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Music reviews
Michael Andresen from Sweden is out with a new album, this time with his trance project called 12 Moons. He has been releasing a lot of music on various labels, especially Dragonfly Records, but this time he is releasing his album on the Greek label Candyflip Records.
12 Moons "Solid State" Candyflip Records 2004 (CFCD12)
1. Analog Haste
2. Ovation
3. Pilot
4. The Collective
5. Without Within
6. Ananokki
7. Small Adventures
8. Halo
9. Interlude
10. Flair
First out is a melodic, really beautiful morning trance track. Sort of progressive trance in a bit harder way than usual. Totally trippy, drifting vibe, which reminds me a little bit of Blue Planet Corporation. Fantastic track and the best one on this album in my opinion. Track 2 goes darker, still with a mystic, floating vibe. Some how it reminds me a bit of that melancholic vibe we got in a lot of hard trance releases in the beginning of the 90’s. The beats we get here are really pumping. Very melodic, drifting, sort of old school trance. Track 3 goes really deep. It continues those floating, atmospheric soundscapes. This one is also really melodic, but goes deeper and more trippy. Track 4 starts slow and builds up. I really like the drift on this one. You also get some kind of electro sounds in there. Some of it might sound a bit too fluffy to some people, but I think it sounds pretty deep and trippy. Nice, hard, progressive trance. Track 5 is another deep, drifting progressive trance track. This sounds a bit slower and more stumping. Still quite melodic with atmospheric, fluffy sounds. This one builds up too, and becomes pretty massive after a while.
Track 6 has some kind of electro sounds again, in the beginning. This one sounds a bit like progressive house music, with some pretty fluffy, light melodies. To me this one goes a bit over the top and can easily sound a bit boring. Track 7 goes the same melodic direction, but much more trancey. Totally atmospheric, floating vibe all the way through. No rough sounds, just beautiful floating vibes and drifting beats. Track 8 starts really nice and melodic. This track goes a bit more relaxed. Totally melodic, but not in a cheesy way. Pretty groovy too, with a happy, slow, stumping vibe. Track 9 is a short track lasting for a couple of minutes. This is just a relaxing slow track, perfect for those who like his ambient project called Healer. The last track we get on this album sounds a bit more experimental. Here we get less of those atmospheric, fluffy vibes, and it goes over to a more hard pushing rough style. Pretty intense rhythms, which gives me some kind of techno feeling. It builds up, and after a while we are back in those totally melodic, floating soundscapes again.
On this album you will definitely find some of the best trance tracks 12 Moons has produced so far. In my ears, several of these tracks sounds better than most of the tracks he has released on various compilations. His sound is also pretty different from most other artists these days, so check it out if you are after some trippy, melodic trance.
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
