The Cloud Making Machine
by Laurent Garnier
  • Record Label: Mute
  • Release Date: Feb 22, 2005
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Playlouder
    80
    This is probably the most adventurous musical journey of Garnier's life.
  2. Mojo
    80
    It's a soundtrack for rainswept, sodium-lit backstreets. [Feb 2005, p.101]
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  3. Urb
    80
    Once the headphones are in place, it becomes apparent that the Frenchman has indeed pulled off another masterful work. [Mar 2005, p.111]
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  5. Billboard
    80
    [It] finds him eschewing his signature peak-hour beats and dancefloor rhythms for primarily ambient sounds—with rock and jazz flourishes.
  6. Splendid
    80
    Admittedly, not all of Cloud's most ambitious tracks work ou.... But in the end, it's Garnier's ambition, combined with his talent and professionalism, that make this an album worth seeking out.
  7. Pitchfork
    72
    What Garnier can lack in feeling, he makes up for with years of technical know-how, on The Cloud Making Machine as before.
  8. Uncut
    70
    An absorbing listen. [Mar 2005, p.102]
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  9. Stylus Magazine
    67
    It doesn’t always work, and the record has a scattered second half that undercuts the sonic unity of the first, but the best moments here are as starkly affecting as any of Garnier’s past work.
  10. Almost Cool
    60
    A varied and interesting album that is also a bit hit-or-miss.
  11. AllMusic
    60
    It's often impenetrable and there are a couple derailments... but it's never off-putting.
  12. Lost At Sea
    60
    There is a feeling of being sucked into a mid-90s vortex here.
  13. The Wire
    50
    Tracks like "Huis Clos"... can drag... And the garage rock of "(I Wanna Be) Waiting For My Plane" is an unwieldy cross between early Sonic Youth and Two Lone Swordsmen's axe-men incarnation. [#253, p.69]
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  14. Under The Radar
    50
    An abrasively divisive record in that you're either going to get down with the sound, or you're going to immediately turn it off. [#9]
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  15. PopMatters
    40
    It doesn't sound like most of his recent material, and while the rejection of familiar sounds and textures alone is never a good reason to dismiss an album, the new sounds that he utilizes here are neither very new or very good.
  16. Rolling Stone
    40
    While Garnier's trickling melodies and spare snares hint at mystery, mostly they leave you longing for a beat.
  17. Junkmedia
    30
    Garnier displays an ability to approximate several genres, yet betrays his fellow travelers by failing to infuse any of them with individuality or innovation.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Daze
    Mar 30, 2005
    9
    Excellent departure from Mr. Garniers usual work, a trip through the bizarra and trippy, where AFX meets Dr. Patterson
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