System 7

For their long-awaited System 7 album debut, Hillage and Giraudy received help from several high-profile figures -- Paul Oakenfold, Derrick May, and Orb-associates including Dr. Alex Paterson, Thrash, Youth, and Andy Falconer. The truth is, despite the many beats added to Hillage's space-rock explorations, they still sound remarkably similar to albums he released 15 years before. His piercing guitar solos are instantly recognizable, and the basic structure of tracks like "Depth Disco" and "Strange Quotations" never take Hillage too far away from his mid-'70s solo career. That said, these songs still sound quite enjoyable -- definitely on the polished end of ambient-house but still quite a potent crossover record (even Giraudy's vocals are solid). One of the highlights, the lovely ambient wash of "Mia the Fisherman," also appeared on the compilation Excursions in Ambience. The album, released in Britain in 1991 as System 7, was reconfigured and retitled 777 for its American issue. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide