Maritime
by Minotaur Shock
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: Aug 9, 2005
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. AllMusic
    90
    Maritime might be a light, almost frothy album, but that's exactly where its power lies.
  2. Dot Music
    80
    Think Giorgio Moroder, The Art of Noise and Michael Nyman with - if you like your reference points with less padded shoulders - a touch of New Order and Boards of Canada.
  3. Playlouder
    80
    An assortment of evocative instrumental journeys that warm the cockles.
  5. The Guardian
    80
    The result is rich in unusual unions.
  6. Lost At Sea
    80
    Like any good instrumental album, Maritime does its job in providing a getaway.
  7. Prefix Magazine
    80
    Edwards’s newly minted disco folktronica, as easily aligned with Sufjan Stevens as Aphex Twin, is a little bit very crazy.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    A pleasant surprise. [12 Aug 2005, p.79]
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  9. Uncut
    70
    Demonstrates... pastoral grace, sweetness and warmth. [Aug 2005, p.106]
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  10. The Wire
    70
    This music's shoreline is made up of instrumental delicacy and subtle arrangements, which burble, froth and foam washing over the listener with an insistent but gentle force. [#257, p.61]
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  11. PopMatters
    70
    A joyous, positively sun drenched blend of organic instruments and electronic twiddlings.
  12. Urb
    70
    Somewhere between Matmos and Ariel Pink, this is wickedly out there. [Sep 2005, p.110]
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  13. Mojo
    70
    This is chic pop electronica. [Aug 2005, p.101]
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  14. Pitchfork
    62
    When the Shock does muster a strong melody, he makes a synth-pop jam out of it, and those are Maritime's better moments.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. peterw.
    Jul 16, 2007
    10
    best album of the decade.do yourself a favour and let it flow.
  2. Brant
    Nov 10, 2005
    10
    I think most of the critics are being a little snobby about this one. It is a Top 10 of 2005 that's going under the radar. Get yourself a copy.
  3. Gman
    Nov 4, 2005
    8
    Instrumental electronica seems a little out of vogue these days, so it's good to see someone out there is still doing something fresh Instrumental electronica seems a little out of vogue these days, so it's good to see someone out there is still doing something fresh and exciting. With Maritime, Minotaur shock's Dave Edwards has probably made the most fully realised fusion of electronic and 'real' acoustic instruments I've heard yet. Rather than just making electronic music with accoustic bits or vice versa (like many of his 'folktronica' contemporaries) Edwards has created an album that seamlesslessly juxtaposes oboes and strings with electronic beats, glitches and clicks. The result highly melodic and beautiful electronic chamber music (chambertronica? -hmm). Imagine Virginia Astley remixed by Matmos and your somewhere close. If you're a fan of either Boards of Canada or Four Tet, you should definitely get hold of this CD.… Full Review »
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