About Me
MY WEBSITE: www.chrispork.com (click)
I have a vision, a dream... that electronic music will be a part of the musical landscape for the foreseeable future. The purpose of my website is to introduce to the masses the beauty of electronica. Please take a listen, and hopefully through my efforts i have converted one more fan. Cheers!
ALBUM REVIEWS: (to be updated)
(fyi: my album ratings are more respectful for artists that produce their own music. i will always respect an artist album (eg. Kaito) than some latest Digweed Transitions or AVB ASOT2007 slop that has been thoughtlessly put together. ... any rating above 8 is worth purchasing.)
Oct 14: Paul Van Dyk - In Between
In the late 90s, Pvd was hungry: for fame, for respect, but most importantly to push the envelope of electronica. As a result we were spoiled with OTAB and POD1 and a torrent of top notch mixes. And now? With wealth, fame and a No.1 DJMag ranking, he sits fat and happy, self deluding himself of grandeur. This album is turgid crap. It reminds me of a bad BritneySpears/80s/Techno album, with none of the drive, passion, power of the old Vandit style. Underwhelming.
Rating: 2/10
Oct 9: Luke Fair - Balance011
The first 40min of CD1 is pure funky, progressive bliss. If this were a vinyl, the sleeve would be worn out with dog ears by the many repeated listens it has gotten. I really didn't dig Fair's chunky/funky sound from his previous livesets, but I have to pay my respects to this work of art
Rating: 8.5/10 for CD1, 3/10 for CD2
June 16: BT - Music From & Inspired by the film Monster
This beautiful soundtrack by edm's maestro producer, showcases the range and depth of his musical abilities. The main melody that runs throughout this album is soft and humanizing and is as powerful as Charlize Theron's Oscar winning performance. Spiritually soothing.
Rating: 8/10
Apr 6: Leama & Moor - Common Ground
A solid album that covers some basic melodic prog structures, the album first pleases your aural senses but fails to sustain repeated listens. I was expecting some fruity Andy Moor trance, but was surprised there was only one tune (the obligatory Jan Johnston vocal tune... why are all these edm artists trying to emulate her past Flesh/Freefall success? give it up!) Average.
Rating: 4/10
Mar 19: Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By
Words cannot express how beautiful this album is. The wistful melodies calm your soul, taking you back to old happy memories. The influence of an artist is directly proportional to his/her ability to convey emotions to his audience. Mr.Schnauss is of the most brilliant kind. Spiritually sublime, downtempo perfection, on par with Chicane's earlier albums. (#)(L)(#)
Rating: 8/10
Mar 9: Digweed - Transitions 2
Maybe 3 or 4 solid tracks, interspersed between meddling, mediocre fillers. About halfway through the cd, the mix falls off it's tracks and heads down a disastrous, meandering trail. Dissapointing to say the least. 1/3 ripe, 2/3 rotten.
Rating: 3.33/10
Nov 15: BT - This Binary Universe
A work of artistic integrity and brilliance, this album shows a more mature BT, trying to push the boundaries of electronica. The Antikythera Mechanism, the crown jewel of this album, is an epic journey of exploration and renewal. This song alone is worth the price of admission. Good Morning Kaia, is accompanied by a beautiful video of his daughter. It's good to know that some artists find inspiration from something other than sex/drugs.
Rating: 9/10
Sept 24: KAITO - 100 Million Light Years
A beautiful work of progressive, dreamy bliss. Every single song is an enchanting experience. Peaceful and light spirited. I wasn't expecting much when this album was introduced to me by a good friend, but I am smitten. This is one of those albums that makes the world more beautiful, simply by listening. A diamond in the rough.
Rating: 7/10
Sept 17: DIGWEED - TRANSITIONS
I wasn't blown away by either MMII or Fabric20, so I wasn't expecting much from this either. So when I listened to it, I 'tried' to like it but had to force myself to listen a few times. The flow meanders at the start, then has sporadic bursts of energy with the few songs that highlight this album. Margot meets the Melody Maker? Wow!.. One of those albums, you play as background music. Average.
Rating: 4/10
July 24: SASHA - FUNDACION
The first half of the album has flourishes of Sasha's mixing brilliance. Weaving in and out, the mix flows smoothly and ends with a remake of Depeche Mode's Behind the Wheel. But then the mix falls apart as it goes into full experimental mode with Ableton. Moshed together melodies with a lack of structure and flow, the experimenting goes awry, as if a mad scientist tries to combine some of his favorite chemicals and comes out with his hair fried smoking black. Sloppy.
Rating: 6.5/10
July 3: DESYN MASIELLO - BALANCE 008
Desyn takes two very elusive ingredients, Sex and Funk, whips them up into a bowl and creates the master dish known as Balance 008. When this album first came out last fall, all of my friends on TA were yapping about how brilliant it was, even months after it's release. So not knowing any idea about this up and coming DJ i gave it a listen. The album is so fresh sounding compared to alot of other boring prog albums pushed through the cookie cutter. Recommended!
Rating: 8.5/10
June 19: DAVE SEAMAN - RENAISSANCE MASTERS 7
An uneven mix highlighted by great groovy tracks, sandwiched by many lemons. This mix has many high points (Fanciuli's Lumiere, skystate, sunrise...) and many low points (horrid remix of TrackingTreasureDown and lots of funky crap). There's even a new Charlie May track to boot, but Seal Clubbing (sasha remix) is definitely one of the duo's weaker efforts (after redefining prog trance with xpander). Worth a few listens.. meh.
Rating: 3.5/10
June 5: ABOVE + BEYOND - TRISTATE
A solid debut album by the new trance powerhouse trio. A+B comes off strong with delicious melodies just waiting to be remixed (airwave rmx of Air4Life, Datt remix of Good4Me). The strongest song on the album for me is Can't Sleep. The song is a bit evolved from the lighter Oceanlab/TranquilityBase stuff. Worth a listen.
Rating: 6/10
May: POLE FOLDER - ZERO GOLD
Such a beautiful album, lush vocals, smooth
melodies, most artists can only aspire to the talent
of mr.Franquet... this debut artist album from
Bedrock is a masterpiece.
Getting to hear a new Pole Folder track these days, I get the same giddy feeling XMas morning right before opening presents. He has that rare midas touch of turning everything he touches into gold.. zero gold!
Rating: 8/10
May 22: PVD - POLITICS OF DANCING 2
After reaching critical acclaim in 2002 from the strength of his albums POD1 and OTAB, PvD dissapoints with this hodgepodge collection of trance castoffs. A few gems on this album do exist (Pvd Remix of Perasma, and Datt's Alone) but the majority of the tracks are forgettable. I've heard POD1 many many times (at least 100x) but i've only heard POD2 once. Terrible.
Rating: 2/10
MY TOP TEN EDM ALBUMS!
If i was abducted by aliens and was told that i would
never return to Earth, these are
the albums that i would take with me...
NO.1: CHICANE - BEHIND THE SUN
My favorite album of all time, which i listen to at least once a week, is as perfect as trance can be. When i want to meditate, i listen to Overture, Low Sun and the saltwater remix. When i want to be inspired, i listen to saltwater and halcyon. The rest of this album is like the soothing ebbing and flowing of crisp tidal waters. Simply beautiful.
Rating: 10/10
NO.2: PVD - OUT THERE + BACK
An album that defined a few years of my life... The Vandit sound, complete and whole. Paul creates a genre defining album that uplifts the spirit and moves your feet. Tracks like Another Way, Tell Me Why are strong and poignant today. While the softer melodies of Together We Will Conquer and Face 2 Face, have dreamier melodies that mellows your soul. Poweful, Pure and Clean.. an album for the ages!
Rating: 10/10
NO.3: SASHA - GU13 IBIZA
The GU to end ALLLL Global Undergrounds! CD2 has the classic Xpander, Bedrock's Heaven Scent, Cass+Slide's Perception, and BT's Mercury+Solace. CD1 has SanderK's My Lexicon and the spacey Space Manouevers... Can you believe this tracklist? Holy Burritooo! And it's mixed by Sasha! Even though CD2 has all the heavy hitters, CD1 flows better. So imho, CD1CD2. This is Sasha at his best, before developing into 'Involver' and before his new wonky Ableton experimenting...
Rating: 10/10
NO.4: CHICANE - FAR FROM THE MADDENING CROWDS
Even after almost a decade, Chicane's precocious debut album is a work of sheer magnificence. A couple of gems solidify the artist's reputation as a timeless artist: Offshore and Sunstroke takes your spirit into the beautiful land of trance. The rest of the album is ambient bliss, except for the strange gospel vocals for the 2nd Offshore 97 mix (wtfbbq!). I would give my left nut to see mr. Disco Citizen perform live!
Rating: 9/10
NO.5: PAUL VAN DYK - POLITICS OF DANCING
Mr. PVD has earned his current no.1 DJ accolades not from his recent gigs, but from past albums such as this. At the height of the "Vandit" craze, PvD takes his favorite trance tunes, rips them apart and re-assembles them into a compilation that purifies the "Vandit" sound. Poweful and uplifting, this album owns your soul as it takes you away into a dreamland....
Rating: 8/10
No.6: DOUSK - D.I.Y.
A precocious start to an up and rising progressive artist, this album is a breath of fresh air. Smooth melodies and great composition highlight this album, as greek artist Dousk touches upon his many talents to produce a work of art. My vote for top EDM album of 2005. Brilliant.
Rating: 10/10
NO.7: SASHA - INVOLVER
An album of many layers, textures and complexity, Involver takes you for a ride into the inner workings of the mind of a genious. Involver starts off slow and brooding, but then climaxes with the soaring vocals of Spooky's Belong, before taking another run at a few funky songs. This mix stands out from most b/c of the way Sasha took apart all the songs and rewove them into a masterpiece of a quilt. EDM at it's evolved finest.
Rating: 9/10
NO.8: WAY OUT WEST - INTENSIFY
A beautiful but flawed album, which doesn't really start until Stealth. Jody Wisternoff has that special ability to weave lyrics and melody seamlessly together, unlike other artists who sell out by patching vocals upon a song to cater to the masses. Memorable songs include the aforementioned Stealth, Mindcircus, and the title song Intensify which has gone through the remix circuit.
Rating: 8/10
NO.9: SASHA+DIGWEED-NORTHERN EXPOSURE
This album is like a spiritual journey. The first half of the album is contemplative, a soothing mix of lush vocals and melodies. Then halfway with 'Kites' it shifts into second gear, turning up the beats and the attitude. Definitely a timeless compilation that sounds fresh even after almost a decade since it's release.
Rating: 8/10
NO.10: PAUL OAKENFOLD - TRANCEPORT
Let's look at the tracklist shall we? Three Drives on a Vinyl - Greece, Tilt vs. PVD - Rendezvous, Energy52 - Cafe Del Mar, Binary Finary- 1998, PVD - Words, Lost Tribe - Gamemaster... Shit, do i even need to give a review? Was there any reason why this album wouldn't help propel Oakey into the coveted No.1 slot for top DJ (DJmag) in 98 and 99? Oakey really was a force in helping bring trance into it's glory days in the late 90's.
Rating: 8/10
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