Customer Reviews

Time Out of Mind

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

 

 

Although Mark Pritchard has released a CD under his Harmonic 33 alias, (along w/ Dave Brinkworth), and Tom Middleton has released numerous mix albums, this is the first proper solo record from either of them since they disbanded as a duo in 1999. First, I have to say, it's about time! Being probably my favorite electronic act, waiting for Tom & Mark to embark on solo careers has been tortuous. While Tom has become one of the top mix DJs and remixers in dance music, Mark has kept a comparatively lower profile. It's great to finally see him demonstrate his full potential. This album, released on Far Out recordings, covers the gambit of Mark's influences. From Electro, to straight 4-on-the-floor, to Breaks, & even Latin corners, Time Out of Mind has it all. Maybe he will finally get some of the recognition he deserves for influencing British dance music, and helping kickstart the electro revival of the late 90's with the classic New School Science album as Jedi Knights. Anyway, a killer album which has been a long time coming, in my opinion. A++

I knew very little of this artist when I picked it up other than the label (Far Out) also released music by Marcos Valle and a few other Brazilian musicians. Then I was doing a random search for some Nina Miranda tracks and it came up and I figured I'd check it out. And at first listen, I felt a very strange sense of deja-vu. Then I realized it - this cd reminded me of Arkestra One!

The music is rather good, blending smooth vocals with electronics, guitar, keyboards, etc. When you look through the track listing you wonder if it is more of a social cd aimed at todays times. But the music - great electronic touches, some nice music, great producing and a smooth, easy, very chilled vibe to this. Underground sounding, which is perfect if you include Nina Miranda's sweet vocals. Stand out cuts to me were "Paz", with a very interesting palindrome of the track to close the cd. And then "The Righteous Path" has a cool sound, dark and lounge theme. Also, "Lonely Girl" is a great song that comes a bit off of the path of the CD. It reminds me of a soundtrack theme to be honest - an Italian soundtrack theme, "Easy Tempo" ish. There are other songs here that are also quite good, like "Roll On" featuring Eska and "Without You" featuring Steve Spacek. Perhaps the only song I didn't follow as much as the others were the album's title track, as it just didn't seem as timeless as the others.

All in all, this is a terrific cd with a very cool vibe. Be warned, this is not an energetic cd, or something that's made in the mold of inspiring you to run 10 laps or have a power workout. It's almost something for a rainy, cloudy day or for a lazy mood in London, which is what this CD reminds me of. And if you have this and enjoy it, you will DEFINITELY want to pick up Arkestra One's cd from 2 yrs. ago. Just like this, it features Nina Miranda on vocals on select tracks, and has an eerily similar vibe. It's a perfect companion piece to this. Also check out some other stuff by Eighteenth Street Lounge (Thievery Corporation), who released Arkestra One's cd in the USA.

Upon hearing 'Paz', I made the decision to purchase this album. To my delight, it's not the only song worth listening to and this CD is very solid through and through. This album is very versatile and seamlessly melds different genres to create an extraordinary listening experience. This is a very versatile and well-produced piece of music and was definately worth adding to the collection.

Terrific album. Especially "Without You", which seems like it's somewhere between Brazilian samba, sci-fi techno lounge, urban plain chant, a little sinister, and heaven-only-knows-what. The album is exceptionally cool, and really beautiful as well. It's all about wonderful.