Customer Reviews

The Sun & the Neon Light [Vinyl]

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

 

 

Leaving their massive club hits behind can be either a good or bad thing, depending on which way you look at it. While I really can't stomach listening to Mandarine Girl or Body Language much any more, as they've become too played out in my head, I could listen to Night Falls and In White Rooms every day of the week. Some hits stay with you, and others you want nothing more to do with once they've found their way onto the 5th DJ mixed cd you've heard in the past few months. The Sun and The Neon Light may not have any of the dance floor stomping hits you've come to expect from Booka, they've returned with a solid excursion into downtempo melodies and cinematic-like soundscapes.

I don't think it's an album that needs to grow on you, as at first listen, the intial 3 tracks have very catchy and accessible melodies to begin the album. It changes back and forth from new wave like, synth-pop vocal tunes, to downtempo minimal, to upbeat tech house tracks. There's still your share of get up and dance tracks like Karma Car, Planetary, and the well reviewed single, Charlotte. They've also included a radio mix of they very catchy sythn-pop track, Numbers, which they first introduced on their DJ-Kicks mix CD. The only issue I have with the album is them not including their track Tickle, which was released on vinyl along with Karma Car. I liked that track a lot, in fact, better than Karma Car.

Those seeking more euphoric and upbeat tracks like those found on Movements may be a little disappointed, as the album definitely takes on a feel like they are attempting to become more creative with their electronica, rather than trying to appease the masses and find their way onto 8 mix Cd's this year.

For those of you who are hesitant at purchasing this new album because of this lack of dance floor oriented electro and tech house, there's also the limited edition version found here: The Sun & the Neon Light. It's currently an import, and hopefully the price will come down for US buyers. It's not a must have, unless you are looking for a more upbeat sound. The 2nd disc features remixes of most of the album tracks, and also includes two tracks not found on Disc 1. It isn't exactly a DJ mix per se, but it is continuously mixed. If you can find it for a decent price, it's well worth having both discs, as it's interesting to see all the album tracks morph into club tracks, to get an insight into what the album could have been if it remained all upbeat.

I'm very impressed with this album, and find myself listening to both discs of the Limited Edition quite frequently. I think they both provide a different feel, and I haven't become spoiled by hearing the 2nd disc of remixes, as I still find the original versions interesting enough to stand alone. There are 14 tracks on the main album disc, and I'd say I found 12 of them to be above average. Add the Limited Edition's 11-track, 2nd disc, which really doesn't have any weak tracks, and you're getting a lot of music from one of the best duos in today's electronica. You really can't go wrong as those not preferring the more downtempo and vocal vibes of the album, should have no trouble with the peppy, 2nd disc mix on the limited edition: The Sun & the Neon Light.

I found out about Booka Shade about 2 years ago when my brother was living in Ireland. I've been a big fan ever since.
Their third studio album, entitled "The Sun & The Neon Light", is by far their most mature and focused to date. They still know their way around the studio, but they seem to have taken a different route this time. While their penchant for a minimal approach remains intact, they seem to have tweaked it and have created something thoroughly enjoyable. Their last effort was a delight for the ears but just lacked the real depth that this one has.
Give it a listen, you wont regret it.

Key tracks include: Control Me, Charlotte, Sweet Lies and Psychameleon. But they're all great.

Also, if you ever get the chance to catch these guys live, do it.

Booka Shade hits the decks again for THE SUN & THE NEON LIGHT, which seems them continue their select blend of techno, house and everything in between. The electro bleeps of "Outskirts" are grounded by the swelling strings, while "Duke" is spare and dark, but not quite minimal. "Dusty Boots" and "Comacabana" let in a little twangy country riffs, and "Control Me" dives into synth-pop. But it's not until "Charlotte" that the album really kicks off in all its playful glory; the smooth and quasi-romantic "Numbers" soon follows. The title track wanders in and out of Detroit, going from cool industrialism to warmth techno, but as "Sweet Lies" comes in, we can hear how Booka Shade wishes to juxtapose the two. Electro returns for "Karma Car," and there's a little bit of stomp in "Psychameleon," and an almost alarming wiggle to "Planetary." But "You Don't Know What You Mean To Me" caps the album on a soft note. But if you're in a dancing mood, head on over to the 2nd disc, where the beats are plentiful.

The album The Sun and The Neon Light is the third and most recent album by German electronic music duo Booka Shade, consisting of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier. The album holds fourteen tracks that each has a distinct feel, ranging from mellower electronic music tracks to louder and faster club music tracks. A feature that is present in all the tracks is the heavy use of synthesizers that often provide the main melody of the song. Almost every song on the album uses a combination of the styles of musique concrete and electronische music. In most tracks, there are computer-generated sounds that add the electronische aspect, as well as several sampled sounds that give the feel of musique concrete. For example, the track "Dusty Boots" uses a sample of a banjo playing that continues through much of the song as the main melody, while computer-generated sounds provide the background ambience. Also, some of the songs have vocals, and though the lyrics are simplistic, they definitely add a new and enjoyable layer to the songs.

Another major aspect of the tracks that complements the sounds and occasional vocals are the drumbeats that provide a backbone to the tracks. The catchy drums sit well beneath the layers of sound created by the synths and samples. In some of the tracks, such as "Charlotte", the drums give the song a dance club feel, with a pulsing bass and a bouncing drum beat. In other tracks, such as "Duke", the drums are much more mellow and create more of an ambient feel rather than a knocking club feel. This ability to create different moods and feels demonstrates that the duo is capable of an impressive range of skills. The tracks cover a wide range of styles, so any enthusiast might pick a different one as their favorite depending on their personal taste.

Although the drums and samples take large roles in some songs, the star of the album is certainly the synthesizers. Each melody is mesmerizing and varies throughout the song, making it enjoyable to listen to each track all the way through. Just as the drums create a range of moods, from quiet and ambient to intense and fast, the synths also cover a wide array of styles. In the track "The Sun and the Neon Light", the synths build and grow fast and intense, and create a trance mood. On the other end of the spectrum, in the track "You Don't Know What You Mean to Me (J's Lullaby)", the synths are slow and long, and the song has a much more peaceful and mellow mood. With the wide array of moods and impressive variety of the use of drums and synths, this album contains at least a few tracks that would appeal to any fan of electronic music. This was my first discovery of Booka Shade, and after listening to their first two albums, this one was my favorite. This album used less of the simple club beats and explored more ambient feels, which I enjoyed. Overall, I think this album is a very successful attempt by the duo to experiment with new styles and I would recommend at least giving it a try.

Yet another great Booka Shade. If you haven't heard Memento and DJ-Kicks (Booka Shade) This is a good one to start with. I've been a Booka Shade listener and fan for some time now. Flows nicely from "Outskirts" to "You don't know what you mean to me"
The Sun & the Neon Light is presented by Get Physical Music
Others to look out for Memento, Movements and DJ-Kicks.
It's not often you get a full 14 tracks that pull you into their world,
easy listening but still a great CD from start to finish
5 stars for track choice 5 stars for flow

Booka Shade has had some amazing hits and been exciting to watch over the last couple years in becoming a huge influence in good electronic music. This album however was horrible. There were like 2 good tracks on the whole cd and the rest of the tracks are just a bunch of sounds thrown together that made me want to vomit just hearing. Do not buy this cd because the utter failure in its creation will make you very dissapointed.

One of the most exciting producers to emerge in the current context of electronic music, Booka Shade unfortunately lets down with The Sun & The Neonlight. Totally unintelligent and dorky. HUGE disappointment.