Territory: WORLD minus UK

FORMAT Red solid 2LP vinyl, full printed sleeve, 60x60cm folded artwork poster, limited to 500 units, DL code

TRACKLIST
A1 Internal Empire 03:23
A2 Minus 05:22
B1 Within 03:10
B2 Home 07:32
C Rek 03:46
D1 Chase 05:59
D2 Spirit Levels 05:05

INFO: This album holds an undeniable significance, serving as a cornerstone of both techno and Tresor's legacy. Its story is deeply entwined with that of the label, following Robert Hood's Waveform Transmission 2 under his The Vision moniker, released just one year earlier and reissued on Tresor in 2023. On Internal Empire Robert Hood perfected his signature sound already present on Waveform Transmission 2, marking a pivotal moment in techno's history. It elevates its maker as master, sharing an irrefutable singular magic, sounding as present and indispensable as when first created. To understand this work fully is to stand back and celebrate its impact.
Originally released in 1994, the album marks a point of transition for Robert Hood moving on from his previous collaborations within Underground Resistance. Robert Hood advanced, uncovering the power of true minimalism. Deep soul through a simplicity that showed how much could be done with so little. The devastating rhythms of this album forge the unmatched spirit of this sound, influencing generations to come.
"I was faced with the challenge of following up on 'Minimal Nation’. I cancelled all my tour dates for that summer, set up my studio in the living room and began to work on 'Internal Empire'. My intention was to create something distinctively different. Looking out my living room window in Detroit watching people go by gave me a new
perspective. It made me look at the world within myself. Years later I am still discovering.”
– Robert Hood

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

Tracklist:

01. Hashish
02. The Last Straw
03. Nu Stone Groove
04. On Release
05. Poor Man Beggar Man Thief (Feat Kye)
06. Suicide Bomber
07. Roll Up
08. For Love's Sake


Short info:

Efficient Space honours the memory of producer and MC Ali Omar with Hashish Hits, a posthumous selection from the dub rebel’s self-released discography.
One of ten children in working-class Liverpool, Omar drew deep influence from his father's Arabic heritage—a thread central to his identity and sample origins. After art school and a spell clubbing during Manchester's halcyon days, he relocated to Sydney, where he co-founded the blunted downbeat duo Atone with fellow British expatriate Andy Fitzgerald. As an MC, he infiltrated the city’s house, dub, jungle, and bass circuits, becoming a regular fixture at the Bentley Bar, where he commanded the mic with his versatile, rumbling baritone and charisma.
Freakishly talented in the studio, Omar was a pioneer of the Akai sampler and Atari, deftly recording live sessions straight to DAT. Drawing on industry insights from his sister, Merseybeat firebrand Beryl Marsden—who supported The Beatles on their final UK tour and was signed to Decca and Columbia—the non-conformist sought to build a self-sufficient business model. Between 1998 and 2004, he independently issued four albums on CD through his Hashish Studios imprint, hustling copies directly to local record stores and live shows for instant returns, even hand-sewing screen-printed hessian sleeves for his final release.
Uncompromising in his principles and refusing to suffer fools or charlatans, Omar relished the opportunity to collaborate with those who embodied the same spirit. Hashish Hits offers a snapshot of his inner sanctum—Fitzgerald on the opening track's billowing smoke stacks, the serpentine vocals of Gina Mitchell and the magic hands of mixer Louis Mitchell on 'On Release,' and Wicked Beat Sound System’s Kye on 'Poor Man Beggar Man Thief'. Meanwhile, 'Suicide Bomber' smoulders with the tension of a lost Muslimgauze relic, as the instructional 'Roll Up' and 'The Last Straw' spiral deeper into Omar’s signature production vortex—where space stretches in slow motion and walls reverberate with ricocheting delay.
A true icon of Sydney’s underground scene, the larger-than-life Omar passed away on 23 June 2009 after a valiant battle with cancer. He is remembered for his assertive spirit, larrikin humour, wild anarchic personality, and enduring mantra: “Love and live your life”.


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore