Dynamic Masters - Decade

In January 2003 the German SynthPoP band Dynamic Masters released their debut album "Decade" by the label IntraPop. Dynamic Masters are focused on classic SynthPoP music made from well-known sounds and elements. Whereas the electronic compositions sound elaborate and sometimes innovative (e.g. Modern Babylon), the male and female vocals are disappointing as a whole.
The singing style of the male and female vox sounds too flat and is not able to convey the desired emotions. I also had the feeling that the vocalists were trying to sound too "proper" and in doing so were swamped with the demands. In this case the substandard vocal qualities cast a shadow over the electronic melodies and make the listener want to hit "fast-forward". Dynamic Masters should concentrate on the overall vocal sound and production on the next release to compliment the electronic landscape.

Rename - You Don't Deserve My Love (Maxi-CD)

This September the German newcomer Rename have surprised us with their very catchy debut-single "You Don't Deserve My Love". I was first exposed to the music by Rename when Todd of A Different Drum sent me the "ADD New Artist Sampler 2004". On this sample, Rename were represented by the song "Maybe Later I Will Fall", which is a wonderful ballad supported by very smooth singing. From this moment I've always kept an eye open for new material from Rename.
The new song "You Don't Deserve My Love" is also a mid-temo composition. The musical background is kept simple and is based on modern electronic sounds, supported by light piano playing and an excellent soulful singing. It's a wonderful love song that also has 'dance-floor' qualities as the remixes demonstrate. The varied remixes by "DJ RAM (Russia)", "Provision", and Rename themselves, never destroy the original core but are able to cover the range from a very melancholic love song to a propellant dancefloor hit (e.g. DJ Ram mix). The single also includes the extended version of the ballad "Maybe Later I Will Fall". The length of the song is doubled and different instrumental parts alternate intermittingly. The third track named "Love Is A Cool Cat" is a club-capable track that is characterized by rap and a swinging beat. It's not as melodic as the previous two songs, but shows the skills of Rename in producing varied electronic music.

Rename made a great choice releasing this song and I am looking forward to the forthcoming full-length album.

6th August 2004

Intuition - Staring Off At Nothing (Maxi-CD)

This is the third release by the American duo Intuition. According to their tradition this release features a very melodic and harmonious pop song. The composition of the melodies sometimes reminds me of music by Erasure during the late 90s. So the song is catchy with a slight melancholic melody that forms a functional minimalist musical background. Also, Intuition still focuses on excellent and sensitive singing that is dominant in each song.
The remixes are made by Nevarakka (Sweden), Albert Martinez (Neuropa - Australia), and Mark Matson. Nevarakka again proves his skill in converting a ballad or med-speed track to an exciting dance song which is able to satisfy any club dj.
Albert Martinez remixed the previous unreleased song "Tomorrow (jung circuit mix)" which will be a track of the forthcoming album. The third song on this single release is "All I Want" which is a cover song by Toad The Wet Sprocket. It's another wonderful ballad where Intuition made use of acoustic guitar playing supported by Paul Garns.
The additional two remixes (beatfreq and absent mix) of the title song kept the core of the original version for the most part and are features mid-speed remixes with additional electronic ingredients. In comparison with the original, the "beatfreq mix" sounds more sterile and technical and is not able to convey the emotion of the original to the listeners. But it has club capabilities that should make this song interesting for club djs or bar keepers.

"Staring Off At Nothing" was released at the right time and perfectly initiates the autumn.

Opium - Too Many Miles Between Us

After several years of hard work and anticipation, the Russian trio Opium brought out their debut album "Too Many Miles Between Us".
The first 500 copies are released as a limited editions with additional bonus remixes on a separate CD. Opium produce classic SynthPoP music based on mid-speed compositions combined with the right portion of melancholy. Whereas the melodies kept very playful for a majority of the album, the singing is melancholic and dark (e.g. Last Teardrop, Overseen By Fate). Sometimes I had the feeling that the singing was somewhat too laboured for the light structure of the melodies (e.g. Forbidden Fruit). Therefore the vocals tend to overshadow the melodies.
The titles "Puzzle" and "Faked Emotions" are great danceable titles that are able to freshen up the otherwise lacklustre music. The remixes are well done and pleasantly upgrade the originals with additional sounds and effects to meet the requirements of up-to-date music (e.g. Faked Emotions, New Reality, Puzzle, Perfect Stranger).
I also like the remixed version of "Too Much To Handle" which was transformed to an eighties styled mid-speed SynthPoP song by 'maxx'. I also was surprised by the additional track "Surface" which is a slightly melancholic ballad and one of the few songs where the singing is strong and engaging throughout. The two demos of 1999 provide the listener Russian language compositions.
The additional bonus remixes on CD 2 is a welcome extra which adds successfully to this debut.