Quantic
The 5th Exotic

Apps that allow you to search for music online are often invasive and, in most cases, guide us towards the classic pre-compiled lists generated by algorithms, limiting our ability for independent selection and discovery.

Yet, sometimes a miracle happens, in the sense that among many useless suggestions, far from our actual preferences, we might stumble upon little-known or even completely unknown albums. We listen to them, find something similar among the suggested videos, and in this way streaming platforms transform into authentic gold mines, capable of expanding our musical horizons.

This is how I discovered The 5th Exotic, the debut album of DJ, producer, and multi-instrumentalist William Holland, better known as Quantic.

If you’re picturing a physics professor with a passion for nicknames, you’re probably way off.

We’re talking about a talented English musician, then only twenty-one, who mixes live instruments (guitar, bass, piano, organ, and as many as you can imagine) with samples and other electronic gadgets in his tracks, with the aim of creating a tasty and absolutely intriguing blend.

The 5th Exotic is the first album by this eclectic Anglo-Saxon composer. It’s a project that knowingly draws from many sources: instrumental hip-hop, late-nineties breakbeat, the evocative atmospheres of Thievery Corporation and Kruder & Dorfmeister, the quirky songwriting of Beck, jazz.

Nothing new, you might say, especially for an LP released in 2001. But who ever said that music has to be innovative to be good?

Of course, William Holland doesn’t offer anything truly revolutionary; nevertheless, The 5th Exotic flows as smoothly as silk and takes us through richly emotional soundscapes, demonstrating a remarkable maturity for such an emerging artist.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Quantic’s debut is the heavy use of vocal samples taken from movie dialogues and old recordings—a feature that gives several tracks a narrative dimension. Such is the case with the aesthetic-philosophical considerations of "Infinite Regression", where strings suddenly add a dramatic tone to the arrangement, or the meditations of the trippy "Life in the Rain", a reflection on the feeling of being lost while walking without a clear destination (not to mention the powerful groove, blending hip-hop, jazz, and the best of Thievery Corporation).

The rest of the tracklist ventures through various moods, proposing a sound that is never boring, cloying, or derivative, and completely engages the listener—even though it is essentially an instrumental work.

This way, you might come across the title track or the delightful breakbeat of "Through These Eyes", two tracks that transport you to a crowded club where top-tier cocktails are served and where, with a bit of luck, you might exchange a few words with the blonde who just gave you a flirtatious glance.

You barely have time to jot down her number and suddenly find yourself, as if by magic, in the Mojave Desert or somewhere arid halfway between the US and Mexico. That’s thanks to "Snakes in the Grass", an irresistible mix of electronica and wonky psychedelia reminiscent of Beck from that era. Similar vibes resurface in "Common Knowledge", with Quantic picking up the electric guitar and delivering a solid funk, complete with spot-on riffs, brass, and melodies straight from the '70s.

There’s no shortage of sadder or more melancholic moments (the moving piano progression of "Time Is the Enemy", the mellow atmospheres of "In the Key of Blue", reminiscent of the magnificent Peace Orchestra), while with "The Picture Inside" you might even get lost in the mazes of the mind, where anxiety and paranoia always lurk around the corner.

The whole album closes with the brief "Morning", a sort of calm after the storm that, with soothing guitars and slow rhythms, gently rocks us towards the closing credits.

Since the release of The 5th Exotic, William Holland has continued to produce with incredible dedication and to publish numerous albums. Unfortunately, I don’t know them and can’t say whether the quality is the same as this successful first work, which, as already mentioned, serves as an excellent snapshot of the musical styles in fashion at the time.

The choice is now yours.

If you are very demanding and seek out the experimental, something never heard before, perhaps you’ll be disappointed by the experience. If, on the other hand, your expectations aren’t too high, you’ll no doubt sit back in your armchair, pop open your favorite drink, and enjoy an album which, nearly a quarter of a century later, has not only retained its freshness but is still a pleasure to listen to.