''Frequency Jams'' is the second studio album by English

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

producer Req, released in 1998 on

Skint Records Skint Records is a Brighton and Hove based dance music record label owned by JC Reid, Tim Jeffery and Damian Harris. It was created as a sublabel of Loaded Records, also founded by Reid and Jeffery. Along with Wall of Sound, the label was a ...

. As with his debut album, ''

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

'', ''Frequency Jams'' was recorded on a

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate stylistic ch ...

4-track recorder Multitrack recording (MTR), also known as multitracking, is a method of sound recording developed in 1955 that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources or of sound sources recorded at different times to create a cohesive who ...

and featuries abstract arrangements that incorporate esoteric, fractured beats, while also introducing new, eclectic influences such as

jazz-funk Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat, electrified sounds, and analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre that ranges from ...

and

avant-rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

into Req's music. Some felt the album pushed Req closer to the

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

, with stronger usage of

noise Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...

. The album has received critical acclaim for its bleak, dark tone and atypical production. It was named the year's 47th best album by ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

''.

Background and recording

After having spent many years performing as a DJ,

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

-based producer and

graffiti artist Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in Graffito (archaeology), graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple writte ...

Ian Cassar (Req) began making his own music in the mid-1990s and signed to local

big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as the ...

label

in 1995, who released all of his material in the 1990s. After several acclaimed EPs, including the ''Req's Garden E.P.'' (1995), he released his debut studio album ''

'' (1997) on the label to critical acclaim; intending the album to "hint at a direction without ever actually settling down into one," the album was an assortment of abstract and

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...

and frequently beat-based music." Req began work on his second studio album ''Frequency Jams'' later on in 1997, and as with ''One'', he made the album in his home using a

Tascam TASCAM is the professional audio division of TEAC Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo Japan. TASCAM established the Home Recording phenomenon by creating the "Project Studio" and is credited as the inventor of the Portastudio, the first casset ...

644

, delivering the album a

feel. The album was taped in 1997, but unlike his first album, the liner notes for ''Frequency Jams'' do not specify the recording period.

Music

As with ''One'', ''Frequency Jam'' has been described as "a blurry, choppy assemblage of fractured rhythms and lo-fi Tascam experimentalism." Reviewer Sean Cooper of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

noted an increased

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

influence, saying he drags "a for-all-intents purist's hip-hop into some of the most interesting, inventive corners of instrumental beats." Similarly, Angela Lewis of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' reckoned "an esoteric brew of hip-hop and electronic

," although noting that, as "tunes" rarely stand in the way of the record's "cut-and-past experimentalism," the album was closer to

avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elem ...

Neil Kulkarni Neil Kulkarni (26 July 1972 – 22 January 2024) was a British music journalist, author and musician from Coventry, England. Upon his death, ''Clash'' magazine called him "one of the sharpest pens of his generation". He primarily focused on hip ...

of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' described the music as "strung out on dread, often arrhythmic and always stubbornly undanceable", and felt that, despite being released on Skint, the album was "the frigid flipsie of Skint's post-

trip-hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...

irreverence," and noted that it established him as the label's "party-down wallflower." Opening track "World" and the fourth track "Crack" are said to "fizz on icy waters of trebly noise," with the beats only "finding their flow" after the appearance of

stop-start A start-stop system (also referred to as idling stop or micro hybrid) is a technology that automatically shuts down and restarts a vehicle's internal combustion engine to reduce idle time, with the aim of lowering fuel consumption and emissio ...

crossfades. "I" and "Bizames" display a "grisly"

sound on top of spectral drones which Kulkarni felt were "more akin to

than hip hop." "Mbira Classic" is a "haunting, fuzzy" and "lonseome" tribute to the

Mbira Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal Tine (structural), tines, played by holding the instrument ...

, a traditional African

thumb piano Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...

. The piece, alongside the later track "Vocoder Break Rock", have been compared to electro innovators

Man Parrish Manuel Parrish (born May 6, 1958) is an American songwriter, vocalist and producer. He, along with artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kraftwerk, Art of Noise, Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambaataa, John Robie, Jellybean Benitez, Lotti Golden, Ric ...

and their "brittle flux." The beat absconds altogether on "Navigator 1 & 2", instead leaving "a warped-out rumble of harsh bass" that Kulkarni felt was "worthy of hardcore

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

ragga Raggamuffin music (or simply ragga) is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music with heavy use of sampling. Wayne Smith's " Under Mi Sleng Teng", produced by King Jammy in 1985 on a ...

." The album closes with a remix of "I" subtitled the "Linn Mix", which features "heavy-on-the- attack old school rhythms."

Release and reception

''Frequency Jams'' was released on 23 February 1998 by

, a day short of an exact year after ''One''. As with ''One'', fellow producer Simon Thornton mastered the album. Although "Navigator 1" and "Navigator 2" are sequenced together onto the same track, the track listing on the album cover presents them as separate tracks. The album was popular with fans and has proven influential; in an interview with ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'', techno producer Lee Gamble cited both ''One'' and ''Frequency Jams'' among his "favorite records", calling them "timeless ecords and noting their influence in his own work. As with ''One'', ''Frequency Jams'' was also greeted to a positive reception from music critics. Rating the album four out of five stars and naming it an "Album Pick", Sean Cooper of

said that Req "more than makes up in concept what he lacks in craft," and highlighted "Mbira Classic" and "I (Linn Mix)" as among the album's best tracks. Neil Kulkarni of ''

'' rated the album eight out of ten stars, calling it "a bleak alternative to

's bumptious cheer", and saying that the record "is a timely reminder that hip-hop techniques still lend themselves to extreme noise terror." Angela Lewis of ''

'' said that " eq'swarped playfulness makes this an intriguing find, but this is one for the avant-garde palate, for sure." ''

'' ranked it at number 47 on their list of the 50 best albums of 1998.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. * Req – music * Simon Thornton – mastering

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1998 albums Req albums Skint Records albums