Contact

Just as Silver Apples' 1968 self-titled debut album was ignored on its initial release, so went the fate of their 1969 follow-up, Contact. The music here was simply too far ahead of its time. By the '90s, with electronic music and alternative bands making commercial inroads, Silver Apples were rediscovered, their albums were reissued, and the duo reunited to make new music and perform for audiences too young to have been there the first time around. With groups like Suicide, Spacemen 3, Stereolab, and Portishead all carving out territory near Silver Apples, one can easily hear the influences and even better understand the minimalist beauty of "You and I," "Water," and "I Have Known Love." "Gypsy Love" is pure tension. At the time, the duo's setup was unique. Danny Taylor played drums while Simeon sang and programmed oscillators that provided bass lines and robotic, synthetic tones. Simeon's banjo pops up here and there, especially adding an oddly rustic counterpoint to "Ruby" and "Confusion."