Forest of the Echo Downs

"What Boards of Canada did for beautifying pastoral ambience, Secret Frequency Crew does for chilled-out electro woodlands."

Surprisingly, the above quote (from the promoter) is quite apt. Secret Frequency Crew crafts deeply atmospheric electronica that is somehow intricate and accessible, mysterious and melodic, distant and touching all at the same time. It's all very organic, brimming with layers of ambience and samples. The whole album revolves around and evokes imagery of a dark forest. Such a refreshing album!

Track 4 is a serious contender for best track of 2004. Wow. PLEASE PLAY!
Other favorites: 3, 7, 8, 9

- Captain Dee, 11/2004

1. Fifteen seconds of creepy echoing/noise
2. Splattery mid-tempo beat, winter-y melody, animal chatter, cryptic echoes and "ahs". (5:02)
*3. Bouncy feel, kickin' trip-hop beat, critter noises everywhere. Funky. (4:24)
***4. The crunchiest glitch-hop beat ever, an electronic melody that shimmers with beauty, Glassian horns, and organic ambience. Like you've stumbled into some secret, mystical grove in the heart of the dark forest. I am awestruck by the break at 1:25. This song is so so fucking incredible. (5:29)
5. Trippy horns then fucked up piano distortion, all over ocean noises. (1:39)
6. Sultry horns, tweaked vocals, echoing guitar, plodding beat. Brooding feel. Reminds me of Blockhead. (5:40)
**7. Humming, tight breakbeat rhythms, bloopy sounds, somber horns. Ambient, forest creature ending. (5:52)
*8. Electronic scurrying, muted beat, infectious mix of guitar, bass, horns. (1:14)
*9. Fast, borderline breakbeat. Chiming melodies and distorted samples. Bangin' drum solo midway through, then the song slows down a tad. (4:10)
10. Dark rumbling yield to the melody from Track 4, then back to the rumbling. No beat. As if the forest has been destroyed and is now only a memory. (4:13)
11. Exotic, murky atmosphere. Distorted samples, synth washes, beat lurks in the background. (6:06)