2 Unlimited - Real Things

Quality Music: 1994

If I'm not mistaken, this review of 2 Unlimited's third album marks a minor milestone on this blog: the first completion of an artist's discography. Okay, there are certain conditions for this achievement, like said act in question must have more than two album's released, and I have to actually own them all within my collection. Despite buying quite a few CDs over the years (four digits, creepin’ closer!), there aren’t many artists I’ve gathered full discographies of. Sometimes it’s due to an obscenely huge output (oh hi, Neil Young), other times it’s from scarcity of hard copies (boo limited runs), or perhaps an act enters a period of meh-to-suck in later years, making purchases pointless (sorry, ‘electronica’ darlings). Oh, and I refuse to acknowledge the existence of Wilde and de Coster's reboot attempt with two different singers – 2 Unlimited will forever be the original foursome, accept no alternatives!

Not only does Real Things complete my coverage of the former euro-dance juggernaut, it was also the final album they released, third in as many years. When you consider today’s dance-pop icons barely manage one LP in the same amount of time, I find that impressive. Fine, the rules of the game have considerably changed since two decades hence, artists capable of sustaining careers on singles alone. If we’re playing that game though, 2 Unlimited were utterly dominate in that area too, Real Things alone spawning off three top-Tens, plus a surprising fourth single in the ballad Nothing Like The Rain. That one’s not as good as the ballads off No Limits! and oh my God I’m championing euro dance ballads over others. Does my 2 Unlimited bias have no shame?

Probably not, though as always, a full-length outing from this group has its ups and downs. Compared to the prior two albums, Real Things is incredibly slick and polished, all hints of Belgian rave roots completely varnished away. Instead, they’ve adopted the sounds of Germany and Italy, though did so in their own way. Even at the height of euro-dance’s glut, you couldn’t mistake a 2 Unlimited cut for any other, Ray and Anita among the most distinctive rap-and-singer combos that scene ever produced. No wonder everyone tried copying their formula, and smaller wonder still they felt compelled to call out all the style-biters on lead single The Real Thing. Then again, who are they to do so when the track is centred on a Bach riff. Oh Turbo B ain’t gonna’ like that, nosiree.

The rest of the album flits between songs about love (Burning With Desire, Sensuality, Face To Face), dancing (Hypnotised, Escape In Music, Tuning Into Something Wild), but never about the love of dancing, oddly. There’s also an ode to a then-emergent cyberspace (Info Superhighway), and a couple ‘stand tall and proud’ type of tunes in Here I Go, Do What I Like, and What’s Mine Is Mine. Unsurprisingly, they’re the best tunes on Real Things. It’s as though being original is a good thing!

Sounds From The Ground - Ready, Steady, Slow

Upstream Records: 2012

It’s been a year since I last discussed Sounds From The Ground. It doesn’t feel that long ago when I splurged on the near-entirety of their discography, dragging all ya’ll along in my musical crash course of an overlooked duo. That’s what makes all this so much fun, eh? Me finding new artists and labels, somehow having the funds to buy all their records, consuming the music and digesting the feels it generates, regurgitate them into words zapped into your retinas. Um wait, the process doesn’t sound appealing when described like that, does it? Damn this English language and all its appealing metaphorical abuses.

I only covered about two-thirds of Jones and Woolfson’s output in that earlier outing though, the rest waiting patiently in the bottom end of the alphabet before getting reviews on this blog. The gap’s hopefully given any curious readers of the duo’s music a chance to hear some of their tunes for themselves, gauging whether Sounds From The Ground are worth more of their precious listening hours or not. I bring this all up because, if ever there was a ‘fans-only’ album in the act’s extensive catalog, Ready, Steady, Slow is that CD.

Jones and Woolfson have long dabbled in various forms of downtempo and chill, but typically as one-offs on their full-lengths, ambient dub remaining their breaded butter. Fifteen years into a career had to have them anxious to try something different, and after resuscitating their seldom used Upstream Records in the late ‘00s, could finally indulge themselves a little. For their first ‘experimental’ album, we are given a pure ambient LP. As someone who’s enjoyed many a beatless moment from prior Sounds O’ Ground full-lengths, this was an intriguing effort, and Ready, Steady, Slow doesn’t disappoint, offering a nice variety of examples from the genre .

There’s droning synth pieces like First Light and Departures, calming meditative compositions like Watershell, Mice Skating, and The Long Curve, rapturous layered builds like The Turning Wheel and Mapping Points In Time, and pure cosmic bliss like Chrome Horizon. Oh, and a bit of room for field recording doodles (Interchange) and …folksy acoustic prog-rock (Long Lane)? What is this, the ‘70s? I guess so; or at least Jones and Woolfson have no qualms in letting the influence of early ambient maestros drive their music making here. Must I namedrop all the obvious names again? You know them all by now – Hell, I’ve reviewed a number of them already. Besides, it sells Ready, Steady, Slow short if I do so, because the honest truth is “Sounds From The Ground All Ambient Album” is a tough sell regardless. Matters aren’t helped in referring to Very Important Older Musics.

Ready, Steady, Slow is a lovely little ambient album, but as is often the case with lovely little ambient albums, not essential listening. Nor is it anywhere near an entry point into Sounds From The Ground, hardly representative of their music. As I said, a ‘fans only’ option.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - re-ac-tor

Reprise Records: 1981/2003

Just how sloppy and loose can a band go before it turns unacceptable? For that authentic scrappy, bar-blues rock played out of downtown dive garage feeling (or something), folks often gives a little on the technical side. Where Mr. Young and his band-of-brothers Crazy Horse are concerned, listeners wouldn’t have it any other way, their freewheeling approach to music making part and partial of their charm. It’s given them the leeway to go into albums with barely any prep and only the most tenuous of themes: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere is about capturing fresh band synergy at its source of inspiration; Ragged Glory is about re-capturing that same spark long after it should have expired; Psychedelic Pill is about re-re-capturing that spark even as grandpas.

Those are just the albums I’ve thus far reviewed though (wow, what a weird thematic coincidence), and the group’s done other material with a different focus. In the case of re-ac-tor, Neil had to fulfill his album obligation to Reprise Records before getting a sweet deal from Geffen, and slapped out a sloppy collection of Crazy Horse jams to do so. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate, but given the utter lack of finesse in many of these songs, it makes for a juicy bit of suppositional gossip taking that stance.

The truth is a little more nuanced, Neil’s personal life growing incredibly stressful and in need of some changes. That he’d miss some creative fire or not have time for proper rehearsals with Crazy Horse is understandable in that context, but one must ask why force an album if he’s not quite feeling it? Songs like Get Back On It, Motor City, and Rapid Transit are some of the goofiest, simplest examples of southern rock I’ve ever heard, while T-Bone is nothing more a drunken three-chord jam that lasts nine minutes! Still, if you’re a fan of Young and Horse, it’s an awesome drunken three-chord jam session, but you’d hardly want to show it off to others as the group at their best.

And hey, Young always finds ways of crafting catchy, compelling music even on his off years. Southern Pacific is a charming ode to the once-mighty rail industry, with a suitably chugging rhythm and, dare I say, picturesque lyrics (plus was packaged as a bizarre triangular gatefold 7” single). Shots is also vivid, though with such ugly and messy manner with blown chords, out-of-sync rhythm, and nasty distortion, the sloppy production of re-ac-tor actually makes sense in this case. Finally, Opera Star and Surfer Joe And Moe The Sleaze are fun little bar rock tunes, probably also performed while intoxicated.

That’s about the strongest endorsement for this album I can give: best enjoyed drunk. Neil And His Wacky Horses have stronger LPs in their discography, some dynamic, others somber - this one’s about as half-assed as you’ll ever hear the group, but perhaps one of the funnest too. Screw you, SpellCheck, I cans sloopy grammar alls I wants to for re-ac-tor.

Various - Rave-Trance 2001

Electronic Dance Essentials: 2001

On the surface, Rave-Trance 2001 is the chintziest pieces of bargain-bin detritus you'll ever come across. I certainly thought so, and prepared for a good guffaw upon flipping it over to see what names made up the track list. I wasn't disappointed, such hilarious credits including DJ Ibiza, DJ Airbourne, DJ Pebbles, DJ Glamer, and Bypass Unit. Wait, Bypass Unit? Those guys were awesome, a dope blend of German trance and early goa. What are they doing on this? For that matter, might the other tracks be just as good?

Not really, most of the tunes sounding quite dated by post-millennial standards. The mixing's barely adequate, occasional vocals corny as all Hell, and CD1 features an awful, flat mono mastering, utterly shameful for the modern era. Still, it's mid-'90s German trance, with plenty of spacey acid, driving rhythms, and delicious minor-key melodies throughout, thus giving me the wayback feels no matter how dodgy the packaging. It was something of a revelation even finding such a CD in 2001, figuring all the sounds that drew me into trance had been kicked to the curb in favour grotesque Dutch excess. But music aside, Rave-Trance 2001 is rather fascinating in its own right.

For instance, Electronic Dance Essentials is a sub-label of Big Eye Records, whom in turn is a sub-label of Cleopatra. Suddenly the cheap presentation made a lot more sense, but this story gets even better. While submitting Rave-Trance 2001 to the mighty Lord Discogs (because of course I'd be the only contributor with a copy), I discovered an identical tracklist on an obscure 1999 ZYX Music double-disc set called The World Of Dream & Trance. So not only did a sub-sub label of Cleopatra release a cheap-looking collection of trance with music far better than expected, but did so by 'copy & pasting' another unremarkable release from a label that has – as far as I know – absolutely no association with Cleopatra, for no reason other than 'just because'.

But wait, this story gets even better! The World Of Dream & Trance may not have much going for it, but regarding its origins... hoo boy! The World Of... is a long-running series of double-disc collections from ZYX Music featuring such eclectic gatherings as rock, soul, reggae, house, salsa, techno, italo, rap, schlager, Russische folklore, surf music, krautrock, Indian pop, jodeln, truckers, and telefonansagen. What. The. F!? There's even a release for phone sex conversations. Who buys this stuff?

All this delightful associative info, but possibly the most interesting comes from an anecdote. While moving from one Canadian hinterland to another, I stopped over at a town where a couple friends lived for a rave happening that night. At the pre-party house, I rummaged through the host’s CDs as I’m wont to do, and saw a familiar blue sleeve with tacky clip-art and unrelated Time Magazine quote on the back. “Oh, wow,” I say to owner, “You have this too?” “Yeah,” she replied, “It’s a great CD, isn’t it!” It sure is.

ACE TRACKS: December 2013

Sure’s been a while since I last did one of my backtrack playlists. Heh, so much for my ‘one every week’ semi-promise, but I was kinda’ stuck on how to proceed with this one. That, plus new musics have been rather distracting as of late. I’m not even sure how many folks are interested in ACE TRACKS from 2013, but then it’s not like I often keep contemporary with my music coverage anyway. Thus, here’s the best music I reviewed in December of nigh fourteen months past.



Full Track List Here.

MISSING ALBUMS:
Vector Lovers - Late Shift / Babette
Various - Red Jerry: Late Night Drive Mix
Various - In Trance We Trust 008 - Ton T.B.
Various - In Trance We Trust 012: Johan Gielen

Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 0%
Percentage Of Rock: 9%
Most “WTF?” Track: Robert Mitchum - From A Logical Point Of View (that Fatboy, sure knows how to find ‘em)

Yep, this was the month where I spent going through a ton of In Trance We Trust mixes. I didn’t want this playlist overrun by trance though, as it’d gum up the flow of other tracks. So, I’ve lumped them all at the end, and in sequential order at that – if you just have to hear all those epic, euphoric, anthems, skip past the super-long ambient version of Banco de Gaia’s Kincajou for your fix.

This leaves a relatively short first-half of the usual genre hopping, running at a tidy three hours with change. Considering the lack of options that month provided, it plays comfortably smooth. Plus, anything with Model 500, Trentemoller, and Moby in it can’t hurt, right?

Various - Rave Power (Fake Flashback Review)

ZYX Music: 1997

(note: all that needed saying about Rave Power was easily wrapped up in a single review; however, three CDs is a lot of music to get through, creating something of a gap in posts here before the next one. Fortunately, I've modified my time portal, such that I can send this compilation back in the past to my teenage self. Let's see how he/I would have reacted to Rave Power had I/he bought it way back in those early raver days instead of fifteen years later. Temporal paradoxes, you ask? Um, don't worry, just pay attention to the cute chincilla over there while I explain it all away with the maths *ducks away*)

Teenage Sykonee: Oh man, you guys, you'll never believe what I scored on my trip to Vancouver. I mean, I knew I'd get something deece – there's always deece music at A&B Sound and Sam The Record Man – but I had no idea I could get trance CDs in three packs! I mean, I saw a few box sets at the new Virgin Megastore like This Is... Techno and This Is... Jungle and This Is... Acid Jazz - what even is acid jazz anyway? I think I kinda' know what it is, it's like trip-hop, right?

Those compilations probably aren't that good though. I mean, there's some cool tunes, but I've heard all the good tracks on them, and I'm all about discovering new music and new artists. Mostly trance though, especially if it's from Hypnotic Records ('electronic purity', w'ut!). So it's nice that Rave Power has one track that I can rest assured I'm hangin' with familiar sounds, Sunbeam's High Adventure. And I thought that B.B.E. looked familiar, but I couldn't remember who it was that made that cool trance song I heard on some recent euro-dance CD. There's a whole bunch of tracks on here like that too, tunes I know I've heard at some of the raves at the Elk's Hall or curling rink or a Terrace party. Hell, I'm sure a few in my Rupert Raver posse have them too on mixtapes somewhere, but whatever, we can still play them out, if we can borrow my Dad's gear again and rent out a hall somewhere. Or have a house party with a strobe light, that'd be awesome. Monolize and DJ Brainwave tag-team, ya'!

Man, I still can’t believe I found this in Vancouver of all places. The back cover says it was made in Germany – are all their compilations this sweet? Okay, it’s not all awesome, those Daft Punk covers totally geigh-kay, but three discs is better than anything I’ve ever seen around here. Only that Platipus double-discer could compare, and that doesn’t have as wicked-cool a cover as this one (aliens rule, you know it). Doubt I’ll ever find such a compilation again, so I’m gonna’ treasure this for years and years and years. Rave Power is the greatest collection of trance ever!

(four years later, he/I sold it for ramen noodles)

Various - Rave Power

ZYX Music: 1997

Signs Of Adulthood #1523: splurging on an old 3CD collection for exactly one track out of thirty-nine. It’s a frivolous use of one's money, not like when you're younger and are forced to carefully consider what you'll use up limited funds on (er, in the pre-MP3 era of long, long ago at least). What's that? “Responsibility?” Oh hohoho, that's a laugh – adults blow large sums of cash on the most pointless of things, just because they have the means to. Of course, matters aren't helped by seductive online outlets like Amazon and eBay, where rockin' deals for old, gimmicky things lure you in, tempting your youthful nostalgia centres like so much Beanie Baby fluff.

Fortunately, I didn't have to break the bank in acquiring the one tune off here that eluded me for years, Gary D.'s Timewarp, among the best hard German trance cuts ever released. It features all the vintage sounds that made the genre so much fun: multi-tap voice pads leads, minor-key piano hooks, driving acid basslines, and relentless rhythmic energy to spare. Even the compilers knew this was their money track, giving Gary D. top billing on the small list of artists advertised on the cover (seriously, that cover!). Bizarrely though, Timewarp is dumped all the way on CD3, sharing disc space with such forgotten names like Charlie Lownoise & Mental Theo, Dan Dizko, and Afrowax. Oh dear, this one of those ultra-dodgy compilations, isn't it. Yeah, sure is.

The origins of Rave Power are mostly lost at this late date. As this came from German mega-label ZYX Music, my best guess is the compilation was a stab at style-biting Sub Terranean’s highly successful Rave Mission series. It must have been a failure though, as no subsequent editions were made. Matters weren’t helped that, at three CDs in length, this is one erratic collection of tunes.

For sure most of the sounds representing German rave are here: hard acid, hard trance, happy hardcore, and some techno too. I honestly don’t know much about the candy-raver stuff, and it’s weird seeing such music sharing track lists with bona-fide classics of the era. Gander at these tracks: Commander Tom’s Are Am Eye, B.B.E.’s Seven Days & One Week, DJ Quicksilver’s Free, Chicane’s Sunstroke and that Three ‘N One Remix of Cafe Del Mar, appearing here just before it blew up huge in UK clubland. Their sequence throughout makes no sense though, often shoved between hardcore and forgettable house music, including two atrocious covers of Daft Punk’s biggest hits.

Rave Power likely had a very specific audience in mind, the sort of doe-eyed young raver taking their first steps into the wild underground. There was plenty to discover, and these 3CDs served as a handy introduction, even if there’s no structure to this mess. Clearly Rave Power now only holds interest for those with nostalgic ties to the era (or retro-fashionable candy kids). Makes me wonder how I’d have reacted if I’d discovered this new. I wonder... wonder... wonder...

Solar Fields - Random Friday

Ultimae Records: 2012

Probably one of the most anticipated albums on Ultimae, this. Of course, followers of the label eagerly await each release, but Solar Fields' Random Friday had a little extra going for it. After Mr. Birgersson wooed many a forlorn progressive trance fan into Ultimae’s fold via his 2007 album EarthShine, they wondered whether he'd ever offer more in such an uptempo style. It didn’t seem likely though, the Solar Fields discography almost exclusively on the down beat save occasional one-offs on compilations and LPs. And yet, having explored so many different movements, altered states, origins, and meeted skies (?) in the half-decade following EarthShine, ol’ Magnus had to feel some itch in trying his hand at progressive trance again. Yes, another definitive statement for his career would do, that the first’s success wasn’t a one-off fluke, all the while granting the wishes of those hard-earned trance fans drifting from Ultimae after a string of all-too droney ambient CDs. Or he’d been sitting on some live material for a while that had no place in his other albums.

Whatever the impetus for Random Friday was, its announcement had fans salivating for the results. I mean, the concept sells itself: all the epic, widescreen lush sounds of Ultimae, impossibly uplifting emotional Solar Fields song craft, and now at a pace benefit of peak-time rinse out action. 'crackers still following the tired sounds of Armada and Enhanced could remain in their redundant corners of the trance scene at large; here was Solar Fields – almost exclusively not a trance guy, mind you! - bringing the goods like few others. Nope, no bog-standard prog-psy business on Random Friday, nosiree. This is the highest of the highs, the, um, best of what's left. The, uh, bomb-diggity? Damn it, why can't I get as excited for this album as others? It's all AstroPilot's fault, isn't it.

This is a good collection of tunes, no doubt, but that annoying Expectation Hydra once again rears its distracting heads – no matter how many times I cut them off, they keep slithering back, convincing me of what I wanted this album to sound like instead. Tracks like Cobalt 2.5, Daydreaming, and In Motion have great, groovy, atmospheric builds throughout, but they don’t lead to much of anything in doing so – it’s frustrating in the same way Progression was, a group you’ve probably already forgotten about again. Those are the openers though, the lead-in tracks (for half the LP!) before we get ourselves some proper melodic business for the back-end. This is also where Solar Fields indulges himself beyond usual prog-trance rhythms. Two tracks, Swoosh and Perception, are great, though I suspect it’s my Underworld radar convincing me so (gotta’ love that proggy cool groove). The other two, Landing Party and Lift Off, opt for tribal rhythm action (ooh, quadruples), which I’ve seldom liked, but d’em melodies doe’!

Although I’m not terribly enthused about Random Friday, that shouldn’t deter you if you’re looking for a little extra progressive trance in your diet.

Deadmau5 - Random Album Title (Original TC Review)

Ultra Records: 2008

(2015 Update:
Ol' Joel's had himself a career since I wrote this, hasn't he? Mega-selling concerts, tabloid relationships, Grammy nominations, high rankings in popularity polls, superstar collaborations, and more dosh than a dead dinosaur (?). You know what hasn't changed though? (wait for it...) That. Darn. Clap! Ahahah! Hahaha! Hehhaahaha- Oh, he recently released some ambient music too. Well, that's pie on my ass.

Seriously though, every time I popped into his discography for a quick listen, I couldn't help but chuckle at how little Deadmau5' standard house-template ever changed. As easy it is to deride him for a lack of song-craft ability though, I suspect he's fully aware there's little point in showing some growth, the audience he's cultivated more interested in dazzling light shows and caustic social media diatribes than any actual music. It's taking Fatboy Slim's tongue-in-cheek "why try harder?" manifesto to its logical conclusion. Great for short term profitibility, sure, but small surprise Deadmau5', erm, 'true'-fans keep pointing to this album as his best. The hint of potential resonates here.)


IN BRIEF: A clap every second beat, guaranteed.

I admit it: I like his gimmick. Yes, you read that right –I like deadmau5’ costume gimmick. There’s just something about seeing a guy on stage with a giant mouse head that screams “rave!” How could it not be a trip to watch that live? Ever since DJs became the official ‘face’ of EDM, such odd examples of costumed performance sadly fell by the wayside, abandoning its counter-culture ideology in favor of mainstream acceptance. So, good on Joel Zimmerman for keeping that aspect of the live show going. To those who believe performing with a giant mouse head is silly, I say this –‘tis no less silly than Altern 8 performing with faux-bio-wear and masks, or Liam Howlett having a couple dancers prance around the stage, or Aphex Twin having a couple giant teddy bears prance around the stage, or Rabbit In The Moon doing… um, whatever it is they do on stage. Live PA needs more of this, not less.

He wouldn’t have gotten so widely popular with just a clever gimmick, though; no, deadmau5’ rapid success has a large part to do with the most valuable currency of the modern era: internet controversy. He is one of the very few producers who will actually argue against those who consistently slander his short career, getting involved with heated flame wars on prominent social media. Mind, despite the rarity, this isn’t something new, as Frankie Bones has done much the same for years now. Unfortunately, Joel lacks Bones’ scene savvy and Brooklyn wit, and the Toronto native’s tactless approach to public relations has left him much hated but frequently talked about. In this regard, deadmau5 is merely EDM's version of Soulja Boy.

Oh, and apparently he’s made a few popular tunes too, such that he’s become Beatport’s poster-boy. In the process, the music website handed out a bunch of awards to him, even if that’s like Ikea giving out awards for the furniture they sell. It’s been good for promotions, though, and the time came for Mr. Zimmerman to deliver a major label debut (well, relatively speaking; Ministry Of Sound/Ultra is major in terms of dance music).

And what’s on this randomly titled album? Claps. And claps. And claps. And claps. And claps. And claps. And claps. And claps. And claps. And… for fuck’s sakes, Joel, STOP WITH THE FUCKING CLAPS! On nearly every second beat, there’s a fucking clap (or snare/snap variation). Every fucking time. No variation at all. It quickly lodges inside your head and never lets up; even when it's somewhat tucked under the synths as a subtle snap, you can't escape it. And by being coupled with such plodding prog rhythms, deadmau5 proves himself to be amongst the whitest dance producers you’ll ever encounter. By three tracks in, it’s become comical; four tracks in, bad comedy; for the rest of the album, infuriatingly distracting.

So what, you counter, second-beat snares are common in music; it can be found in all kinds of genres. And you are right, as it provides rhythmic jump to any beat; however, its function is typically used as a supplement to the rhythm, whereas deadmau5 makes it his main feature. It’s as though he first copy and pastes the clap for several bars, then constructs the rest of his track around it; his claps are so prominent because they run the whole show.

Its omnipresence isn’t helped by the fact Joel’s such a fine technical producer. If he gets anything right, it’s his sense of audio dynamics – everything is wonderfully spaced and full-sounding without falling into over-compression traps plaguing many modern productions. Unfortunately, it also highlights the compounding problems with this album, in that despite having such crystal clear production, his music lacks creativity and soul; it all blends together into one long trudge through generic tech-prog, with the only thing ever sticking to mind being that damned clap.

Even after a dozen listens through, there are only bits and pieces of other stuff I can recall: some tech sections that blandly drone; a couple bouncy basslines; ominous atmospherics here and there; a dull breathy female vocal somewhere in the middle (crossover attempt!); a robotic voice early-on saying “sometimes things get complicated,” surely an ironic foreshadow regarding his beats; repeated uses of the delayed synth 8th notes that he made so popular; some melancholic noodly piano bits; noisy effects-laden builds; blessedly, none of his hideous ‘electro’ r-r-rr-rrrRIPP fart stuff. Arguru in particular stands out, as it features the least amount of clap in its beats (the track’s drop after the build is pretty ace too). Ask me to actually hum back any kind hook or melody from this album, though, and all I’ll be able to offer you are steady plodding hand-claps.

Did Joel realized just how ridiculous hearing the same clap all the way through his album sounds? Did he even bother to give it a good listen over? Sure, he’s gone on record as saying he didn’t put much effort into it, merely slapping on his big hits and padding it out with some new stuff for a DJ mix, but by doing so he shoots himself in the foot (probably once every second beat). deadmau5 has long been criticized for being samey-sounding and lacking in any kind of musical intuitiveness, an accusation that honestly doesn’t have much merit when you hear his tracks in isolation or as a part of a DJ set; any of these tracks are fine individually. Lined up all together as they are here, though, and how can you not agree with the naysayers? That clap… it’s like Chinese water torture, but instead of a constant drip… drip… drip… eating away at your head, you have a constant clap… clap… clap… eating away at your brain. It annoys. It grates. It torments. It claps. It claps. It claps. It claps. It claps. It claps. It claps…

Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2008. © All rights reserved.

Solarstone - Rain Stars Eternal (Original TC Review)

Solaris Recordings: 2008

(2015 Update:
I recall being harsher in my words towards this album, but aside from a few snarky digs here and there, clearly that wasn't the case. I know I didn't outright hate the album, and my opinions of euro-trance music had mellowed some, but surely not to such a degree that I'd give the sap on Rain Stars Eternal a pass without flying off the ragin' deep end. Whatever, at least we can all agree Breakaway remains as pants as ever.

What's more fascinating about the Solarstone saga is how his DJ career's gained far more critical plaudits compared to his album output. He's released a couple more LPs since this one, but about all folks go on about these days are the Electronic Architecture and Pure Trance series. They're hailed as shining examples of trance as it should be, though I wouldn't know since I haven't indulged in any of them - what many figure as 'real' trance often contradicts my own notion on the matter, especially where traditional fans of Solarstone's material are concerned. Still, all that high praise can't be for naught, and it probably wouldn't hurt to check out one or two of those. I mean, what else am I gonna' spend my 'obligatory trance-cracker DJ mix CD' money on, more In Trance We Trust discs? Haha, ha.)


IN BRIEF: A decade in the making?

Lately, when there’s talk of melodic trance producers who had hits during the big late-90s boom, a degree of frustration and disappointment comes up when reflecting on their current output. The list of fallen-off names that long-time fans of the genre are disgruntled with is a long one, and needn’t be brought up here. It has gotten to the point, though, where you can’t even bring them up online without a flame-war erupting.

Yet, there are a few respected individuals that escaped such harsh fates, retaining their credibility even as the genre itself crumbled around them. As should be quite obvious to you since you clicked a link to this review, Solarstone is amongst this group. It seems no matter the particular taste in trance music, general consensus has deemed tracks like Seven Cities and Solarcoaster as class. With such promising early singles, folks eagerly waited for an album. And waited... and waited...

Now over ten years since breaking out with The Calling, and minus long-time producing partner Andy Bury, Rich Mowatt has come correct with a proper long-player (the previous two-disc Anthology was essentially a greatest hits package of various projects). It’s been a long time coming, but thanks to the odd single over the years and continued fond memories for his prior hits, fans of Solarstone have kept a vested interest in the name. And yet strangely enough, there haven’t been high expectations for Rain Stars Eternal either. It’s as though folks know the days of Seven Cities and Solarcoaster are behind him, so they’ve given Mowatt the good grace of delivering an album which makes sense in the here-and-now rather than clinging to the past.

With such freedom at his disposal, it may come as a bit of a disappointment that Mowatt has opted for the pop route, though shouldn’t be too surprising since the Solarstone moniker always leaned more to the melodically accessible side of trance music. What this means, however, is Rain Stars Eternal is filled with oodles of vocals, an attribute that more often than not sends up red flags when it comes to trance producers. Are these flags warranted this time out? The answer, my friends, is yes and no. Since this answer isn’t the least bit helpful, allow me to elaborate, starting with the ‘yes’.

If anything, Mowatt has crafted an album that paints a world where all that is vile and abhorrent in life has been whisked away. Instead, loving emotions and sentiments that caress the soul are ever present. At times, you almost feel like you’ve stumbled upon some kind of fantasy-land where unicorns and fairies frolic in fields of flowers. Yet, it doesn’t come across as sickly sweet as you might think, as Mowatt keeps things at a level of class, never the least bit embarrassing.

Case in point: Lunar Rings. When I first heard this one, the oh-so precious sugary vocals by guest-singer Essence had me instinctively irate and aggressive. It wasn’t from actually hating the song, though, but from my body reflexively surging me with testosterone, probably to make sure my testicles were still there after hearing something so syrupy and effeminate. After going back to listen with a properly objective perspective, I found Lunar Rings a rather decent slice of euro-trance goof-ball pop; there’s no point in criticizing a song that succeeds in its aim, even though it’s not something I’d likely willingly ever listen to again.

Tracks like the ode to an unborn child (Part Of Me) and about relationships (Late Summer Fields and Slave) are also well produced with vocals that are quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the other two vocal tracks - Filoselle Skies and Breakaway - are rough stumbles. While the former starts nicely enough, Julie Scott’s singing soon clashes with the pleasant musical backings Mowatt provides; it’s rather shocking how off it sounds when compared to their other collaboration in Slave. Meanwhile, Breakaway is totally misguided, Mowatt trying his hand at ‘emo-dance’ with an over-emoting American-based male vocalist and production that’s about as watered-down as pop-rock dance music gets; considering Rain Stars Eternal is mostly filled with airy ethereal melodies, Breakaway’s contemporary backdrop is completely out of place. Heck, why even get such a sappy singer for it anyway? As evidenced in Late Summer Fields, Mowatt is more than capable of carrying credible vocal duties himself.

There are also a few standard instrumental trance tunes scattered about, but aside from the titular track, these aren’t much to get excited about. Although they are nice enough, Spectrum and 4Ever are going through the motions, as though Mowatt wasn’t as concerned with them. Fortunately, he easily makes up for such basic tracks with a very lovely bit of music on the closer The Last Defeat. While it may dip somewhat into New Agey soundscapes, it’s of the sort that is still quite soothing and relaxing, and ends Rain Stars Eternal on a strong note.

A positive final impression, however, isn’t enough to save this album from a middling score, albeit a high middling score. The trouble is, despite a strong opening sequence of songs, the decided lack of anything innovative or unique firmly keeps Rain Stars Eternal in the realms of ‘merely pleasant pop music’. Mowatt is a better producer and song-writer than many of the folks over at Armada or Anjunabeats, of that there is no doubt, yet he still hasn’t progressed much from his output earlier in the decade. If the Solarstone of old still holds fond memories for you, this proper debut will probably satisfy to some degree. Unfortunately, unlike those classic singles, there isn’t enough on here to leave the same kind of lasting impression.

Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2008 © All rights reserved.