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101 of 108 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Record of the Year, August 31, 2006
If you come into This Binary Universe expecting a rehash of the utterly disappointing, yet mainstream friendly Emotional Technology, you're going to be disappointed. If all you want is generic trance and electronic-pop music, then look elsewhere.
Serious music fans, however, owe it to themselves to pick up BT's latest and greatest CD. Written mostly as a collection of lullabies for his daughter, Kaia, I can only describe it as majestic, unsurpassed beauty in musical form.
The sticker on the CD case contains the following quote:
"...it could well be studied as the first major electronic work of the new Millennium. It's that good.", Stephen Fortner, Keyboard Magazine
Stephen Fortner is not lying.
This record is a work of art. It's a masterpiece. It's a gift to everyone from one of the most innovative musicians working today and I feel blessed to have heard it and being allowed to share in something so obviously personal.
Never before has a record taken me through such a range of emotions; from pure elation and happiness, to deep, reflective sadness. It's the type of record that can give you hope - it's that remarkable.
"1.618" is so absurdly beautiful it doesn't seem like something that could even be created by a simple human being. "See You On The Other Side" is melancholy, yet so full of hope. The grand scope of "The Anhtkythera Mechanism" is nothing short of mindblowing, but it was the last track on the album that did it.
It was the first song to ever make me weep.
"Good Morning Kaia" is the single most beautiful piece of music I have ever experienced in all the years I have been alive. The accompanying video on the DVD features video footage and still pictures of BT and his daughter together and is so touching, so personal, that only the most jaded individual would find it difficult not to cry as they watch the unadulterated and unconditional love of a father for his daughter. As the pictures and private film rolls by, a message from father to daughter scrolls across the screen. Set to the music, it will move anyone with a heart and soul to tears, and parents themselves should keep a box of tissues handy.
In fact, the real treat of this album IS the DVD, not for the videos for each song. Sure, they're neat and filled with some beautiful and surrealistic CG imagery, but it's the DTS surround sound mix found on the DVD that is worth the extra cash. After hearing the 5.1 mix of the record, it almost seems unfair to listen to the 2-channel stereo recording on the CD.
This record, particularly the surround sound mix, pushes the boundaries of electronic music, yet it still retains much of that trademark BT sound with loads of stutters and filters. Yes, it's downtempo, but it's not a completely new direction for him. Anyone familiar with his film scores may find it somewhat comparable to his score for the film Monster. Personally, I'd rather see BT grow as an artist than make another record like Emotional Technology, which was a severe letdown after the brilliance of Movement In Still Life (by which I refer to the European version, not the cannibalized U.S. release).
I can only thank Mr. Brian Transeau for sharing this amazing work with us all and urge everybody with an open mind and an appreciation for music to purchase This Binary Universe.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Versatility at its finest., August 30, 2006
I'll say right off the bat that I'm sure there will be people who purchase this album thinking it is a lot like his previous releases. I'm here to let you know that it isn't anything like those works in terms of feel, tempo, etc. This release from BT has more of an electronic-melodic-jazzy-classical-ambient-minimal feel to it. The songs range around 10 minutes in length so the 30 second clips don't really give you much to get an idea of what this album has to offer.
If you want a dance album then I would say that you would want to hold off until BT releases his next work. Apparently, he has recorded (other work too more than likely) with DJ Tiesto (Brian sings on a track called "Break My Fall"). I believe he's recording a follow up to his "Emotional Technology" album as well, which he's pretty far into. This is how I understand his current project schedule based off what I've read. I'm not sure what the content will be overall with that release. Regardless, to the people who are wondering when he'll release something dance orientated... its coming.
So, back to the album... BT is a producer at heart so he's showing his versatility even more with this album. If you are familiar his previous works then you'll know that he's also done film scores (Stealth, The Fast and the Furious, Monster, etc.) and worked with other artists as well such as Peter Gabriel or The Roots. This CD touches more on his ambient-melodic side and he puts all that he's known/learned over the years into use. This music is like a journey you go on through a lot of places and feelings before getting back to where you were originally. Each track has a different feel to it so nothing really sounds like the previous track. As you listen to it, I'm sure people will find something that they didn't notice before... it's that deep.
The DTS 5.1 recording adds so much to the experience that if you want to truly get everything out of it then I suggest you play it on a system that supports that. With the CD, you also get a DVD that has videos on it to accompany the tracks. That was an excellent treat to compliment the music. I know a lot of people like to do a breakdown by track but I realized that you need to listen to this on your own to make decisions of that nature. There are lots of things I can say about each individual track but I'd just go on and on. Personally, my favorite track was "1.618" but that was a hard choice to come by.
Ultimately, if you want to witness some excellent versatility in BT's music catalog then this is a really great example of it. This is artistry for music that you have to really sit down and put some time away to just listen. It isn't something you can just listen to on the fly and truly understand what's going on. I've been listening to it most of the time since yesterday before typing this. People who will be expecting a dance album will be disappointed but give it a listen because this is something very special. It is an excellent piece of work and I am glad to have experienced this.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ambient At It's Best, August 30, 2006
BT or Brian Transeau is a longtime dance music artist by now, He released "IMA" in 1995 and the big break "ESCM" 2 years later that was a mix between ambient and commerical eletro-house and techno-pop. "Flaming June" for example was a club hit. By the years things have changed a little though, "Emotional Technology" was in a more progressive direction and the soundtrack to Charlize Theron's film "Monster" was ambient film music. With highly anticipated "The Binary Universe" there is only 7 songs but they all are long and meliodic ambient. For those of you that wanted another highly accessable and commercial "Flaming June" you will get dissapointed, this album is non-commercial, Kind of like Moby's last one, but BT is superior to Moby when it comes to release dreamy and meliodic ambient music, but For those of you that own "ESCM" and liked songs like "Orbitus Terranum", you are gonna love this album. "Binary Universe" is very exprimental, with more cinemographic sounds that could have been from another soundtrack. It's also exprimental, in the sense that loads of diffrent sounds are squezed into the diffrent songs, kind of like Avant-Garde Jazz or early Pink Floyd that squezed several pieces of songs into every number. Infact there is lots of melancholy jazz on this album, electro, orchestral and classic pieces. It's not very accesable, in the sense that none of the songs are made for the charts and all of the songs are long and often change rhythm or melody through the song. BT is just following his heart, exprimenting further and "going back to his roots" with some classical music which he played as a kid. I think it's too difficult to go into song by song, it's something you have to experience by yourself while listening to them, cause like I mentioned all songs goes in diffrent musical pieces and they are hard to comment, but most are classic half slow ambient (with diffrent arrangements) the "The Antikythera Mechanism" however sounds like the soundtrack to a Isaac Asimov science fiction film, it's futuristic, robotic and with brilliant orchestral work. Just liste to this album in patience and you'll find the goodies. Maybe you're Stressed after a long day at work?, Relax, turn the lights off, and turn on this album. There are also DVD versions included of all of the songs. Original? You bet.
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