Eph - Fridge (1999)
Technically still part of my 90s albums thread, this record’s 1999 release went out of print pretty quickly until it was reissued in altered form a few years later.
As an offshoot of the wild creativity of electronic music, in the 90s we started to see more traditional guitar-bass-drums setups exploring similar textures and territories.
Fridge was an early favorite in this genre for me. I wouldn’t say it’s ambient because it really demands you attention. At the same time, though, there’s a surface tension that lets you ride on top of the groove and coast through your day while it’s running. You can pick out individual figures if you want, or you can let it drop to the background without tuning it out.
Another little oddity: While none of this sounds particularly like jazz, I think you’ll find that Fridge and its peers were a seminal influence on the UK jazz scene of the 21st century.
Tracks I Liked
Ark - a great table-setter
Transience - a galloping bassline anchors an otherwise chaotic track
