Accelerator

Compared to where most of the band's career would later go, Accelerator is a fairly conventional debut from the duo. Certainly it's the most explicitly commercial-minded the duo ever was, slotting in well with many other early-'90s U.K. dance/techno outfits. As such it's also arguably the least-cryptic and most-approachable release for newcomers, holding up well a decade after its original appearance. Rather than focusing on ambient experimentalism or industrial noise destruction, here Future Sound of London sounds like a straightforward, if at times inspired, act whose tendencies to push the envelope are secondary to keeping the beat going. The main reason to listen remains its awesome single "Papua New Guinea," blending a treated vocal sample from Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard with a slightly sped-up James Brown drum loop and other, more shadowy touches like echoed piano. The result combines exaltation, energy, and atmosphere into a dramatic result, as danceable as it is subtly threatening. At various points on Accelerator, FSOL shows an inspired focus on breakbeats as much as acid pulses; while nowhere near as frenetic as other early hardcore/jungle creations, the music clearly leans toward those records in inspiration. "Expander," which also appears in a remix at the end, makes for a good start for the album along those lines, while "Central Industrial" plays around with more distorted rhythms. At other points FSOL follows in more conventional veins — "Stolen Documents" is practically an early 808 State track in all but name — while throwing in odd noises and background quirks which in later years would dominate their own compositions. "It's Not My Problem," in particular, is a fun little creep-out, a flat semi-robot voice declaiming the title as needed while buried synths create a darker mood amidst the regular beat and additional, echoed percussion hits. [Another version was released in the U.K. with the bonus tracks "Expander" and "Moscow" as well as a second disc featuring ten remixes of "Papua New Guinea."]