Apes In The Net album review
I have recently acquired a turntable, an amp, and am borrowing some speakers off a good mate at work until I can find some ones for myself (that I won’t have to get rid of after 6 months cos they’re terrible). So I guess for the next few weeks, my aim is to get through some albums and give them an honest to god review.
Apes In The Net
Apes in the Net, is a somewhat recent release by Soichi Terada, the composer behind Ape Escape 1 & 3 (And some other albums we will get to sometime). It consists of 6 tracks, Kinda housey, kinda jungley, but most certainly D&B like. 5 of the tracks come from the first Ape Escape game, whereas one comes from Ape Escape 3 (Which I have barely played).
Truth be told, The tracks on Apes in the Net, are not the stand out picks that I would select from the Ape Escape soundtrack. I’m much more a fan of the more, lets say, Melodic tracks such as Crabby Beach or Specter Boxing. But lets listen
Specters Factory
This track is certainly a very industrial feeling (hah, get it… Factory) track. The rigidity in the drums, specifically the snare hits gives it plenty of energy. I ended up liking this track a lot more than I remembered. There was more usage of chords throughout the song to add more suspense and character to the bassline, which is another strong point of this track, and actually of a lot of these tracks in general. The 2 note bassline really does keep everything ticking along, and lets those aforementioned snare hits POP a lot better than they otherwise would
Coaster
I remember in the original PS1 release, Coaster was a terrifying track. It contained one of my least favourite audio phenomena, which seems to be toned down a fair bit in the originape/Apes in the Net version; The Shepherds Tone. Here, they make it cut out between sections, so that it doesn’t disorient me completely, as well as having it come in again at the low end very obviously mid sections. The very basic bassline again in the first section contrasts well with the almost bluesy bassline in the second section. Drums again are great. A punchy kick, and a much more subdued snare allow for it to be used as more of a rhythmic device than strictly as a time keeping device for even beats. Maybe a bit repetitive, but that’s what this genre of music is mostly all about!
Specters Castle
I really love the opening to this cut. It takes a good 30 seconds of just a nice jungle-esque beat before a nice FAT synthy bass comes in and creates a sonic groove. This is the first track on the album that really has a groove quite like this. Another 40 seconds later, the main synth melody comes in, and it fits just smoothly over the top of the groove the drums and bass are providing, and then cuts out nicely to bring the energy down a bit lower. There are also some nice pads in the intermissions which are subtle but again, keep the foundation solid for when the melody pops in again. This song really does do a fantastic job in controlling the energy, building suspense for when the melody comes around again. I do somewhat miss the 2nd melody that existed on the PS1 version, but not enough to be a detriment to the track as a whole.
Haunted House
Haunted House shares a lot of musical talking points with Coaster, but the bassline takes a more, rocky shape, which descends nicely. The synths over the top really do sell the impression of a haunted house, with lots of vibrato and a wee volume dip between sections. There are a few synths also playing very quietly in the background, sounding like old film cinema cameras or something. I imagine to give it more of a carnival haunted house effect (It makes better sense in the game I promise)
Mount Amazing 2
This is without a doubt both my favourite track on the album, and also the one I had heard the least, Since this was the one that appeared in Ape Escape 3. This track follows a more traditional song structure, where the melody is easier to follow. The bass moves around very nicely, and provides a very stable foundation for the fluttery chords flying ont op of it. It really does sound like a song that takes place on top of a big white fluffy cloud. There is some nice piano that runs throughout the track too which provides some nice background color to the song. It’s a bit weird as it is a very loud instrument in the mix, but it doesn’t take your attention away from the synths at all, and really just helps sell the zen nature of the song. The bridge section is short and sweet and provides some context that just serves to make the main sections of the song feel more comfortable, yet adventurous. In case it wasn’t obvious, I really do love this track.
Time Station
Time Station was the track I was expecting to dislike the most from this album. However, it probably ranks nicely as number 2. I never realized before this how high the tempo on this track is. I think one of the reasons I have historically disliked this track is because it feels very low energy if you are listening to it in passing; however, It really comes to life when you listen to it with intention. The very complicated drum lines, mixed with a repetitive but interesting and rhythmically offset bassline, set the soundscape wonderfully for the wobbly melody and the crystal backing notes. Everything just kinda fits together to again, give a very care-free sound, which is incredibly surprising considering the high BPM on this track.
Overall thoughts
This album was somewhat hard to get a hold of, and I didn’t go into it with the highest of hopes, but it really has shown me a few things.
First, the power of active listening, It has been several years since I last actively listened to any of the tracks on this album, and it really shows how much of what I listen to is what I remember exists on the track than what is actually there. In Specters Factory, I was certain the chords under the bridge section were new, and I had to go for a re-listen of the Originape soundtrack to realize that they have been here the whole time.
Secondly, that re-listening to songs that you don’t think you are that fond of, sometimes can help improve your feelings on them. I really did not want to listen to Time station, and was genuinely considering just turning the album off early; but I am very glad I didn’t. I have been huming the “da da da” high pitched crystal line all day, to the detriment of everyone around me
Very Good Album 9/10 If you like listening to a more ambient, laid back style of jungle.
Keep your realities separate...
lunarised_