Alternative Light Source

Last updated

Alternative Light Source
Alternative Light Source.jpg
Studio album by
Leftfield
Released8 June 2015
Genre
Length52:18
Label Infectious
Producer Neil Barnes, Adam Wren
Leftfield chronology
Rhythm and Stealth
(1999)		Alternative Light Source
(2015)		 This Is What We Do
(2022)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 79/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Clash 8/10 [3]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Line of Best Fit 8.5/10 [5]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Release Magazine 10/10 [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Alternative Light Source is the third album by the English electronic group Leftfield, released on 8 June 2015. It is the first new material following the band's 1999 album Rhythm and Stealth . It is also the first Leftfield album without Paul Daley, as well as the first since the band's return in 2010.

Contents

On 1 June 2015, the album premiere was streamed live on Leftfield's website, coupled with live tweeting about it on the band's Twitter feed with hashtag #leftfieldstream. [12]

Critical reception

Nick Annan of Clash said "Alternative Light Source is a worthy successor to Rhythm & Stealth, not as sparse or hard hitting but brimming with energy, ideas and familiar Leftfield diaphragm-rattling bass." [3] Mojo's Stephen Worthy commented that Neil Barnes "meets the challenge" of releasing a followup to Leftfield's previous albums that went platinum, and said that the album, "...aided by a clutch of judicious guest appearances, balances crowd-pleasing festival epics, intense techy workouts and bubbling synth lullabies." [6]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Bad Radio" (featuring Tunde Adebimpe)5:22
2."Universal Everything" (featuring Georgia Barnes)7:06
3."Bilocation" (featuring Channy Leaneagh of Poliça)4:24
4."Head and Shoulders" (featuring Sleaford Mods)5:24
5."Dark Matters"5:02
6."Little Fish" (featuring Channy Leaneagh of Poliça)6:08
7."Storms End"5:00
8."Alternative Light Source"3:16
9."Shaker Obsession"5:22
10."Levitate for You" (featuring Ofei)5:14
Total length:52:18

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [13] 42
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [14] 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [15] 111
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16] 31
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] 74
UK Albums (OCC) [18] 6

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leftfield</span> British electronic music duo

Leftfield are a British electronic music group formed in 1989, a duo of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley. The duo was influential in the evolution of electronic music in the 1990s, with Mixmag describing them as "the single most influential production team working in British dance music". As with many of their contemporaries, such as The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, Leftfield are notable for their use of guest vocalists in their works. Among them are Toni Halliday on "Original", Johnny Rotten on "Open Up", Djum Djum on "Afro-Left", Earl 16 and Cheshire Cat on "Release the Pressure", and Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. on "Full Way Round". The term progressive house was coined to define their style, a fusion of house with dub and reggae.

<i>Dummy</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Portishead

Dummy is the debut studio album by English electronic music band Portishead, released on 22 August 1994 by Go! Beat Records.

<i>100th Window</i> 2003 studio album by Massive Attack

100th Window is the fourth studio album by English electronic music group Massive Attack, released on 10 February 2003 by Virgin Records. The album was mainly produced by lead member Robert Del Naja, as the group's producer Andrew Vowles departed shortly after the release of their previous album Mezzanine (1998), and Grant Marshall opted out of the production of the album. 100th Window features vocals from regular guest Horace Andy, as well as newcomers Sinéad O'Connor and Damon Albarn. Stylistically, it is the first album by the group to make no use of existing samples, and contains none of the hip hop or jazz fusion styles that the group were initially known for.

<i>Birds of Pray</i> 2003 studio album by Live

Birds of Pray is the seventh studio album by Live, released in 2003. The first single, "Heaven" became the band's most successful single in several years, reaching number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. Birds of Pray was Live's final release on Radioactive/MCA. They signed with Epic in 2005.

<i>Throwing Copper</i> 1994 album by Live

Throwing Copper is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Live, released on April 26, 1994, on former MCA Records subsidiary Radioactive Records. It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and was recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio. Throwing Copper has generally been regarded as Live's best album, having sold over 8 million copies and certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Franz Ferdinand</i> (album) 2004 album by Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, first released on 9 February 2004 through the Domino Recording Company. It was recorded during 2003 at Gula Studios in Malmö, Sweden, with Tore Johansson, who produced the majority of the album, with two tracks produced by the band themselves. It entered the United Kingdom album charts at number three in February 2004 and contains the UK top ten singles "Take Me Out" and "The Dark of the Matinée" as well as UK top 20 hit "Michael".

<i>Leftism</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Leftfield

Leftism is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Leftfield, released in 1995 on Columbia Records. It contained a mixture of new tracks along with reworked versions of previous Leftfield singles. The album contains guest spots from musicians not associated with dance music at the time such as John Lydon from Public Image Ltd. and Toni Halliday from Curve. The album was described as progressive house, although some journalists found that label too limiting, suggesting the album incorporated many genres. After completing the album, the duo initially were not pleased with it.

<i>Employment</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Kaiser Chiefs

Employment is the debut studio album by English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs, released in March 2005 on B-Unique Records. Employment takes its inspirations from the Britpop and new wave movements, 1970s-era punk rock and Beach Boys-esque West Coast music.

<i>Rhythm and Stealth</i> 1999 studio album by Leftfield

Rhythm and Stealth is the second studio album by the English electronic group Leftfield, released on 20 September 1999. It reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It was nominated for the 2000 Mercury Music Prize.

<i>Grinderman 2</i> 2010 studio album by Grinderman

Grinderman 2 is the second and final studio album by alternative rock band Grinderman, a side project of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 13 September 2010 on Mute Records in the United Kingdom and ANTI- in the United States.

<i>Babel</i> (Mumford & Sons album) 2012 studio album by Mumford & Sons

Babel is the second studio album by British folk rock band Mumford & Sons. As with Sigh No More, the album was produced by Markus Dravs. The vinyl LP version of the record was pressed by United Record Pressing in Nashville, Tennessee. It was released on 21 September 2012 in Ireland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. It was released on 24 September 2012 in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Eastern Europe, South America, and on 25 September 2012 in the United States and Canada.

<i>Fire Within</i> (Birdy album) 2013 studio album by Birdy

Fire Within is the second studio album by English musician Birdy, released on 16 September 2013 by 14th Floor Records and Atlantic Records. It is her first album of predominantly original compositions, as her eponymous debut album consisted largely of covers. Birdy collaborated with several producers including Jim Abbiss, Rich Costey, Jake Gosling, John Hill, Ben Lovett, Eric Rosse, Fraser T Smith, Ryan Tedder, Dan Wilson and Greg Wells during its recording. The album includes the singles "Wings", "No Angel", "Light Me Up" and "Words as Weapons".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FFS (band)</span> 2010s supergroup band

FFS was a supergroup formed by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand and American art rock band Sparks. Their formation was announced on 9 March 2015, but the two bands had been recording since at least the mid-2000s. The group's eponymous debut studio album was recorded in late 2014 and released through the Domino Recording Company in the UK on 8 June and in the US on 9 June 2015.

<i>Born Under Saturn</i> 2015 studio album by Django Django

Born Under Saturn is the second studio album by British art rock band Django Django. It reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart in May 2015.

<i>Venom</i> (Bullet for My Valentine album) 2015 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Venom is the fifth studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 14 August 2015 via RCA Records, their second and last album under the label. It is the first album by the band since the departure of bassist Jason "Jay" James, which was announced in February 2015 while the band was recording the album. Jamie Mathias was announced as his replacement on 18 May 2015, along with the album's title, release date and release of the album's first single, "No Way Out". This would also be the final album with founding drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas who parted ways with the band officially in 2017.

<i>Paper Gods</i> 2015 studio album by Duran Duran

Paper Gods is the fourteenth studio album by English rock band Duran Duran, released on 11 September 2015 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mr Hudson and Joshua Blair, who had worked with the band on All You Need Is Now (2010) and A Diamond in the Mind: Live 2011 (2012); Nile Rodgers, who had previously first worked on the band's "The Reflex", his remixed version reaching number one, "The Wild Boys" single and Notorious album; and Mark Ronson, who produced All You Need Is Now. The first single, "Pressure Off", features vocals from American singer Janelle Monáe. The album was supported by the Paper Gods on Tour.

<i>Thats the Spirit</i> 2015 studio album by Bring Me the Horizon

That's the Spirit is the fifth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on 11 September 2015, and marks a departure from the group's metalcore roots, in favour of a less aggressive alternative rock and metal style.

<i>Woodstock</i> (Portugal. The Man album) 2017 album

Woodstock is the eighth studio album by American rock band Portugal. The Man, released on June 16, 2017 through Atlantic Records.

<i>Home Counties</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Saint Etienne

Home Counties is the ninth studio album by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne, released on 2 June 2017 by Heavenly Recordings. The album features collaborations with Gerard Johnson, Augustus and Nick Moon. The album features production from Shawn Lee, Carwyn Ellis and Richard X.

<i>Evolve</i> (Imagine Dragons album) 2017 studio album by Imagine Dragons

Evolve is the third studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on June 23, 2017, by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. After the release of their previous album Smoke + Mirrors (2015) and its respective world tour, a self-imposed hiatus for 2016 and cryptic messages from the band through their social media gained anticipation for their third album; it was finally announced on May 9, 2017, along with the initiation of its pre-order. In comparison to Smoke + Mirrors and their 2012 debut Night Visions, frontman Dan Reynolds called the album an "evolution" for the band.

References

  1. ↑ "Alternative Light Source by Leftfield" . Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. ↑ "Alternative Light Source - Leftfield - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. 1 2 Annan, Nick (25 June 2015). "Leftfield – Alternative Light Source" . Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  4. ↑ Dennis, Jon (4 June 2015). "Leftfield: Alternative Light Source review – beauty and ecstasy on 90s dance act's impressive return". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  5. ↑ Palmer, Michael (10 June 2015). "Leftfield return and it's like they've never been gone". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  6. 1 2 Worthy, Stephen (7 November 2016). "Leftfield – Alternative Light Source". Mojo. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Leftfield – Alternative Light Source - Album Reviews - musicOMH". www.musicomh.com. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  8. ↑ Woodcraft, Molloy (7 June 2015). "Leftfield: Alternative Light Source review – a masterpiece of texture". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  9. ↑ Smith, Phil (5 June 2015). "Alternative Light Source - Leftfield". Record Collector . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "Leftfield – Alternative Light Source" . Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  11. ↑ "There's shade as well as light, too: Dark Matters is beautiful, its minor-key arpeggios glistening in the twilight."
  12. ↑ "TONIGHT: Leftfield to live-stream new album". Never Enough Notes. 1 June 2015. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Leftfield – Alternative Light Source". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Leftfield – Alternative Light Source" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Leftfield – Alternative Light Source" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Leftfield – Alternative Light Source" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Leftfield – Alternative Light Source" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.