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Reviews:
Aalto - Taurine - 24-Jun-08 08:53 AM
This is becoming a big favourite of mine. Although I and many others would argue that "5" is Aalto's best release, "Taurine" is on the same level both in terms of quality and the sheer scale of the sounds present.
The original mix is an absolutely soaring uplifiting trance production which is, without doubt, one of the very finest in the Anjunabeats catalogue. You can feel something big coming up as the buildup is progressing, and the breakdown certainly does not let you down. The melody is stunning and it is developed very well, especially when the beats pump back into action.
On the b-side, Super8 delivers a deeper, slightly lighter touch while staying true to the original's sound and style. Although the breakdown retains the main melody from the original, it is relegated to secondary status by a pleasant Above & Beyond / Smith & Pledger style mainline. In addition, Super8 delivers some of his patened vocal treatment in the quieter moments to great effect, this time with some Asian / 'ethnic' female vocals, no doubt part of the "deeper touch" mentioned earlier.
I'd argue that because of the altered priorities of the main melody, the Super8 remix falls short of the original, but it is still a fine effort from Mr. Eloranta.
Awesome release all 'round.
Aruna Abrams - 20-Jun-08 03:49 PM
I have to say, learning of a new Aruna collaboration really brings a smile to my face; not just because she is a great vocalist, but also because it's so weird / awesome to see she's moved onto Trance music! The reason I say this is because I remember her back when she joined up with the members of progressive death metal group Cynic to form Portal. It was a short-lived project that put out a self-titled demo CD and nothing more, but it was a very special CD indeed (to me, at least). Despite what the word "demo" may suggest, it was actually a very full, professional sounding release that shows a huge amount of promise and potential. Alas, that promise and potential remained sadly untapped.
But enough about the past, because her future in the Trance scene is showing even more promise. Her collaborations with The Thrillseekers and Ronski Speed have proved very successful, and the much delayed "Falling Backwards" with George Acosta, particularly in the Vast Vision remix, has become a firm personal favourite of mine. I'm very eager to see what she comes out with next.
Alex M.O.R.P.H. Presents Everest (4) - Orée - 20-Jun-08 10:56 AM
The original mix of "Orée" is one of my favourite trance productions in the world, so I find it quite unfortunate that it is so underrated. This track just hits all the right spots for me: powerful beats, an intense buildup which teases all the main elements of the upcoming drop very nicely, the massive uplifting breakdown where everything falls into place, and a strong element of dreaminess throughout. In addition, the track is given some pleasantly unique vocal treatment which is sprinkled liberally across the track, and helps to make "Orée" that much more special.
But really, you'd expect such a strong showing from the combined efforts of Morph, Stoneface & Terminal and L-Vee collaborator Ferry Tayle. That is some serious talent right there.
Unfortunately, the 2 remixes absolutely pale in comparison to the strength of the original, but I don't find that terribly surprising.
Armin* - Communication - 16-Jun-08 10:46 AM
I bought this CD purely to hear the vocal edit, which is essentially Communication "part 2". I didn't have particularly high expectations for it, but I was still rather disappointed by how boring and unimaginative the vocals are. It doesn't add anything positive to the production, it just brings the track down to the level of Euro Trance rubbish like Ian van Dahl and Sylver.
The Quake remake is even worse, rearranging important elements into places that significantly weaken it (the haunting choir-like vocal samples, in particular). The raining synths that gave the original its dreamy atmosphere are gone, and the synths are cheesed up to boiling point. Just.. a complete travesty, really.
However, it's not all bad. The original mix of "Communication" is a phenomenal Trance classic, combining Armin's driving techy bass of the day with deep atmospheric effects and that unforgettable piano-lead breakdown. The fact that he was producing stunners like this back in 1999 makes me respect him even more, and, along with tracks like "Blue Fear" and the original "Star Theme", suggests he had the right idea from the very start of his journey into Trance music (I can't speak for his House productions in the mid-90s).
One final point, which is unfortunately another negative, is that the "original 12" mix" present is still not the full version which clocks in at a hefty 9 minutes and contains an excellent intro, as well as a more timely buildup. Needless to say, this is the better version.
Current Value - Frequency Hunt - 29-May-08 06:09 PM
While Current Value has since upped the darkness and hardness in his tunes considerably, and arguably bettered his past work by doing so, his early Position Chrome releases contain some of his finest material - and "Frequency Hunt" is no exception.
All of the tracks on the album have a common foundation; dark, haunting ambience and incredibly technical drum programming. Thus, because of these similarities, it has somewhat of a love-or-hate appeal to it. If you don't like the first track, you probably won't enjoy the rest of the album.
It has to be said, his other Position Chrome albums are very similar in sound to this, but I believe "Frequency Hunt" is the most solid representation of Current Value's uncompromising sound in the late 90's.
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