Nightmares On Wax - Mind Elevation

by Cila Warncke

published: 16 / 9 / 2002

Label: Warp Records
Format: CD

Disappointing fifth album from laidback former kings of electronica, Nightmares on Wax

Review

The fifth album from comedown kings Nightmares On Wax, 'Mind Elevation', almost precisely doesn’t do what it says on the box. There’s little in the way of euphoric highs here, hands-in-the-air-and-a-big-grin moments of the sort that party kids (young and old) would so love to fondly remember. Instead there’s an awful lot of soothing, damn-near-familiar electronica that seeps into your ears like smoke beneath the crack of a bedroom door. Which is neither a very good, nor a very bad thing. Really, the worst bits are the occasional mis-guided attempts at lyrical depth (“You have a date with destiny / She’s late” Date With Destiny announces). Sometimes, as on the catchy-yet-faintly-annoying Environment run-of-the-mill quasi-New Age gibbering is redeemed by a delicately funky, soul-tinged gem of a tune. More often though the instrumentals waver along unencumbered, reminiscent of nothing so much as a sub-par Lemonjelly. On the plus side, however, bonus second disc NoW (Tha Journey) features extra tracks and interludes. A treat for fans, but most will wonder if perhaps its time for the NOW crew to hang up their bongos and send the last of the red-eye posse home for a good night’s sleep.

Track Listing:-

1 Mind Eye
2 Say-Say
3 Thinking Of Omara
4 Date With Destiny
5 Bleu My Mind
6 Enviroment
7 Soul Ho
8 Humble
9 70S 80S
10 Know My Name
11 Bbh
12 Mirror Ball
13 Thoughts