Sola

Echostar | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shadow Records
• ASIN: B00009PJR1
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,504 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ever wonder what happend to Bowery Electric?, July 1, 2003

By 

Bryen Mackey (Phoenix , az Usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sola (Audio CD)

Since the release of "Beat" i have been a huge Bowery Electric fan. Soon Arrived "Vertigo"("Beat" Remixes), and last but not least "Lushlife". After so many years of wondering what was coming next, my question is finally answered.From out of nowhere , and without warning Comes EchoStar. A project of former Bowery Electric singer Martha S. It Feels like "lushlife" Part 2 . You may even hear some beats familiar to you . The first track is not my favorite. Everything else on this cd is wonderful. Martha's hushed vocals streaming over electronic Smears of emotion. Buy It

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solo sola, January 29, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sola (Audio CD)

By definition, chillout electronica isn't meant to make you dance or vibrate in your seat. It's supposed to make you melt into a relaxed little puddle. When it does that, Echostar's "Sola" succeeds as a pretty, ethereal little album, but sometimes it chills itself right into a coma.

"You float like a butterfly/and sting like a bee/talk like a dreamer/caught up in a dream," intones Martha Schwendener in the opening of "Sola." What follows is a mix of poppy downtempo electronica, sometimes with little waves of sonic grit running just under the surface, sometimes with sparkling electronic glimmers (as in "Run").

Schwendener spices things up with a handful of textured experimental tracks, and a few trippy, crystalline little ditties that go nowhere. The songs can sputters like a dying lawnmower to a vaguely hip-hoppish beat, have an eastern flavor, or glide by as smoothly and softly as a summer evening.

"Sola" takes awhile to sink in. At first listen, it sounds rather generic, and almost too chilled out for its own good. But further listens reveal that it's actually a rather pretty, unique little chillout album. Schwendener doesn't break any new ground, but at least she adds a bit of sparkle to well-worn paths.

The first few songs are extremely generic chillout, and it's difficult to even remember what they sound like once they're over. But at "Near Lightning," things start to perk up. By "Tedesco" we've got a sinister undertone to a simple dancebeat, and rich soundscapes that overwhelm the blips and bleeps. Simple, but somehow very sweet and pure.

Schwendener doesn't have much of a knack for songwriting, that must be admitted. What you can hear is rather generic. But her vocals make up for that -- slow, soft, and distinctly sensuous in an airy way. At times her vocals seem almost like a part of the instrumentation, weaving in and out of the electronica.

"Sola" has some flaws, such as the weak beginning and average songwriting. But Echostar's debut album is a remarkably pretty album, despite its weak spots.

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate chillout, September 15, 2003

By 

Brett (IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sola (Audio CD)

I absolutely love this CD!! It has instantly become the one that plays over and over again in my house. I know music is a very individual experience, but if you like smooth upbeat chillout music, this is the one. So many chillout CD's verge on monotony with the same beat for what seems like eternity. This CD has pleasant, interesting tracks that are as good in the car as sitting back having a double scotch on the rocks. I eagerly await Echostar's next release.