Top Albums of The Decade #3
Amon Tobin – Supermodified (2000)
Supermodified is an album that is simultaneously atmospheric and downright sinister. One moment you’re flying over green landscapes (‘Slowly’), the next moment you’re being chased down a dark, dank alley (‘Golfer vs Boxer’). And when you’ve survived that you’re back to flying over green landscapes (the aptly titled ‘Natureland’). Amon Tobin mostly incorporates samples from jazz and film soundtracks but what defines each track is his frenetic drum programming. He can either take it slow and easy or kick you in the eardrums at a cacophonous 170 beats per minute. All this and more while you wade through a dense sludge of plaintive guitars, industrial metal clangs and lounge pianos.