Movement in Still Life

BT

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 6, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 6, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B00004TIQ6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,192 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Dance & Electronic > Trance

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

BT's velvety take on trance techno, typified by unusually light, liquidy melodies, smooth edges, and roomy breakbeats, was first noticed in the U.S. via his exceptional remix of Tori Amos's "Blue Skies." That song and other like-minded U.K. singles that preceded it gave rise to yet another variation of trance music dubbed "dream-trance." It's an apt label. BT's dense, yet straightforward compositions and benevolent mixes incorporate themes of escape and rebirth, with songs that imprint themselves on your subconscious. On Movement in Still Life, never before available in the States, BT breaks through the wall that separates techno from out-and-out pop, incorporating verse-chorus-verse song structures. Furthermore, he allows his dreamy mix to wander into Fatboy Slim-esque big beat territory. As a DJ, he's clearly capable of branching into different styles. The smart house and choppy beats of the title track make that apparent. He's still playing with needles and wax on that track, though; "Shame," with its acoustic drum/guitar sound and accessible pop vocal track sounds ready-made for alt-rock radio, with only touches around the edges that betray the presence of a DJ. Other songs, such as "Running Down the Way," blend the two styles more evenly, utilizing a pop song format but keeping it clubby and decidedly nonacoustic. Given BT's U.S. success with the pop/club mix of "Blue Skies," as well as the accessible, anthemic style he tends to favor as a DJ, the record makes perfect stylistic sense. He'd be wise, however, to keep dream-trance close to his turntables, as the perfection of such tracks as "Dreaming" and "Godspeed" make it blissfully obvious that he has utterly mastered the sound. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars be Careful, June 25, 2000

By	Samuel T Snelling (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews

For those looking for a disc like that of BT's past, i.e. "Ima" and "ESCM.", be careful...not only does BT stray from the formula he is so known for, but he even ventures into areas such as (GASP!) pop and rock. Tracks such as 'Satellite' and 'Never Gonna Come Back Down', which features vocals from Soul Coughing frontman M. Doughty, show that BT is a tremendous musician capable of much more than terrific melodic trance tracks. Following the commercial success of Moby's "Play," it seems as though Americans are starting to take notice of the electronica scene with great interest for a change. Enter BT, with perfect timing and a near perfect compilation of tracks that have something for everyone. Not only does he cover his usual trance anthems in this release, 'Godspeed' and 'Mercury and Solace', but he continues his venture into breakbeat, 'Madskillz' and the title track, and completes his journey ending with a very hip-hop song entitled 'Love on Haight Street'. I believe that this album will have a larger impact much like that of "Play" and introduce electronica to new and more diverse groups of people. BT's producing abilities are flawless in taking songs that were much longer such as 'Dreaming' and preparing them for the short attention span of the states. I applaud BT, because along with Moby, and Fatboy Slim, he has been a pioneer of electronica...taking it to new levels, and new masses. This album is a must have for any music lover.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GET THE IMPORT!, August 22, 2000

By	Andrew M. Schirmer "violist/student" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This US edition hardly measures up to BT's ORIGINAL UK RELEASE of this album, last November. Tracks are cut short to please American tastes, tracks are dropped, order is changed...what is truly a great album is reduced to cut and paste. Beginning with the great track (but bland opener) "Mad Skillz/Mic Chekka," the order is insecure at the least. "Mercury & Solace" is reduced from around 7.42 to almost 5.00! Every other track follows suit.

The import edition is a mixed disc (done through Pro Tools much in the same vein as PVD's latest "Out There And Back"), representing a very musically mature BT. Breakbeats, hip-hop, trance all carry his mark of smoothness (yes, even the breakbeats!)...Transeau is one of the few electronic artists whose style is instantly recognisable (DJ John Kelley is another).

In summary, "Movement in Still Life" is a truly wonderful album, but this watered down edition is not. Sorry.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a great album!, October 7, 2000

By A Customer

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a rock fan, more inclined to buy an album from the Smashing Pumpkins or Radiohead than anything from the various techno genres. In fact, the only other "techno" album I own is Moby's "Play," and that was a gift from a friend! That is precisely why I was so shocked that I absolutely loved BT's "Movement in Still Life," which crosses over nearly every musical border out there. Tracks like "Never Gonna Come Back Down" (the reason I first bought the cd, because I saw the video on MTV2and was swept away by it), featuring M. Doughty, formerly the lead singer of Soul Coughing, are silly, breakbeat oriented, while others, like "Dreaming" and "Mercury and Solace" make me feel as if I was floating away on a cloud. BT also tosses in some hip-hop influence with songs like "Madskillz" and "Love on Haight Street." Bottom line: buy this cd, either the import, the domestic, or both. You will not be disappointed unless you are so rigid in your musical tastes that you refuse to accept anything new and different.