Showing posts with label Andrew Bayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Bayer. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Album Review: Anjunadeep 05 Mixed by James Grant and Jody Wisternoff

Anjunadeep 05 has finally arrived after a few release date push backs!   I have been eagerly anticipating this album for quite some time, and have now had a few weeks to listen, re-listen, and assess this massive compilation. 

For those that don’t know, Anjunadeep 05 is the fifth installment in a series of compilation albums; these are done more or less annually by both Anjunadeep and its parent label, Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats.  This year, putting together the two mixes are none other than Anjunadeep label boss James Grant and the legendary Jody Wisternoff, who debuts as an Anjunadeep compilation mixer with this beautiful outing.

Since this is a fairly lengthy album, with the two mixes clocking in at a combined two hours and forty minutes, I decided to stick with my usual style of writing -- it is best and most fun if I would just throw on the mixes non-stop and basically commit to writing a running commentary about the music as it progresses over the 29 tracks. 

James Grant's mix officially takes off with this fourth track in the mix called Back To Love from Bekwith feat. Catherine Porter. Porter’s infectious vocal addition on top of an anything but boring melody really ups the tempo of the mix in a traditional deep house way: with a dark yet energetic groove. The mix then goes into a very liquid-groove for a few minutes, with songs blending together to form a musical fusion that lulls your mind into serenity. Dusky's Nobody Else, an absolute favourite on this compilation, is a massive deep house track that is bordering minimal yet still melodic in nature. With several weeks as the #1 song on Beatport’s deep house chart, it is no surprise it has made it’s way onto this compilation. Between this track and the previous Bekwith offering, Anjunadeep 05 is starting to fire on all cylinders. Fifty five minutes through this thing and WYV AUW CHU has become another favorite on the mix. Tom Middleton's catchy track title is an attention-getter and boy, it is worth the time you will give it. The tune is slick, and the vocal usage is interesting when compared to the name of the track (WYV AUW CHU = without you, duh!), and the groove is just intoxicating.

Andrew Bayer, obviously is one of my absolute personal favourite dj/producers. His It’s Cool remix sees Bayer join forces with the man behind this entire mix, label boss James Grant. The song is extraordinary - or it could possibly be that I am just biased. The vocals are infectious and really set the tone of the track, along with those powerful piano chords behind it. The track has been featured on Group Therapy numerous times in the past month, and I have been in love with it ever since hearing it for the first time several weeks ago. 

Suddenly, the first half of the mix concludes. I noticed that I was too zoned out to say much about the Solarity (Dusky is at it again! The duo used to go by the name of Solarity, and they dusted off one of their older tracks specifically for this album) track; all I know is that the mix ended beautifully, and I couldn't wait to get into the second half.

And then suddenly it's time for the second half, on which Jody Wisternoff has reshaped/retouched/edited almost every single track. The only thing I am aware of going into this side is that the reworked Alchemy will be one of my favorite tracks, no exceptions. I know that this is very biased, again. But trust me, you'll listen to what I'll play and you'll love it - that's all you need to believe in. 

As the last tune from the James Grant mix fades out, it's now time for the legendary Jody Wisternoff. I've been a fan of his works - I only follow a few acts on the deep, melodic house sub-genre and Jody's one of them. I am just thrilled he is debuting as a contributor on this slick collection. 

His mix kicks off with his remix of Ich Lass ́Dich Nicht Zurück from The Peacemaker Project act. The opening track is definitely solid! The saxophone melody later on really reminds of mild James Zabiela tracks, which are amazing for just that reason. This Jody Wistermoff edit of Lane 8′s Be Mine is one that fans of Anjunadeep will be quite familiar with, as it was showcased in a minimix preview some time in June. The dubby fun Wisternoff describes as being his edition to the track is indeed wonderful, and is a key highlight to the range of sound that can be found on Anjunadeep.

Once more the mix takes off on an understandable lull, which is in no way a bad thing. Jody is taking us now on a journey with this mix, and part of that is including tracks that perhaps blend a little more into the background of the experience, as opposed to popping out. It’s ridiculous how many layers every song has. This sentence is being typed after a re-listen of the second side.  So many little bits and pieces pop out at me after running through this again.  Small, almost pad like percussions that rattle through This Way went unnoticed during listen one, but now pop out at me and envelope the track in an entire new layer of sensations. We Are Heroes is enticing and infectious. The first time I heard of this track, and Pete Josef commands a soulful and sultry voice that is just slick and polished.  The bassline and drum pattern are dirty. Again, the mix takes off -- some form of Dusky is everywhere on this compilation, and Kuza by Alfred Taylor is just another example of the strong production coming from one or both of that duo (FYI -- Alfie is one half of Dusky).

Finally, here comes Alchemy. I have looked forward to hearing Jody's take on this rather heart wrenching, earth-staggering A&B original. It receives a deep house rework that does the original justice in every way. Jody gives the classic track a darker undertone that still perfectly highlights Zoe Johnston’s beautifully haunting verse. The trancey feel of the original is completely replaced with a deep house vibe that even takes on a dubbish tinge in its synth usage halfway through. It’s glorious and easily one of the crowning tracks of this compilation. 

As it looks, I glazed over some, paid way too much attention to others, zoned out here and there, but in the end, I came up with the conclusion that this is one of the best albums of the year in terms of enjoyability. Whether or not you are into this sort of style/sound of house music, I guarantee you will find the compilation generally pleasing at the very least.  If you dig deep style intertwining with melodic beats and piano chords, this compilation is for you. 

The negatives against this compilation are very  few and far between, and they mostly center around the fact that deep house simply isn’t a genre for everyone. There are lulls in the mix. Some tracks on a 29 track outing are simply going to be less interesting than others.  On the other hand, I am quite confident that music fans from every background can find tunes that they absolutely love here.  And this is the brilliance of Anjunadeep; some variation of the deep house sounds found on this album will resonate with people from all walks of taste.  

Noteworthy tracks include


Track list:

CD 1 / James Grant

1. Croquet Club "Cardigan" 
2. Vincenzo & Aram "Let Go"
3. Andrew Bayer & James Grant "Living"
4. Beckwith feat. Catherine Porter "Back To Love"
5. Universal Solution "Yukon"
6. Universal Solution "Osheen"
7. DAVI "The Time Has Come"
8. Jody Wisternoff & Jonathan Mendelsohn "Out Of Reach" (Alfred Taylor Remix)
9. Dusky "Nobody Else"
10. DAVI "The Bay 6"
11. Tom Middleton "WYV AUW CHU" 
12. Dusky "Mr Man"
13. Matt Lange feat. Tania Zygar "Way You Know"
14. The Presets "It's Cool" (Andrew Bayer & James Grant Remix)
15. Solarity "Symbols" 

CD 2 / Jody Wisternoff

1. The Peacemaker Project "Ich Lass´ Dich Nicht Zurück" (Jody Wisternoff Remix)
2. Lane 8 "Be Mine" (Jody Wisternoff's Deep 05 Reshape)
3. Skanna vs. Jody Wisternoff "This Way"
4. Jody Wisternoff feat. Pete Josef "We Are Heroes" 
5. Alfred Taylor "Kuza"
6. Beckwith "Townsend Sling"
7. Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston "Alchemy" (Jody Wisternoff Remix)
8. Rashid Ajami "Coming For You" (Jody Wisternoff Remix)
9. Kahwe "Driving Me Wild" (Jody Wisternoff's Deep 05 Reshape)
10. Leftwing & Kody "Deep In" (Jody Wisternoffs Deep 05 Reshape)
11. Meramek "Feeling"
12. Jody Wisternoff "Macbeth"
13. Matt Lange "Only You"
14. Andre Sobota "Move Into Tokyo Dawn" (Jody Wisternoff's Deep 05 Blend) 



Comments appreciated....


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Album Review: Andrew Bayer - If It Were You We'd Never Leave

April 22, 2013 was when the best album of the year (IMO) so far was released on Anjunabeats. And unless you are an Anjunabeats devotee or trance geek, you probably missed it. 

Andrew Bayer’s If It Were You, We’d Never Leave is a monumental album for electronic music.  With all the recent surge in news regarding the staying power of the dance music scene, the so called 'EDM bubble' and the constant chatter revolving around DJ’s having little to no originality in their Beatport top 10-laden sets, Andrew Bayer’s career-defining album is a breath of fresh air.  Even though it has been released for quite some time, given the current commotion about the necessity for innovation in electronic music, I felt it appropriate to revisit, hype up, and dissect this absolute masterpiece of an album, along with introducing those that are not familiar to the genius that is Andrew Bayer.

A major contributor to the Above & Beyond’s powerhouse label, Anjunabeats, he is perhaps best known (currently) for his massive trance tracks i.e. Anjunabeats favorites Keep Your Secrets featuring Molly Bancroft, In and Out of Phase featuring Kerry Leva, and England have solidified the Washington D.C. native as a major player in the trance world.  Bayer’s tracks have received consistent playtime on the likes of A State of Trance, and of course, Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy radio. Considering this, perhaps the most interesting observation about this phenomenal producer is that his two studio albums, It’s Artificial (2011), and the album headlining this article, If It Were You, We’d Never Leave.

With influences from hip hop, hints of glitch music (glitch-hop), downtempo beats, and ambient music, this album is a step away from everything that has begun to define electronic music. There are no bangers, yet there are tunes that pop out at you with incredible emotion.  There are no pointless tracks that simply take up space for the sake of taking up space.  There are no generic formulas being followed.  If It Were You, We’d Never Leave is a sixteen track experience, a journey through a rocky, post-apocalyptic, yet serene, tranquil landscape on the surface of Andrew Bayer’s mind.  It's good to note this is not an album you play to light up the dance floor, but one you listen to warm your soul with the full range of human emotion.

I won’t be reviewing and describing every track in great detail in this piece, as that would be doing the album an injustice. It is not meant to be listened as sixteen separate pieces of music. But rather I can try and take you on a journey, get you to places, imagine lucid elements as how this masterpiece did to me. While tracks such as Lose Sight, You Are, Need Your Love, and Echo are phenomenal as stand alone tracks, they are exponentially more impressive as pieces of an intricate journey that spans the entire album. 

Andrew Bayer has mastered the art of sequencing his music in order to achieve a roughly one hour long electronic symphony. The slow, fairly mellow yet dark glitched synths, coupled with a piano melody found in Opening Act meld into the even darker, urgency building, glitch-hop-esque Doomsday. The track oozes of true feeling. One can almost reach out and touch the sense of doubt, anger, and uncertainty that’s wrapped tightly around the track, like an enshrouding veil. All of a sudden, the veil is every so slightly lifted; the urgent build up dissipates, and a slight reassurance builds as female voice quietly begins to echo over a still foreboding piano on It’s Going To Be Fine.  The feelings of doom and urgency, so carefully crafted in Doomsday, are slowly swept aside, as Bayer conveys a sense of reassurance to the listener.  His progression of emotion can really be seen in this track. The beginning still carries the feelings that were created in Doomsday; however, by its end, as it progresses into Let’s Hear That B Section Again! (one of the noteworthy tracks and a personal favourite), there is almost none of it remaining. The grittiness of the opening two tracks are completely swept away. B Section is completely devoid of a drum beat. Instead, it conveys its message of calm with inorganic sounds and scratchy, oscillating, harp-like synths.  The listener is finally brought to the first true single of the album, Lose Sight featuring Ane Brun. An R&Bish (Andrew Bayer’s twist), poppy, uplifting track with a catchy drum beat, acoustic guitar chords, and an absolutely ingenious, yet simple, piano melody that can’t help but stick with you.

As Lose Sight wraps up, one can only smile that the journey is only a third over, and another eleven tracks remain. I don’t want to ruin the experience of forming your own little world with the building blocks that compromise this one hour long masterpiece, so I will leave it up to you, to listen to the rest of it. It is incredibly difficult to describe with words exactly what  Bayer is employing throughout this album, in terms of a specific sound or synthesizer. The organic chimes in tracks deeper in the album, such as All This Will Happen Again, transport the listener to an open field on a sunny afternoon, somewhere in the world that Bayer has so carefully constructed.  The harshness and dance floor-geared themes that are all the rage in EDM production these days are nowhere to be found, yet their influence can still ever so slightly be felt, thanks to Bayer’s mastery of blending his entire range of ability.  It is an experimental, unique, album that illustrates the abilities of a true master of audio at work, as he tries to tell a story through a never before heard combination of sound, melody, and composition.  

As I mentioned in some of my blog work, this unique blend of genres/styles that are often unheard on the mainstream is not for everyone. However, if you decide to keep an open mind and expand the boundaries of your musical palette, then please listen away. What I've written above will start to make more sense when you listen to the album and read my blurb at the same time. You will not be disappointed. One simply doesn't get the same experience as listening to every minute of this Album-of-the-Year worthy piece of music. Get out your favorite pair of headphones (preferably hi-def), sit back, and relax.  Let the music wash over you until you never want to leave. Welcome to the world of Andrew Bayer.

Some snaps from Andrew's Facebook page prior to release of this album. I included these snapshots as they were true to testament about the album. He wasn't just hyping it up or what, he was just telling the simple truth:






Saturday, March 23, 2013

Album Review: Above & Beyond - Anjunabeats Volume 10

Mental is probably the best word to describe Anjunabeats Volume 10. It was mixed by Above & Beyond features 30 exclusive tracks from Arty, Andrew Bayer, Norin & Rad, Jaytech, Super8 & Tab, Maor Levi, and many more, as well as the brand new instrumental anthem from the trio - Walter White.

As we all know, Anjunabeats is one of the strongest dance music labels in the world today and all their compilations can be taken as proofs why is it so, that they belong to one of the most respected music companies. We probably wouldn’t find too many similarities between the original Anjunabeats Volume 1 and this year’s Volume 10, but how could we? Music has changed so much during the last 10 years, yet Above & Beyond still keep up the pace and may it be them as DJs/producers or the whole Anjuna label, it’s really something to bow to!

Disc one kicks off in a more emotional way with A&B’s own Small Moments, beautiful instrumental track which takes you completely off this world, especially when you combine it with a deep video or those visualizers on Windows Media Player. What comes next, is a favorite of mine for 2013 so far and I’m talking about Audien and his Wayfarer. It is something that puts a smile on your face from the first beats, throwing your hands up in the air spontaneously and of course a bass line that will get you up from your chair. What surprised me at first but insured me when I looked at the track list was track 7. Jaytech comes in with a new banger Inception. Usually a contributor for the Anjuna's deep house sister recording company, it's refreshing for this artist to finally break through the trance side of his genre.

Above & Beyond came up with a new track for this compilation as well. Walter White shows us how a deep and emotional breakdown should look like. However, the rest of the track is a bit strange. I understand that everyone is changing thanks to the scene, but I don’t think this is the right way for A&B. However if there is someone who definitely goes hand in hand with the scene today, I believe that Maor Levi is having the best time of his career. Having a track on this compilation is a great honor for any producer, but Maor has three tracks on this disc and that definitely proves that he delivers! ALWAYS! May it be in the calmer sounds of ethereal progressive or a bit rougher league of bass lines, this guy produces only the best - all these are worth listening: his collab with Boom Jinx and my fave female trance vocalist Ashley Tomberlin When You Loved Me; the remix on Liquid Love which is a great rework from the Tri-state album; and the ever-emotional Holding On. If someone asked me what I liked the best about disc 1, I would have to say that it is this track along with Ronski Speed and Syntrobic's tune called Pink Skye where it features the haunting voice of Renee Stahl.
  
Disc 2 and the half second half of the compilation is picked up by Andrew Bayer with his new tune called England. I’m not really sure how to feel about this one, though it sounds very housey yet even a bit commercial it still brings originality with itself and many other good factors as well. Knowing that Bayer has two sides of his artistry - the more commercial ones we hear on the Anjunabeats collection and the more artistic side which is what his artist album is about. L.A. by Super8 & Tab could be my favorite track off of tdisc 2.  It sounds a lot like their older more progressive stuff like Helsinki Scorchin.  The use of the small vocal synth in this track is mesmerizing.  It accompanies the bass lines and uplifting melodies perfectly.  Then after building for over two minutes the main bass lines kicks and L.A. is taken to new heights.  Aldo by Norin & Rad is another new track we are able to listen to.  It is a more up tempo trance track featuring some heavy bass lines with euphoric drops. Sinai by Ilan Bluestone is another great track.  While not completely new, this track really stands out to me on this album.  Ilan Bluestone is still an artist on the rise globally and this track is what I think can break him through to the next level.  Sinai is an amazing euphoric track with an incredible use of percussion along with vocals. May it be the exotic vocals, melodic synths or the piano parts.  is a beauty that deserves to be heard more than one time.

Nitrous Oxide teams up with 7 Skies to create something very magical together. “Right On“ is a perfect combination of strong synths we all wish to hear on a good party and a pure melody created on a piano. The instant changes in this track between the heavy parts of great beats, strong synths, and the emotional piano parts, emotions backed up by a massive drive, yes, definitely a great tune!

Next up is a track that is truly beautiful in it’s album mix, but on the contrary gets a completely different coat in the club mix. Black Room Boy from A&B is the track I’m talking about. While repetitively listening to it, I somehow discovered that the bass line is a complete floor killer and started singing along with the track in a matter of seconds. I always thought of myself as a Black Room Boy - if you get my drift.

I would like to say that Anjunabeats Volume 10 is one of those compilations that shouldn’t be thrown away by trance crowd for not being a clear trance album. My opinion is that this compilation is a very special piece that has to be heard with a calm mind, good mood, and most of all, if you want to listen to it and feel happy, you should forget about the never-ending 'war' of styles which is going on in the scene. Just sit back, press play and enjoy the music.



What do you think????



Saturday, November 17, 2012

Trance Around The World - Episode 450 | Above & Beyond: Group Therapy 001


Described by Pete Tong as "the UK's Trance superstars," Above and Beyond rank among the world's top 10 DJs according to DJ Magazine and are undoubtedly one of the dance scene's leading-edge players. Their Trance Around The World radio show currently enjoys a weekly listenership of over 30 million on FM and satellite and the Internet, and has been responsible for breaking many of dance music's biggest records, in addition to featuring exclusive guest sets by some of the world's greatest DJs!

I once read somewhere that Above and Beyond's connection with India has been deep and long-standing. With the country's club scene growing rapidly, India is the perfect location for the 450th episode celebrations to take place. 

Joining them for this 9th anniversary special will be Mat Zo, Norin and Rad, Andrew Bayer, and Jody Wisternoff.

Took a snap while tuned in to Above & Beyond's Trance Around the World 450th episode live streaming. The last episode of TATW is also the birth of a new show called Above & Beyond Group Therapy. And now on the decks, Andrew Bayer driving everyone mental! Excited to hear Mat Zo and Above & Beyond later.



Tracklist (courtesy of @TranceFamily)

Jody Wisternoff
01. ID - ID
02. ID - ID
03. ID - ID
04. ID - ID
05. Jody Wisternoff & Jonathan Mendelsohn - Out Of Reach (Andre Sobota Remix) [Anjunadeep]
06. ID - ID
07. Jody Wisternoff - Starstrings (Revamp)
08. The Other Tribe - Skirts (Jody Wisternoff Remix)
09. ID - ID
10. Halo 4 - Awakening (Gui Boratto Remix)

Andrew Bayer
01. Andrew Bayer - ID
02. Damabiah - Irminsul Le Pilier Du Monde (Andrew Bayer Remix)
03. Orbital - Halcyon On & On
04. Matt Lange - Rift (Andrew Bayer Remix)
05. Andrew Bayer - Counting The Points (Club Mix)
06. Andrew Bayer - Not Forgotten
07. Signalrunners - Meet Me In Montauk
08. Andrew Bayer feat. Molly Bancroft - Keep Your Secrets
09. Ane Brun - Undertow (Andrew Bayer Remix)
10. Bizarre Inc. - Playing With Knives
11. Andrew Bayer - ID

Norin and Rad
01. La Fuente - Bang Bang
02. Tristan Garner - Overdrive
03. Dzeko and Torres vs. Maor Levi - Refliction (Norin and Rad Mash Up)
04. Riktam n Bansi - Now Is Here
05. Tiesto ft. BT - Love Comes Again (Hardwell Remix)
06. Norin and Rad - Pistol Whip
07. Orjan Nilsen vs. Dada Life - Copperfield Don\'t Cry (Norin and Rad Mash Up)
08. Norman Doray & Nervo ft. Cookie - Something To Believe In (Hard Rock Sofa Vocal Remix)
09. Marcel Woods - 3Storion (Marcel Woods Treatment)
10. Armin Van Buuren ft. Ana Criado - Suddenly Summer (Norin and Rad Remix)
11. Norin and Rad - Five Finger Death Punch
12. Arty - Zara (Oliver Smith Remix)
13. East and Young vs. La Roux - Going In For The Coda (Norin and Rad Mash Up)
14. Above and Beyond vs. Andy Moor - Air For Life (Norin and Rad Remix)
15. Oceanlab vs. Norin & Rad - Secret Bloom (Norin & Rad Mashup)

Mat Zo
01. Mat Zo - The Lost
02. Kuedon-Bang La Decks
03. Reflekt Feat Delline Bass - Need To Feel Loved (Adam K & Soha Vocal Remix)
04. Faithless- We Come One
05. Cressida - 6 AM (Kyau & Albert Remix)
06. Art Of Trance - Madagascar (Richard Durand Remix)
07. Jerome Isma Ae vs Madeon - Flashing Icarus (Mat Zo Mashup)
08. Beltek - Eclipse
09. D Mad & Arty vs Deadmau5 & Jelo - The Reward is Happiness (Mat Zo Mashup)
10. Porter Robinson - Language
11. Natural Born Chillers - Rock The Funky Beat (Mat Zo Remix)
12. John Dahlback vs Mat Zo & Arty - Mozart Gets Wild (Mat Zo Mashup)
13. Porter Robinson & Mat Zo - Easy (Extended Mix)
14. Mat Zo ft. Linnea Schossow - The Sky (Club Mix)
15. Ernestov Bastian - Thrill

Above & Beyond - Group Therapy Radio 001 (2012-11-10)
01. Above & Beyond with Audien - Wayfarer (Intro Mix)
02. Kyau & Albert - ID
03. Sunny Lax - Isla Margherita
04. Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston - Alchemy (Club Mix)
05. Ronski Speed - ID
06. Arty - ID [Anjunabeats]
07. Jaytech feat. Steve Smith - Stranger (Kyau & Albert Remix)
08. Above and Beyond - ID (Tune from the Countdown to #ABGT001) [World Premiere]
09. Nitrous Oxide - ID
10. Mike Koglin vs. 7Skies - Vision [Anjunabeats]
11. Ronski Speed - Proton12 (Ronski Speed vs. Cressida Mix)
12. Above and Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Liquid Love (Maor Levi Remix)
13. Rank 1 - 7 Instead of 8
14. Eximinds - ID
15. Ost & Meyer - ID
16. Above and Beyond - Black Room Boy (A&B Club Mix) [World Premiere]
17. Velvetine - The Great Divide (Myon & Shane 54 Summer of Love Mix)
18. Bluestone - Sinai
19. Above & Beyond - Home (Genix Remix)
20. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Sun & Moon (A&B Club Mix)
21. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Thing Called Love (Extended Album Mix)
22. Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston - Good For Me (Album Version)


Did you tune in? Or have listened to the podcast? Throw in some thoughts!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Album Review: Anjunadeep04 Mixed by Jaytech and James Grant


Anjunadeep, the housier sister (sub-label) of Anjunabeats releases its fourth installment of the Anjunadeep series. Anjunadeep04 mixed by Australian proggy house artist Jaytech and Jono's brother James Grant, is a perfect concoction of chill, ambient, deep house that cater to a niche market of electronic music lovers - myself included. Showcasing tracks and remixes from acts like Dusky, Tom Middleton, Maceo Plex, Vincenzo, and Solarity,  the collection is a 28 track journey through deep house, immersive melodic grooves, and modern progressive.

One of the main contributing artists is Andrew Bayer, a brilliant American producer whose style is a mix of ambient, chill, proggy house, and glitch-hop. I got to discover him whilst listening to the first few installments of the Anjunadeep series. With the fourth compilation, he contributes two slick tunes: You and Gaff's Eulogy (which I am so crazy about); and co-remixed tunes like Prelude, Take Me Away, Gravity among the few.

This 2-CD compilation is an explosion of slick, chill, and proggy tunes. Disc one was remixed by James Grant whilst disc 2 is by Jaytech. This is perfect for driving, or while at work, and even helping one to sleep at night. The tunes promote tranquility and bliss - or at least that's what I feel every time I bump this record. Between the two discs, I happen to like disc one better where most of the noteworthy tracks are.


Track list:

Disc 1 / Mixed By James Grant

1. Dusky "Stick By This" (Deep04 Edit)
2. Martin Roth "Beautiful Life"
3. Vincenzo "Get To Know You"
4. Laura Jones "Love In Me" (Maceo Plex Remix)
5. Andrew Bayer "You"
6. Paronator "No Gravity" (Tom Middleton Liquatech Mix)
7. Dusky "Lost Highway"
8. Above & Beyond "Prelude" (Andrew Bayer & James Grant Remix)
9. Full Tilt "Take Me Away" (Andrew Bayer & James Grant Remix)
10. Parker & Hanson "Afterthought" (Soundprank's Deep04 Mix)
11. Stephen J. Kroos "Phobos"
12. P8 & Answer42 "Fragments"
13. P.O.S. "Gravity" (Andrew Bayer & James Grant Remix)
14. Andrew Bayer "Gaff’s Eulogy"

Disc 2 / Mixed by Jaytech

1. Answer42 "The Lemon Effect"
2. Kobana & Yane3dots "Woosh"
3. Oliver Smith "Under The Wire"
4. Solarity "Primordial"
5. Suspect 44 "Neon Feel"
6. Jaytech "Synergy"
7. Vadim Soloviev "Forma Perpetua"
8. Soundprank "Boundless Energy"
9. Jaytech "Overdrive" (PROFF Remix)
10. Joonas Hahmo "Manor"
11. Levente Márton "There's Always A Way Out"
12. Kaskade "Sorry" (Dirty South Remix)
13. Parker & Hanson "Alquimia" (Andrew Bayer Remix)
14. Jaytech "Atlantic"




Share your thoughts!



Friday, July 29, 2011

Album Review: Andrew Bayer - It's Artificial
























Andrew Bayer is an American dj and producer. He first caught my ears when he did a remix of an Oceanlab tune Secret. From then on, he had remixed a couple more A&B tracks and has been a regular contributor in the Anjunadeep collection.

Following his Twitter account, he announced that he is to release his first experimental artist album and it got me all excited. The album is called It's Artificial released under Anjunabeats on 25 July 2011.

The album tunes follow a truly progressive style incorporating ambient, melodic techno and the so-called glitch-hop. Like a kid to a candy bar -- I am so addicted to this album! These slick tunes give off just sheer pleasure.

Noteworthy tracks for me are Counting The PointsMonolithPaper Cranes

Tracks:

01. Nexus
02. Dedicated To Boston's Waste Management System
03. Counting The Points
04. Monolith
05. A Drink For Calamity Jane
06. Paper Cranes
07. From The Earth
08. We Will Return
09. A Faded Memory (iTunes Bonus Track)
10. Not Forgotten (Anjuna Pre-order Giveaway Track)
11. It's Artificial (Album Prview)


Thoughts please--