Compilations that focus on a specific music-historical movement are not uncommon these days. Only a few of them, however, are special. »Virtual Dreams (Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, 1993-1997)« on Music From Memory was special indeed. The triple LP presented the patchouli-soaked underbelly of the rave age and thus music that felt already weirdly out of joint at the time, but today radiates more than ever. It was opened by a track by the British duo MLO, whose »Oumuamua« is now the second instalment of the Virtual Dreams series. Jon Tye and Peter Smith put out a series of releases between 1993 and 1996, and some of the highlights are combined with previously unreleased material on this 12-track anthology. The focus, however, lies not on the ecstatic rave tunes of which the duo released some on R&S, but mainly pieces with a distinct new-agey feel. The kick drum is only really given free rein on three tracks, and mystical-cosmic ambient pieces full of synthetic piano sounds, fake bird sounds and preset choirs dominate the selection. Everything about the tracks »Oumuamua« is aesthetically based on the ideological premise that technological progress will enable us to travel through space – whether as psychonauts or astronauts. And because Tye and Smith were clever arrangers, every single track represents a little trip in the direction of this goal. While Orbital and Global Communication in particular are still being celebrated for stylistically similar music, this showcase of MLO’s work is a real discovery – something special indeed.
Oumuamua
