Description
‘Every day I die for Your Body’ begins with mournful thick pads. A slow heavyish rhythm brings the track to life then two melodies start up weaving around each other. As the track progresses more melodies come and go. Many of the tracks use a similar formula though all have a unique character of their own. This is fantastic and amazingly infectious music. I will not cover every piece on the album, the original draft of this review did and took up over two pages! I loved every track. Nearly all the numbers will rhythmically get your whole body moving- its impossible to stay still. Rarely have I come across rhythms that are so irresistible. The lead lines are just as impressive however. You could actually hum or sing along to them, taking the place of where many musicians would put lyrics and yet they somehow say more than lyrics could (except on one track- see later). The whole album is extremely commercial, probably the most commercial Electronic Music I have ever heard and certainly of all the albums on the Neu Harmony label the one which would have most appeal to the mainstream market. Andy C is the musician behind The Glimmer Room and he sent me a demo (with four tracks on I think) after hearing an Asana sound clip on the web site. Up until this release Asana represented the most commercial end of the Neu Harmony label. Unlike Asana however it doesn’t come from a dance, chill out or ambient perspective. Rhythmically it has more in common with music you might have heard during the eighties but being much more inventive and infinitely more powerful than anything you would have heard then. There are no vocals (except on one track), there is no need for them the melodies being so strong. The one exception to the no vocals statement is ‘Sweet Smell of Cloves’. This is the only ‘song’ on the whole of the Neu Harmony label! Usually I avoid them like the plague but amazingly this track is more responsible than any other for Neu Harmony asking Andy for more tracks and ultimately signing The Glimmer Room. It is however only a short track so program it out if you want but what a waste if you do! Its truly inspired, one of the most heartfelt songs I have ever heard. The rest of the album is instrumental. I get complaints from people all the time that EM is in a retro lead rut (no rut as far as I am concerned) and that musicians should start following a new path. My answer is that nearly every ‘new path’ I hear attempted might be good but it just wouldn’t have enough appeal even within Electronic Music circles to make it a viable proposition. Well as far as I am concerned this is the new path which I hope musicians will follow. It should have mass appeal to customers of Synth Music Direct and beyond. It’s not scared of being commercial sounding but at the same time avoids all the bland crap clichés of most pop music. It doesn’t try and tag itself onto any other scene in order to gain exposure, it does its own thing. Above all it tries to be enjoyable and exciting – and succeeds. It’s a breath of fresh air! (DL) ;\ ‘\’
