The Vinyl District Grades Woo On A Curve

The Vinyl District recently gave an A- to Independent Project Records‘ new release of Woo’s Xylophonics an Robot X. The site gives the bulk of its attention to Robot X, writing that the album “stands outside the New Age genre while maintaining a few loose ties to the kosmische root. Using snippets of ’80s 4-track Woo recordings as a foundation and with Terry Gilliam’s classic dystopian satire Brazil amongst their inspirations, Robot X is something of a concept album built upon the brothers’ belief that the emergence of humanoid robots was right on our doorstep. Non-vocal save for the closing title track’s direct ties to a pertinent Kraftwerk song, Robot X is a subtle and even implicit concept album, though the titles of the compositions and the excellent cover and interior illustrations do bring the subject matter into focus. The subtlety works to Woo’s advantage as a spotlight gets thrown onto their expert musicianship and the textures and moods they conjure. Cyclical, glistening, retro-futuristic, mechanical, locomotive, mysterious, even eerie; it all works to enhance the stated concept.”

Read the full review here. Both albums are at radio now.