4 out of 5

Label: No Quarter

Produced by: Laddio Bolocko, ?

A compilation of Laddio Bolock’s debut album and ‘As If In Real Time,’ which was a remastered compilation of their sophomore release and final EP. Also: the music video for As If By Remote.

Contents of the original releases are reviewed above; this rating is for the compilation itself, which is mainly: heck yes, if you’re interested in this oddball stylistic mish-mash instrumental act – who appeared in that brief breath between 90s indie rock getting hip to moving out of pure geekdom but before it was fully co-opted by Spin and internet hipsters – this 2-CD set is your cost-effective way of getting the totality of their recorded output. While I’ll go back and forth on the impact of LB, the very fact that they were able to cross through hardcore and groove and jazz (covering no-wave influences from Skin Graft, combined with the scuzzy rock of Touch and Go, and the time-signature bop of Thrill Jockey) cohesively on their releases, and without any overt cheekiness or bravado, made them noteworthy, and the remastered take of their latter two releases + the first album sound great side-by-side… excepting the debut’s secret track (a 20-minute re-do of the preceding 20-minute track) making the transition from disc 1 to disc 2 a bit exhausting, but I appreciate the completeness.

The only other criticism I’d make is the nigh-complete lack of credits. I mean, you get notes on where the group recorded the stuff, which I guess is really all you need, and the original recording’s liner notes were lacking / faceless as well, so all of this is fitting, it just feels kind of weird whenever you get some type of retrospective and there’s nothing inside – it’s just like a “if you know, you know” vibe. To balance that out, you do get some very cool photography / artwork.