You Era Box Set

A band I'd never heard of until this box set was released. CUE records are to be congratulated for the presentation of the set. The albums themselves each have professional looking inserts and complementary graphics on the CDs. There's also an extensive booklet containing some great pictures of YOU's modular gear and plenty of info (if you can read Dutch), and the booklet is signed and numbered. Finally the whole package is housed in a shiny black box with colour YOU logos. Four of the five CDs are previous releases, though all of them are supplemented by extra tracks. The fifth album is new and includes a CDROM track. 'Electric Day' (1979) gets straight down to business with a trio of traditional sequence based tracks. The sequences don't change chord and the synthesised accompaniment is there for effect not melody. After a couple of unconvincing short atmospheric pieces the 12 minute 'Slow Go' provides some more sequencer driven riffs and shows what YOU were capable at this early stage. 'Zero-Eighty-Four' shows exactly how not to combine electric guitar with synthesisers. This track must be a piss take. Things improve considerably with 'E-Night' though, the first of a trio of previously unreleased pieces. Save yourself 8 minutes and don't listen to the final track aptly titled 'Yousless'. 'Time Code' (1982) shows how much things can change in 3 years. The trend is towards shorter, more structured and melodic pieces and the result is a more accessible sound. Again there's lots of sequences but this time they do move around with the melodies drawing comparisons with Peru at times. The sequences are very powerful and stylish in places, but unfortunately many are also fairly indifferent and there aren't really any great melodies to retrieve the situation. It's as if the raw materials are all there, but they've got the mix wrong. You only have to look at the inside cover of 'Wonders from the Genetic Factory' (1983/84) to know that YOU certainly have the sort of gear to produce something special. Their Spacemaster Modular System certainly looks the business, but unfortunately this album carries on where 'Time Code' left off is largely uninspiring. 'Future Generation' is a good piece but just as I thought this was the only piece of note 'Koyaanisquatsi Xmas' came on. At last YOU show that they can produce some seriously good EM. A 25 minute live piece which contains some superb sections. 'Laserscape' (1985/86) contains a number of atmospheric outings. It also contains possibly the best studio offering of the set in the form of 'Can You Tell Me Where I Am'. A majestic and cohesive combination of sequences and lead riffs. The closing 25 minute 'Laserscape/Live' shows once again that YOU should be an exciting live prospect. '00:19:96:00 Electric Images Revisited' was produced between 1992 and 1996. The first thing to mention is the superb interactive CDROM track which invites you to explore a world of exciting visuals accompanied by YOU's music. It also has some great pictures of modular synth setups and invites you to "choose your synth"! Musically there's some interesting tracks on show, but nothing really grabbed me, and unfortunately that sums up a lot of the music in this box set. It's all well packaged and presented, and the CDROM track is great, but as a studio band YOU only fleetingly impress me. I'd like to see them perform live though. (GG)

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