▁album ▁pushed ▁Re q ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁avant - gar de , ▁with ▁stronger ▁usage ▁of ▁noise . ▁The ▁album ▁has ▁received ▁critical ▁acc laim ▁for ▁its ▁ble ak , ▁dark ▁tone ▁and ▁at yp ical ▁production . ▁It ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁year ' s ▁ 4 7 th ▁best ▁album ▁by ▁The ▁W ire . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁recording ▁After ▁having ▁spent ▁many ▁years ▁performing ▁as ▁a ▁DJ , ▁Bright on - based ▁producer ▁and ▁gra ff iti ▁artist ▁Ian ▁Cass ar ▁( Re q ) ▁began ▁making ▁his ▁own ▁music ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁signed ▁to ▁local ▁big ▁beat ▁label ▁Sk int ▁Records ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁who ▁released ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁material ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁After ▁several ▁acc laimed ▁EP s , ▁including ▁the ▁Re q ' s ▁Garden ▁E . P . ▁( 1 9 9 5 ), ▁he ▁released ▁his ▁debut ▁studio ▁album ▁One ▁( 1 9 9 7 ) ▁on ▁the ▁label ▁to ▁critical ▁acc laim ; ▁int ending ▁the ▁album ▁to ▁" h int ▁at ▁a ▁direction ▁without ▁ever ▁actually ▁sett ling ▁down ▁into ▁one ," ▁the ▁album ▁was ▁an ▁ass ort ment ▁of ▁abstract ▁and ▁ambient , ▁dow nt em po ▁and ▁frequently ▁beat - based ▁music ." ▁▁ ▁Re q ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁his ▁second ▁studio ▁album ▁Fre quency ▁J ams ▁later ▁on ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁and ▁as ▁with ▁One , ▁he ▁made ▁the ▁album