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Matenda - Natural Developement (Global Phonehead)
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Le Lotus Bleu
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 15, 2007 20:44
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Matenda - Natural Developement (Global Phonehead) 2007
Tracklisting:
1. Speculator
2. Plain Vanilla
3. Natural Development
4. Perspectives
5. Sounds Around
6. Electronegative
7. Equilibrium
8. Invisible Garbage
9. Epsilon
10. Orphean
All tracks written and
produced by Denis Matenda, except track no 5 "Sounds around"
and track no 7 "Equlibrium" written and produced by Denis Matenda and Alex Joon.
Vocals on track 5 "Sounds around" by Dejan Mitic
Mastered by Alex Joon
Photos by Denis Matenda
Graphics by Mikael Persson
If we count all the album released by Denis Matenda under his projects Matenda & Chilling Matenda, Natural Development is his fifth album.
This new opus keeps going with the summer sunny sounds & cloudy, floating harmonies which were the trademarks of previous album Mediteran.
Nevertheless inside Natural Development, the production doesn't only focus on dowmtempoounge sounds, actually Matenda has built a cross over album which gathers his two musical sides : Morning progressive & Chill/Down-Tempo.
There's another specificity with this new album, Matenda took also the opportunity to bring us a new facet of his musical personality with the extension to new musical influences such as Club-House (through Sounds Around), Dream music (considering Orphean as a wink to Robert Miles), Tribal (Equilibrium), Electro or Club ( both in Electronegative).
Equilibrium is another track which is noticeable; effectively, it brings more rythmical energy. So, in a way it could be the tune's structure that reminds the most the ambience from the "Chilling Matenda" album.
Plain Vanilla has drewn my attention thanks to its 'overwhelming rain' melody style, there's something fascinating here. It's like after a long period of heatwave, when the storm , at least, occurs; you enjoy so much listening to water drops smashing on the ground. With Plain Vanilla, it's the same : it's raining but you were expecting it & are happy with it.
Within Perspectives, you're immersed into a marathoner's groove, the feeling which outcomes is special like a meticulous & unlimited escape straight forward. Like i explain previously, it's not an act made in a hurry, it seems the regularity of this escape is the key for not being located & caught. Let's say Perspectives is the escape of your life...
Invisible Garbage ranges through its rhythmic made of claps, in the clubby tracks influenced on the cd. More exactly, i should talk about Club-Housey orientation. Nevertheless i prefer Sounds Around in this category, due to the heavy funky bassline integration mixed with nevrotic, robotic bleeps or synths. Indeed, this one is musically much more complex incorporating also a disco-electro touch.
Epsilon drives into the lounge Balearic area , with the acoustic guitar & piano melodies which seems to be in a game where they must answer each other. The tune gets very floating for the break , & then let's reveal the unexpected more dancefloor side of the tune with a jazzy feeling via the piano's theme .
While listening to some tunes from this album (Speculator, Natural Developement for example), not to say all  , you'll be gained by the strange impress of being lost : i mean a deep production sweat as silk & groovy catchy as a whirlwind. Matenda has succeeded here, in breaking the dividing wall for establishing his sounsdacpe in a new territory, surfing on the border-lines of Morning Progressive & Sunny Down-Tempo.
climaxes:2,9
Favorites:1,3,4,7,8
Recommended |
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Pasha
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Jul 24, 2007 23:46
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This album is more from the progressive house domain, meaning that the prog sound here is more like the prog you think of, wheh talking about the Global Underground style. Most tranceheads will find this cheesy I'm afraid.
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Galaxian
IsraTrance Junior Member
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40
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661
Posted : Jul 27, 2007 02:09
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Quote:
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On 2007-07-24 23:46, Pasha wrote:
Most tranceheads will find this cheesy I'm afraid.
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yeah youre right, but this is high quality music, and matenda is certanly one of the pioneers of swedish progressive sound... This is one of my favourites this summer because it is music with alot of emotions! Well done denis! |
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Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member
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2014
Posted : Jul 27, 2007 12:03
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Ordered it recently. I'll post a review once I get a good listen to the whole thing.
 "Subconscious unravels at the point of death, and all time it has known erupts into a moment. As death extinguishes us, so we become it."
[Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum] |
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Monkey C Monkey D
Started Topics :
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10
Posted : Jul 30, 2007 09:27
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Loved the last album and liked this one... until it hits Sounds Around - then it goes completely tits up.
I guessing people buying this on the style and consistency of the last album will be seriously disappointed.
If you don't have Mediteran, get that instead... great album!
Can't recommend this one.
ARSE! |
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xfalabella
IsraTrance Junior Member
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434
Posted : Jul 30, 2007 21:06
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denis
Matenda
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56
Posted : Aug 6, 2007 12:04
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Thanks Le Lotus blue, and I also look forward to Acidhives review. Sorry Monkey C, that you didn´t like all the tracks on the album, but as an artist you always have to develop and try new territories, but anyhow, I really think this album has something for everybody.
www.matenda.com |
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Monkey C Monkey D
Started Topics :
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Posted : Aug 6, 2007 22:40
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In fairness, should probably add that the tracks i did like, i liked a lot, especially 'Perspectives' which is excellent!
Good luck with it anyway, mate.
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Global Phonehead Records
Global Phonehead Records
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3
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19
Posted : Aug 8, 2007 19:39
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Now the Natural development album is available on all the major digital online stores, such as beatport, e-music, trackitdown etc.
www.globalphonehead.com
The new label with ambition to release high quality tracks for progressive minds, to hear and feel everywhere... anywhere... |
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Galaxian
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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661
Posted : Aug 13, 2007 16:43
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i must say one more time: great album!!! |
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psyreviews
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Aug 17, 2007 03:21
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I really enjoyed this one -- I appreciate the comments that to the psytrance ear it's going to come across cheesy, but for my money it's a winner.
http://www.psyreviews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=574&Itemid=46
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I always thought Matenda was a great producer on the one hand, and an underrated producer on the other hand. He is one of the few artists whose music I can always go back to, and find I know every single damn note (the other artists who spring to mind are Neil Young, Johnny Marr's guitarwork with The Smiths, and most of The Stone Roses.)
From the opener Speculator, with its effortlessly gliding layers and orgasmic breakdown, you know you’re in for a bit of a treat. Plain Vanilla shamelessly resurrects warm Balearic vibes – think Chicane with up-to-date production, all the while sounding as though you’re driving along some beachside highway with an implausibly stunning bird sitting in the passenger seat.
The title track is an utter classic – it’s laconic, low-set stuff that coaxes melodies out of nowhere. Perspectives runs deeper, a subtle track that is the sort of thing that we used to say would hold a dancefloor’s attention nicely. Sounds Around is a competent stab at pumping vocal amylectro, and the out-and-out lysergic Loopus funk of Electronegative goes a hell of a long way.
Equilibrium and Invisible Garbage are more tribal takes; the latter works better than the busy and cluttered former, though neither are essential. Best bet is to skip on to the blissful jazzy house of Epsilon, or better still the gloriously lamenting closing track Orphean: sounding like everything wrong in the world being put simultaneously right, it’s a gorgeous piece of music your mum will love.
What makes Matenda so special, as I have said before, is the apparent ease with which he translates honest, raw emotion into music. Listening here, there’s the full range: wonder, love, amazement, happiness, expansion, and a touch of a reflective, almost folorn sadness. It really is that good. In an age where we’re bombarded with presets, big breakdowns, and festival-live performances with smelly-looking guitarists, it’s about time we heard something that’s just bloody honest with itself.
Thank you.
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http://www.psyreviews.com |
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Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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2014
Posted : Aug 22, 2007 00:37
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It's really quite good actually, although I think his last dance album was more coherent and sturdy overall. Still, there are some great tracks on this, and it really is just... Matenda. And in these days it's rare to find an artist that fills his own 'niche' so well so to speak and who makes music that is instantly recognizable and emotional to boot. The electrolike and singing tracks 5,6 are not to my liking however. But besides those there just is some real good Matenda spirit on this. Just listen to the samples and decide if this is for you. I found it to be satisfactory enough, but the last dance album before this was a bit better IMO.
"Subconscious unravels at the point of death, and all time it has known erupts into a moment. As death extinguishes us, so we become it."
[Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum] |
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denis
Matenda
Started Topics :
29
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Posted : Aug 24, 2007 09:55
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Thanks, for all the nice reviews. I was waiting for a more detailed review from Acidhive, but thanks anyway.
www.matenda.com |
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Global Phonehead Records
Global Phonehead Records
Started Topics :
3
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19
Posted : Sep 4, 2007 10:05
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Review of Natural Development by Kai (Mushroom-Magazine)
Denis Matenda is son of croatian parents and born in Sweden. After a time as diving instructor and holder of a kick boxing club he entered the progressive scene in the late 90ies with the big wave of Swedish music. He had releases on labels like Transient and Spirit Zone, released full albums on Spiral Trax and Flow and his Chilling Matenda project on Chill-Code.
Compared to other Swedish psy pop stars he had never the big success, but opposite to them he won with the time and delivers know an amazing new album on his own label Global Phonehead with the proper titel »Natural Development«. It's a pearl of modern dance music, relaxed and entertaining, anywhere between proghouse, smooth trance, soft electro and down beat in the range of 100 to 135 bpm. A masterpiece, highly musical, very beautiful, precious...
www.globalphonehead.com
The new label with ambition to release high quality tracks for progressive minds, to hear and feel everywhere... anywhere... |
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