Customer Reviews

Evolution - The New Breed of Electronic Pop

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are lots of good catchy up-beat tunes on this album, but I found myself often wishing that someone else was singing the songs. Many of the lead singer's voices were rather week, and even annoying at times. It's a shame because the music for many of the songs was really good.

I found "Angel with a broken wing" from Blind Before Dawn to be a bit on the cheesy side. I think Ganymede would have a lot of potential if their lead singer had a few singing lessons. The songs are very catchy and danceable, but his voice falls a bit short of being impressive, and makes the otherwise great songs, sound amateur. Of the songs on the album, "I believe in You" from Raindancer, "The Well" from Axoe, and "They Call her love" from Nasa were my favourites. Gary Flanagan reminds me a bit of Taco (Puttin' on the Ritz).

You do get a lot of music for your money too, as this is actually a 2 CD set. I didn't realise this when I ordered it, because the listing only showed the info for the first CD, so that was a nice surprise, and I actually think the 2nd CD is better than the first. The song listings for the 2nd CD are as follows:

1. This wasn't the first time - Ganymede
2. Revolution - Simulator
3. So Close - Spray
4. Lucky - NukleoN
5. Apollo - Empire State Human
6. Raindance - Raindancer
7. They Call her Love - Nasa
8. We have the Dance Floor to Ourselves - Gary Flanagan

In summary, if you like dancy electronic music, then you'll probably like this CD, and I think most of the bands have a lot of potential - my only real complaint being some of the singer's voices...

Definitely on the cutting edge of the cycle of music as the Depeche Mode-esque style surfaces anew, fresh, exciting, and matured.

"Evolution", released by Ganymede's Cohaagen label, is an exciting compilation representing the new breed of electronic pop. The variety of styles goes from mellow to uplifting, from laid-back to dancey, and from retro to modern sounding. It's billed as a taster of things to come from the Cohaagen label, and on the strength of this release Cohaagen is going to be THE label to watch this year. There is something on "Evolution" for every synthpop fan, and all of the songs are strong and melodic, and of the highest quality.

Tracks come from some of the hottest bands around. Ganymede fresh from grabbing best single of 2001 at Electrogarden with "Neon Rain", kick off the album with a club mix of Ganymede's "The Final Year" which really grabs your attention, one of my favourite songs from their excellent "Euromantique" album and another great remix. Another great synthpop band Soviet are here with "Bank Holiday", as melodic as any track on their "We Are Eyes, We Are Builders" album.

Up-and-coming star NukleoN, who is currently working on new material for his album has another great track, a highly polished version of "Sometimes", and Raindancer have an explosive track, "I Believe In You" which is sure to crowd the dancefloors. The highly rated Mystic Underground have a laid-back number, "Oxygen", their album has got to be a must-have. Canadian synth star Gary Flanagan, working on his "Future Fashion" album for a late summer release has an energetic number called, appropriately, "Summertime" while Empire State Human have a fast-paced dance track "Post Madonna".

Freezepop show their talent for classic synthpop with "Tender Lies", and they are joined by a host of bands to really look out for in the future. The Mourning After have an excellent track, "Listen To My Heart" sounding like Depeche Mode at their synthpop best. Axoe provide an exciting dance anthem with "The Well" along with Strange Angel's "You Make Me Feel Alive".

Blind Before Dawn's "Angel With Broken Wing" is one of my favourite tracks, I'll be keeping an eye out for their album. Karacter slow the tempo down again with the highly enjoyable "Marathon", while Simulator provide an excellent finish to the album with "Moments Away", a really uplifting instrumental which will leave you wanting more.

There is so much quality and variety on "Evolution" that it's hard to pick the best track, there is a song for whatever mood you are in. The hardest part will be deciding which album to buy from all of the talented artists! If this is just a taste of things to come from Cohaagen then I can't wait for more. Hats off to Ganymede for giving these artists a chance, and for making a CD that doesn't fail to impress in every way. Keep up the good work!

If you're a fan of Synthpop, this compilation rocks. The "Tender Lies" single from Freezepop is esp. boppy.

This is a fairly good compilation with quite a few songs to sing along with in your car. My only reservation is that the artists here are trying to recapture the "New Romantic" feel of 1980s bands such as Depeche Mode and Spandau Balley without creating anything new. It's pleasant enough.