ARCHIVE - TAKE MY HEAD - 1999

"Take my Head" shows Archive entering lesser electronic grounds. Whereas debut album "Londinium" definitely has similarities with Massive Attack, this album is more based on rock composition, without the rock though, but just to give you a bit of an impression. The hip-hop vocals have completely vanished and this is. well. simply excellent!

Although most of the songs are nothing but progressive, there's still a few excellent soundscapes included here. First of all the opening track You make me feel with its eerie sounding instrumentation and beautiful vocals (all vocals are female on this record). What's a nice thing to notice is that the recurring melody in the song You make me feel is reprised at the end of the album during the titletrack of the album Take my Head. Coincidentally this is also perhaps the most experimental and dark song on the album.

Although most of the songs still have their origins in the trip-hop scene, there's already a sign for Archive's future more successful blend of electronic soundscapes and rock music.
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