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Bluetech - Phoenix Rising
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Melancholyman
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
14
Posts :
233
Posted : Nov 8, 2008 02:19:16
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So what we all have been eagerly waiting for is finally here. New material from Evan Bartholomew under his to us most known name Bluetech. For a couple of years Evan has been experimenting under different aliases and has released some great piece of arts. Namely, Caverns of Time, Secret Entries into Darkness. These two releases has undoubtedly stayed in the region of psychedelic downtempo whereas another release Borderlines, did stray a bit form this path into a more ”standard” ambient route with alot of acoustic elements. Also a collaboration with Steve Hillage that has surpassed me but seems to be very popular among the scene. There is also the tech house project, that I found awful, and others with me (abasio? smile.gif ).
But to the point. The new ”mini” album Phoenix Rising that is as to say a little prequel to the ”real” album coming out on Aleph Zero in a near future still features alot of tracks and many minutes of listening pleasure. Cause this is really what this is all about, listening pleasure! Evan has moved away from the traditional Bluetech sound. If his earlier releases were a little bit more dub, and almost glitch like influenced, Phoenix Rising is much more straightforward. Much less complex but also much more beautiful. The jazzy vibe is still here, very much so in the track Invocation (ft. Alyssa Palmer) with alot of piano and other acoustic elements in it. This is a slow track, and also noticable is the nice use of voices in the background that Evan surely has implemented from his great Caverns of Time.
This is melancholic yes in a sense but very beautiful with great composition and production. Another element that is noticable is that Evan has moved into more a more darker approach. This is highly obvious in the opening track My Dear Friend Chronos, wich has a rather dark feel over it, but still with some very beautiful piano strings coming in from time to time. Without this very subtle element, the track might have felt way to dark, but very cleverly Evan manages to make a perfect mix. This is also a very straightforward track, as I stated earlier, this is not as hard digested as earlier stuff, it's more ”sit back and just enjoyyyyy the ride”. Having listening to this for some time now and many times, I can assure you that the lack of complexity is not harming in any way. The tracks just sound as great as the first time I heard them or even better. A way of explaining this perhaps might be if you remember the tracks Leaving Winter Behind and Wilderness, this is more an evolution of such tracks still with a little more combining of the older dubby stuff and also throwing in a new few elements in the mix.
It's very nice how the tracks really define themselves rather uniquely. This is done with small but very noticable variations. The elements of acoustics is to me a great feature. As in What The Night Reveals, with alot of flute appearing as a central ingredient. Very nice indeed. This track at first feel good and light, but after around half of it's length starts moving into some darker territory again. And it's worth saying again how Evan manages to take us into these regions without you even noticing. Somehow a illusion is created whereas you think you are in some light and beautiful place.
Kingdom Of The Blind is my favourite track on this release. It starts off rather brutally with a kinda hard slow beat, and is keeping it throught the song.
This is not to say there are worse tracks here, a Delicate Mystery and Riding The Sky Elevator feels to me like fillers. But this doesn't matter at all since all the other tracks are just astounding.
All in all I like this new approach on Bluetech sound from Evan. It is obvious that he has learned alot from experimenting with other genres and projects. Much of it is implemented in this release. Having waited along time for new Bluetech stuff, it was well worth it now that we have the end result in our hands.
If you want better descriptions of the tracks, wait for Abasios or any other review. I don't like that kind of approach since music is so individual in it's subjective experience (and I suck at describing sounds). Just hear this out! The whole album is available for listening on Somnias website Somnia.
 
http://thenoseisperpendicular.blogspot.com/ |
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***Sideffect***
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
36
Posts :
281
Posted : Nov 15, 2008 00:30
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It has a more mature sounds compared to the first album,
what is a good thing,
but then again I miss it,
quality, mastering is all @ high level
http://www.last.fm/user/LastFmKoen |
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dash
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
464
Posted : Nov 15, 2008 06:02
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I heard something different in these tracks!
Some new sounds!
Enjoyed it!
Boom! |
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Yestegan chaY
Yestegan Chay
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
91
Posted : Nov 25, 2008 01:57
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mk47
Inactive User
Started Topics :
118
Posts :
4444
Posted : Nov 25, 2008 09:51
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Its allright .. but this one didn't do it for me  , needs a few more listens maybe ..
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Yestegan chaY
Yestegan Chay
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
91
Posted : Nov 28, 2008 01:54
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DjSchofield
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
21
Posts :
1050
Posted : Nov 30, 2008 22:38
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Yeah, after few listens this is really growing on me.
Played it three or four times over the weekend and enjoyed it more each time. I can't even pick a favourite track anymore, but it was track 6 - love the way it builds and meanders.
Really nice new sounds. Definitely sounding warmer than Sines & Singularities. I can't compare it to the earlier album because I still haven't heard it. (i'm bad, i know).
Btw, I like the Evan Marc stuff. Some great tunes have come out of that project. 
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phasetech
Float
Started Topics :
58
Posts :
531
Posted : Nov 30, 2008 23:50
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Meta-Morphosis
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
216
Posts :
4980
Posted : Dec 1, 2008 04:54
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Phoenix rising !!
Very emotional melodies in few tracks, make me remember the 'wilderness' track..the emotion it carried.
Great album, i feel..a different one from his previous albums, but hell awesome tunes..the melodies ufff... takes you to some serious places.
my favourite track is 'my dear friend kronos'
“What we need is the development of the Inner Spiritual man, the unique individual, whose treasure is hidden in the symbols of our mythological tradition and in man’s unconscious psych.” - CJ Jung |
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Melancholyman
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
14
Posts :
233
Posted : Dec 1, 2008 14:16
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