Supermodified - Amon Tobin
Metascore
85 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. Pitchfork
    91
    Remarkably intricate and razor sharp compositions... more accessible than anything he's done before, yet it surpasses them insofar has he has shown the beginnings of a total sonic mastery of each subtle aspect of a work.
  2. All Music Guide
    90
    A dense, plunderphonic kaleidoscope of an album with giant, noisy jazz breaks and groovy electronic synthwork.
  3. Dot Music
    90
    It's dark but without employing the dull monotone formulas that have dragged drum and bass down.
  4. Sonicnet
    80
    Feeding everything from polyrhythmic samba marches and interstellar jazz excursions into his mixer-microprocessor, then topping them off with obsessive beat-programming, Tobin blurs the boundaries between organic and prefabricated, as if the coexistence of the two should be an undeniable rule.
  5. Q Magazine
    60
    A superbly stealthy assault on the ears, stroking and unsettling in equal measure.
  6. MTV.com
    80
    A far darker, more turbulent kinda bop.... party music for the dedicated headphone-bobber, barstool shaker, chillout room-gesturer, living room couch-dancer.
  7. Splendid
    70
    Though not as darkly elegant as Permutation, Supermodified is still rife with sophisticated Brazilian lounge-jazz samples and unpredictable drum'n'bass skitterings, this time augmented with more overt nods to hip-hop and Aphex Twin-style sympho-electronica.
  8. Magnet
    90
    Supermodified is a culmination, for its operatic/cinematic soundscapes... are utterly unique. [#46, p.93]
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User Reviews

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User Score
9.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. SarahF.
    10
    Dark, enchanting, atmospheric, moody and unpredictable. Tobin pulls you by the leg into a world where jazz is dissociated into its componenet parts and mixed with pretty much anything he feels like. Invograting and challenging, this release can only be faulted for the fact that the mixing and production is so dense that it somtimes becomes a sludgey soup of sounds. As Tobin himself puts it, "frequencies sometimes clash", and thus if you enjoy clean, ultra-precise and detailed production you will be disappointed. However, I find the dreamy, vinyl quality of the sound a definite plus. The compositions are brilliant collages of chopped-up jazz samples, jungle beats, and stylish experimental sound effects. Highlights include the single "Four Ton Mantis", a dense and moody ride for the ears, and "Natureland", a syrupy-smooth downtempo piece that inspires images of smokey lounges.… Full Review »
  2. ChrisL.
    10
    I think the intricate production and complete atmospherics of each and every track make this experimental album an accomplished success.
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