Los Angeles: Critical Mass [Full Album] (1998) Mindspore Records

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Los Angeles: Critical Mass [the emerging electric underground]
Label: Mindspore Records – MSP-0004-2
Format:
CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Electronic
Style: Drum n Bass, Downtempo, Future Jazz, Trip Hop

Tracklist:
00:00 1. Dove (29) & Mr. Soon - Quay-Czar (Cavestar Remix)
Programmed By – David Bianchi, Joseph Jakob*, Joseph Nugent, Kevin Crosslin
Remix – Cavestar
- Mr. Soon aka Joe Jakob, helped produce peyote singers Primeaux and Mike on “Sacred Path” for Canyon records. Jacob teams up with undiscovered producer (until now), Dove aka Dave Bianchi, and Cavestar for an analog bigbeat 70’s flashback.

05:12 2. Trinity (19) – Lost Cities
Keyboards [Wurlitzer] – Roberto Antonio Chavez
Sampler, Programmed By, Keyboards, Bass – Steve Snow
Saxophone – Juss Renard
Vocals [Drum & Bass Section] – Lisa Woodward
Vocals [Dub Section] – Ia Kamandalu
Written By – Woodward, Kamandalu, Chavez & Snow
Written-By – Kamandalu*, Woodward*, Chavez*, Snow*
- Ex-Quango producer/engineer Steve Snow joins keyboardist Roberto Chavez (ex Duncan Sheik, Monkey Meet) and friends to stir up this mix, a mysterious cocktail of breakbeat drum&bass.;

10:28 3. T.H.C.– Unsaid Warning
Music By, Programmed By – George Sarah
Vocals, Lyrics By – Sarah Folkman
- George Sarah and Sarah Folkman bring us their ethereal trip-pop anthem. Radio includes 91X, KROQ’s Jed the Fish’s Catch of the Day, KCRW, Groove Radio 103, KXLU, KBLT, and KUCI. THC has releases out on Intelligent Records, Hypnotic, and Full Contact/Fifth Colvmn.

15:53 4. Cavestar & Moore*– Say The Word
Music By, Programmed By – Kevin Crosslin
Vocals, Lyrics By – Mona Moore
- Cavestar & Moore team up again to delicately fuse drum&bass; with ambient-soul. Mona Moore’s alter ego sings with Oversoul 7. Cavestar’s self-titled CD on Mindspore Records is currently charting throughout the USA and Canada on CFBU, CITR, CKUT, KBGA, KCBL, KCRB/KRCB, KDUR, KKFI, KUSP, KZSC, WEFT, WFHB, WICR, WIUS, WKNC, WORT, WRTC, WUMR, WWUH, and WYEP to name only a few. Cavestar, s/t, appeared on the top 20 College 500 electronic chart throughout the fall of ‘97.

21:14 5. Mr. Soon – You Are The Dream
Written-By, Producer – Joseph Jakob*
- Mr. Soon returns with this digital tribal trance journey.

25:05 6. Zimar – Energy
Other [Words Of Energy] – Tom Hopkins
Producer – Zimar
- Zimar downloads his computer cut-and-paste soundscapes for this funky trip-hop/ambient cut. Look for “Ghia” on his own Abstrakt Reality Records.

30:05 7. Aldebaran (12) – L'Orque Epaulard
Written-By, Producer – Charles Askell, Jeff Hogan
- Alerbaran is Charles Askell, who now resides in Paris. Recorded and produced in LA by KCRW engineer Jeff Hogan, this track is a mingling of West Coast electronica and Euro-ambient styles resulting in a distinct cosmopolitan sound.

35:34 8. Twist Top - Jangle
Written-By – Carlos Vasquez
- A celebration of urban rhythmic diversity unfolds in the oscillations of this high energy bpm techno-rollercoaster. Twist Top has recordings out on Industrial Strength Records, Fast Food, Tribal America, and Yoshi Toshi Records.

41:00 9. Oversoul 7 – I Sing Loud
Written-By – Oversoul 7
- Los Angeles electronic pioneers OS7 offer up this single, showcasing their signature cutting edge trip-hop expertly welded to catchy pop hooks. OS7 has tracks available on MCA Records in Japan, and on “Acid Jazz Test Part 4” and “Trip Hop Test Part 3” on Moonshine Music.

44:21 10. TM – Kiss (DJ Hive Remix)
Remix – DJ Hive*
- TM maintains their strict anti-publicity policy. Hive remixes Kiss.

Copyright © – Mindspore Records
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Mindspore Records
Compiled By, Producer – Kevin Crosslin, Kevin Lincoln (2)
Compiled and produced for K2K.

[promark]

That is the most 1998 album art ive ever seen lol.

[cavestar]

My daughter sent me here and I'm absolutely blown away! This album was my baby in 98. Thank you so much for all the kind words, everyone! I wish you all could've been at release party K2K had at the El Rey Theatre. Show of the century! All the bands on the disc were friends, and we played the whole night like a DJ set. Players from each band were changing places all night. The music never stopped. Maybe we'll have to do a Volume 2. Cheers!

[SillyLilDawg]

With how bad Youtube treats it’s community at times, they have a strange but amazing knack to always recommend the shiniest hidden gem albums you’ve never heard

[patrickholt]

I had a metal head friend that said “if you like the art then the album will be good”. That advice is still holding.

[PlutoniumSlums]

i love when the album art matches the soundscape of the music

[brocksamson]

The late 90s and early 2000 was an incredible era for abstract underground trippy hip-hop vibes. Combined with the similar cover art style. Both were a match made in heaven.

[modemkush]

The opening track as I’m driving home from work to feed and walk my dog, take massive bong rips, then head straight to my night job hits different

[ScreenTalker]

Ah, the Sony PS1 scene. Finding these electronic break beat mixes made you feel like you really found a hidden gem

[synthoelectro]

This hits all the right notes, and vibes, never heard this group, and I'm 47, love jungle and classic dnb.

[littlekingtrashmouth]

YouTube is good for only one thing: the algorithm’s recommendations for music

[milesbbop]

Album covers really had style back then. Loved it.

[Adwwg]

Everyone in the comments gets it. I feel less alone. I miss this time and the vibes being put out.

[thedevmarvelous]

I wanna go to clubs and lounges that play THIS kind of electronica and 2000s house

[eliotguerin]

Man I wish 90s retrofuturism actually came true instead of the disappointing future we now live in

[g.sergiusfidenas]

Thumbnail invited me, listened one second and I went looking for a chair cause I am staying to listen till the end.

[Tech-Tools-Talent]

This is great! Mindspore was my record label, and this and the Cavestar album were the best that we put out. I still have enormous pride in what we did here. My favorite song on this album is L'Orque Epaulard (Killer Whale). I also really love Unsaid Warning and the lines: "are you running with your eyes closed... are you talking with your mind closed" "And now you say there's a devil flying through your head - and it looks like me". I will always appreciate the work that Kevin (Cavestar) did to put together the art and the whole package.

[EmperorSquidysChannel]

What an absolute hidden gem of an album, thank you so much for the upload. The YouTube home page is quickly becoming my favorite place to find new music.

[Fygee]

Thank you YT for putting this on my feed. This is extraordinary.

[Petch]

I think i could go the rest of my life discovering awesome music from the 90s and still never hear it all.

[username]

For more music similar to this, I recommend the following:

Amon Tobin/Cujo (same person, different "stage names").
Supreme Beings of Leisure
The compilation album Wallpaper Mach 1.5
The Hotel Costes compilation albums
The music used in Gran Turismo Sport (specifically those from Lenny Ibizarre and Kay Nakayama).
The OST for the game "TOCA Racer Driver 3"
Dzihan & Kamien (specifically the album "Gran Riserva").
Afternoons in Stereo
Audio Lotion
Beats Antique (specifically the albums "Contraption" volumes 1 and 2).

One-T (album "The One-T ODC", absolutely astounding).
Dadamnphreaknoizphunk (yes that is actually the artist's name).
Moodorama (specifically the album "My Name is Madness").
Bonobo (specifically the album "Dial 'M' for Monkey").
TOKiMONSTA (specifically the album "Midnight Menu").
Emancipator (specifically the album "Baralku").
Röyksopp (specifically the album "Melody A.M.").
The Pinker Tones
The Chemical Brothers (specifically the album "Push the Button").
Thievery Corporation (very similar to Supreme Beings of Leisure, both used gratuitously in the early "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" golf games).
RJD2
Xploding Plastix
Cut Chemist
Peder (a song from the album "And he just pointed to the sky..." was used in Breaking Bad)
Faithless (albums "Outrospective", "Reverence" and "Sunday 8PM").
Gotye (albums "Like drawing blood" and "Boardface" (no longer available online likely due to sample copyright)).
Hexstatic (album "Telemetron").
Mr. Scruff (album "Trouser Jazz").
The OSTs for the N64 games "Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA" and "Rush: 2049"
The OSTs for the Trackmania games (specifically "Valley", "Canyon" and "Stadium").
The OSTs for the "Grid" games from Codemasters (specifically the original, 2 and Autosport).
The OSTs for the F1 games from Codemasters (specifically 2012, and 2015 through 2017).
The OST for the GameCube game "F-Zero GX".
The OSTs for Forza Motorsport 3, 4 and 6 (3 and 4 very much fall into the category of lounge/spa music, 6 is a bit more intense/orchestral).