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I Awake - The Core - Ultimae - May - 2008
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Melancholyman
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : May 29, 2008 03:50:48
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Artist: I Awake
Album: The Core
Label: Ultimae
Format: Deluxe Digipack
Label release info:
Stockholm based ambient downtempo producer Thomas Huttenlocher aka I AWAKE follows up his digital Ep release [ Birth ] with a full length album [ The Core ] out late April.
Built as a journey of audio neural beauty through organic microcosms, electronic vortexes, deep, tribal beats and vast soundscapes, the album takes us on a pilgrimage of sounds, with scents of parallel lives, glimpses of the future and overlapping, coexisting dimensions.
A superfine blend of psychedelic spurs, groovy bass lines and catchy melodies composed with the collaboration of Krister Linder, Fredrik Lundberg, Tara Avi and Planet Boelex.
As a film soundtrack producer, I AWAKE is one of the key figures of Ghostfriend, a Swedish underground movement of creators with a "peculiar devotion to the present and
strong love for the innermost".
For the first time in Ultimae's history of releases, the artwork was created by famous digital artist and designer David Vineïs aka Sub88.
Tracklisting:
1.Complete Garden (Eternal forest edit)
2.Constellation of the Heart (native edit)
3.Neveritized
4.New Time Nomads (Bass edit)
5.Reclaim
6.Leaving the known (featuring Planet Boelex)
7.Unleashed
8.Rebreath
9.Journey
10.Inferno (featuring Krister Linder)
11.Reflecting Impulses
12.One
13."Hidden track"
Review
The first track “Complete Garden (eternal forest edit)” really lives up to it's name with a lot of animal and insect samples making you feel like
you are sitting in the middle of the forest. This sounds a lot like something Matt Hillier would have produced and I even believe there are some
sounds that he uses in some of his productions. If this track would be played among people not knowing who the artist is, I am sure many would
have guessed Matt Hillier. It's almost like a rip-off but it's so well done that I cannot help but love it. The track name might be intentionally comic or not, but it only adds to the spice smile.gif
Moving on to “Constellation of the Heart (native edit)” A totally different track that starts off with a majority of electronic sounds only to
later go into more natural sounds with drums and voice samples. The pace is a bit faster than previous track but works well.
Third track “Nevertilized” starts smoothly mixed with the previous sample and adds some stronger (that I find rather annoying) voice samples.
A rather dull, boring and uninspired track that leaves you mostly unaffected.
Heading on to “New Time Nomads (bass edit)” we continue from previous track and smoothly as I hear it a guitar is added, that makes a very catchy sound.
Voice samples are still used but this time heavily mixed to sound more electronic which suits the style of music much better.
These latest three tracks has a rather “earthly” feel about them.
I cannot help but feel that “Reclaim” and “Leaving the known” are just filling out the gap before heading into newer territory.
Good tracks in their own right but they sound too much alike the 2 previous ones. These tracks might sound much better if listened
just on occasion without the others before them.
“Unleashed” is a very pleasant track with guitar though keeping it on the low side so it doesn't take over the track. The guitar still manages to give a very pleasant melody.
This is another of the more outstanding tracks that really keeps it's own style. Just wish there were more tracks like this one. It's also a bit melancholic.
With this track the album also takes on a new course towards a different sounds, the tracks 3-6 were almost identical with smaller variations.
Take a deep breath and then “Rebreath” (fucker) and dive into another uninspired track. Regular downtempo stuff, some beats, small twists,
Some strange voice sample sounding blurry as you are prolly on shrooms or acid when listening smile.gif The ending of the track is nice though.
Most of you should be familiar with the track “Journey” since it was released for free promoting the album by Ultimae.
A great track indeed with it's very own style though not in the “Ultimae” sound. This track sounds so different from some of the previous
ones and this makes the album not retaining any overall feel. Hopefully the next album will be more focused on these great original tracks and
keeping a sense of the artists soul throughout the album.
“Inferno” sounds somewhat like the earlier tracks but this time it's very well made with engaging voice samples, melodies and sounds.
“Reflecting Impulses” is a nice track with vibrating sounds and a rather spacey feel about it. Great! Original aswell.
"One" is the ending tracks and works great as such!
These original tracks really shows what this artist is capable off and suits the album name and cover art very well.
We can only hope the next album will be more cohesive and has a more individual touch to it like these few but great tracks.
The “Hidden track” you will have to find out for yourself! Buy the album!
The album has a great opening just to dive into a more dull and boring state and to end magnificently. It's masterfully produced and mastered/mixed
so the feel of high quality is always present. There is a bit too many fillers in the album and also the artist doesn't seem to really know where he want to lead the listener.
It becomes more as a set of nicely together weaved tracks that don't really have that much in common. I awake needs to find his own style and really dive into and experiment there.
As for now he has some great unique tracks. But many of them are way too influenced from other artists in the genre or just tracks with lack of artistic sense.
A lack of individuality as to say.
Having this said this is by no means a bad album, and it has it's rightfull place in any downtempo fanatics collection. Far from essential though.
And by Ultimae's standards we could demand more.
It might sound in the review as a bad album but the great tracks I haven't taken the time to describe so much, find out for yourself!
To clairfy futher this is a great album, far greater than most of the ambint/chill released nowdays. But a great label also comes with great expectations.  
http://thenoseisperpendicular.blogspot.com/ |
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Bodhisattva
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
109
Posts :
1537
Posted : Jun 10, 2008 16:57
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lets keep short and catchy !
really unique sound !
beautiful compositions !
very spacey and yet very organic....at the same time.
great production, the mastering is top quality as always !
ethereal melodies wrapped with sharp groovy
rhythms and strange crispy sounds and effects.
a multi layered album with a real psychedelic depth...and gentle but electrifying atmosphere and even mystic at times.
highly recommended !
great job I AWAKE and Ultimae
i love it !
cheers !
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exotic
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
200
Posts :
5057
Posted : Jul 5, 2008 20:28
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This album has grown on me. i find the compositions and the ideas amazing. feels just right 
Unleashed is my favourite. so 
missing plug-in |
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OzMike
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posts :
1681
Posted : Feb 29, 2012 13:32
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Still enjoy this one alot |
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