Recommendation weekly: Evil Nine + Freeland

Evil Nine is an English breakbeat/electro hip-hop DJ duo from Brighton. Although being active since 1998 they have released only two studio albums up to date with their official debut being in 2004 with "You Can Be Special Too". Four years later it is followed by the sophomore release "They Live!" that continues their stylistic development. The duo has gained prominence with the hit single "Crooked" that features US rapper Aesop Rocks. For those a bit more into the electronic world Evil Nine might not appear to be much of a new name, although the duo keeps a rather more underground profile and still maintains an accessible and quite enjoyable style.




Evil Nine are closely associated with Adam Freeland, also known as Freeland, as they are signed to his very own label Marine Parade. Freeland himself is a musician and a producer active in the breakbeat scene. He started DJ-ing back in early 90s and soon began releasing mixes of his own. Despite his long club career his first ever original release saw the light in 2003. The album heavily relied on influences from punk, hip hop, electro, dub, reggae and rock. For his second studio record he worked together with Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, ex-Marilyn Manson Twiggy Ramirez, Joey Santiago of The Pixies and Tony Bevilacqua of The Distillers / Spinnerette.

Review: David Guetta - One Love

The more popularity David Guetta gains the lower the quality of his music goes...sad, but true. "One Love" is like a super-album that gathers prominent (predominantly) American R&B singers who kindly lend their vocals for the sake of commercial dance music. Among the featured names are Kelly Rowland, will.i.am, Akon and Estelle, as well as Guetta's long-time vocal guest Chris Willis. Actually the album is so packed with famous people that one could easily miss out who really sits behind the whole production. Another thing is that despite the celebrity dance-floor-stampede "One Love" stands out as more of a filling with a few catchy tunes than an astounding mash-up of electronica and R&B (as it may had been planned).

I miss the French house influences he drew inspiration from and that served as the backbone of his older material. It's pretty obvious that "One Love" is aimed at American listeners, making it by far Guetta's most commercial release. His attempt proved to be successful as both "When Love Takes Over" and "Sexy Bitch" topped Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and made it in the Billboard Hot 100.

Still, Guetta's fourth studio effort is a must-listen-to for every house fan and an excellent recommendation for anyone who is in it for the party. Apart from that "One Love" shows the extent of one's inflated ego after they truly start taking themselves as big shots. I personally have no idea what the title should stand for anyway as "unity" of any kind is absent. The tracks follow the same pattern - chewy beats, strong black voices and cheesy loops scattered here and there. However, most of the songs hardly make a connection between each other and the track-listing looks like a symposium of "singles" rather than an album with a creative idea. Unlike his previous albums this time Guetta focuses on the vocals and lets his crony buddies to take the lead.

Songs to hear: "One Love", "When Love Takes Over", "Sound of Letting Go" and "Sexy Bitch"

Rating:5/10

Review: Annie - Don't Stop

The long-anticipated "Don't Stop", Annie' sophomore album finally made it to she shelves after numerous delays, a label transition and legal disputes. "Don't Stop" has gone through more changes than Lady GaGa's concert outfits. Annie had to push the release date more often than Amy Whinehouse had to go to rehab. After her debut "Anniemal" was positively received by both fans and critics, it meant that any next releases would be met with high expectations. Despite all the tension that surrounded the production of "Don't Stop", it most certainly secures the young Norwegian singer a high-level position in the electronic world.

If "Anniemal" could be described as a bold synth-driven debut with a handful of the 80s, "Don't Stop" explores various fields of electronica going from French electro through Scandinavian electro-pop to catchy American synth-pop. This is mainly due to the presence of several prominent producers among who British production house Xenomania that has worked for Kylie Minogue, Sugababes and Pet Shop Boys among others. "Don't Stop" easily satisfies everyone with a good taste in pop music, especially those who are already overwhelmed with Britney's dubious electronic throw-ups.

"Don't Stop" is a classy and non-pretentious album that proves how outstanding and vibrant the Scandinavian pop scene can be. Annie has outdone herself, leading you into a colorful world of her own backed by clever lyrics and up-beat tunes. Definitely one of the best pop releases for 2009!

*Have in mind that there is an additional bonus CD "All Night EP" that has five songs not included on "Don't Stop".

Songs to hear: "I Don't Like Your Band", "Loco", "Don't Stop" and "My Love Is Better"

Rating: 8/10

Review: Zero 7 - Yeah Ghost

What's most noticeable about "Yeah Ghost", Zero 7's fourth studio release, is the absence of long-time guest vocalist Sia Furler. Sia, who by some is seen as the band's third member, didn't make an appearance as she is currently working on her next album "We Are Born", due April 2010. Although Zero 7 had initial plans to record something less vocal-dependent, obviously they have decided to stick to their collaborative projects the band is best known with. "Yeah Ghost" is somewhere in between the downtempo vibe Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker transmitted through their first two albums and a more up-beat clever electronica with a pinch of various genres brought together by the ensemble of guest vocalists.

"Yeah Ghost" easily distinguish itself from Zero 7's previous releases, as it incorporates a more club-orientated sound with a jazzy twist. I don't consider this a stylistic shift, but more of experimenting in new directions. The presence of new guest vocalists allows the band to explore other fields of interest, thus the variety of songs. "Ghost Symbol" reminds me of a Fever Ray outtake, "Sleeper" and "Medicine Man" could easily be mistaken as under the Basement Jaxx umbrella, and "Everything Up (Zizou)" could pass as a softer Calvin Harris. I am not saying that the duo ran out of ideas and decided on patching up material from other musicians. Not at all, more like they needed to step out of their comfort zone and make a few steps out of line, no matter if they tripped over or even flopped down to the bottom. After all music has to be defying, bold and constantly evolving and "Yeah Ghost" is the challenge that Zero 7 have to face themselves.

Songs to hear: "Ghost Symbol", "Mr McGee", "Medicine Man" and "Everything Up (Zizou)"

Personal rating: 8/10

Review: Basement Jaxx - Scars

Three years ago I thought that "Crazy Itch Radio" was my biggest Basement Jaxx disappointment, set myself ready for a better album next time. The only thing that came after so much waiting was a bigger disappointment, more dissatisfying than ever. Not that "Scars" is a poor product of contemporary electronic music, but it just misses out a few fundamentals for a successful dance album. Obviously Basement Jaxx have been walking along the wrong path for several years already and with this pace of weak production a major flop is on its way.

"Scars" contains everything that you ought to expect from a Basement Jaxx album: plenty of guest vocalists, danceable house tunes and witty lyrics with a certain touch of exotica. Apart from everything listed the album has nothing more to offer, it sounds so painfully familiar that you might mistake it for a re-release of "Kish Kash" with some additional b-side tracks. The whole album lacks the disco thrill that Basement Jaxx were so fond of. "Scars" is somewhere in between mediocre and satisfactory, failing to create originality of its own.

Despite the guest appearances of hyped performers like Santigold, Sam Sparro and Paloma Faith, the majority of songs easily pass the ear by without causing any specific attention. It seems as if the duo Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton has run out of genuinely good ideas and desperately needs a push forward to a more comprehensive and intriguing dance reality. If no visible stylistic change is to come and another Kish Kash-alike is to be released they'd better have the decency to break up. Please!

Songs to hear: "Scars", "Saga", "What's a Girl Got to Do?" and "Feelings Gone"

Personal rating: 5/10

Discoveries: Copacabana Club

Not much could be said about Copacabana Club, a fresh new Brazilian act hailing from the city of Curitiba, Paraná. Making an intriguing mixture of electro-rock and indietronica, they could be easily associated with bands like Cansei de Ser Sexy, although I'd rather make no such comparisons before they have released a full length studio album. Up to know they have released the EP "King of the Night" that contains the hit-single "Just Do It". I am pretty sure that if those guys release an album they would be Brazil's next big thing. My fingers crossed for a full release as soon as possible. If you have a Last.fm profile you could listen to their EP for free: Copacaba Club

Review: DatA - Skywriter

French electro has always been a slippery slope that can lead to the deep waters of failure. Well, David Guillon, the actual name behind the moniker DatA, got away with a few broken ribs and a fair warning not to play that "daft" if he's not absolutely sure about the final result. Don't get me wrong "Skywriter", Guillon's debut LP would have been a fine piece of electronica...if it was released somewhere in the 90s. At some points the similarities to Daft Punk are that obvious that it bloody hurts, despite the probable good intentions.

"Skywriter" comes out after Guillon's string of EP's, which gained him the respect and the critical acclaim by both fans and journalists. Despite all the praise DatA never did get out of the shade of French electro dominated right now by Justice and their alike. Probably Guillon is not striving to acutely distinguish himself from the whole scene, but "Skywriter" is an album you can easily do without if you are in fact too much into the French electro wave. Perhaps a few more original ideas and crucial stylistic efforts could have pulled out a few tricks to entertain the eager listener, but after a few listens "Skywriter" turns out to be little less than exciting.

Justice, hailed by critics as the fresher version of Daft Punk, did cause a small revolution in the rather stagnant French electro scene, but the success formula wore off too soon. Used by too many and too often and one time French electro sounded as an extended load of crap on repeat. DatA makes no exception to the rule...sorry, but we are not that stupid to anxiously anticipate yesterday's news. For what's worth "Skywriter" has a few pleasant tunes to keep aside for better times that safe the album from being the next annoying hyped electro album with no actual perks. Nevertheless, it all depends on your current electro status and if it says anything but French then, I guess, you should come back when the thrill is back.

Songs to hear: "One In A Million", "Rapture", "Skywriter" and "Blood Theme"

Rating: 5/10

Review: Rinocerose - Futurino

Rinocerose (correctly spelled as Rinôçérôse) is one of those criminally underestimated bands that have always been an idea away from their worldwide breakthrough. Probably, loyal fans are happy to keep this band secret, just for their very own pleasure. Still, albums like "Futurino", their fifth proper studio release, proves that it's about time they gained some serious attention. The stylistic variety, the intelligent lyrics and the emotionally balanced flow make Rinocerose an exquisite addition to your extended music library, as well as "Futurino" a fresh look on French music.

Although Jean-Philippe Freu and Patrice Carrie, the brains and body behind the moniker, started Rinocerose as an exclusively electronic project it has moved to the more rocky sound that dominates "Futurino". Elements of dance-punk, new-rave, electro-rock and indiepop are introduced throughout the record by their subtle fusion and incorporation. The album stands somewhere between self-explored maturity and the party flow of independence, bouncing back and forth in accordance to the vibe.

Forget about all the possible surprises! "Futurino" is to be enjoyed right here, right now...with company, or on your own...day or night. An excellent detour from all the pop crap that has been terrorizing our TVs these days; a vacation on the French Riviera, sharing a few drinks and laughs in a dimmed club with the company of dance beats, groovy guitars and sleek vocals. What more to ask for?

Songs to hear: "Tomorrow", "Time Machine", "Head Like A Volcano" and "Touch Me"

Rating: 8/10

The pilot single "Time Machine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ_ZbVhUyko

Review: Motor - Metal Machine

"Metal Machine" Motor's newest album release is not your usual summer-hits blaster or your regular electro relief for the late night. It might have been conceived as a minimal project, but ended up offering a good load of techno, acid house and a narcotic pinch of electroclash, eventually mashing into a groovy bad-ass night filled with handfuls of ecstasy and happy faces. Not that the duo of Mr. No and Bryan Black have found America, but "Metal Machine" carries that specific charm of being intimate and open with this mechanical live we've put ourselves in and actually not feeling guilty about it.

Trying to find the right words for this record I find myself sucked into the steel loops and sent to another dimension where words express nothing. Words mean a lot of things, but when they are not present they can absolutely anything you want. Motor refrains from using proper vocal tracks as an attempt to stay closer to the true essence of music itself, being smothered and ambiguously understood by the vanity and complexity of words. "Metal Machine" is all about the music and keeping it real, despite the 100% artificial origin of this album.

Songs to hear: "Schism", "Jacked Up", "Glu" and "Death Rave"

Rating: 7/10

Review: Felix da Housecat - He Was King

Who was king and does this mean he is not alive? Probably the two crucial answers in Felix da Housecat's new album that have no clarity. I guess it's just not my year, especially when it comes to favourite musicians and my dear Felix proves me no wrong. Sadly, we could all easily go without "He Was King" and now that is what I call a bummer, although I am not surprised at all.

Felix had his best years back when the electroclash scene was still vibrant, producing and meaningful. But after it's natural downfall and his dubious return to the house family, the picture got all smothered and some people obviously lost themselves in the vast fields of electronica. "He Was King" is somewhere in between house, electro, electropop and dance, without leaving any impression of being a whole product, but rather a compilation of various works under the electronic shield. I have always thought of Felix as a wise producer knowing "da" real good stuff, but as it seems things change and in this instance not for good. Honestly...I was bored! Yes, "He Was King" was just a few ideas away from absolute boredom and I could almost fall asleep while listening.

No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't come up with any praise and for what's worth this album just doesn't deserve it. Total lack of originality, songs that sound old as my grandma and brutally blunt tunes knocked out the few positive words I was planning to write down, but all went to oblivion as soon as I reached the end of the tracklist. With a few exceptions "He Was King" is a major filler either in your CD collection or on your hard disk. Actually even the exceptions are nothing special, they just sound OK compared to the rest of the material.

Songs to hear: "Machine", "Spank U Very Much" and "Do We Move Your World"

Rating: 5/10

First single:

Stuck in my mind: Telepopmusik - Breathe

Summer is here and the music has to fit the season. What better than Telepopmusik's all-time classic "Breathe", which easily is one of the best summer songs I have heard. It's quite funny how odd the whole song is and still it carries that distinctive summer vibe, feeling the sun all over your skin, smelling the salt of sea and awaiting the long lazy hours in the sun. I have always loved the video for it shows how artificial we have become and our emptiness virtually kills anyone who opposes it. Of course, apart from the disturbing message implicated in the video, you'd better get in the holiday mood and prepare for a swim in the depths of the ocean...of music...or?

Review: The Crystal Method - Divided by Night

There is nothing better than pleasant surprises, especially when they come in the nick of a time. Such is the case with The Crystal Method's fourth proper studio album "Divided by Album", which is their first in five years. I dare say it grabbed me from the very first listen and enjoyed listening it till the very end. The Crystal Method might have never reached the popularity of The Chemical Brothers, but with with albums like their latest one, they do prove to be quite the competition.

"Divided by Night" sticks to the duo's tradition of extended guest appearances throughout the record both vocal or instrumental contributions. Eight out of twelve songs contain guest vocals, which virtually makes this album their least instrumentally dependent. The big number of collaboration give an additional asset to the final product and only prove for the complexity and maturity The Crystal Method have striven to demonstrate. Nevertheless, "Divided by Night" is not your another The Chemical Brothers' album squeezed to its maximum for the sake of commercial success and potential chart-breakers. Don't get me wrong, I like the Brothers a lot, but The Crystal Method happen to be still on track with the actual meaning of making music and care to be less over the top and electronically snobby.

Still fusing as many genres as possible, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland keep up to their own standards with a few intriguing improvements. Improvements that make their music more accessible without the blunt taste of selling-out. Stylistically "Divided by Night" has little to do with their genuine big-beat sound, which is another indicator that the whole genre is heading down the spiral to oblivion. In the times of such a high diversity of electronic styles sticking to the good old beats and turntables equals almost suicide and with their latest release The Crystal Method put the knives away from their wrists. Of course, "Divided by Night" could have had some more surprises in store and be even more outstanding and dancefloor-crashing, but let's be honest The Crystal Method have never been your club regulars. If you don't know/remember why grab the new album and divide your night with a few original tunes.

Songs to hear: "Divided by Night", "Drown in the Now", "Sine Language", "Double Down Under" and "Black Rainbows"

Rating: 8/10

Review: La Roux - La Roux

Lucky me! June is my pop month and a few new releases made it exceptionally good. After the amazing debut by English singer-songwriter Little Boots, on my door was already knocking another UK-export: La Roux. Behind the duo are vocalist Elly Jackson and the producer/songwriter Ben Langmaid, who have been cooking new material for almost an year now. Their eponymous debut album could easily pass as the most mature and elaborate pop release of the first half of 2009 and I am certainly not joking nor exaggerating. The Britons have done a great job and an album like "La Roux" is a must-hear in this year's album list!

Drawing inspiration from 80s new wave bands like The Human League and Yazoo, La Roux have their own visions and rely entirely on their very own originality not annoyingly being dependent on good old stuff, which supposedly should do them a few tricks. No, not at all, cause Jackson/Langmaid obviously know how to use the security of the old sound being given a few new improvements. La Roux are far from the idea of being copycats, but let's say that they didn't just discover America, but might leave you with the impression that you just learned about the island of Cuba. Backing themselves on the security of the numerously tried out formula for an electronic act, their debut effort is not a pathetic attempt to bring together loads of memories under the same roof, but an intelligent music provocation that explores new depths and tangles some old stuff with a gentle touch.

"La Roux" surprises abit with the balanced integrity it demonstrates, although at some points you might lose yourself somewhere in between the classy synthpop sound and the rough electronic experiments that are patched together in a rather crude manner. Fillers are virtually left out of the album, which gives an additional exceptionable quality of the product and a definite two-thumbs-up praise for the duo itself. Lyrical themes variate from personal hardships, through finding the meaning of life, to messing around on the battlefield called love. I have to say that I am bored to death to listen to love mishaps and broken hearts, but Elly Jackson with her distinctive quirky voice knows how to tell stories in a way that makes you stay till the end of the track.

Songs to hear: "In for the Kill", "Bulletproof", "Colourless Colour" and "Quicksand"

Rating: 8/10

Review: Hande Yener - Hayrola?

Everything alright? If feeling bored, lonely tonight or just not in the mood Hande Yener has something for you! You might not know even a single word in Turkish, but I can assure you that "Hayrola?" goes over any language barriers. Hande Yener is one of the biggest names in Turkish pop music and one of the few on the Balkans to develop in the electropop genre.

"Hayrola?" (in English "Everything alright") is all about the positive mood, about enjoying life the way it is and face every frustration with a strong smile. Yener knows good electronica and if you have doubts about the quality of Balkan music it's because you still haven't stumbled upon her stuff. Actually, Hande started as a regular pop singer, but luckily she changed course and gave electronic music a try, which made her success inevitable. "Hayrola?" is her fourth in a successful row electro album and her seventh proper studio release, which had the difficult task to surpass "Nasıl Delirdim?", which shot her straight to fame. Despite every effort "Hayrola?" is no match to Yener's breakthrough album, which was a passionately explosive combination between dance music and witty lyrics. This time the balance just went to hell and the structure is rather crude as if Hande was desperately trying to stay sober in the middle of a drunk party.

Still, if you are up for an intelligent electronic album with a good load of entertainment and rhythm "Hayrola?" may be your answer. Probably, right now, I should be writing a review about an intriguing Bulgarian album, but nationalism plays no importance when it comes to actual quality. For the rest, you have yourselves Morandi, Despina Vandi and similar, but I assure you that once Yener records her much anticipated English debut, once again you will turn your heads to the Balkans and the diverse music we have to offer you...after all we are not constantly in war, CNN!

Songs to hear: "Hayrola?", "Arsiz", "Narsist" and "Siz"

Rating: 7/10

My concert experience: Tricky + Little Dragon

Park Live Fest is the first festival of its kind in Bulgaria, bringing together names from the electronic scene and reviving the true trip-hop vibe. Introducing such a concept for the first time on the Balkan music scene definitely meant a lot of risk for the organizers and less to no impact. Luckily, there are still plenty of people fond of the good old 90s when MTV was the pedestal of diversity and music was not all about boobs and trunks.

Day 1 was highlighted by the essence of the Bristol scene and the subtlety of the Swedish improvisational expressionism. Tricky on the prowl with his distinctive half-singing half-rapping distinguishable singing and Little Dragon with their surprisingly original performance attitude, brought freshness to the rather stagnant Balkan alt fields. Nevertheless, I should mention that the two main acts were preceded by three other performances, but they did go rather unnoticed. Although Tricky, real name Adrian Thaws, was the one who we all expected I dare say that Little Dragon made the best impression for the whole evening.

Little Dragon began rather vaguely, carefully testing the crowd and after just a couple of songs Yukimi Nagano and company gained confidence and slowly began heating up the audience. They took me by surprise with more up-beat versions of their sole album's tracks, which were rearranged especially for a fast-paced mind-blowing performance, which was entirely based on improvisation. I guess they did realize that Tricky being after them puts the stakes quite high and still they did their best to reach the level of required quality. The audience definitely appreciated Nagano's intriguing voice and her stage presence, as well as the passion Little Dragon's music had in store. Perhaps, people who would rather stick to their genuine style weren't very happy with the significant changes, although this was no wrong move at all.

Tricky...one of the pioneers of the trip-hop genre, who paved the way for the mid to late 90s alt electronic wave, was the one who was expected to blast the scene and be the bad boy of the festival. Indeed, he spent the whole evening doing spliff and passionately gulping drinks, probably heating up for the grand show. So far, so good. Lights off, a sudden turmoil on stage and there you go - Tricky in flesh and bone, performing in front of some 3 thousand people.

The closest link to the godfathers of trip-hop Massive Attack was there for us ready to kick some ass. Hooray! Have I ever told you how much I hate musicians doing drugs and eliminating immense quantities of liquor? I do! Tricky reminded me why! I guess I should excuse him, as this probably is part of his performance, but it poked out my eyes...they were sore and bleeding. What could be more pathetic the singer stoned as a dumb ass or the audience aggravating the situation with their horrific passiveness. I'd go for number two, please. Tricky might have had to struggle through his artistic inadequacy, but the audience obviously needed to cheer up. Sadly chemistry was absent and the vital connection performer-audience was based just on Tricky's reputation. Definitely there were people who went bananas seeing him live on stage, but the majority was there standing coldblooded and clapping as if taking part in a senior fund-raising campaign.

What made things even worse was the apathy that Tricky demonstrated, which made the show look as if he was there for himself and the rest could just fuck off. I, personally, had difficulty swallowing his annoyingly endlessly improvisations, which brought the majority to the edge of patience. In the setlist, probably on purpose, were omitted a great deal of his most famous songs, which brought more tension and dissatisfaction with the audience. Although trying to compensate with several new song arrangement it all crashed and burnt when technical difficulties abruptly interrupted the show. Afterward, Tricky had lost interest and in no time the concert came to its end. His performance ended with Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" and fans invited on stage to rumble with him. Applause! No requests for an encore. We all went home.

Review: Vive La Fete - Disque d'Or

One of the best Belgian electronic exports the duo Vive La Fete always a few pleasant surprises awaiting us in their albums. "Disque d'Or" makes no exception and no compromises, because Danny Mommens and Els Pynoo know good music. Famous for their high productivity, loyalty to the French language and playful humor Vive La Fete never grow tired of the subtle tricks of the electro sound.

"Disque d'Or" (in English "Golden disc") is placed just two years after last proper studio record, but it clearly shows a change in favor of a more electronic sound, putting aside their more guitar-based clashy style. Of course, once again they have mixed plenty of music inspirations coming up with an original diverse concept that includes genres like dance-punk, electro-rock, new rave and electroclash. Everything is mixed and massively mashed with witty lyrics and Pynoo and Mommens chasing through the tracks.

The album marks a slight return to their earliest material, although it bares its very own essence and originality. "Disque d'Or" most certainly makes no attempts to recreate the atmosphere of "Republique Populaire" for instance, but paves the road to new music experiences in the jolly company of Vive La Fete. Even the slow tracks are suitable for clubs just when you wanna chill-out a little or slowly boogie around the dancefloor networking with other party people.

Of course, "Disque d'Or" is not that perfect to be unreal and has a few weak points, such as fillers, unexplainable stylistic overflows, lack of a lyrical center in few songs and the repetition of several ideas from previous albums. A few annoying details don't really screw up the quality, let alone make the record impossible to listen. "Disque d'Or" might never get to the golden disc certificate or be an impeccable example for an electronic album and still it's a huge load of fun, Belgian artistry and sexy vocals.

Songs to hear: "Petit Colibri", "Everybody Hates Me", "Ce Que Tu Penses de Moi" and "Amour Physique"

Rating: 7/10

Review: Passion Pit - Manners

If you've long missed a quality indie pop album on the prowl "Manners" by Passion Pit is out here to fill in a few cavities. Debuting just a couple of years ago the American band Passion Pit brought a fresh breeze in the lately rather stagnant electropop scene with some clever ideas and stylistic manners.

"Manners" has everything that should be expected from an indietronica album: brave experimenting, intriguing vocal-instrumental combinations, pushing a few boundaries further and sticking to their own kind of originality. This record may not be a groundbreaking detour from the straight electropop line, but definitely draws direct inspiration from other areas such as new wave, electro-rock and chamber pop, which add up to the diversity and saturation of the whole product. Lyrically Passion Pit show that words are a fine instrument to express emotions and they sound even better when accompanied by memorable tunes.

Nevertheless, I should warn you about the heavy falsetto that vocalist Michael Angelakos has, cause it may sound a bit too annoying at the very first listen (as happened with me). But after giving the album a second chance impressed by the sound quality I did start to enjoy his voice, which after the startle turns out to be a pleasant accompaniment to the instrumental arrangements. There is a track for almost every indie taste, from good old electronica to shaky dance-punk and soft alt-rock. The best thing is that despite the great variety "Manners" manages to stand its own ground with a stable structure and rhythmic change of pace and emotion.

Songs to hear: "The Reeling", "Make Light", "Moth's Wings" and "Folds in Your Hands"

Rating: 8/10

Review: Moby - Wait For Me

Ambient sadness! Depressing harmony! Tunes straight from the heart! Moby never misses out and "Wait For Me" is the 100% proof that he can make virtually any kind of music. Going through various stylistic stages, dubious experiments and a string of successful albums Moby concentrates entirely on the taste of ambiance that was had a vibrant part in his previous records. What he left as B-sides before, now sums the whole concept of his newest album, with no over the top melodies, fancy lyrics or indigestible messages.

"Wait For Me" is for the sole delight. No commercial aiming, no pushed efforts to be radio-friendliness and no disposable resolutions. The album tries to avoid the overwhelming success of Moby, as well as being a pretentious self-centered project with high expectations. "Wait For Me" is the last call for oneself to get hold off themselves and move on despite all the pain and the lows...after all we all need someone to wait for us. With the release of this album on his own label Moby has given himself enough space to develop his devotion to ambient music. Actually "Wait For Me" is his top notch ambient project, which in no means tries to overshadow any of Moby's previous ambient attempts.

The vast majority of included tracks is entirely instrumental with only few exceptions, which is nothing new to Moby, who has released an immense amount of material without vocals. Of course, this may be seen as a major flaw to those used to Richard's popular songs and they are right to some extent. Despite all the visible efforts "Wait For Me" leaves me with the impression that it has never been really finalized and a few more vocal tracks would have done good.

Not that the whole idea for an instrumentally based album is bad, but we have to face the facts: it's the vocal tracks that brought Moby to prominence. I guess, that is the reason why the first official single from "Wait For Me" is the vocal track "Pale Horses". The songs carries a slight resemblance to songs like "Natural Blues" or "Extreme Ways", which is a wise choice for the promotion of a less commercial release. Anyways, if you are not really into the whole chill-out/lounge stuff and slow tunes "Wait For Me" may be a hard one to swallow or an easy one to be cast away as boring and unoriginal. For those who have long anticipated an entirely ambient Moby album 2009 is their year. As far as I am concerned I do appreciate the new album, but I hope Moby will keep on offering new and unexplored stuff. After all that is the whole charm of his music or?

Songs to hear: "Pale Horses", "Wait for Me", "A Seated Night", "Study Wars" and "jltf"

Rating: 7/10

Review: a-ha - Foot of the Mountain

a-ha is on of the those bands that everyone has heard of, but few can really remember what music they actually played. And that is a pity, because their newest release "Foot of the Mountain" proves that new wave music is still live and kicking, despite all the heavy breathing and the gray hair. Although some people were not satisfied with the eponymous pilot single I still was convinced that this album deserved a full listen...and I am not sorry at all.

"Foot of the Mountain" is a-ha's ninth proper studio album and comes after four years of silence, but I guess it was all worth the waiting. Going back and forth between the new wave features, the dreampop influences and the electropop smooth beats, a-ha are anything but out of ideas. Even after almost three decades of bringing quality pop music to the world they still have a few tricks in the bag and without the whole Depeche Mode glamor and hysteria have recorded an exquisite electronic delight for late night emotional endeavors or a mid-day indulgence into the pastoral little world far there at the foot of the mountain.

Marking a return to their original synthpop sound after the successful more rock-orientated album "Analogue", "Foot of the Mountain" has a few fine surprises for a-ha true electronic fans, and still will be no total disappointment to their guitar-loving supporters. However, the album is milder, more mellow and self-introverted, exploring desires and regrets, reflecting the uncertainties of the future and the hardships of the past. There is a fine emotional structure that keeps all the tracks together and without being an actual concept album it does tell a story...but the rest I leave solely to you.

Songs to hear: "The Bandstand", "What There Is", "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" and "Mother Nature Goes To Heaven"

Personal rating: 8 out of 10

Recommendation Weekly: VV Brown

Ladies and gentleman, I give you one of the brand new and hottest names for the summer: VV Brown! The Northampton, UK, native with real name Vanessa Brown is a young and very promising singer-songwirter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, who has released three singles up to date and right now is cooking her debut "Travelling with the Light", which is going to hit stores on 20th July. Brown has been compared to Santigold, Ladyhawke and Lily Allen and stylistically she has been put in several niches among which indietronica, alternative pop and dance-punk. Vanessa has already been listed as one of the hottest breakthroughs of 2009, but I warn you, she has just began! So watch out for VV Brown playing on your TV/radio stations and crashing for a long time in your hearts.