V.A. - Relax Mode (Blue Tunes, 2008)

[voice of all]

Hi there! We are about to reveal the truth about one of the releases by mighty studio Blue Tunes Records. The label specialize in mostly progressive sound and ususally present nice fat clubby beats to its listeners. It was started back in 2006 by two brothers Sirko & Stephan Wotanowski who are also known as Montagu & Golkonda (as djs) and Symphonix and True Lies (as two bands of different styles - prumping psyprogressive and electro/house respectively). They are also are hosts of very respective festival Tshitraka Project and we can tell much more good things about them...

 

V.A. - Relax Mode compiled by Symphonix

 

01 Lauge & Baba Gnohm - The Perfect Stranger

02 Forest Effect - Unconscious Reality

03 Erot - Lonely On A Friday Night

04 Koan feat. Krusseldorf - Rainfall

05 Symphonix - Drops In Your Eyes

06 Koan - The Last Samurai

07 Erot - Scent Of A Girl

08 Kanc Cover feat. Koan - Cosmic Spores

09 N.O.K. - Le Roi Est Mord, Vive Le Roi

 

...but lets turn to the release itself. It is made of rather unusual material for this label and has not much original name. It contents realy relaxing music that you may call generally chill-out. You should mind that it has light scent of dub and breaks within. It is not the first expirience of the label in the style alike. This february compilation "Slow Motion" hit the table so "Relax Mode" continuing this good tendency.

 

CD starts with nice tune from Lauge & Baba Gnohm. They present here good evening track with touching minimal melodу and interesting surrounding. Its rather quiet piece of relaxing music which is perfect start for release like this. 8/10. Next one is Unconscious Reality by newcomer Forest Effect. Track starts with atmospheric noises and continues with speech sample. Not so impressive from the beginning it turns to breaks-based chill-out with sad melody played with strings. It has good synnergy with the first track but not so attractive. 7/10. Erot is the next project that appears. Lonely On A Friday Night is dusk and melancholy ambient that includes rather nice repetitive melody move but laсks somthing that can give it completness and own shram. In spite of being in good connection with previous track it is more dull and faded then others. 6/10. Then we have a very top creation of colloboration of Koan and Krusseldorf. It has all the might that needed to let it be considered as one of the best traks on the release. It has hard deep beat engine and very cool melody that comes out wave after wave from the very beginning till the end. Rainfall has enough changes and development in it to prove its high mark: 10/10.

 

Then label's owners themselves comes with relaxed piece of music. Drops In Your Eyes is slow and solid track with huge speech sample. Seductive leisured melody starts from the beginning and then starts nice bassline. Personally I think that the second use of the sample is not necessary. All other features are cool so it is nice one: 8/10. Next one is Koan's solo track The Last Samurai and i have to say that in my eyes it is the best track of whole release. It has great melody that untwists and changes nicely. Its also has nice environment and impressive mood. Calm and sad but realy great. 10/10. Erot returns with second try on this cd. This track is more melodic and diverse then his previous. Here we have good beatbase and gentle surrounding sounds but it still needs to be improved with some details that i cant realy figure out. Something that will bring it to the new level. 7/10. Kanc Cover and Koan again are responsible for the eighth part of the release. Amorphous introduction lasts rather long time and takes almost half of a track but it did the thing: when the melody and very unusual beat comes out you have your feelings tuned well. Teasing and disquieted motif made by very special synth goes down to nowhere at the end of the track. This can be more sturated with action - too much ambient itself but the stuff that we have here is very good and track has it deserved mark 8/10. The last one is N.O.K. with bit mainstream but good enogh track with breaks and interrupted female voice sample. It is short sketch which is nice final for the release like this. 8/10

 

All in all this cd has very nice taste and definitely positive impression. It has pair of realy mighty pieces and all the rest of high quality level sounds. Here you'll face that type of mood that i used to call evening music. Its nice to be heard somewhere at the beach in the early night or right before the sunset. Traсks mostly have melancholy scent and features indistinct dub- and breaks-oriented chill with large ambient inserts.

 

8/10

 

Best tracks are:

Koan - The Last Samurai

Koan feat. Krusseldorf - Rainfall

Lauge & Baba Gnohm - The Perfect Stranger

 

Where to buy:

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/btr/btr1cd020.html

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content...8466/relax_mode

[Trance2MoveU]

 

 

Artist: Various

Album: Relax Mode - Placid Chill Grooves

Label: Blue Tunes Recordings

Year: 2008

 

 

1. Lauge & Baba Gnohm - The Perfect Stranger

2. Forest Effect - Unconscious Reality

3. Erot - Lonely On A Friday Night

4. Koan feat. Krusseldorf - Rainfall

5. Symphonix - Drops In Your Eyes

6. Koan - The Last Samurai

7. Erot - Scent Of A Girl

8. Kanc Cover feat. Koan - Cosmic Spores

9. N.O.K. - Le Roi Est Mord, Vive Le Roi

 

 

I needed a relaxing disc to listen to after being stressed out and this fit the bill. Blue Tunes Recordings is responsible for putting out so much good music including the new Koan album When The Silence is Speaking which I reviewed. It is mastered by Tim Schuldt so you know it oozes quality. The tracklist is quite appealing including Koan on a couple of tracks. The cover is a simple pinkish red square with a guy relaxing in a hammock under a palm tree.

 

1. The first track is so sublime, it is truly peaceful. A downtempo dubby quality piece that painted a picture of a flame colored sunset amidst a cool, calming breeze. The end of another summer night. This is what I am talking about.

 

2. "Subject is 156 cm in length weighing 52 lbs. The corpse in advanced stages of decay and dessication. Distinguishing features include large ocular cavities, oblate cranium...indicate subject is not human." Nice X-files sample that starts the track over bleeps and whooshes but with a slow tempo. Soft pads hang in the air, as a choir whispers beneath an elusive flute that is ever so gentle. Add a gently plucked acoustic guitar and the summer ain't over yet.

 

3. Metal clankings amidst a wet basement belie a slow deliberate beat as stings dance nimble overhead. The break opens a melancholy window showing me that all may not be as it would seem. Pretty deep track.

 

4. Koan and his distinctive wall of sound. Tinklings over a slow beat as rushes and bleeps attack the senses. Smooth as always and keen melodies to relax me.

 

5. "An infected male exposed himself to sunlight yesterday. Now it's possible, decreased brain function, growing scarcity of food is causing then to ignore their basic survival instincts. Social de-evolution appears complete; typical human behavior is now entirely absent." This sample over an uncertain break makes me wonder if we can survive. Sad and beautiful at the same time.

 

6. This tracks sounds a lot like the other Koan offering, but when the product is that good, you buy in bulk. The piano gives it a new agey feel. I'm sure some might say this resembles Yanni a little to closely.

 

7. More upbeat, but quite short. The break is full of snaps and light percussion. Far away strings appear and this is very mellow, but due to its length, the track isn't allowed to grow. Still, good though if you're looking to chill.

 

8. Trip-hop with a purpose. We've got a full tank of gas, it's nighttime, and we're wearing sunglasses. The synth melody at 6 minutes seems shockingly out of place (the sound doesn't fit) but other than that very groovy.

 

9. Another short piece but effective. Floating, dreamlike flute over a recently destroyed kingdom. Choirs chant of the conquests of yesteryear with the promise of a return. One look at the battlefield littered with our dead makes me think otherwise.

 

This was exactly what I needed. It is one of those albums you can listen to from start to finish. What you get is a truly smooth and chilled out experience. With headphones on the listener is transported to any peaceful place they wish to go. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Superb. :clapping:

 

Mdk