaving samples and turntable scratches, this track comes across as very much a "dancefloor finale". The album is completed by a remix version of "Orbitals" - separated at birth from its Cyberpunk twin and given the "Technology" boost.

As with most of his CD albums, Snare has included extra tracks, this time in the form of the 22-minute "The Net Medley Remix". Rather than extending the original to an absurd length, this incorporates "Orbitals", "Atmosphere" (taken from an unrealised concept album) and the completely original "Beyond The Net".