Black Dog, the – “Peel Session ” – [Warp Records]

This EP of tracks from 1995 was a refreshing reminder to me of what “electronic listening music” was all about in the early 90′s: exploration and a sense of wonder. Before there was much of a “scene” to compare their work with or against, artists like The Black Dog were inventing a new musical language. And compared to much of today’s electronica, this sounds practically ambient. The tracks move at their own pace, stopping and restarting, or shifting rhythmic gears altogether, but always progressing, never redundant. There is some achingly beautiful music on here; thanks to Warp for giving us an opportunity to hear it after all this time.