Customer Reviews

Conjure One

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I jumped the Delerium bandwagon when 'Silence' was a hit and I loved "Canto Alla Vita" on Josh Groban's debut album, which was produced and arrange by Rhys Fulber. I just loved this style of music that could fuse romance with electronic musical stylings. While it falls short of excellent, it did live up to my expectations.

What makes this album different (perhaps even better) for me, however, is one woman: Poe. She contributes two songs on that are both very solid tracks. Her lyrics, as usual, are tight, eloquent, and subtle. She's proven again that she is a fantastic lyricist, and her vocals are velvety and rhythmic. It really is no wonder her fans call her the 'mistress of groove.' Her song "Center of the Sun" really is the highlight of this album. She never oversings and her voice complements both her songs very well.

Another standout song was "Sleep." It was very ambient and created a very strong mood. The song "Manic Star" was nice, as well--a very catchy tune! Both these songs, along with Poe's, were well produced and boast strong melodies (they key, I've found, with a good Rhys Fulber song).

Chemda's vocals were actually very good. Her Israeli-style vocalizations on "Redemption" were enjoyable. I don't know what basis the official reviewer has of saying her singing is a rip-off of the late Ofra Haza (who was a GREAT singer, don't get me wrong). When two people both hail from similar regions (in this case, the Middle East) you're bound to hear similarities somewhere along the line. Chemda's vocals were intense, soulful, and compatible with Rhys' style, not to mention lend an exotic feel to the album.

The song I am a little disappointed with is Sinead's "Tears from the Moon." In this case I do agree with the official review. The lyrics do fall on cliches here and there, and the song is a bit formulatic. It's doesn't have the sweetness of Sleep or Manic Star, and it definitely doesn't have the smooth groove of Poe's contributions. I think the problem was it is a little too pop and not ambiant enough.

Overall, however, this CD does boast strong tracks. If you enjoyed songs such as Silence, Euphoria, Fallen Icons, Daylight, After All, and Truly from Delerium's past albums, you should enjoy Rhys Fulber's solo venture.

Being a fan of Delerium, I purchased this album on the off-chance that it sounded similar to the early Delerium sounds. It did not. What this CD sounded more like was the Semantic Spaces and Poem of the later Delerium years.

The female vocals were great and sensually catchy, some great tracks and a nice easy flowing listening tune. Although I don't see Conjure One getting to Delerium's fame, I do see it continuing.

I picked this CD up strictly because of Poe's two vocal turns, and I was pleasently surprised to discover after I plunked the CD in my player and recognized the musical style that I'd gotten the solo work of Rhys Fulber of Delerium along with my favorate female vocalist. Overall, I think the CD's quite as strong, if not a touch stronger, than any of the Delerium CD's...though if you've got it set in your head that once an artist or a band hits a style you particularly like they should stop exploring and evolving and play *just that in that exact style forever*, you might not like it--Fulber moves in some different directions with this one.

I'm admittedly biased to Poe's two tracks, Center of the Sun (best. song. ever. Yes, I'm biased and I DON'T CARE!) and Make a Wish (Second best song ever, still biased). I didn't care for Sioned O'Conner's Tears From the Moon--The lyrics are sappy for my tastes, and I don't tend to like Sioned O'Conner when she's left to her own devices. While I was hopeful perhaps this track might turn out like her turn with AfroCelt Sound System (Release, a good song), I was disapointed--still, while it's not gold, it's not a bad tune, and quite a few people I've played this CD for liked Tears from the Moon the best. Manic Star also had to grow on me--I didn't like it at all the first few times I heard it, though I like it quite a bit now.

For the rest, I found the middle eastern flair in many tracts to be a delight, being particularly fond of Asia Massive/Underground. Tidal Pool and Pandora stick out among the tracts without vocals. The CD as a whole is a textural wonder, one of the very few of the multitude of CD's in my collection I can *feel* with a sense of touch as well as *hear* with my ears.

Overall, a worthy CD.

I think the Amazon review pretty much pegged it. While I don't think there are actually any bad tracks here, no real filler or experiments in unrelated genres, some of the lyrics are embarrassingly bad. The soundscape from Tears from the Moon (a great title) is good although somewhat generic, but the lyrics... Also, I wouldn't exactly describe Sinead O'conner as ethereal or angelic :), although I do like her voice. And Manic Star which has some beautiful background sounds and texture (although the pacing is a bit uneven for my taste) has truly bad lyrics ("One tiny person in one shiny car...", give me a break). Also, I find Pandora to be a bit simplistic.

My favorite tracks are Make a Wish, which is totally addictive, Damascus, Premonition, and Years.

I don't know what the "differences" were between Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb, but they don't seem to be musical in nature, because, except for tracks like Tears and Manic Star, this could pass for a Delerium release IMHO. Although, except for Make a Wish, I don't think this is nearly as good as Karma or Poem. So if you like newer Delerium or Balligomingo...

First off, I must say that this CD is absolutely freakin' amazing! This disc has been in my CD player constantly since I bought it about a month ago. And as incredible as Delerium is, Conjure One is even better. This disc is a musical journey through lush, melodic soundscapes and haunting female vocals. Chemda's vocals (which are featured on several tracks) are reminiscent of Israeli vocalist Ofra Haza, and offer a middle-eastern flair to the music.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see Poe's vocals featured on two of the tracks (Center of the Sun and Make a Wish). Just take a listen to her croon "Make a Wish" and tell me it doesn't make you want to go make out with someone :)

Hands down the best track on this CD is "Center of the Sun." I can't say enough about this song. Poe's lyrics tell a kind of Cinderella story while of course the music is amazing. Trip-hop beats with a lot of strings dominate this track. Haunting and beautiful.

Need I say anything about the inclusion of Sinead O'Connor's vocals on "Tears from the Moon"? Phenomenal. This song is melancholy and upbeat at the same time. Sinead's voice glides over dreamy synths and electronic beats.

Finally, one of the most noteworthy tracks on this album is "Sleep" featuring Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo. Her voice is like honey. Reminds me a lot of Donna Lewis. I was a little unsure about this track at first but trust me, it grows on you.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend adding this disc to your collection.

For those new to the genre, this music has a groove oriented foundation with a focus on relaxation. The sonic textures build regularly through out every piece. There is a lot of dynamics that allow a listener to relax yet remain focused on the beauty of the sound. It's lighter and more ambient than its house and techno cousins and shys away from the Energizer bunny found in much of todays modern techno/house music. The music is primarily electronic in its original form although the haunting and etheral vocal tracks provided the needed organic feel for enjoyment. Pianos litter the tracks with a noodling sensation and acoustic guitars are absent from most of the tracks as lush orchestral and ambient pads layered, phase in and out over the grooves. The textures are haunting at times and building like the undercurrents of the ocean.

Fans of this Genre will find the material consistant and lacking any groundbreaking artifacts toward the sound. The cameo appearances by the artists play well on the ears and add credibility to the tracks and the artistry behind them. The musical production and recording techniques have exceptional qualities and are on par with other professional releases of the same genre.

Lovers will enjoy this CD as will fans of other musical products like Enigma, Amethestium, Ballingomingo, Chicane and of course Delerium. It fits perfectly as a mood piece and although it would have a hard time finding a home at a heavy disco joint it would go excellent in an electonic techno lounge where a jazzy atmosphere would be more greatly appreciated. It's definately listening music with sensual overtones that compliment a deeper appeal for relaxation.

BUY THIS CD!

As a big fan of Delerium's three most recent albums, I was more than excited to hear that Rhys Fulber of Delerium had completed a side project entitled Conjure One. This album does not disappoint. Poe, Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo, Chemda, Mel Garside and Joanna Stevens (Solar Twins) do an amazing job infusing this music with passion and mystery. Fans of Enigma, Balligomingo and Delerium will want this album. The orchestration and beats are amazing. Classic stuff here.

This album will definitely appeal to fans of Delerium's "Poem" and "Karma", people who appreciate haunting and beautiful female vocals mixed with Arabic-style techno music. I am such a person, so this album was definitely a hit with me. I am especially fond of Marie Claire's "Sleep" and the final song "Premonition", though I also thoroughly enjoyed Poe's contributions to this album. I appear to also be in the minority of those who liked the Sinead O'Connor song "Tears from the Moon".

I agree that Chemda's vocals are overused on the album. Her voice is lovely, but I think that sampling the same track over and over throughout the album was an obvious error. I also agree that the lyrics for the song "Manic Star" are extraordinarily silly. The whole song makes absolutely no sense, and in such a way that those who value content as well as style may well find it aggravating. A pity, too, as the song is well done and her vocals are exquisite.

Bottom line: I have played this c.d. almost every day since I bought it 2 weeks ago, and likely will continue to do so. The album is very addictive. For those who enjoy Delerium's last 3 albums, this is definitely a worthwhile album.

What an incredible album! Beautiful, flavorful soundscapes, complimented by fantastic vocal performances by some we know, and some we don't. Particularly, Chemda who explodes all over the tracks she appears on. Also, "Center of the Sun" featuring Poe, is destined to reach many folks who have never heard of Delerium, or normally buy records in the genre. A classic.

I am an avid Delerium fan, so when I learned that Conjure One was actually one half of delerium I had to get it. I like about half of the songs on the album. Poe's contributions are fantastic. But some of the other songs are well...repetitive, cliche', boring. I would suggest to spend the money and buy Balligomingo Beneath the Surface, or buy a Delerium album prior to Chimera.