The latest albums making noise
Darude is the guy behind the global club hit, “Sandstorm.” While the song is genius, it is, unfortunately, the closest many mainstream music listeners will ever get to familiarizing themselves with trance. This is sad because by limiting their exposure to dance and electronica, potential fans were likely deprived of the ear candy that was Darude’s sophomore disc, Rush.
Perhaps taking note of this, the mix master produced his third album with tracks that are simultaneously accessible, yet true enough to fill floors with trance devotees. The songs overlap instead of mix into one continuous track and are full of vocals. Individually, the songs do one of two things: embrace elements of the mash-up trend or utilize the best in rock vocal delivery, but each does so without sacrificing the best qualities of trance.
One of the former-style tracks is “I Ran (So Far Away).” The blazing, free-flowing guitar riffs provide plenty of energy for Blake Lewis, who perhaps would have won American Idol had he been allowed to do the kind of performance he gives on this track. He sounds at home on this trance groove, which is almost low on peaks and valleys, but engaging with its midsection hip-hop break.
“My Game” sounds like a foray into rock in its intro, but quickly embraces hollow synths coupled with a grimy rockstar vibe to create a lighter companion to the BodyRockers “I Like the Way You Move.”
Upon the first beat of the title track, listeners are transported back to the days of Darude’s worldwide smashes “Sandstorm” and “Feel the Beat.” Here, electro takes over as various genres of music are listed that may or may not apply to the song at hand, while the ever-present guitar shreds in the background.
“Good Grooves” features a robotic voice and cosmic sounds mixed with elements of funk on a cut more reminiscent of the sound from Rush. “Bad,” on the other hand, proudly declares a connection to Darude’s 2003 album with its distorted peaks and valleys, and a crescendo build that results in hollow, “lighter” trance that encourages dance floor attendance.
Though not as mainstream as After the Storm or as sonically intriguing as Rush, Label This! does provide a natural progression from the sound we’ve become familiar with from Darude. We just hope we don’t have to wait five more years for the next step in his evolution.
That’s My Jam’s Rating:
5. Get It Now
4. Get It On Sale
3. Get It As a Gift
2. Get It To a CD Exchange Store
1. Don’t Get It At All
Track List:
1. “My Game”
2. “Tell Me”
3. “I Ran (So Far Away)” with Blake Lewis
4. “Stars (Here With Me)” [Tech Mix]
5. “Good Grooves”
6. “In the Darkness” [Tech Mix]
7. “Bad”
8. “Label This!”
9. “Lost”
10. “For Those I Love”
11. “Dreams”
12. “In the Darkness” [Trance Mix]
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