World of Echo

World of Echo came out in the US on Upside in 1986 and in the UK on Rough Trade in March 1987. It is mostly voice and cello, often soaked in echo, reverb and distortion in KEXP's words. Liner notes to a 2025 live release say Russell edited sections of his 1984 and 1985 concerts at Phill Niblock's Experimental Intermedia and merged them with studio material recorded at Battery Sound. It sold poorly, and he reportedly asked for stickers reading unintelligible, which some vinyl pressings carry. A 2004 remaster on Audika, from the original quarter-inch tapes, adds four bonus tracks.

Reception ranges widely: AllMusic gives it five stars and Pitchfork 8.4, while Q in 1987 gave it two stars and called it a big disappointment, and NME's Jonathan Romney said some songs were virtually unrecognizable. Melody Maker's David Stubbs praised its dub approach, writing that it was what is left when the Beat has eaten itself. Dusted in 2004 called it easily the most significant, compelling, beautiful and monumental piece of work Russell ever committed to record. Fact named it best album of the 1980s in 2013, NME placed it 301st in its 500 greatest albums that year, and Pitchfork put it 25th on its best of the 1980s in 2018.