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Atmos "2nd Brigade" Spiral Trax 2004
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Alex Boshke
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
59
Posts :
613
Posted : Jun 3, 2004 00:30
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1. Raumwelt Signal
2. Al Bummer
3. KNS
4. Metro Deluxe
5. Umbau
6. Scent of a Tunnel
7. Transmission in Vain
8. Ordinary Weekend
Atmos is back!
After 4 years Tomasz Balicki is bringing his fresh dish combined form 8 new tracks to express his own vision of how the progressive trance should sound today.
Atmos got his style and its well known,i was persoanlly wondering where he will steam this time and he is probably missing the oldschool dayes( me too) as all the album spiced with an emotional content ,simple rolling beautiful synth melodies and superflowing atmospheres in best Atmos's traditions.
Transmission in Vain is simply a flashback to the times when there were no style definitions and we all called it acid techno, great tune!
I hadnt expected this somehow and personally i like when my expactations nicely surprising ...Without doubt one of the strongest progressive albums along with Sonkite's Colours, perfect for both club and open airs,home and car stereo and i already can a bit imagine Atmos's live at BOOM this year and this is not to be missed i think!
"Scent of a Tunnel" is probably one of the upcoming summer04 progressive hits.
I missed the hit tracks so much!!!
5 from 5!
this is real music warm and touching!
I think a must for all, no matter what you usually listen or spinning!
Great Release!
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SenstatuX
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
320
Posted : Jun 3, 2004 08:39
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dont have it yet, i will order it asap... Atmos is my one of my fav old school artists, and he need to be suported...
i can imagen this will bring out some smiles in the summer times 
::RESPECT::
 i live for this moment here... |
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SaBoV
Started Topics :
0
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27
Posted : Jun 3, 2004 12:22
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Nice Review Alex
I don't have the album yet...
but it sounds great!
I personally love Atmos style!
Will order it right away!
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n01else
Started Topics :
1
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2
Posted : Jun 3, 2004 19:29
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i just got his cd sorry to say but didnt liked much his style of the new cd
only 2 :
.6 atmos - scent of a tunnel
.7 atmos - transmission in vain
by the way nice review man |
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djtikis
9West
Started Topics :
19
Posts :
166
Posted : Jun 4, 2004 13:38
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the album its perfect...Finally something new!!!
absolutely return of Thomas!!!!!!!!
All tracks its perfect its something strange and infrequent samples from Thomas
he is craftsman!!!!!!!
Spiral trax is back |
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DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
142
Posts :
547
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 00:11
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Atmos – 2nd Brigade
Cover: http://217.160.138.169/pic_b/spt1cd020_b.jpg
Format: CD
Artist: Atmos
Title: 2nd Brigade
Label: Spiral Trax, Sweden
Cat. #: SPITCD 020
Date: June 4
Year: 2004
Track listing:
01. 08’36” Raumwelt Signal
02. 09’10” Al Bummer
03. 08’14” KNS
04. 08’59” Metro Deluxe
05. 07’00” Umbau
06. 09’15” Scent of a Tunnel
07. 09’44” Transmission In Vain
08. 08’30” Ordinary Weekend
Review:
Full-on? This is full-off!
Second album from Atmos! Oh, happy day! ;o) After more than 4 years of waiting since the groundbreaking debut release Headcleaner, Tomasz Balicki is ready to wow us once again…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: First up is Raumwelt Signal… Space-world signal! The intro is slow and relaxed – a simple xylophone melody and random voice muttering… Wind-fx are added to help shape the moody atmosphere… And along the way more fx are added… Percussion, etc… And BAM, a dark distorted gritty bassline… Later, voice-samples saying “Let the bass kick!”… From being kind and gentle, this track has evolved into a progressive, technoid, yet slow tune… And I barely even noticed… Check out the industrial-sounding synths towards the end too… Nice track!
#02: Next up is Al Bummer, which conveniently rhymes with summer… ‘Cause this is night-time music for a progressive summer set… When you’ve been chilling all day on the beach in the sun, this is the fuel that’ll keep you dancing all night… Hi-hats, trippy synths, ‘industrial percussion’ – check out the downbeat part in the middle, which progresses into a Hi Hat-studios’esque groove… This on one hell of a funky tune…;o)
#03: KNS is more subtle… A deep, un-polished bassline sets the pace, accompanied by lighter, joyful melodies… Check out the looooong, very cool build-up part from around 2’00 to 3’33 where the bassline is hid away, and the tension is just building… Who is that saying “Do I make myself clear” – Darth Vader? … Just as #1 this track manages to shift from one genre to another almost unnoticeable… That’s great craftsmanship… Lovely!
#04: Metro Deluxe was released as an album-teaser in late 2003, so most of you should know it… It’s definitely on the housier side of things… With wicked analogue layered percussion and twisted stereo-echoes, this is percussion oriented tribal-trance at its best! Beach house trance! Kick-ass track!
#05: It’s fucking mad! Yes, the plot thickens now and the beats get darker… A noisy, analogue bassline, sparse percussion and all kinds of filter-effects are used to create the spooky atmosphere in this track… Again we get distinct techno-influences… Not for the faint-hearted, but an interesting track altogether…
#06: How does a tunnel smell? And even more interesting, how does the scent of a tunnel sound? This track is much more accessible than its predecessor… After a short intro, a twisted acid-line starts in the background…In the foreground are different percussion and a deep, rich bassline… In between it all, is a groovy, sweet vibe holding it all together… Again, we’re in progressive territory, but with a sharper sound… I really like the build-up parts that start @ around 3’00 and again @ 5’05 – and the multilayered mayhem they both end in… Tribal percussion and smooth, driving melodies with the added value of some good old psychedelia… That’s a funky cocktail, and this is some funky shit! ;o)
#07: Power from the get-go… After a few seconds, a hard-hitting bassline is presented alongside some sweet tribal percussion… At around 1’40 the track almost comes to a halt, but is quickly lifted again by a rich bassline and some old-school synth-action…It happens again a couple of minutes later, when we are treated to a lengthy voice sample about space-travel – interrupted by more twisted basslines and spacy synths… Later on we get some kind of female singing/humming and some twisted vocoded voice sample… Another fine, groovy progressive tune… This transmission was NOT in vain Mr. Balicki!
#08: The last track is for chilling… Not! This is a more experimental tune… The bassline and most of the percussion is “normal” but the surrounding sounds are of a more deviant nature… High-pitched melodies and weird guitar squelches – not really my cup of java to be honest… I don’t think this will get much playtime in my stereo…
Despite that I don’t really like the last track; this is a nice album… It’s progressive in nature, though the sound is not as well-polished, as say Son Kite, Kooler or FREq – there are room for more experimentation here [though not as much as the Echölab album] – and it’s obvious that Balicki is heavily inspired by techno, tech-house and the likes… That also means, that this requires a little more from the listener than your ordinary high-bpm trance-album – you need to be open-minded, and if so, you’ll like this album…
Thumbs up for the cover art too… Made by professional skateboarder/graffiti artist Gorm Boberg this cover stand out from the crowd… Reminds me of Spirallianz/Midi Miliz/D-Drum stuff… When Mushroom Mag asked about the name and the cover of the new album, Atmos said: “2nd Brigade means basically the second album after "Headcleaner" but it's supposed to match the cover that is a very ironic picture that might seem a bit brutal the first time you look at it. Basically every one knows how soft and cheesy music I'm producing and also everyone that knows me personally knows that I have sometimes a bit strange sense of humour. My idea was to have a cover that doesn't really go together with the contents of the album.” Actually, I think Warhammer 40000 space marines alongside armoured tanks with huge speakers and playboy bunny logos make perfect sense… ;o)
I like this album… Well, most of it anyway… It takes repeated listens to really sink in, but when it does, it really sits… It is cool how Balicki manages to cross musical boundaries within single tracks – he’s got great talent… Check it out if you want to experience how Atmos has evolved since Headcleaner… Recommended for any open-minded fan of electronic music!
8/10
Favourites: 2, 3, 4(!), 6(!!), 7(!)
DeathPosture
External links:
Spiral Trax: http://www.spiraltrax.com/
Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/spt/spt1cd020.html (Audio samples available!)
Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=3915
Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=SPITCD20
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[NOTE: For info on the limited vinyl release, check the Spiral Trax website…]
On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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aje
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
99
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1145
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 00:25
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i only got it today and listened to it a couple of times, so far its a straight 10 in my book, but ill say more later. i just wanna reject death postures claim that freq and son kite are more polished, in my book nobodys more polished than atmos. listen to metro deluxe or umbau and tell me its not polished. atmos'es choice of sounds and arrangement are so fine and clever. freq is a lot more synthetic and artificial, while son kite is analogue and rough and thick. to me, atmos is the definition of fine polished craftmanship, all the subtle layers.....ahhhhh (very very lengthy review to come)
Check out my album: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/gay-satanic-hippie-tiefenrausch |
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DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
142
Posts :
547
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 00:52
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Aje => Then we must have different definitions on "well-polished"... If something is not well-polished, it does not mean that it is bad - in my book... I'm certain that just as much work went into this album as into "Colours" and "Strange Attractors"...
What I mean is, that Atmos' bassline is often darker, more distorted and gritty than FREq and Son Kite - though they stem from the same "source", I find Atmos' sound less polished than the others mentioned... And that's not a bad thing! ;o)
And let me stress that I say often - the tracks you mention (especially Metro Deluxe) are infact well-polished... But generally speaking, this is less polished.. In my book!
As they say, different ppl, different strokes - right!?
Looking forward to your review Aje... You've not let me down so far! ;o)
DeathPosture
On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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opsis
opsis
Started Topics :
12
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127
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 14:08
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Atmos was never exactly my music..
This one though i think is a killer one!
Bravo !! |
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qedominic
Started Topics :
1
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13
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 14:16
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good work! really like this style of groovyfluffyminimal..
quite similar to his old stuff!
greez |
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rotorblade
Started Topics :
0
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53
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 21:37
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cant wait, just ordered it on psyshop.
!!!ATMOS IS BACK INDEED! |
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ChoBo
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
50
Posts :
536
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 22:17
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one word - brutal cover |
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traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
234
Posts :
3803
Posted : Jun 6, 2004 19:57
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pretty similar to the new son kite album if you ask me..
#7 is uber sweet
..more later..
"The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
- Larry Niven |
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sea of life
Started Topics :
1
Posts :
32
Posted : Jun 6, 2004 20:04
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Quote:
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On 2004-06-03 00:30, Alex Boshke wrote:
"Scent of a Tunnel" is probably one of the upcoming summer04 progressive hits.
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cant agree more!
heard this track today at the beach and it was perfect! morning dance music, a true summerhit with massive sound and melody.
for the rest i liked 1,4,5,8
but Scent of a Tunnel is for sure my fav.
all in all i still think this is the most close atmos got to headcleaner.
recommanded with some sun and a nice beach. the more u see the less u feel |
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Dance N Dust
Dance N Dust
Started Topics :
83
Posts :
419
Posted : Jun 6, 2004 21:01
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super good cd from tomasz, great sound and nice story and hot groove sound, the best album for me in 2004, i give this cd 9.5/10 and 10 is god...(:
buy this 1 if u like good music..........dont copy it!!!
best trax for me: 3.5!!.6!.7.8!!!
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