CHIMERA

For this EP, Bill Nelson is joined by Yellow Magic Orchestra drummer, Yukihiro Takahashi, who laid down various drum patterns which Nelson the looped and toyed with in the studio. Needless to say, it's a very percussive release. The emphasis is on drums, with prominent bass and marimba.

The music is similar to the other albums Nelson released for the Mercury label, so if you've heard Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam, you will pretty much know what to expect. The use of looping patterns, aggressive 80's synths and sampled dialogue is reminiscent of Brian Eno and David Byrne's "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts." It's a shame that album gets so much credit for its inventiveness while Nelson's contemporary work is usually overlooked.

Aside from the raw sound of the record, the songwriting is up to Nelson's usual high standard, with the single "Acceleration" being the stand out track. The other songs are reasonably catchy and it's amusing to hear Nelson's best Bowie impersonation on "Glow World." The CD reissue adds one additional track in the same vein and three alternate mixes of "Acceleration," inessential certainly, but enjoyable nonetheless.

If you like what Bill Nelson was doing in the 80's, you will certainly like this (it is high quality throughout), but the album's brevity and lack of diversity in bonus tracks mean that I can't give it more than three stars.