Customer Reviews

Exodus

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a big fan of Christian music, that's because the majority of it is cheap knock-offs of music I don't like in the first place. Andy Hunter is authentic Hard Trance, Trip-Hop, and ambient Trance, he is also praising the Lord at the same time. His music fits in with the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Sander Kleinenberg, BT, and Hybrid. His lyrics are unmistakably Christian, yet perfectly rave.
From 'Go', which is everything Paul Oakenfold wishes he could pull off, with its dark, driving beats, and dancability that fits with the finest of fight-scenes; to 'Angelic' and its Chiller Twist vibe; to the Ivy remixed by BT sound of 'Show'. You can't argue with music this good.

What caused me to get this CD was this description on the cover: "'Exodus' is a journey into the presence of God; to hunger for God in a passionate way, craving that intimacy and hearing the Spirit...." It continues along those lines, so I was thinking, "Hmm, must be a praise & worship album. I definitely want that." So I got the CD. But it was awhile before I got around to listening to it.

When I finally did get this album out and put it in my CD player, I was totally blown away. Not only was it not like anything I had expected, it was better than anything I have heard in this genre in recent years, Christian or secular.

It was not a "praise & worship" album in the sense that it was church music. This album is full-blown, all-out electronic DANCE music! And unlike so much dance music today, both Christian and secular, which has beats that I can't even figure out how one would dance to them, the beats on this album are straight-forward and POWERFUL!!!!! This albums DRIVES me to my feet to experience the energy and excitement of this music. And the sound...it's right down my line. It would be hard to make a more perfect sounding dance album that reaches deep into me and touches my musical soul the way this album does. It has all the elements of dance music I've ever liked--exciting, driving dance beats; beautiful, lush electronic sounds, and enjoyable vocals, particularly the songs that feature female vocals.

And yet, the beauty of this album doesn't stop with the music. It IS mostly an album that pulls you into praise & worship. The second song features these words: "Who is like You? Who is like the wonders, the wonders, the wonders of You?" Another song has the jubilant lyrical bridge, "You're so amazing!!" Putting these lyrics to high energy dance music is so perfect for me! When I am happy about God's goodness, I want to dance to express my joy, and this album provides my favorite kind of dancing music to express this joyful worship! I liked the Nitro Praise series of church songs put to a club dance beat, but this surpasses that--these are worship songs made for this kind of music. What an awesome experience!

The middle three songs on the album are slow, but they are also awesomely beautiful with rich, lush electronics and sparkling female vocals. One peaceful, beautiful song, when I experience this song, it's like on a mountain on a crisp, sunny morning, looking out over the mountain ranges and valleys, worshiping God for all His majestic creation. The lyrics begin, "I look into the great expanse; Your majesty is shown, rainbow skies, sparkling ice, beneath Your sapphire throne." What a worship experience!!!

The middle group of songs features female vocals, and I love the sound of this singers' voices--whispery and fresh. Later I learned that one of them was one of my favorite singers, someone who I have two albums from and have wanted to get more albums from her--Christine Glass. I'm so glad she contributed her beautiful voice to this project.

Andy Hunter is a DJ who performs in clubs throughout the UK and now tours worldwide. In the DJ trade magazine DJ Times, he stated that he doesn't like being called "a Christian DJ"--he says, "If a DJ is Buddhist, do you call him `a Buddhist DJ'?" He is just a DJ who brings his worldview to his music and his performance. He worked on this album for several years, so I imagine it will be awhile before we get another one from him, but this album is so good that it will easily last several years. This is one incredible album. 

I listen to a lot of albums, but have so far limited only 3 albums per year to a 5-star rating. The 5-star rating represents an album destined to be a classic, one I will enjoy for years to come. This is one of my three 5-star albums of 2002.

I first heard Hunter's music on cable radio, and was immediately impressed enough to run to the computer and try to find any way I could to hear more. Within two days, I owned the album.

I give *Exodus* between 4.5 and 5 stars, and I *never* give *any* album 5 stars... it is truly that remarkable... without a doubt one of the best albums I have heard in years, regardless of genre.

The album is, as of late, starting to receive high marks and widespread recognition from all corners of the globe... and rightfully so. Regardless of religious beliefs (yes, this album is performed by a Christian), *Exodus* is likely to win you over if you give it a fair shot.

The lead track, "Go," can easily be heard, whether it be in the background of the trailer for Al Pacino's "The Recruit," or on WindowsMedia.com; but most of the other tracks on the disc are equally as strong.

With "Go," the album starts off quickly and with high-energy, keeping this pace until tracks 5 and 6 ("Show" and "Translucent," respectively). Here, in the middle, the pace of the album slows dramatically (and quite beautifully, I might add), giving the album an ethereal feel... before regaining momentum again with the stunning "Sandstorm Calling" in the second half.

"Go," "Radiate," "Amazing," "Translucent," and "Sandstorm Calling" are the strongest tracks (I realise I have cited half the disc here), but there truly is no weak material on the entire album.

Samples of each song are available on andyhunter.com, with "Go" being in 5.1 Surround Sound (the full-length version is featured on WindowsMedia.com). If nothing else, do yourself a favor and check out these samples; I have a feeling if you do, the album will soon be yours.

In a nut shell, buy this CD! If you're into electronic/rave music and you want something you can turn up and worship God with - look no further. Andy takes you through a multitude of electronic genres - from grinding breakbeats ("Go") to melodic pumping trance ("Amazing")... He mentions on his site that he likes to "create an atmosphere." The CD is definitely a journey.

Andy can run with the secular "catz" ... but his edge is God.
You won't be disappointed. Definitely top of the line Christian electronic. My favorite track is "Transparent." I'd buy the CD if this was the only song on it (But the whole thing's great). The lyrics are so awesome and heartfelt. Makes you just want to surrender and let God do whatever He needs to do to mold your heart in the likeness of His. I don't just say that about any Christian artist. I'm glad that the Christian dance scene is growing, but I wish it was growing faster.

Well, open your heart to God and enjoy the ride. His children bring a new sound...the sound from the heavenlies, because their hearts run hard after Him!

Enjoy, enjoy God - you won't be able to stop smiling... -Eddie

I first heard "The Wonders of You" on Need for Speed Underground, so I went to check out this album and listen to the other tracks. The other songs were great (from what I could tell with 30 second clips). However, I almost didn't buy it because with all the praise coming from Christian reviewers I half expected the songs to be some guy rhythmically chanting psalms to a formulaic beat. Thankfully I was wrong.

Buy this CD for the great blend of techno and strings on many of the tracks, a la Hybrid. Each song has a majestic feel to it, the songs are very well put together, and the lyrics are just there. Honestly, who listens to lyrics in electronic music? If you want to find a song to help you worship, sure you can find it here. But I think that the reviewer who said the phrase "Who is like you / Who is like the wonders, the wonders, the wonders of you" is about praise/worship is just grasping for straws.

The bottom line is that this is a great techno CD, with most of the songs being ones you can dance to or get pumped up with. Your religion shouldn't make or break your decision to pick up this album. I know I was almost turned off from buying this album because it had a Christin stamp of approval on it, and that's usually a recipe for bland music.

I first heard Andy Hunters "The Wonders of You" during a trailer for The Matrix:Reloaded. As soon as I acquired the song I knew I had to have more. Any techno fan will love this cd. It's a great example that someone can use their beliefs, whether they lie in God or something else, to produce something awesome. The cd is a flourish of sounds and beats, each and every one of them stand out and are easy to follow in every tune. The melodies are absorbing, and once you start listening to a song you'll find yourself listening all the way through, even if you've heard it a hundred times. I've burned about ten or twenty mixes since I discovered Andy Hunter, and "The Wonders of You" has been on just about every one of them. Andy Hunter has made something awesome. What a great cd!

I've been doing a lot of searching lately for strong Christian music; that is, music that has depth in the melodies as well as the lyrics. "Exodus" definitely fits the bill. As the title to this review implies, I don't like techno--but to love this album, all you need is an appreciation for MUSIC in general. The songs are long, strong, and beautiful--and all are mixed with a full production that gives the album an almost swampy feel at times (not an easy feat to acomplish in the techno genre). If you're simply a fan of music, you will enjoy this album; and if you're a fan of Christian music, get ready to add a new name to your list of favorite cd's.

Certainly, not a waste of money; but if I haven't convinced you yet, check out Andy's website for a lo-fi listen.

This is probably the greatest Christian music I have ever heard. Of course, I'm a little biased towards techno, but for anyone sick of that cruddy stuff you hear half of the time on the radio, this is a VERY refreshing album.

I listen to a lot of techno, the same artists as the previous reviewer does, and I'd have to say that Andy Hunter is VERY much like BT. His first album has a good mix of relaxing almost ambient style music mixed in with some nice semi-hard trance tracks as well. If you own BT's album ESCM, you'll know what I'm talking about.

The track "Show" alone is worth the price of the CD! Not to mention that the first track "Go" is used in the trailer for the "Enter the Matrix" video game. The opening song to the final Matrix reloaded trailer is also off of this CD. This is just a glipse of how good this cd is. This CD is a great buy even for the non-Christian.

You can check out his music streaming @ his website (just do a google search), so you can see just how good it is before you buy it!

First off, I cannot help but rave about this album. As an avid fan of and participant in the techno scene for years, I have been exposed to the best beats out there, and know how emotionally moving that trance can be. As a Christian, I know that only God can bring true happiness and fulfillment in life, and that He fully deserves our worship.

I own almost 200 of the greatest trance and other techno cds on the market, from artists including Oakenfold, BT, Sasha & Digweed, Chemical Brothers, Pete Tong, Judge Jules, Johnny Vicious, and Dave Seaman, to name a few. (If you don't know who these amazing DJs are, I urge you to do yourself a favor and pick up some of their cds...you won't be sorry!) I also know that, at least in my own humble opinion, most Christian music is no where near as good as secular music from the same genre. I am pleased to report, however, that Andy Hunter is a shining exception to the rule. "Exodus" is a CD so dense, so full of exceptional composition and talent, so well-produced, so moving and so beautiful that a written review could never fully express it.

Nothing about this CD is overtly "Christian" or preachy, but a close examination of the samples and lyrics reveals that they tell of a loving and worthy God and are very moving and meaningful to those who understand about Him. Those who buy this album just because it is wonderful trance music cannot be disappointed either--the beats are just so perfectly laid out it's almost scary! If you love techno, especially artists like Oakenfold, BT, Timo Maas, or the Chems, buy this cd. Christian or not, it is one of the best CDs of 2002. I wish all artists were as devoted to their craft and as phenomenally talented as Andy Hunter.

Andy Hunter is the best dance/techno out there and there's nothing like it in the Christian field which is a shame. This is perfect for Emergent Churches and you'd think there'd be more available. Andy, give us more!