Plaid – Rest Proof Clockwork

Rich album if you want to discover Plaid universe evn if it's not the best one.
Most valuable tracks "Last ed Thing", "Air Locked", "Dead Sea", "Gel Lab", "Little People" "Ralome"; they're almost all ballads :)

I buy the whole LP only for the track ->
Air Locked! But during times i loved all tracks on that LP. Amazing thing this really is!

My absolute favourite release by Plaid, definitely not something for everyone, as it is very quirky and unexpected, but the whole album stands out as a single experience, album artwork included. Plaid really brought something timeless here. It sounds as fresh and original almost two decades on. Unpredictable is a good word to use, originally heard this on cd back in 2000, borrowed from a friend, played it a couple of times as a background during summer nights, and it just absolutely gelled into the atmosphere. Managed to get hold of a near mint vinyl copy recently and it's one of those rare releases that still sound perfectly fresh. Very unexpected, rich, playful, covers a wholly unusual landscape and creates excellent images and a unique listening experience. It got so damn great with time. The album artowrk shows magnificently on the 12" format with the gatefold. A favourite record and I do recommend getting this on vinyl as it still sounds great and adds warmth to the electronic detail. One thing, the vinyl's lead in grooves on my copy, all four sides, have quite a lot of noise, probably caused by improper cleaning or more dust exposure of the edges through the years, as the noise gradually disappears as the first tracks start and the rest of the silences between tracks are nice and quiet.

Plaid's best and more complex work. Full of unexpected moments. Almost perfect!

This is by far the best of Plaid's releases to date. The album as a whole covers so many different genres of electronic music and hits them so perfectly that it is hard to know where it all went wrong with future releases. Anyway, if you have not already heard this album, then where have you been? Go get yourself a copy!

This is a masterpiece. Amazing.

As a huge Black Dog fan, I became a fan of these guys, too. But the brilliance of this album is that there is no trade-off of listenability and emotion, of originality and familiarity.

This sophistication of this release makes most other "IDM" releases seem jejune in comparison. The break down at the end of "Gel Lab" is a revelatory vista; "Shackblu", a perfect album-opener, is laid-back and funky yet satisfies the hunger for prettiness and warm strings. Ralome is gentle and wistful, with a forward yet calm finesse that is life-affirming.

But, caveat: no license for snobbery here- "Dang Spots" is music to jump around to! And "Little People" with its scratches and breaks wills your head into bobbing to its big lovely melodies.

Ed and Andy do it again...Top Ten album to take it with you, if you could...

Plaid's most perfect album - beautifully recorded, wonderfully rich melodies and harmonically rich musical structures throughout, inventive and, like all good music, reveals that little bit extra every time you listen to it.