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Vision & Canedy - Another Life (Hadshot, 2004)
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krelm
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
67
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648
Posted : May 27, 2004 22:31
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Vision & Canedy – Another Life (Hadshot)
01. Privileged
02. Good Times
03. Aeroplane
04. Mindbender
05. Low Life
06. Laid Back
07. Loaded
08. Behind the Music
09. Sonntagmorgenheimfahrt
Vision & Canedy (aka Marco Mellmann & Marc Vision) have stormed onto the progressive trance scene in the last year with several 12” releases and compilation tracks on labels like Plusquam, Avalanche, Cosmophilia, and Yellow Sunshine Explosion. With each track meeting rabid support, their promised full-length album on Hadshot has been one of the most eagerly-anticipated progressive albums in the pre-summer rush. Does it meet the lofty expectations set for it?
In short, hell yes – and then some.
In length….
01. Privileged
Another Life starts out with the only previously-released track on the album, the wonderful “Privileged” that was the highlight on the Plusquam’s Revive compilation from 2003. I won’t bother talking much about this one –suffice it to say it hasn’t lost any of its luster since the original release.
02. Good Times
Now the new material begins… To open, Vision & Canedy turn in the darkest track of the album in the wonderfully deep groover “Good Times”. Warm chords combine with a plodding, dark minimal feeling to produce a brooding early night-time piece. Even in this track one can already hear what is IMO the strongest point of this duo – their immaculate sense of track structure. Every sound, atmosphere and break is flawlessly placed, and the overall progression is executed to absolute perfection. Great start…
03. Aeroplane
More upbeat than the previous track, “Aeroplane” features a pumping bassline, sharp percussion, and a plethora of trippy synth lines, sounds, and jabs. This is quite simply peak-time progressive rocker with wonderful structure that will work wonders on the floor.
04. Mindbender
This track IS the bassline. After a straightforward start marked by a dubby echoing synth stab, a positively huge system-rumbling bassline dominates the appropriately-named “Mindbender” for the remainder. This is more uplifting than the previous tracks, with a tasteful vocal sample, frantic percussion, and discordant atmospheres which slowly develop and build until the end. While simple in structure, this has all the goods to move the floor.
05. Low Life
After a simple beginning, in storms a massive throbbing bassline that seems destined for a rocking outdoor daytime dancefloor. While simply grooving from the start, “Low Life” undergoes an absolutely fantastic build through wistful liquid atmospheres and heavily modulated voice-like dubby synths. A massive break reveals the most tasteful acoustic guitar and piano riff I’ve ever heard in progressive trance, then continues on through the end of the track. This is a huge,huge tune that will doubtlessly *demolish* many open-air dancefloors in the coming months.
06. Laid Back
As suggested by the title, this is a chill-out track – or an attempt at one. This one really just sounds like one of their uptempo tracks slowed down to 115bpm for the sake of being chill, and it doesn’t work for me at all. I also am not such a fan of 4-to-the-floor downtempo.
07. Loaded
As the heaviest track on the album, “Loaded” is packed full of trippy sounds, full percussion, and a repeating wailing vocal theme. Driven by a sparse dubby bassline and interspersed with long well-constructed breaks, this would be a great track for an outdoor dancefloor at night. The overall effect is perhaps a bit too frantic and thematically varied for my tastes, but it will definitely do quite well on the floor.
08. Behind the Music
Towards the end of the album, we appropriately get a more chilled, groovin’ dancefloor piece designed for the final hours of a party. Once again propelled by a sparsely dubby bassline, “Behind the Music” is the most melodic and deep track on the album. An overall melancholic feeling and repeating low vocal sample assemble to a nice after-hours club track.
09. Sonntagmorgenheimfahrt
The title translates to “Sunday morning drive home” – and it’s a perfect match for this track. It’s relaxing and extremely hypnotic, but there is a happily uplifting sense that there is more partying to do next weekend.  Still continuing the deep feeling from the previous cut, a sparse throbbing bassline, trippy sounds & pads, and a distorted yet restrained screaming synth create an overall uplifting feel. Around 2/3 through, a melody peeks its head through the clouds and elevates this track from being simply a funky progressive piece into an absolute gem. Once again, the overall structure is flawless and every element fits perfectly. They really saved the best for last here. Note to all DJs – I *expect* to hear this one at any open air I attend this summer. Don’t forget it. 
Final verdict:
With their debut album, Vision & Canedy have not only managed to avoid disappointment, but they have shown their skills on many levels of progressive music. Another Life is an exceptionally varied album with a mixture of styles ranging from peak-time progressive stormers, to wonderful daytime groovers, to deep emotional after-hours feeling. This cleverly avoids the problem of so many albums where there are 7 or 8 excellent tracks, but with such little variation that it is difficult for a DJ to use more than 2 or 3 tracks without getting repetitive. This album has music for all phases of a party. While the tracks are surprisingly simple, there is such a wonderful sense of structure (one can tell there is at least one experienced DJ in the duo) and development. The album itself has a very nice flow to it and feels like more than a collection of killer tracks.
9/10
Favorites: 5 & 9 are my favorites, but I know I will be playing just about all of them (except maybe 6) in the right situations. As of now, this is tied with FREq’s Strange Attractors as the 2nd best album of the year so far.
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Dr. Krelm DJ Mixes and Broken Symmetry archives - http://www.krelmatrix.com
Broken Symmetry on MCast - coming in 2007.... |
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Zombi
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
375
Posts :
5032
Posted : May 28, 2004 11:11
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nothing but a must one !! my fav are 2,3,8 and 9.
flowing structues and driving percussions on all trax + solid fat basslines and some extra melancholic melodies that what this album about !! get one:)
Believe your soul ! |
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aje
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
99
Posts :
1145
Posted : May 29, 2004 16:03
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olivier
Side-A
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
1303
Posted : May 29, 2004 19:05
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very nice album filled with nice grooves & atmospheres
something between antix & freq but with its own personnality and a very good sound production
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djtikis
9West
Started Topics :
19
Posts :
166
Posted : Jun 1, 2004 12:42
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very very completed album
rivals with son kite:):)
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pr0fane
Multiphase
Started Topics :
418
Posts :
3816
Posted : Jun 1, 2004 17:56
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russ
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
35
Posts :
275
Posted : Jun 1, 2004 20:00
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i love this album!! all the tracks are cool. i'm too tired to do a proper review, but let me just say i bought this one at the same time as the new atmos album, and i like this one much more. there's more variety and different emotions, with a few nice melancholy touches that i really like. get this one for sure!! |
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ecnalab
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
49
Posted : Jun 1, 2004 21:03
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yay! I can't wait to get this (and Kooler) .. I hope it comes in the mail soon!
-xo Truffle Radio ox-
Waves of Psychedelic and Progressive Trance
http://ecnalab.com/radio
playing : FREq ~ Human Blue ~ Son Kite ~ Prometheus ~ Vibrasphere ~ XV Kilist ~ Ticon ~ Atmos |
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ecnalab
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
49
Posted : Jun 2, 2004 10:07
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This is a great album - I just got mine in the mail... So much great music coming out now....I can't wait to play this at parties!
-xo Truffle Radio ox-
Waves of Psychedelic and Progressive Trance
http://ecnalab.com/radio
playing : FREq ~ Human Blue ~ Son Kite ~ Prometheus ~ Vibrasphere ~ XV Kilist ~ Ticon ~ Atmos |
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qedominic
Started Topics :
1
Posts :
13
Posted : Jun 5, 2004 14:13
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good minimal album! nrs. 2,4,7,8 are the best ones!
greez |
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Dance N Dust
Dance N Dust
Started Topics :
83
Posts :
419
Posted : Jun 7, 2004 23:31
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some realy good trax this is totaly hipnotic music,most of it is for listen at home dowen tempo,
production is realy good.
keep it up guys |
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Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
76
Posts :
2014
Posted : Jun 7, 2004 23:45
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Just to clear this up.. This is not minimal trance, but progressive. Some of their tracks are being played by progressive DJ's as well. Guys like DJ Taucher, Markus Schulz etc. Great album by the way!!
"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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Alex Candy
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
51
Posts :
381
Posted : Jun 8, 2004 17:20
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Great album!
One of the best artist album cds I have heard lately! |
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leequid
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
59
Posted : Jun 11, 2004 03:22
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Quality album!One of the best for 2004 for sure and a new high-class sound is established!
Along with 2nd Brigade and Colours,its definitely a crack!
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Hagai
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
14
Posts :
77
Posted : Jun 11, 2004 22:42
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This is defenintly a very strong year for progressive Trance, with the releases of Son Kite, Freq, Atmos, Kooler and now this you cannot go wrong, Trance music is progressing and it's going places and reaching new horizons, I just love it !
I love this album, this is a must have for all progressive-heads, but it still has something for everyone and anytime, wonderful musical & technical skills by this great due, beautiful track structures, deep deep atmospheres that really sweeps you, superb groove, and a very varied in concept and style, huge respect.
Hope to have a review soon... |
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