Customer Reviews

The Dino Soars

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I truly had a hard time believing that every one of these varied eighteen tracks were the result of one fruitful mind. Behind this attractive album sleeve lies a wonderful sampling of electronically produced music. This mysterious new artist serves up one tasty track after another in a seriously impressive debut. Showing a masterful command of diverse genres of music, Stegosaurus Rex defies any type of indiscriminate labelling. In an era where new music is banal and overproduced, Rex is a beacon of shining light. There is a new king of music, my friends, one with an artistic vision that is to last through the ebb and flow of trends. I would recommend this album to anyone that considers themselves to have good taste. Brilliant, just brilliant...

If you thought dance songs were all puff paint glitter bubble gum lyrics, then you're missing the morbidly twisted subtleties offered by Stegosaurus Rex. His passion for music has lead him away from a life of computer engineering and into the music engineering scene as he's taken it upon himself to reinvent a borderless, genre-less release compiling a wide array of works spanning his last two years of his college career. (Yes many of these tracks were made while he sat in his underwear, in between studying for midterms and pre-partying). Rex is versatile as both a musician and a first time producer, as he perfects his craft with each new track he works on. Since 2005, Steg Rex has added into his repertoire electric guitar, taken up singing (on tracks like Green) and started sampling his own live drums. As the kid from behind the throne leaves his jazz/drumline background for hip hop instrumentals, electronic Akai pads, and loopstation pedals, we begin to think Stegosaurus Rex won't be out of the loop in the indie music industry for long. Recently he has started producing in his side project with Russian singer/ blond bombshell DJ Secret Agent Natasha, tentatively called "Love Tears Us Apart". Inspired by 80's New Wave, Steg Rex also finished engineering for LA pop singer Ashi. Rex has started to pop up in the Bay Area, making a TV appearance on Access SF Open Mic show alongside hip-hop group 40Love. His next single called "Undeniable" is scheduled for release in December 2008 and features vocals and a Depeche Mode vibe. Now just because Steg Rex's vocal tracks hold a special place in my heart doesn't mean his instrumentals are lacking. Its quite the opposite. Secret hits on `The Dino Soars' album that won't get as much hype as `Nowhere to Run', or `Green' include `Gauchos Caesura', a spaghetti western guitar interlude piece, `Ferns', a creepy crunchy mysterious electronic morsel, and `Mike Myers', a more minimalist track paying homage to Michael Myers, the hacker/slasher of Halloween fame. Also, props to Kelley Toledano who offers hip-hop vox on the collaborative track `Sleep All Day'. (the two previously had a street group called Model Minority with cuts about what its like to live in the East Bay) Also, fobar alert, track #2 is mistakenly listed as Prenumbra, but is actually Penumbra. Woops iTunes! Don't be the last to know about this up and coming Cali underground artist.

Cool instrumental tracks good for driving to mixed along with dance beats and a touch of disco. Green is the best song on here with its bittersweet lyrics and catchy melody. Great effort for a solo artist's first release. I saw on his myspace that he has another nice vocal track like green coming out called Undeniable.

Some artists/musicians touch you more than others.... Steg. Rex happens to be one of those artists, at least for me. I could go into depth explaining the variances of his music style(s) and so much more... But all you really need to know is that this dude is doing something beautiful. period. I will continue to support and buy his albums, great guy, and great music.

This album features some poppy hits that you may have heard but slipped your mind. The driving catchy beats with uplifting melodies are what initially attracted me to Dino-Saurs but some songs I hadn't heard before buying the cd left me puzzled. "I see your dead body, with the blood all smeared" is one synthysized lyric that caught me off guard in the stylishly repetitive song "nowhere to run". Other songs i couldn't listen to; they seemed more like faded abstract art pieces rather than music with crackly moaning winds and radio blurr. This is a pretty good album but i don't think its worth 15 dollars when there are so many electro classics floating around for 5 or 6.

This debut album blissfully and cohesively combines electronic and contemporary instruments. Far from the generic dance electronica and generic hip-hop trying to incorporate dance electronic beats and rhythms, Stegosaurus Rex created a refreshing trajectory for both crowded genres. The fluid transitions between the songs with lyrics (Frozen Promises) and those without (Falling Shadows) seamlessly generate the illusion of multiple cds and artists. The Dino Soars musical versatility makes it a perfect addition for those looking for something simultaneously captivating and easy to listen to. While, The Dino Soars is ultimately an electronic album the stylistic liberties Stegosaurus Rex incorporates makes that detail easy to forget when one gets caught in the catchy and at times disturbingly intriguing rhythms and lyrics.