AK1200 "Weapon Of Tomorrow" Sounds like: Your washing machine is stuck on a sped-up rinse cycle.
AK1200 is a pioneer of the U.S. drum-and-bass scene. In 2000, he started the seminal Planet Of The Drums tour, with two other U.S. drum-and-bass stalwarts: Dieselboy and DJ Dara. The tour has been a success and the longest-running electronica tour to date.
A prominent U.S. artist who has also had success in the U.K. jungle scene, AK1200 has released a good number of mix CDs. "Weapon of Tomorrow" is his latest effort, featuring only U.S.-based drum-and-bass artists such as Cubik and Gabriel & Gamet. Unfortunately, there is nothing outstanding about it. The songs are incredibly repetitive - and no, this is not a to-be-expected malaise endemic to drum-and-bass in general.
The beats are frenetic, but there is no melody, nor are there any tracks of varied drum-and-bass styles like liquid funk or jungle, a surprising omission, especially for someone like AK1200, who has been involved so heavily in the jungle scene. Unlike some U.K. drum-and-bass - marked by a dark, sinister big-beat sound - the beats are very mechanical and sound like ultra-sped-up synthetic computer noodlings. There are no vocals of note on any of the songs, nor is there any rapping.
For a drum-and-bass release, this is one snoozer of a record. While the tracks are well-mixed, considering how humdrum and blasé the songs are, the mixing is a welcome, if small, relief. In short, "Weapon Of Tomorrow" is not one of the better releases in AK1200's arsenal.
-ANTOANETA TILEVA
