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Rating: I first got into Ils by listening to his 'Feed The Addiction' on the soundtrack of Need For Speed Most Wanted.
Ils is none other than an English guy named Illian Walker who, over the years, has cut his teeth on the electronic music scene, especially breakbeat, becoming an internationally acclaimed DJ/producer.
After a quick search, I found the album’s name: it's called 'Bohemia', released in 2005 by Distinct'ive Records (a famous English breakbeat label that also includes among its artists the great Hybrid and Way Out West).
Well, there's no denying: Ils has given birth to one of the finest electronic albums of recent years. Right from the start, it’s clear that the guy doesn't stick to the usual clichés that have dominated the breakbeat scene for a long time, but rather he seeks to make his music go full circle. His influences range from the biggest names in the scene, like The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, etc... to more blatantly pop influences.
It starts with a guitar-driven 'Intro', then the raucous 'Tiny Toy' warms up the speakers, moving on to the beautiful and melodic 'Angels' and 'Cherish', and the Fast and Furious/Grime influences of the aforementioned 'Feed The Addiction' (a real bomb!!! :D). 'Storm From The East', then, is imbued with magnificent Arab and Middle Eastern influences. A special mention for the beautiful trip-hop of 'Precious' where the singer's voice is very reminiscent of the early Nelly Furtado albums, and 'Loving You', an equally exciting electro-soul.
In short, this album has a perfect alternation between 'ear-popping' tracks and more melodic ones, but always beautifully infused with danceable breaks and bass... anyway, the risk of boredom is zero!
I highly recommend listening to all fans of big beat, breakbeat, techno or whatever you'd like to call it... ;D
There's a lot of electronic music out there, but making it with such class is not for everyone.
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