Customer Reviews

Unrest

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Erlend Oye takes a somewhat-big departure from the Kings of Convenience "Quiet is the new Loud" album. His "Unrest" album is a lot closer to the feel of the KofC "Versus" remix album.

Still, he's got a great voice. This is blippy synthpop electronica music with him on the top. So it's quite cool. Quite different than a lot of music available today.

Pick it up if you want to try some different music out.

The concept is great: 10 songs written in different locations with 10 different electronic acts. If you are familiar with Kings of Convenience, most likely, you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. While the album is far from sounding like Kings of Convenience (well, maybe it sounds a bit like Versus at times), it still retains that certain Erlend-ness and builds upon it. The CD is catchy with an infectious 80's vibe resurfacing throughout; it's very danceable, diverse, and creative. Oye has a unique vocal delivery and continues to establish himself as a pop-music wizard. Sometimes his approach grows a little tiresome, as on the particularly bland 'Every Party Has A Winner and A Loser,' but every song on here deserves a listen. Overall, it is a more than acceptable substitute for a new KOC album.

Although a dizzying array of DJs and producers helped Erlend make this album, it still sounds like a unified whole. Filled with Erlend's soothing voice and calm, catchy bleeps and thumps, Unrest manages to keep the same tranquility and quiet beauty of Kings of Convenience while sounding uniquely different. This CD is perfect for rainy road trips, making out, or relaxing with friends after a party. Fans of The Postal Service should definately give Unrest a listen.

I became aware of Erlend Oye's solo album when I saw the video for A Sudden Rush, and that night I went out and bought the album. It took a few plays, but now I'm hooked on it and it hasn't left my cd player for weeks. Its brilliant melodic electronic sound mixed with Oye's soothing and beautiful voice make this album, in my opinion, one of the best to come out in 2003. A must have for fans of Soviet, Fischerspooner, etc.

Erlend Oye (the other half of Kings of Convenience) knows his way around the block, this particular block being our own wide world. He can also discern the good from the great as he builds 10 tracks based on the best attributes of 1980's electro-pop presented here in his new album UNREST. Conjuring able assistance from like musical peers, Erlend travels to ten different cities over 12 months to custom craft 10 delightful tracks that are so simplistic that they should attract broad appeal without alienating critics nor fans. Morgan Geist, Prefuse 73, Bjorn Torske, Schneider TM, and Mr. Velcro Fastener lend credibility and creativity to the kind of songs that get stuck in your subconscious with pleasant results. From safety to everywhere, UNREST is a double plus good with a bullet to the present. Genius is nothing more than being clever at the right moment. Subtle and provocative, these moments come in abundance from all over our planet.

Erlend Oye deserves this after all the work he's put in over the last few years. He has a fantastic voice...incredible. And the beats are so ingenuitive.

Maybe I have my head in the sand, but if my then girlfriend (and now wife) had not spent 6 months in Denmark, I might never have discovered Erlend Oye and consequently missed out on one of the best musicians I have had the fortune of listening to. The cd flows so well and is a natural departure for Oye, exploring the more electronic and groovy side of himself that is the flip of his equally satisfying Kings of Convenience work. Oye injects his music with an intellectual flavour while maintaining a fun and charismatic vibe that is as comfortable listening to on a Sunday morning as it is Saturday night.

Fans of the 90's synth-pop sound from bands like Frazier Chorus or ABC (particularly their now OOP CD "Abracadabra") will love this effort from Erlend Oye. Much more reminiscent of the that time period than the 80's. This is a simply delightful album to listen to.

I have been a follower of Kings of Convenience for a little while now. Erlend Oye is a magnificent producer who is always a step ahead of time and he proved it in Kings of Convenience's album 'Versus' by incorporating the new sounds and remixes of today's greatest Electro bands out (ie. Ladytron, Röyksopp). This album provides a lot of the new Electro-pop (which may resemble the old 80s) scene as well, with the help and collaboration of many of the newer and upcomming Electro-pop artists of today. Hope you enjoy this album as much as I have. one of my top 10 list!

this is a very different direction for what fans of kings of convenience are used to. borrowing monotonous beats from the 80's may not be the right direction to go at first, but understanding the album for what oye intended it to be sheds light into the long, dark tunnel.

this is strong conceptual writing inspired by his travels to cities in the u.s. and europe. always evoking emotions of unrest, and journeys lost. The beat reminiscent of 80's synth pop music is a perfect companion to oye's wandering spirit.