Axiom Ambient: Lost in the Translation

by Rick Anderson Bassist/producer Bill Laswell has long been one of the most important figures in New York's downtown scene, a frequent collaborator with artists as diverse as Fred Frith, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, PiL, the Golden Palominos, Jonas Hellborg and many, many more. As prime mover in the constantly shifting musical collective known as Material, he has produced and played on some of the best experimental rock albums of the '80s and '90s, including 1994's stellar Hallucination Engine (Axiom 314-518 351-2), and lately his work has been more and more informed by a strange sort of cybermysticism, a mood which has found its perfect manifestation in "Axiom Ambient: Lost in the Translation." This two-disc set includes remixes of tracks previously performed by Material as well as several new compositions, most of them clocking in at well over ten minutes. Laswell's sound is warmer than that of many of his electronic compatriots and actually includes sounds found in nature, and even if there isn't much to hold your attention, you can fall asleep and have groovy dreams.