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Dark Soho- Light In the Dark (Alchemy Records 2004)
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Lauryn
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Nov 20, 2004 00:19
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Dark Soho
'Light In the Dark'
Alchemy Records 2004
1, Non stop to Nowhere
2. Light in the Dark
3. Aliens Cream
4. The Toy
5. Long Way Home
6. Away
7. Magic
8. All the Brightness
9. Peace of Mind
This is the third full length release from Israeli trance duo, Dark Soho (Boxer and Rizo). 'Light in the Dark', arrives as a highly anticipated follow up to their December 2002 release on Alchemy Records, 'Combustion'. In the two years since their last release, Zeev Dukman has left the project, and Boxer and Rizo have progressed onwards, creating a new Dark Soho sound which is well showcased throughout the new album. As Zeev was the Dark [Entity] third of the group, it is only fitting that from the remaining two thirds, Boxer & Rizo, [Soho, (the sun)], comes an album that is indeed the Light in the Dark....That being
said...here are the tracks...
'Non stop to Nowhere'- A perfect opening track, 'Non stop to nowhere' begins with the signature Dark Soho guitar elements, this
time a more acoustic sound that evolves into a funk groove, laid back and just when one begins to wonder where the trance is in all of this, the groove breaks down, the strings take over and the track kicks in, a beat reminiscent of Infected Mushroom's BPEmpire, this track has a distinct morning feel, a dancefloor killer that is guaranteed to get any crowd moving. The synth melody has a distinctly brighter sound to it than much of Dark Soho's earlier tracks, and although I am typically a fan of darker music, this track is a refreshing change...I only wish the acoustic guitar melody had been more incorporated throughout the track  , but none the less, 9/10.
'Light in the Dark'- A darker synth melody and somber ambiance open up the title track, which immediately slams in, reminds me a bit of a softer Cat on Mushroom...with a more refined sound and a definate groove. I am definately feeling the funkier sounds on this new album so far, although I love dark, relentless beats  , this is a refreshing and well welcomed change! Yet another track I can imagine dancing my ass off to at sunrise...Though much of this track has more of a bright, uplifting feel, the somber ambiance and fat crunchy synth maintain a darker side to this track, while not as catchy a melody as the first track, I like the hints of darkness in this track and the Wizzy Noise-esque buildup at 6:15, therafter treating us to a more traditional Dark Soho melody which emerges-- dark, evil & relentless as always...before returning to a lighter groove. 8/10
'Aliens Cream'- Zeev Dukman (ex-Dark Soho) appears on this track, which has a decidedly darker, more hypnotic, techno feel to it. A very mysterious feel.....and killer percussion .....the synth line slams in, yet again another very dancable track, this time
one with more of a night time feel...love the percussion in this track, how it feels like it is coming at you from all directions...the main synth melody seems set back a bit, which highlights more of the intricacies of the track....a breakdown around 5:00 and its unpredicatable where this track will turn next, as we are then treated to the intertwining of these few darker synth lines...which contrast nicely with the brighter sounding bassline and percussive rhythms. 8/10
'The Toy'- Impending doom upon the start of this track....a darker melody that wanders around....leading up to a sample before
continuing on....leading us to a more traditional Dark Soho sound. This is the chugging sound prominant in many of Dark Soho's previous tracks. With a decidedly more techno feel to this track, this is my favorite so far on the album....killer bassline drops out....leaving us falling until it kicks back in with a chaotic synth line that is just killer...I'm definately feeling this track, as the scattered chaotic synth lines i've been really into lately, wow. this track just keeps twisting around is more and more slamming by the second.... 10/10 for sure!!
'Long Way Home'- This track showcases yet another new musical direction Dark Soho has headed, and is a nice change up for halfway through the album, a track that is more 'rock' than 'dance', featuring a collaboration with world renowned sitar player Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, the signature Dark Soho guitar sound is back with a new twist...it is nice to see sitar used in such a non-traditional manner, fitting together so nicely with the melodic synth, heavy driving guitar, and 6/8 feel. Not a track for the dancefloor, but most definately the kind of stuff i would want to hear from a Dark Soho live set. And KILLER synth line at the end... A very nice segue into the second half of the album, and a nice change from the 'obligatory downtempo
track' that has become so commonplace on artist full lengths these days. Musically (and in practically any other way I can
think of), this is an excellent track. I love it. 10/10
'Away'- The second half of the album...opens with a sound that floats up and down ...before leading to a more softer emotional melody incorporating a more orchestral sound...before abruptly cutting off, allowing the beat to kick in....this track is faster and more driving than the previous....with many shorter stabbing synths incorportated well with the percussive lines....and resolving in a darker melody that glides along with the beat.....the track then introduces a more dissonent sounding melody which is a
nice contrast in the track....this then resolves into a smoother ambient pad.....and a more driving beat....yet another lead in to a Darker melodic progression...a breakdown, and a darker, more, mysterious emotional feel....and an orchestral melody is introduced along side a more infected mushroom sounding synth...I love this melodic line, definately my favorite on this album, it is complex, dark, and seemingly tumbles down in a roundabout manner before returning to its starting point....a very strong track from the start with many interesting musical ideas 9/10
'Magic'- Yet another track which showcases the new Dark Soho sound, a buildup starts off this track, and a driving beat introduces a more organic guitar sound ....before introducing a lighter melodic synth sound....and vocal synth stabs, which I feel are a bit out of place in this track...a groovy synthetic melody contrasts well with the organic sounding guitar....and a more ethereal melody evolves in the background of this track....the vocal synth stabs are introduced again as a lead in to the next section of the track, the main melodies in this track seem to hide out a bit....and then the breakdown.....where the organic/synthetic contrast stands out well, the melodic line that develops out of the breakdown, i like a lot, though much like the vocal stabs, I am not sure that it fits well with the rest of the track. 7/10
'All the Brightness'- This track opens up with a somber orchestral sound, a nice violin sound (being a violinist myself, I always appreciate hearing the violin used in trance)...this track has a much lighter bouncy feel...one would say maybe a bit on the goofy, light hearted side, (this is by no means a bad thing)....it reminds me a bit of Infected Mushroom's Tasty Mushroom, it
has that same groove that makes me want to jump and creep around....and then yet another funky, melodic line that twists and
turns around, perhaps not what we are used to hearing in psychedelic trance today, but yet another example of the musical talents of Dark Soho. 8/10
'Peace of Mind'- Yet another track which features the talents of Anoushka Shankar, this one opens with a slower, half time feel, and a synth line which weaves and twists is way around and through the body of this track...a more laid back groove kicks in, and a wah guitar sound nicely compliments the sitar, the downbeat groove of this track is a nice variance on the typical 'last track on a psytrance full length rule'......it is nice to see that the two sitar collaborations on this album are so different from each other. This is a very nice end to the album, and will be a nice addition to a downtempo set of mine 10/10
Bottom Line: I think the two sitar tracks on this album are what really tie this album together in the end. Not only are they
musically two of the best tracks on the album, but they also show off the two contrasting sides of the Dark Soho sound...
"Long Way Home' uses the sitar in a darker, driving fashion, more reminiscent of older Dark Soho, whereas 'Peace of Mind'
(although more of a downbeat track) is more representative of the emerging brighter sound of Dark Soho. What I love about
trance music so much is its ability to be constantly evolving and changing, and any artist who is unable to do that is not likely to capture the attention of psytrancers for long. Yes, this album has a distinctively different sound from Dark Soho's previous releases, but what makes it so great is the variety of tracks appearing on this release. The previous two albums have been more about the Dark in the Light, now is time for the Light in the Dark. Overall Great Album 9/10
  ~gOa ist nicht nur musik sondern auch eine lebenseinstellung~
http://www.peakrec.com/
http://www.myspace.com/djlauryn |
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Shanegobi
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
46
Posts :
481
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 00:42
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Hi Lauryn
wow, im so impressed by your reveiw, and your take of this album has been pretty spot on, this has been my favourite dark soho album todate, its a shame so many dark soho fans seem to feel its a let done, as they not that open to change or evolotion, but i suppose we have to wait for them to finally hear the goods and deside from there.
Anyway, thanks for the lenghty review, glade you enjoyed the album
;) |
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scraper
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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452
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 09:57
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I'm sorry you feel that way... Shanegobi.
It has nothing to do with fans refusing to evovle or anything like that. people were used to the badass, dark, gothic sound Dark Soho has been producing all these years. now when they get a so so full on album don't expect them to like it.
Had they kept the dark ass kicking style, the evil guitars, the harmonic melodies like they did in Long Way Home. I'm sure you'd see diffrent reviews and responses from people.
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_Vanessa_
Started Topics :
5
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235
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 17:32
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good, excellent violin, sitar... classy soho!!! Fantastic
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Shanegobi
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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Posts :
481
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 19:38
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hey scraper..... well what can i say? ...... so you like there music, but this does not mean you can dictate to them what you would like them to produce, when they released Combustion album there was evern more unhappy dark soho fans at the time, but those same fans now consider combustion to be a legendary album, i loved combustion from the start, and i like Light in the Dark evern more, this is my opinion, ... i wonder, have you evern heard the album ?????....... as im aware its not on sale yet other than shops in london,
im almost sure you havent heard it, because you keep speaking about full on ? there is really nothing full on about this album, its still got all the dark soho melodies and emotions,... go on, give it a try, you never know, you might evern like it ;):) |
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sWa
Inactive User
Started Topics :
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109
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 20:34
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Quote:
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On 2004-11-20 19:38, Shanegobi wrote:
there is really nothing full on about this album
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euh........... this is nothing full-on ???
i just listend to the previews on psyshop,
http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/alc/alc1cd013.html
track 7 got the basic full-on bass line that everyone use.
And track 1 sounds like something my dad could listen to.
Dont want to be to negative, but from have listening to the samples this is not something i would get, Even if sample of track 5 seam like a bomb, but for only 1 good track its not worth to buy the cd for me
Making full-on (specialy with a vb-1) is like playing FIFA in easy mode, you're always sure to win. |
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_Vanessa_
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
235
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 21:13
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hey here kids, it must be a big miss understanding and after reading this reviews i just got the feeling of Dark soho is done a great job in a very musical sense and not only those little noises that you put through some patterns and call it music and still want to be called musicians. Dark SOho for me had been good not only for the gothic melody which is nothing to do with evil but much more to do with dark harmony and thats is all.
Now, if they had gone with the flow and produced a less musical genre and more so called full on I want to know before I go down to the shop. I guess I will get this album even if they say 'oh it is fullon' . But I am not expecting a high qualified Label manager and perfect Dj to lie about the music genre
SO who are this people criticising the music style, you have your right it is your ears, but the music is done, and liking it or not, this is what it is in this album, if people like something and they expect so much more of this they have, for their own sake, to give constructive reviews about it.
who are this kids trying to offend, and who is suppose (with no accusation) be lying about the style of this? it must be a serious miss understanding here, I don't want to see musicians like dark soho stopping doing their own style (don't matter how many times it changes because it can't please my ears), and only the samples can't tell the album, can this?. goa trance fell into so many different styles that fullon, or fulless who cares??? can someone describe better what this cd is about? I want to hear their musical and creative skills, if they did want to full arounf making some full noises i am not the one to gauje, but something I want to be sure, is it good produced, well designed, clear sound and full of harmony? and can those who can't describe it, just sit down and wait, like me....
I really want to hear this album now, ... |
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scraper
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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452
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 22:50
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I am just saying that I was REALLY looking forward to this album. I pumped all my friends about it too...
cause they were big fans of Combustion.
What I got was nothing close to the previous album or the debut album which was also great.
To me it sounds like the regular full on you hear on every other compilation coming out these days.
It's not what Dark Soho is about. for me atleast. if you like it, great. but I am really disapointed.
btw, My uncle got ahold of the mp3's. so I had a chance to check it out.
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scraper
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
452
Posted : Nov 20, 2004 22:53
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To _Vanessa_
Yes, the production is amazing.
Yes, they still got loads of talent.
Yes, it is harmonic at times (long way home).
Yes, it is good they are trying to evolve.
But is it good they are moving towards the more commerical side of our scene, NO.
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Pavel
Moderator
Started Topics :
312
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Posted : Nov 21, 2004 06:27
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Big up for Dark Soho for changing the direction and exploring new territories. I wouldn't want to see them stick to the same presets like Alien Project for example.
If Boxer's set @ Omni or Shane's @ Boom is any indication to the material of the album than i'm in.
Thumbs up for changes. I am a fan of Combustion as well. But dark tech trance is all but innovative these days. Even Hujaboy produces lighter stuff right now.
Everyone in the world is doing something without me |
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Alek
Started Topics :
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242
Posted : Nov 21, 2004 11:43
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It's good to see artists evlove, but Dark Soho has evolved into something I don't like.
How am I supposed to hallucinate with all these swirling colors distracting me! |
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Tula
Started Topics :
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603
Posted : Nov 21, 2004 12:10
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Zombizoola
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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361
Posted : Nov 21, 2004 18:16
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i loved the album! amazing one!
i liked the various styles in the album...
from funky groovy style to some tech, dark, full-on and etc...
i realy liked number 1,3 & 5(!!!) but generally this whole album rock!!
 to Boxer and Rizo 
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Panzer
Started Topics :
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188
Posted : Nov 22, 2004 17:10
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So, the Cradle of psychedelic Filth thought it was time for a play-it-safe bandwagon dive in jumpy GMS bassline waters. Of course, those attracted to Combustion and Sun Spot kinda fancied that evil muthafuckiness and hailed Satan for the absence of the tried and tested psy-standards.
There are literally 10.000 black metal albums to draw inspiration from, but Spun Records seemed more appealing. While the album is certainly no drama, the catchy basslines makes it an unusual ceremony. The only track that resembles the old Dark Soho a bit, 'Long Way Home', is imo one of the best they've ever done. That one has the heavy guitar, the eerie synths and moreover no sign of predictable full-on.
As those sweet jumpy basslines in many other trax spoil the gothic party, I cannot applaud this misguided 'evolving'. I would have prefered a journey deeper into psyhell rather than embracing the heavenly glowsticks. Besides, after the positive feedback that Misted Muppet got, its sad to see the original metal/gothic/psy-blenders fall into the hands of the grey psy-masses.
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max
Started Topics :
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22
Posted : Nov 22, 2004 17:45
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good sound goods fork
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