JON SHEFFIELD
IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE SEEN THE OCEAN

TOM12 | released: 07/08/2001 | CD
  via Anost (Europe)
  via SCD (USA)

All Music Guide

It¹s Been So Long Since I¹ve Seen the Ocean is Jon Sheffield¹s first full-length album. His approach to electronic music feels refreshing like a day at the beach. He eschews cold glitch sounds, obvious techno grooves, and textural soundscapes, even though his music owes much to these influences. At the core of the album is the element of fun. {$Sheffield} enjoyed himself and so does the listener: these ten short instrumental pieces take the form of songs. Derivative beats are looped, real instruments are brought in (like the melodica in {&³Whimsican Dial²}), simple shinny melodies enter and exit. That¹s only the surface, the first impression. Further listening reveals complex arrangements, clever constructions, but always remains this cool attitude that might unease serious experimental electronica fans. "Chocolate Spoon" could be a perfect pop gem if it were standardized and stripped from its ornamenting circumvolutions -- not that one would actually wish such disastrous outcome! "Dear Yma" is another other highlight: by using discreet voice samples, Sheffield gives the track a completely different mood. Fans of Sack und Blumm will feel pretty much at ease with "It¹s Been So Long Since I¹ve Seen the Ocean", a convincing debut. (François Couture)

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