Mental Madness Cat. # MMR-028
Released March 2004
Track List:
A. Nothing I Won't Do (Extended Mix) (6:38)
B. Dust To Dust (6:35)
Note: This is a review of the vinyl release of the EP. The CD single is essentially the same with two extra airplay edits.
(2010 Update:
I was handed this one to review, so you can stop looking at me like that. Besides, I felt it would be a good idea to give the cheesy commercial side of EDM an occasional nod, and having something like this in the early archives definitely gave TranceCritic the impression we were following through in our 'diversity' claim. But man, was I ever being extra objective here -barely any cynicism or quips to be had. It wouldn't take long for that attitude to change when it came to contemporary euro dance.)
Special D. seems to be gaining some ground as of late thanks to his popularity in the euro dance scene, an area that has typically been dominated by the likes of Brooklyn Bounce and Scooter. This single delivers that same style of hard dance with throbbing beats and big synths that has become the latter's identifiable sound.
Nothing I Won't Do opens up with some breakbeats, using rather odd percussion samples at points like cuckoo clocks and wobbly triangles, quickly lending this song to a silly atmosphere. As the bass kicks in less than a minute in -a pounding, throbbing sucker- this cacophony of silly sound effects continues, building up to the main hook. Before long, as a female MC urges the crowd on, the main synth hits us, a rather simple, punchy sound as canned crowd noise joins the fray of this lead in.
Over two minutes now of lead in, and the song breaks down to pleasant pads as the MC sings and crowd noise builds in intensity. Former elements are brought back in a build, letting the synth hook take the forefront for the most part. This is quite a good build actually, as the intensity never really falters thanks to this riff. In fact, I hardly even noticed when the beat came back in. That's a great mark of a good build, in my opinion: something that doesn't make you long for the percussion to carry you forward again.
Once everything is brought in, this song really bounces along; nothing but spastic, exuberant fun thanks to the synth. Momentum is never lost as the bass remains fairly constant, every so often allowing breakbeat bridges or just the synth to take the lead. About six minutes into this song, layers are progressively taken away, making for a nice lead out that should service DJs quite nicely.
Nothing I Won't Do really doesn't take itself too seriously but that's its strongest asset. Sometimes it's just good to enthusiastically let yourself go to music that's light-hearted.
The B-side to this single is Dust To Dust, a track that definitely showcases some interesting percussion but tends to lack in its ability to carry momentum for long with a few too many pauses.
After a minute of standard opening with a bunch of tech-y beats, a time stretched voice ominously tells us, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in this music, we lay our trust." Throbbing beats kick in as a low, paranoid bleep plays, echoing off the walls with a distorted hoover effect. Intensity picks up as percussion is progressively added, building energy terrifically until...
Nothing.
What? You mean that last minute was still just lead in? Geez.
After a few seconds of pause, a benign little piano melody plays. The vocal sample returns, this time to the accompaniment of ominous synth pads. Percussion builds up again, and I'm thinking, "Alright. Here comes the payoff!" Who am I kidding? Percussion builds to a crescendo to cap off with another three seconds pause. Wow, what a way to kill momentum twice now, although I'm sure this will cause a number of dancers to take the Leap Of Shame; always good for a laugh.
Big synths play now, with rolling, pounding percussion, followed by percussion. It might be danceable but it still sounds like buildup to me, since I can't see anyone anticipating it.
Finally, now three and a half minutes into Dust To Dust, we get the big payoff to all this lead in, and it is good. Throbbing beats, big synths, and ominous bleeps in the background create some fierce intensity, and it only builds as the piano melody and pads join the fray. Former elements come and go for the rest of this track, eventually ending on the same sort of percussion used in the opening.
I can see Dust To Dust being a floor filler, but only if you take out the first three minutes worth, as it meanders far too much in the early going to build any amount of momentum.
Still, both tracks are fun when they deliver.
Score: 5/10
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.
Released March 2004
Track List:
A. Nothing I Won't Do (Extended Mix) (6:38)
B. Dust To Dust (6:35)
Note: This is a review of the vinyl release of the EP. The CD single is essentially the same with two extra airplay edits.
(2010 Update:
I was handed this one to review, so you can stop looking at me like that. Besides, I felt it would be a good idea to give the cheesy commercial side of EDM an occasional nod, and having something like this in the early archives definitely gave TranceCritic the impression we were following through in our 'diversity' claim. But man, was I ever being extra objective here -barely any cynicism or quips to be had. It wouldn't take long for that attitude to change when it came to contemporary euro dance.)
Special D. seems to be gaining some ground as of late thanks to his popularity in the euro dance scene, an area that has typically been dominated by the likes of Brooklyn Bounce and Scooter. This single delivers that same style of hard dance with throbbing beats and big synths that has become the latter's identifiable sound.
Nothing I Won't Do opens up with some breakbeats, using rather odd percussion samples at points like cuckoo clocks and wobbly triangles, quickly lending this song to a silly atmosphere. As the bass kicks in less than a minute in -a pounding, throbbing sucker- this cacophony of silly sound effects continues, building up to the main hook. Before long, as a female MC urges the crowd on, the main synth hits us, a rather simple, punchy sound as canned crowd noise joins the fray of this lead in.
Over two minutes now of lead in, and the song breaks down to pleasant pads as the MC sings and crowd noise builds in intensity. Former elements are brought back in a build, letting the synth hook take the forefront for the most part. This is quite a good build actually, as the intensity never really falters thanks to this riff. In fact, I hardly even noticed when the beat came back in. That's a great mark of a good build, in my opinion: something that doesn't make you long for the percussion to carry you forward again.
Once everything is brought in, this song really bounces along; nothing but spastic, exuberant fun thanks to the synth. Momentum is never lost as the bass remains fairly constant, every so often allowing breakbeat bridges or just the synth to take the lead. About six minutes into this song, layers are progressively taken away, making for a nice lead out that should service DJs quite nicely.
Nothing I Won't Do really doesn't take itself too seriously but that's its strongest asset. Sometimes it's just good to enthusiastically let yourself go to music that's light-hearted.
The B-side to this single is Dust To Dust, a track that definitely showcases some interesting percussion but tends to lack in its ability to carry momentum for long with a few too many pauses.
After a minute of standard opening with a bunch of tech-y beats, a time stretched voice ominously tells us, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in this music, we lay our trust." Throbbing beats kick in as a low, paranoid bleep plays, echoing off the walls with a distorted hoover effect. Intensity picks up as percussion is progressively added, building energy terrifically until...
Nothing.
What? You mean that last minute was still just lead in? Geez.
After a few seconds of pause, a benign little piano melody plays. The vocal sample returns, this time to the accompaniment of ominous synth pads. Percussion builds up again, and I'm thinking, "Alright. Here comes the payoff!" Who am I kidding? Percussion builds to a crescendo to cap off with another three seconds pause. Wow, what a way to kill momentum twice now, although I'm sure this will cause a number of dancers to take the Leap Of Shame; always good for a laugh.
Big synths play now, with rolling, pounding percussion, followed by percussion. It might be danceable but it still sounds like buildup to me, since I can't see anyone anticipating it.
Finally, now three and a half minutes into Dust To Dust, we get the big payoff to all this lead in, and it is good. Throbbing beats, big synths, and ominous bleeps in the background create some fierce intensity, and it only builds as the piano melody and pads join the fray. Former elements come and go for the rest of this track, eventually ending on the same sort of percussion used in the opening.
I can see Dust To Dust being a floor filler, but only if you take out the first three minutes worth, as it meanders far too much in the early going to build any amount of momentum.
Still, both tracks are fun when they deliver.
Score: 5/10
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.
