Terminal Head: Underfire v.2

Review: Terminal Head: Underfire v.2
AMG
Format : Audio CD
Review by Clif Marsiglio
Monday, April 27, 1998

Note 11/26/2002 -- This was the first review ever posted to Sonikmatter. As such, it is here only for archival sake and to embarass anyone else that would want to submit such a crappy review of a great product such as this...it was my first review and was intended to be an informal note about this product on the Usenet but actually started the site that would become Sonikmatter.

Track2: Drum Loops

These loops are very underground electronica and pop-industrial oriented. While high quality loops and of offers quite a few varieties, I find several problems with these tracks the first is that there are no tempo listings which would make these impossible to fly into a track without some previous research. This is explained on their distributer's website as to being that one should let their ears be the judge of what fits where and some crap about cyberfunk. I think this was probably due to laziness. As I don't do anything that specifically requires tempos and the like this isn't a problem...working in experimental music allows for things that normal music wouldn't though. Secondly, (Track 8 loop 1) there are not much in the vary of variations within single tracks. One of the loopdiscs I use mainly has been the Mind Control series. These offer a single track and then variations upon that idea (drop a highhat here...add bass...) One can ReCycle! these and come up with variations, but I've found that this usually looses a lot of the original sound and one may as well just start over from scratch...even a sound breakdown would have been a god send...

Starting with Track 11, we get more experimental dance sounds. They sound like they'd be great in a layer somewhere. Got a pop track that needs a bit of underground electronica look here. I'd suggest flying these into somekind of sampler that allows for more sound variation though or even guitar pedals that allow for twiddling with knobs. I use a Kurzweil 2000 for my sound mutilations. Running these sounds through something that one can vary things such as resonance, eq, and other fx would render these sounds perfect for that modern sound. Unless you're a moron this should comes as no suprise.

Track 27 - Guitar Stuff

Some good work here...I play guitar (ok more or less manipulate it) so these not very helpful to me. I've heard better discs out there for this stuff, but for inclusionary sake this is not bad... Again no tempo or key (I think this is becoming a mantra)

T36 Percussion Loops

A lot of industrialized percussion loops. Again, see above. Luckily these are usually only one instrument and to a whole kit so this makes processing and chopping easier if you need other tempos that what is given.

T45 Shortwave Strangeness

I really like these 4 tracks. This includes a lot of sounds found on the shortwave radio...some of them are recognizable (such as the clip for the Christian Science Monitor). My fiend the rev Ammonia D. let me in on the secret of using shortwave a while back as a sample bed source. If you have access to one of these yourself, skip these tracks if not or you are lazy check these out...you won't be disappointed.

T50 Misc.

Lots of uncategorized sounds. Some good some blah.

T52 Processed GTR

Unlike the first set of guitar, this might be useful even if you are a guitarist. These sound more synthlike than anything else, think I started using one in a dance track that I never finished. The only complaint about these is that sometimes the sound will be exactly what you need but ends abruptly before finishing. I can probably recreate what I need, but it'd suck to do so. Of interest is a great digital feedback at the end of track 54. I've already stuck this one on one of my HDs.

T55 Synth stuff.

Lots of sounds ready for processing...harsh. These would find a home in any industrialists toolboxes right next to the airhammer and the rivets.

T60 Pads

Don't really seem much padlike to me, but again see T55. I have one of the Ambient discs as offered by (insert manufacturers name here...) and these are very comparable to those...that being if you were smoking some rock while editing them...

Conclusion: While I don't have v1 of this set, I think it will be my next acquisition. A few complaints about the documentation, but I can deal with that. For industrial electronica or even cutting edge hiphop (I think I'm going to throw some of this on the next Pimp Daddy Ph*ck &da crakkkhaids album if I can ever get the guys together now that we all live in different cities) this is a great resource.

Sound Quality ***** (out of 5)

Docs * + 1/2

Variety ***** (or at least for this genre)

(UPDATE: Matt mentioned revised docs are available on AMG's Website...)

Recommendation: Buy this one and someone send me their first disc so I can review it too :)

--clify t