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Abakus "That Much Closer To The Sun"
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Top level
Music reviews
Review by PKS
Abakus is the new big name on the chill out marked, now out with his debut album on Liquid Sound Design...
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Abakus is a name you will for sure hear a lot this summer. This is Russell Davies from the UK, who has allready released several tracks on various compilations on Liquid Sound Design, the chilled side label of Dragonfly Records. Now he is out with his debut album, which will for sure surprise many people with his beautiful summer chill. This release also came as a special Japanese edition where you will find a slightly different catalogue number and a bonus track. I am lucky enough to have the Japanese version... After hearing his tracks on several compilations, I have been really looking forward to this one.
Abakus "That Much Closer To The Sun" Liquid Sound Design 2004 (BFLWCD72)
1. Igmatik
2. Shared Light
3. Nightwalker
4. Circles
5. Magenta
6. A Whole New Way Of Looking At The Day
7. Indu
8. California Sunshine
9. Lux Boutique
10. Last Summer Dub
11. That Much Closer...
12. Opaque (Bonus Track)
First out is a beautiful atmospheric track, with relaxed down tempo beats and a fantastic floating vibe. About as beautiful as it can get. The melodies make you really float. Perfect for chilling out in the sun. Track 2 is another melodic masterpiece, with a groovy bass and a relaxing tempo. The melodies are light and happy, but not too fluffy. Nice one. Track 3 is a totally chilled down tempo track, with some really nice easy listening melodies. The melodies are so happy that it will for sure result in many smiles in the chill out areas this year. Another perfect summer track. Track 4 is surprisingly a progressive trance track. But it is really soft and floating, so it is still very relaxing. Drifting beats and beautiful melodies and sounds. A track for the early evening dance floor or for your chilling out in the sun somewhere. Track 5 goes a bit more experimental. Cool experimental beats and twists, mystic melody and an almost scary bass. Definetely more psychedelic vibe in this one. Really good. Track 6 is one of the most beautiful acoustic tracks I have ever heard. Acoustic guitar and a wonderful flute played by Rebecca Lawrence. You also get some dubby beats, and I wish this track lasted longer, because it is a bit short (only three and a half minute). One of the best chill out tracks I have ever heard.
Track 7 (Indu) starts with dubby beats. Then the floating beautiful melodies drifts into the track. This sounds just fantastic! This track is also released on a 12”on Liquid Sound Design with an extra remix of this track done by an artist called Shiloh. After a while, the dubby beats goes over to a stumpy down tempo rhythm you can either dance to or chill out to. Another all time favourite, but again I wish it lasted a bit longer. Track 8 (California Sunshine) was first released on the Youth In Dub compilation on Liquid Sound Design last year. This has also got some acoustic guitar and a lot of etnic vocals done by someone named Ranajit Sengupta. This track reminds me quite a lot of some of the tracks by Angel Tears. Track 9 starts with some weird relaxing sounds. Then a light melody sneaks in. One of the slowest and most experimental ambient tracks on this album. Weird, but beautiful. Track 10 was first released on the Wider Horizons compilation on Liquid Sound Design. This one is made together with Jeremy Van Kampen who was previously one half of Cosmosis, now most known as Laughing Buddha. A totally relaxing down tempo track with some nice tribal drums and happy melodies drifting above. Track 11 is actually the last track if you have got the European version of this compilation. This is an absolute masterpiece. The melodies in this one are so incredibly beautiful! Mixed with totally relaxed down tempo beats and a floating vibe, this makes it to another favourite chill out track of all times! Fantastic! I just wish the track lasted a bit longer. The bonus track you get on the Japanese version is a mystic ambient track. Deep and floating with experimental beats. Nice one.
This album is in my opinion the best album released so far on Liquid Sound Design! This will for sure be one of the best albums of 2004, and I will play it over and over again this summer. So if you are after some really fresh, pure quality chill for the summer, I would suggest you to check this out. Recommended!
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
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Comment List
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humph bacchus
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13.05.2004 10:55
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kind words from PKS. glad you love the album as we all do. here are some other thoughts.....
UPFRONT MAGAZINE : APRIL - JUNE 2004
Another Perfect jem from the highly talented LSD stable. Although there is an air of retro in this disc through its subtle balearic rhythmns, DnB basslines and references to classic LSD releases of the past(Last Summer Dub), the pace and drive of the disc is very definately frameworked in the here and now through 21st Century production techniques, innovative ideas and well timed hooks. This "works" as an album and should be thought of in terms of one continuous piece of music as opposed to 11 individual tracks.
BUBBLE JAM : APRIL 2004
I really like this album, beautifully produced and full of familiar sounding melodies, it is certainly going to hit the spot this summer. While i could not classify this as psychedelic trance, the album defies categorisation. Clever little guitar hooks blend with many styles, funky balearic, dubby, breaks that wash over your senses. It has a psychedelic feel to its sounds and production quality and is going to work well in an uptempo chill
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Justin Chaos
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28.05.2004 22:40
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> kind words from PKS. glad you love the album as we all do.
> here are some other thoughts.....
>
> UPFRONT MAGAZINE : APRIL - JUNE 2004
>
> Another Perfect jem from the highly talented LSD stable.
> Although there is an air of retro in this disc through its
> subtle balearic rhythmns, DnB basslines and references to
> classic LSD releases of the past(Last Summer Dub), the pace
> and drive of the disc is very definately frameworked in the
> here and now through 21st Century production techniques,
> innovative ideas and well timed hooks. This "works" as an
> album and should be thought of in terms of one continuous
> piece of music as opposed to 11 individual tracks.
>
>
> BUBBLE JAM : APRIL 2004
>
> I really like this album, beautifully produced and full of
> familiar sounding melodies, it is certainly going to hit
> the spot this summer. While i could not classify this as
> psychedelic trance, the album defies categorisation. Clever
> little guitar hooks blend with many styles, funky balearic,
> dubby, breaks that wash over your senses. It has a
> psychedelic feel to its sounds and production quality and
> is going to work well in an uptempo chill
jUsTiN cHaOs(www.cosmictrance.com) May 2004:
Veeeeerrrryyyyyyyyyyy Niiiiiiiiiiiceeee cd,indeed....my only complaining is that many tracks are may be too short but...
It`s gonna be a pleasure to enjoy a Russel's Live act and Dj session in the Omni festival....really looking forward for that..
BTW.,P.K.S.,Nice review!!!
Cheers everybody!!!
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