Photek – Form & Function

This is, for me at least, one of the absolute greats as far as drum and bass/jungle goes, no doubt. I could best describe the feel of this album as sitting on a bullet train traveling through space, looking out the window and watching planets and star systems fly by. Form & Function keeps things very "spaced out" and minimal in nature almost entirely throughout, and this works to a great benefit - some of Rupert's greatest strengths are shown throughout the album (particularly how he is able to create such enveloping and detailed music with little more than a drum break, an 808 bass, and atmospherics in the majority of these tracks). This album is truly a testament to just how great drum and bass was, is, and can be. Still sounds futuristic nineteen years after it was released (and some of these songs even date back to 1995)!

For more tracks in this nature, try his songs Smoke Rings, Fifth Column, Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu, and his Inta Warriors - Inta remix as Special Forces.

great album so chuffed to have a bought a copy on cd via discogs

Seriously if you cant appreciate this amazing album on its technical brilliance alone then you shouldn't be listening to drum n bass. Form and function is a timeless album which is well up there with the likes of no u turns Torque,Platinum breaks,Speed of sound, Also those people who call this album minimal what are you listening to? Because it isn't this Seven samurai alone is enough to testament Photeks deducation to making spacious(not empty) vibe filled and thought provoking drum n bass. For the casual dnb crowd this is not, It is a time when depth in the music was very much an integral part of this music

If you're at all curious about this scene and what it represented and was capable of between 1995 and 1998, this here record is probably the best of the bunch. By way of taste and level of production, there is no comparison. It's no Aphex and nor is it Goldie. It's the Burial of it's day - stark, clean, intelligent, emotive, and very much about roots and being strident about them. Highly recommended!

I heavily disagree with these previous reviews. Perhaps this album might require a few visits before an unaccustomed listener becomes fully appreciative of it, but there are plenty of entirely worthwhile tracks present here. Personally, the album feels like it should be regarded in two halves, the first being the assortment of remixes, which may unsurprisingly inherit a different persona than that of Parkes himself, and the second being the selection of originals from his days of producing under the old Photek label as well as a couple previously unreleased tracks. This second, and in my opinion, stronger half contains what were, if anything, essential precursors to the sounds of Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu and the rest of his Science output. I would also argue that though this album might not be as conceptual or as "whole" as the Modus Operandi album, it is, for the most part, less minimal with more driving patterns to speak of and no looped-sample based segues. Furthermore, it is the only official release to feature highly distinguished tracks such as Rings Around Saturn and The Water Margin on a non-vinyl media format, which is convenient for those who find that medium less accessible. Quite frankly, the only sensible reason for this album to be placed in a dollar-bin is if the copy is in hideous condition.

I bought this album years ago thinking I was gonna hear some more tracks like 'Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu'. Wrong. This album is very minimal compared to other photek releases. It's not engaging at all IMO. No wonder it was in the dollar bin.

funny album. this music is literally from another planet in the solar system - I just couldnt get into it. luckily, I borrowed it and returned it.