Customer Reviews

Movement in Still Life

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this album on the day that it was released in Great Britain, a rather cold October day last year (1999). I bought it on the back of the previous 2 albums, which were both superb, but nothing could quite prepare me for the first time that i listened to it. I was totally blown away by the sound that my stereo system was producing, this is one of the finest records that I am fortunate enough to own. The original British version is still my favorite, because the album flows and develops as it should, but the Asian double CD is very good, as it adds an extra dimension to the progression of the album, the Austrailian Version was pretty good too, though adding the extra track did harm the flow of the whole experience a little. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the U.S. version some time soon, and by the looks of it, it could be one of the best versions yet.

I must preface this review by saying that i dont have the second disc. I bought this album waay back in November or so, and it didnt have that bonus disc.

Having said that, this CD has made me a true fan of BT's, and it demonstrates damned well how talented this guy is (dare i say genius?).

The album paints a beautiful picture of where electronic is heading (just like "PLay" by Moby). The music starts off more of a breakbeat style, then eases into Trance, and ends with Electronic Rock (i cant find a more apt word).

The thing that gets me so worked up about this album is that it's so well produced. I remember, one day, me and my room-mate were studying, and i popped in the CD (he's a huge Trance fan, so i figured he'd like it)...every couple of minutes he'd stop studying and just stare at the speakers in marvel. This was the same room-mate who would bump Trance from his compilation albums all the time, and not even notice that the music was playing. That's how well done this album was.

People like BT are few and far between. They help define the genre and push its limits. They give the music soul, and complexity, and well, they make you feel. Very few Electronic artists make music with a soul (Moby, Paul Van Dyk, and Faithless spring to mind).

Buy this album, even if you dont like electronica. It'll make a convert out of you, and if not, at least you'll have bought a damned good album that you'll enjoy for years to come.

First of all, there are two versions of Bt's 'Movement in Still Life' one can purchase on Amazon: this, the (original) import version, and the US release, which is clipped, disorganized, and replaces several nice trance tracks for mediocre faux-folk numbers. The choice is simple and obvious; the suits who butchered this album should be hung up by their toenails and forced to listen to Coltrain, Bach, Zappa et al until the Britney programming is thoroughly removed from their aural memory.

Hailing from Washington D.C., Brian Transeau broke into the exclusive European progressive-trance scene with his 1996 masterpiece Ima (Japanese for Now), which took the standard cliches of the genre and reshaped them into tunes of pure passion. The 1998 follow-up, ESCM, both improved on Ima and vividly displayed BT's shortcomings, those being a penchant for cheesiness and overuse of certain electronic themes. Movement in Still Life, BT's third artist album, features these same flaws sandwiched with some of the man's best work to date.

MiSL begins with several hip-hop influenced breakbeat tracks that segue together well and, overall, create a nice party atmosphere. Around the 20 minute mark the fluttering chords of 'mercury and solace' floats through the 3/4 rhythms; intricate trance and happy progressive dominate hereafter, the best of which--'Godspeed,' 'Namastai'--burn bright and long. Not all is brilliant, however: 'Dreaming', unfortunately, stretches its (rather thin) concept to the brink.

A collaboration with Hybrid, 'Running the Way down Up' serves a potent climax to MiSL, and after the breaks have faded and a distorted guitar shudders in the distance, the forlorn hope of 'Satellite' comes chiming in for appropriate conclusion--sheer bliss--Bt's voice works well to serve its earnest/melancholic paradox.

Four stars--not everything works as it should--but certainly a worth addition to any music-lover's library. Next up for Bt: Still Life in Motion.

First of all I bought IMA a long time ago. It was by someone I had not heard of yet the cover intrigued me. Unfortunately I did not care for what I heard. Ahem. Roll on a few years and I see ESCM. Ho-hum I think I'll pass on that .....( I did pick it up recently and loved it, but that's another story ).

Now here comes MISL with BT grinning on the cover. Initially I purchased the US version with all it's edits and cuts and other things that everyone rants about. So I soon remedied that situation by importing the 2 disk Asian version and sending said US version back to the Tower..

This is a very fresh sounding record, sounds like BT had a lot of fun with it. The way everything is played with, the beat changes and the tones used, the sound and the feeling are all very cool. We start with a few breakbeat tracks. With beats sounding a lot like real drums. Although I hate the way Ride sounds ( too harsh and tinny) . The Hip Hop Phenomenon is one of my favs. It uses a lovely subtle melody made purely of sub bass with add distorted tones over the top. Very electric and original. Mercury And Solace must be one of the supreme trance pieces so far. Extremely flowing it takes you to the soaring grounds in the first few seconds.......and keeps you there of course. The Quiver Mix makes the track take on a to some extent different feel yet manages to retain that floaty feeling which is so essential..... Dreaming is an epic, yet there's not much diversity between the two versions here. Love the strings, kinda wished BT kept them going throughout the 9 minutes. It's nice to have the full version of Namistai on the second disc. Exceptional track.

Yes, this album indeed has an emotional arc to it that the US does not. We go funky and cool to flying high in your mind until we come back down to finish with a gorgeous folksy number. Just brill. Works so much better ( than the original US release ) and must be one the albums of the decade ( even though it came in 99 - but I never discovered it to 00, so there.... :)

Do yourself a Quaver and pick up these discs.

BT is the epitome of trance..his creations are beyond good; they are great. i fell in love with BT when i heard "Flaming June" which is still by far my favorite tune. After Flaming, I just knew that I had to own everything that BT creates. "Dreaming" is steller, but I have to say that "Satellite" was the song that blew me away. Who knew BT would put such a refreshing and unique track on this CD. I really recommend this album (imports only) especially to those who are new to trance. I guarantee that if you listen to this album, you would not want to listen to anything else but trance, especially trance mixed or produced by the master trance producer himself, BT!!!!

The only thing I have to say about this alblum is that if I had to pick only one out of the thousand plus cd's I own, I would pick this. It is the best thing I have heard in forever!

Just got my copy of M.I.S.L. Just as I expected, very BT.I just love his choice of sounds, his programming and his effects programing on Pro-Tools, Wicked! My personal favourite is Ride which is laid back trance city. The remix on CD2 is kinda similar, not as remixed as I would have liked but still superb. The whole CD sounds like it could have been written 2 or 3 years ago, but if you are a BT fan then it doesn't matter you will love it.

I was really looking forward to this CD, but ultimately, I prefer BT's songs when blended in to other works like Tiesto's Searching for Sunrise. It does have some great tracks. But not all the tracks are great. But hey, you might like it... if you want to shell the money... I say the import is simply not worth it. Save a few bucks and buy the US version.

This isn't so much an album as it is a brief taste of a wide variety of music genres. It relaxes you early and then takes you right into some hip-hop/rap with an electronica background. AND THIS HIP-HOP WORKS. It's got several songs that have been released widely like Godspeed, and Mercury and Solace(what good trance/electronica/BT fan doesn't have them on CD already?) but it is the songs that haven't been released widely that bring this CD it's rating. Madskills, and The Hip-Hop phenomenon are incredibly pulsating for non-trance cuts. The nine minute Dreaming(with lyrics from a Sarah Mclachlan sound-alike), to the nearly seven minute Giving up the Ghost.... This CD is worth every penny. It's like Brian Transeau decided to deviate from his previous works and his trance classics to get a very non- BT ish sound on some of his unknown songs. This is a radically different sounding album from his previous ones and a huge success as far as this fan is concerned.

Just rec'd my copy, I cannot get enough of it, if you buy ANY copy, pay the extra for the Limited Edition copy with the bonus disc- "Extended and Un-mixed". Movement in Still Life is a slight different style for BT, alot of breakbeat, but still no-one can compare to Brian Transeau, totally original.