We Have Explosive 2021 is out on CD and digital now - vinyl still coming on RSD.
https://fsol.bandcamp.com/album/we-have-explosive-2021
I was lucky enough to get my CD copy today, did some track-by-track thoughts...
We Have Explosive - starts with some Dead Cities environments, following by a new version of the main track. As with Cascade, it sounds somewhat different to the original, maybe a slightly less 'tough' sounding mix, some slightly different drum arrangements.
Implosive - a mash-up of WHE Part 4's atmospherics with bass and drums from Headhunter. Nice track, feels closely tied to the 1997 EP.
Abandoned Housing Blocks of Prypiat - I think there are a few more layers on there than the version we already have.
Vaporise - lovely atmospheric breaks track, some samples from the original but good in its own right.
Detonation - ah, the 2" Tape Reels version! This absolutely lives up to expectations, utterly bonkers and completely incredible. Remixed version of the Her Face Forms in Summertime / WHE Pt 2 environment as an outro.
Herd Killing - ok, this is a whole new take on the track, some of the WHE Pt 4 atmospherics, starts fairly similar to the original but goes off into completely mental territory by the middle. You can definitely hear some of the recent Humanoid IDM sound in this.
Stasis Field - Dubby beats, field recordings, wah-wah guitar. Some guitar chords I recognise from somewhere but can't recall. Chunky and atmospheric.
Waiting Your Return - slow beats, atmospheric pads, bleepy synth arpeggios coming in - first track on here that's sounded like something from the Environments. Ends with the piano from Hall of Mirrors, further tying Environments 3 into the Dead Cities world in the process.
MIB1.479 - more Humanoid style IDM with some Dead Cities tour environments and effects, a few samples from WHE.
Exploding - a dnb version of WHE that could have come from 1996. Lots of fun.
Exotype - the fastest thing they've done, sounds about 180bpm with a half-time bassline. Ludicrous, in a very good way.
Slide Door - sounds a lot like the more straight-forward elements of Autechre's 21st century material. Very strange melody, slow vaguely hip-hop beat, lots of bleepy, wibbly sounds. Ends with silence. So close to it being gapless, as well!
5cam - another version of WHE pt 4 / Herd Killing. Ends around 2:30. Silence. Brief hidden track of some effects. Ends on a beep.
On the whole, I'd say this is probably the least 'ambient' record FSOL have ever put out. It's start to finish breaks and IDM. And yet it's really, really atmospheric. The mood is a natural extension of the very nocturnal feel of ISDN Show & WHE. I think it's probably my favourite of the re-recordings so far.
The CD doesn't have the usual eight page booklet, just a four page fold out. No artwork credits again, I'm assuming it's by Brian.
Pete, you're doing to love this.