Seefeel

Originally lumped in with the shoegazing in-crowd of the early ’90s, London-based Seefeel quickly discovered their ambitions were much more complex than their peers’ when it came time to record this, their 1993 debut. Tapping into the more ambient textures that would soon birth the booming IDM scene, Quique follows a similar path as Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient work but with structures that a more rock-based band like Chapterhouse dreamed of matching. Clearly invested in the concept of washing out mists of digitally delayed, reverberating guitar lines, "Industrious” is full-on techno doped up, while at the other end of the spectrum, "Plainsong” re-imagines My Bloody Valentine with a skip in their step. Repackaged by Too Pure as a "redux edition,” an additional disc of rarities and remixes is included to sweeten the deal, of which the boundless comedown of "My Super 20” and the soothing death hum of "Silent Pool” make the biggest impact. While it doesn’t feel like a timely release, the re-discovery of Seefeel (no word yet on a reunion) certainly verifies their relevance in today’s music, especially in light of neo-gazers like Ulrich Schnauss and Tim Hecker.