Alec Empire - Low On Ice (The Complete Iceland Sessions)

So, seeing ATR for the third time at Dour Festival two weeks ago made me realize how much I dislike his/their new stuff, but it sparked some new interest in his older solo work which is pretty 'underrated' ('forgotten' is a better word). I loved Generation Star Wars / The Destroyer but Low On Ice was my favourite by far. I remember discovering it because some Aphex Twin website had a trivia page that mentioned Alec Empire watching RDJ's set from the side of the stage for hours whilst not moving at all. It was at the same place where he recorded Low On Ice in a tent near the festival they both played.

Anyway, relistening to this album just now for the first time in years and coincidentally I just found that he's rereleasing the album with two extra discs of previously unreleased recordings from those Iceland sessions.

You can already hear a few of those 'new' tracks (together with a pretty horrible interview) here:

https://soundcloud.com/alec_empire/reboots-fm-interview-with-alec-empire-about-low-on-ice

The set will be released on CD (and maybe on vinyl) this fall. He will also do a solo tour soon where he will play strictly Low On Ice type stuff.

it's a weird little album. I like it, although my favourite in Alec's solo work is still The Destroyer and will probably always remain so.

I recall hearing about Alec writing Low On Ice after long periods of touring and resultant exhaustion, hence the album's burnt-out, spaced, dubby sound.

keen to hear the new material on the rerelease.

  On 8/4/2014 at 2:28 AM, usagi said:

it's a weird little album. I like it, although my favourite in Alec's solo work is still The Destroyer and will probably always remain so.

 

I recall hearing about Alec writing Low On Ice after long periods of touring and resultant exhaustion, hence the album's burnt-out, spaced, dubby sound.

 

keen to hear the new material on the rerelease.

 

Didn't know of that anlecdote about Low On Ice before, makes total sense though.

Revisiting his older stuff, even though I think Low On Ice is my fave album, "Lash the 90ties" is probably his best track he ever made. That's some early soulful Caustic Window type stuff.

is this the guy who...uhhhhh. performed at the apple store?

I love this album, cant wait to hear the unreleased tracks.

i recommend people to check his album on Mille Plateaux called Limited Editions (my favorite album of his)

yeah new album... so what's up with that apple store performance?

lol, he's only gonna be known for the Apple store atrocity now

he may be reading this, he has a pretty good internet presence. just so you know Alec, I remember the good shit.

  On 8/4/2014 at 3:17 AM, Deer said:

I love this album, cant wait to hear the unreleased tracks.

 

i recommend people to check his album on Mille Plateaux called Limited Editions (my favorite album of his)

 

Once again I can hit myself in the head for completely missing this album (probably because it's a comp, although I haven't checked out Les Étoiles Des Filles Mortes as well). This track is 'insanely great' (if were already on the subject of apple commerce).

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:57 AM, usagi said:

lol, he's only gonna be known for the Apple store atrocity now

 

he may be reading this, he has a pretty good internet presence. just so you know Alec, I remember the good shit.

I mean, was that a joke or what? the best part is the crowd cheering flol

Man, this was never released huh?!

That Low On Ice vid...I remember seeing it on MTV late at night nearly twenty years ago.

And yes, The Destroyer was a banger album, though I didn't come across it until maybe a year or two later. Just happened to see the CD in its jewel case at a Best Buy one night.

Wasn't the Apple store thing an intentional joke? I can't believe Empire would be unaware of what he was doing. Remember reading something on Facebook about it...

edit: here https://www.facebook.com/alec.empire.the.destroyer/posts/409103152462422

I should dig out the Empire albums I have, they've been neglected listening wise.

i would give money just to view that performance once more, can't believe it's been deleted!

He's generally sucked since the launch of EYHO. Very much prefer his DHR and MP output. And this comes from a hardcore fan.

I love low on ice! Especially the "22:45" jazzy TB-track.