en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal The Last.fm journal for Reetsjel. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2009/03/30/2lz5xk_alaska_highway_-_closure Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:40:06 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2009/03/30/2lz5xk_alaska_highway_-_closure Alaska Highway is the alter-ego of UK-born Mike "Moose" Best, created in 1993. By 2001 Moose moved to Los Angeles (USA) and shortly after Alaska Highway became a duo with the addition of Anthony Jones. In 2004 the album "Attitudes of a Difficult Mind" was released and created a small fan-base which encouraged the duo to work in 2005/2006 on more tracks. However, by late 2006 Jones left the band to go solo (with a project called "Monastic") and the tracks were put on hold till now.
Appropriately calling the album "Closure", Moose produced a 10 track CD which was mostly written by Jones (except "Aging", written by both) but finally mixed and mastered by Moose himself. Containing a well-balanced portion of upbeat songs and ballads (along with an intro and an outro), it was released in January 2009 on MP3 format only leaving open the possibility for a CD edition if demand justifies.
"Closure" starts with an almost mystical movie soundtrack-like instrumental filled with a Gregorian/Celtic lament which is beautifully performed by Jones. This intro is in no way a guide for the rest of the album as it is synthpop (or electropop as it's now called) as it's best. Nothing refreshing or new to hear, but a solid and comfortable synth album with rather romantic lyrics to match the young voice of Jones. You can really hear the many influences he has had while writing, without accusing him of plagiarism but you get the feeling he is still trying to find his own sound.
Although pretty much bland, songs like "Skyline (Extended Mix)" & "Uzumaki (Hybrid Mix)" spice it up a bit; this could be the result of posterior tweaking but we can only guess. The ballad "Aging" shows great detail in the editing process and the track "City Of Angels (Hybrid Mix)" while having a strong beat, fails due to the inexperience of Jones voice as an instrument. Then again, the most powerful ballad on the album, "Winter Within", shows the potential of his voice and delivers in its simplicity. Other tracks like "Event Horizon (Hybrid Mix)" and "Aesthetic" could be a strong base for clever remix work.
Not really an album with high and lows but still an enjoyment to listen. It makes you wonder what more Alaska Highway could have accomplished if this chapter hadn't been closed.

-- Rachel Anderson [8/10] Reviewed for Connexion Bizarre]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2009/03/17/2kofzb_innerpartysystem%27s_eponymous Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:59:22 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2009/03/17/2kofzb_innerpartysystem%27s_eponymous Innerpartysystem is an American quartet from Pennsylvania who have just released a self-titled debut album. Singer Patrick Nissley appears to be as involved in the programming as band-mates Kris Barman and Jesse Cronan and together with drummer Jared Piccone, they all seem to do additional vocals which makes them probably a tight unit.
They do claim to be an electronic rock band and once you hear their album you understand why. The album seems to be divided in two parts: Tracks which are electronic with a rock influence and rocky songs with an electro finishing touch.

The album "Innerpartysystem" has 11 tracks with an instrumental hidden track at the end. They start the album with an ascending pumping beat that becomes "Die Tonight Live Forever" and frankly has dancefloor-filler written all over it. The bpm does not keep up after the first track but there is a good use of synths and harmonic vocals. The lyrics are quite clear although sometimes a bit romantic and in songs like "Everyone Is The Same" and "This Town, Your Grave" almost emo.

Nissley's voice becomes almost sexy in the seductive "This Empty Love" and it's overall quite fine-tuned, probably being the most rock asset of the album. The rock/indie tracks, like "Heart Of Fire", are not impressive but contain some really nice synths bits and weak tracks like "New Poetry" seem to be cleverly placed album filler. Songs like "Don't Stop" and "Obsession" make you enjoy the beats and raise the quality of the album in general. One thing will puzzle you (or delight you): the hidden track is a noise-like instrumental which will make you wonder where does it fit.

As a debut, a nice album with conflicts of genre; might work for some as there is almost something for everyone. One question rises up: Can they deliver on stage or are they a studio band? 7 out of 10.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2008/02/16/d2bdx_thirty_seconds_to_mars_at_the_hmh_in_amsterdam_%28the_netherlands%29 Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:50:16 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2008/02/16/d2bdx_thirty_seconds_to_mars_at_the_hmh_in_amsterdam_%28the_netherlands%29 Sat 9 Feb – 30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars came to The Netherlands to a sold out venue, which seem to be a surprised to them...
Not to the ones whom had been waiting for at least 3 months for them to show up and makes us believe in this phenomena...
Renaissance man Jared Leto reminds us that you can do anything you set your mind to (and probably more)...
The Mars Army probably was standing at the doors when the sun came up but us mere mortals showed up just when the first support act was starting, just to find out that the main act was starting at 21.45hrs and only playing till 23.00hrs; well, more disappointment was added when we saw the merch stand... yes, the merch was great quality but I did checked the US merch site prices before going to the gig (hey, I'm still Dutch) and was blown away by the way they "translated" the money :s
Of course I am going to explain (to show you that I am not a cheap-arse :p): the "Believer" hoodie is prized as 50 US Dollars on the official merch site and with the current currency that is roughly 35 Euros... So how come it was 75 Euros on the merch stand? C'mon, I could have understood if it was 50 Euros but 75??? Maybe I am just used to the prices at the Electro gigs so I'll shut up about that now...
Back to the event then; I could nag about the venue but I won't bother, let's just say it's not one of my faves... The support acts; oh well, we always try to endure the support acts, it's something to do while you wait for the main act... This was no different... Make Believe was put there by winning some competition (or so I'm told) and Full Duplex was totally out of place at such a gig, which was ironic cos I enjoyed it but then again it's my scene...
It gave me a chance to look around to the beautifully dressed Mars Army; seem to be red night and a lot of those masks must have cost many hours if not days of work... I also notice the variety of people attending; all ages, all types... seems that A Beautiful Lie has reached the masses here...
Well, the main act then; the setlist was (if I remember well)
O Fortuna
Battle of One
Savior
From Yesterday
Buddha For Mary
The Story
A Beautiful Lie
The Kill
Attack
Was It A Dream?
Capricorn
Echelon
A Modern Myth
The Mission
The Fantasy
Not sure about the list order, I should have wrote it down for accuracy purposes but I was way too busy enjoying the gig ;)
I did notice that some people did not know the tracks of the first album but that's not a big deal, they did enjoy it. So what more could I tell you... I think during From Yesterday some guy named Bas came on stage to play with the band, I am not sure if he won something or the guys just thought it would be great to put a fan there but the interaction was amazing and we all got a kick out of that one.
Jared himself started a mosh-pit while playing Buddha For Mary by saying "Make a circle right here at the middle" and tried to get the public going... He called out for some crowd surfing (which it's not allowed at the HMH) which at first was kind of ignored but by the end of the gig was accomplished... And of course the "bunny ears" affair :p I think Tomo had them on first and Jared stopped the just starting Was It A Dream? to talk to the crowd and ended up putting a pair on, it was a delight to see...
The place was rocking, the gig itself made all the disappointments go away, great show with an awesome vibe...
The feedback I have seen online is so versatile that I do sometimes wonder if we all went to the same gig :s and don't get me started about what the Dutch press wrote...
I only know what I saw, felt and experienced; A fab show with top musicians... And believe me, I have seen my share of shows to make an educated conclusion ;-)]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2007/10/22/d28hi_diorama_in_the_netherlands_%28april_2728%2C_2007%29 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:06:26 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Reetsjel/journal/2007/10/22/d28hi_diorama_in_the_netherlands_%28april_2728%2C_2007%29 Fri 27 Apr – Diorama, Faderhead

Diorama in The Netherlands (April 27/28, 2007)
Apr 30th, 2007 by Reetsjel

German band Diorama came to The Netherlands to present their new album “A Different Life” and although the weather was in their favour, it seemed the venues were not.

The LVC venue in Leiden was the better of the two but sadly the acoustic (in)capacity made it impossible for the band to give the audience the full live experience. Not that they didn’t try, there was no lack of effort on their behalf. The venue was not sold out but it was comfortably full.

The support act Faderhead, a German band who are industrially inclined but don’t quite get there, came on-stage at 22.00. With their second album just out and a new keyboard player, they tried to warm up the audience. I emphasize the word “tried” because the people who came to see Diorama were not impressed at all by their act. Some of them were even surprised that they use a sample of Depeche Mode’s “Question of Time” in one of their songs; I won’t say that it was a positive surprise but then again, if you are impatiently waiting through the support act, you tend to see everything on the negative side.

I was fortunate to have among my friends all types of concert visitors: the hardcore fan, the occasional fan, the “I have heard of them” visitor and the “where are we going and who are they?” visitor, so my feedback was diversatile. I quite like it when not all is “it was awesome” or “great gig”.

The setlist for the Leiden gig was:
01 Intro
02 Her Liquid Arms
03 Burning Out
04 Wingless
05 Kein Mord
06 Synthesize Me
07 The Girls
08 No Tears
09 Definition Power
10 Advance
11 Why
—
12 Erase me
13 Leaving Hollywood
14 Friends We Used To Know

After a strong start with the long-standing crowd favourite “Her Liquid Arms”, Diorama launched straight into their new material.

I limited myself to only hearing the first single off the “A Different Life” album and I was afraid it was the wrong choice but I am glad to acknowledge that it didn’t make my experience a lesser one. So I could not sing along, no matter, there was someone next to me singing along word for word and by the second gig I could sing along to the refrains of most of the new tracks (I’m a quick learner and nobody wants to hear me sing anyway ;-p)

As you can see, they really did present their new album to the audience and by doing so, the merchandise stand ran out of the newest album in no time (so much so that there was no sign of it the next day at the other gig).

The evening was clicking and there was an atmosphere of relaxation on stage. The guys had fun and it showed, making the performance better than the last time I saw them, at Summer Darkness 2006.

Singer Torben Wendt had a strong presence, his voice was in great shape and the interaction with his bandmates was more noticeable than before.
The influence of guitarist Sash Fiddler on the liveset has grown and he makes an audible bonus as well as great fun to see. Diorama’s right hand man Felix Marc showed once again that he is not going anywhere and puts those pesky rumours about him giving up Diorama for Frozen Plasma to rest.

Marquess (drums) may not stand out on stage but when he gets up from his drumkit to do his bongo bit for “Leaving Hollywood”, you finally realize that his part in Diorama is as strong as the rest, making the band a stable square, with each member in a corner, ready to be the foundation for something big.

Those who were worried about the departure of Bernard Le Sigue leaving the band unbalanced need not be concerned; it’s as if they are now as they should be. Not even the technical difficulties could spoil a great performance.

Diorama gave the people what they came for and more; the energy of the four members was all over the place like a virus, spreading everywhere. No regrets so far, no negative noises from the crowd. Well, a little one but I am guessing that the band had nothing to do with that; the stage lights kept blinding the audience.

With that feeling in mind we went to the second gig at Willemeen in Arnhem. Big mistake, we should have rebooted.

The venue was probably a third of the size of the one in Leiden and I kept thinking why oh why would someone book a band like Diorama so far from the Dutch electro scene? But then again, The Netherlands is not that big and “if you build it, they will come”… well they didn’t and thank God for that; the venue was small, too warm, too stuffy and looked more like a community youth center than a proper stage venue.

Again the support was offered by Faderhead and I believe in second chances. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that Faderhead is probably a studio project; he might be a great musician but as a frontman he lacks some qualities that are needed on stage, charisma (stage presence) being one of them.

The setlist for the Arnhem gig was:
01 Intro
02 Her Liquid Arms
03 Burning Out
04 Wingless
05 Exit The Grey
06 Kein Mord
07 Synthesize Me
08 The Girls
09 No Tears
10 Definition Power
11 Advance
12 The Pulse Of Life
13 Why
—
14 Erase Me
15 Leaving Hollywood
16 Friends We Used To Know

The full set was played this time but the suffocating heat clearly influenced the performance. Singer Torben Wendt seemed to suffer and appeared to be a bit emotional after singing “No Tears”. Being a professional, he collected himself quickly and continued with new found energy.

They won the audience all over again; no heat could keep the crowd from dancing. It seems to me that Diorama is conquering The Netherlands one small venue at a time. I will really like to see what happens to them when they arrive at a proper venue… ;-)]]>