MINISTRY MAGAZINE A 101 CRUCIAL ALBUMS

IN THE LIST ALONG SIDE GREATS LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON, MASSIVE ATTACK, DE LA SOUL, BJORK, CHEMICAL BROTHERS, DEPECHE MODE, CYPRESS HILL, ETC, ETC ETC THEY INCLUDED THE ATONEMENT ALBUM..

MINISTRY MAGAZINE 101 CRUCIAL ALBUMS
ATONE
ATONEMENT

Andy Fitzgerald's
contribution to Australian
electronic dub is as
impressive as it is relentless.
With Atonement, Andy
collaborated with Ali Omar
to produce a seminal debut
nothing else in ambient
that has no expiry date.
Atonement has more bottom
end than a Sir Mix-A-Lot
video while layers of emotiv
sounds compete to provide
rich soundscapes.


ROLLING STONE APRIL 97
4 STARS ****
ATONEMENT
Atone
Zonar Recordings/Juice


DEEP ELECTRONIC DUB, STRAIGHT
outta Sydney. Atone is the duo
Ali Omar and Andy Fitzgerald, a
refugee from Manchester; both
have recorded and performed sepa-
rately for techno-collectives Clan
Analogue and the Vibe Tribe.
Atonement is their debut release
together and it'lI slide into your
brain with ease. Taking their'cues
from the thunder of dub, the infini-
ty of ambience and trance, and the
aural anarchy of sample culture
Atone, at its core, is primal,
swampy funk. At one end, "Fly-
away Afro" and "Fuck War" dabble
with industrial noise amongst the
jelly-beats; at the other, "Hellhole"
and "Dublife" drift in echoes
toward total sedation. Best is "Nev-
er Be Free" where hiphop is updat-
ed once again into brilliant and bru-
tal chemical new-beats.
CHRIS JOHNSTON


DEC 09 96
3D WORLD
CD OF THE WEEK
ATONEMENT
Atone
(Zonar)
****
After the nitty B(if)tek CD Sub Vocat
Theme Park and the two excellent
Clan Analogue collections Aphelion
One and Jaunt Australian elec-
tronica 1996 is in very healthy
state. Now atone fling down a chal-
lenge to all comers with their impres-
sive debut, atonement the first
release on the Newtown-based Zonar
label which has the stated aim of
"nurturing the diversities found in
Australian experimental culture". In
this album Andy Fitzgerald and Ali
Omar have already created an
admirably diverse callection of
trance-state tunes. The journey
begins with the re-hash(ish'ed
Hellhole , atone's contributian to
Jaunt. From the outset it's apparent
this is lusciously-produced music
with fluid bass-lines and some seri-
ous rhythmic subtlety inside the
ambient wash. An array of crafted
dubscapes opens up as the atone-
ment process unravels. Dublife floats
Into listening range with a gorgeous
space-chorale of female vocals over a
disabled hip hop beat. Amb is cock-tail
party hosted by Dennis Hopper circa Blue Velvet.
(take another breath, Frank). Fuck
War drives you onto the information
autobahn with Kraftwerk-style preci-
sion and a darkly positive vibe (Ali
stops the engine mid-ride and tells
you how his day's been: "fucking hor-
rible"). The "facial tic" dancehall-
derived rhythms, Jew's harp and har-
monic chanting in Eco Gringo should
keep you thoroughly fascinated. But
for me the highlight of the album is
BBC 1, an evocative 'ambient' surf
through the ionosphere which brings
to mind Jon Hassell's Fourth Worid
dream music without losing an edgy
undertow of electro-percussion.
Magic. This,is an album of many and
various pleasures barely hinted at
here (mention should also be made of
The elegant Sleeve-art by
Kazumíchi Grime). If you want to
explore the wonders of the new elec.
tronica taking shape hereabauts,
atonement is the key, Shirley Watts


SUBSTANCE MAGAZINE
08/08/97

ATONE
ATONEMENT
Zonar Recordings

Atone are at the forefront of the underground
electronic movement, 'Atonement' reaffirms
this with an adventure into ambient, Dub, Acid
and Experimental grooves. "Burundi" with lush
strings, hypnotic rhythm all layered over a
rolling breaky loop and dabs of acid, blend with
the sound of African tribal chants. 'Eco Gringo
has stabs of crisp percussion dubby basslines,
wailing eastern vocals and warm
strings, while 'Hellhole' is an analogue bubblebath
with a 4/4 beat, phasing loops and
a dreamy bassline. The production of this album is
excellent, combining raw analogue
sounds with layers of strings and effects. Dublife' is
the slowest track, clocking in at
55 bpm; surreal strings, chunky loops and more tribal
vocals. Rain' is a beat driven,
dub track with a slow rhythm and abstract riffs, remixed
by Brendan Palmer from Clan
Analogue. 'Fuck War' is an uptempo breaky piece with
sweeping synths, filtering acid
and a Future Sound Of London flavour. 'Atonement' is an
atmospheric soundtrack, at
times dark and mysterious as well as bright and warm as
well as abstract in parts.

4 STARS

SYDNEY MORNING HARALD
JUL 11 97

FEATURE ALBUM
ATONE
Atonement
(Zonar/MDS)
5 STARS XXXXX
TouchTunes 5044

Atonement was perhaps the biggest
underground hit of the Australian
dance scene of 1996. Its first pressing
sold out entirely on the strength of
community radio airplay and coverage
in the dance press, and Atone were the
secret hit of the 1997 Vibes on a
Summer's Day at Bondi (elbowing aside
the Propellerheads and Wiseguys in a
memorable performance that lasted
nearly three hours in a packed support
room). All of which is a surprise for an
album as accessible as this. And the
twelve instrumental, synthesised
dub/trance/doof and hip hop tracks
have a production and arrangement
so precise and complete that repeat
listens reveal one layer after another.
Dublife puts brakes on the mix.
holding onto the pause button with a
lovely wash of melodies - an ethereal
vocal loop foremost among its treats
before AMB and Rain ever so slowly
begin to wind up the effect, gathering
pace with heavy percussion and bass
packing the viscosity of treacle.
Soothed into this space, Never Be Free
kicks off the quicker jaunts, a snatch
of the Funky Drummer providing the
basis for a slab of funky
recontextualisation. And F--k War's
tablas duel with keyboards before a
bassline emerging from 20,000
fathoms ruptures the surface,
showering the place with groove.
Atone's Ali Omar and Andrew Fitzgerald
have crafted magic here with a
listenable opus awash with a fusion of
styles so complete, it's likely to
become a definite style itself.
MIGUEL D'SOUZA