| Lifeforms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 May 1994 [1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 92:33 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | The Future Sound of London | |||
| The Future Sound of London chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Full cover picture | ||||
 The "Witch Girl" in a desert landscape | ||||
Lifeforms is the second studio album by British electronica group The Future Sound of London. The album was released on 23 May 1994 by Virgin Records and later by Astralwerks.
The Future Sound of London began work on the album around the same time as they were finishing Tales of Ephidrina , and the more complex, ambient direction they were taking resulted in Lifeforms. [2] The artwork also progressed from previous works, with soon-to-be familiar images of the "Witch Girl" Sheuneen Ta and the "Spike" computer model having been previously used on the group's Cascade EP.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [4] |
| NME | 8/10 [5] |
| Resident Advisor | 4.3/5 [6] |
| Sputnikmusic | 5/5 [3] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ [7] |
Lifeforms achieved commercial success and produced hit singles such as "Cascade" and "Lifeforms". The album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for over 60,000 units sold.
AllMusic called it "one of the best experimental techno releases of the '90s" and "an inventive, fascinating aural experience, as rich and detailed as the Orb's best work." [4]
The Swedish band Carbon Based Lifeforms got the idea of its name partly from this album. [8]
All tracks are written by The Future Sound of London (Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans), except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cascade" | 5:59 |
| 2. | "Ill Flower" | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Flak" (Cobain, Dougans, Robert Fripp, Andrew Grossart, Trevor Nightingale, William Thomson, Paul Williams) | 4:53 |
| 4. | "Bird Wings" | 1:30 |
| 5. | "Dead Skin Cells" | 6:50 |
| 6. | "Lifeforms" | 5:18 |
| 7. | "Eggshell" | 6:45 |
| 8. | "Among Myselves" | 5:52 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Domain" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Spineless Jelly" | 4:41 |
| 3. | "Interstat" | 0:55 |
| 4. | "Vertical Pig" | 6:44 |
| 5. | "Cerebral" | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Life Form Ends" | 5:03 |
| 7. | "Vit" | 6:48 |
| 8. | "Omnipresence" (Cobain, Dougans, Klaus Schulze) | 6:39 |
| 9. | "Room 208" | 6:12 |
| 10. | "Elaborate Burn" | 3:15 |
| 11. | "Little Brother" | 5:13 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 6 |
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