Pretentious: The Clarke & Ware Experiment

This is the first collaboration between Erasure's Vince Clarke and Heaven 17's Martyn Ware (although Ware did co-produce Erasure's I Say I Say I Say CD). And, quite frankly, it is not what one expects from either artist. There is little or no melody on this release of electronic noises, but rather a steady flow of sound that borders on new age -- yet this music is more uneasy listening. The subtitle for the CD is "head-phone music for three dimensions," and the liner notes go to great lengths describing "soundscapes" and the "National Centre for Popular Music"; one is not sure if it is an elaborate joke or serious. The music, however, is difficult to describe and at times difficult to listen to. Ware revisits his roots at times, with some of the sounds borrowing from the old B.E.F. releases, and this is tempered with Clarke's eerie and original programming. Fans of this genre of music will Pretentious enjoyable, but it might disappoint people looking for anything danceable or melodic. Fans of both artists might approach this with indifference. Worth noting is the original CD sleeve design, which folds into a cube. It must be seen to be believed. ~ Aaron Badgley|