abysis212 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Album: Haldoium - GLW / DRK Style: Progressive Trance Released: Mar. 2011 1. Glow 2. Out in the woods 3. Ce-Ras 4. Alice Dream (Haldolium rmx) 5. Photographic 6. Ridge A 7. End of a government 8. In life, we have 9. Moral Convictions 10. No-World It was with great anticipation I looked forward to the release of Mario Reinsch's 7th Album under the name Haldolium. A veteran of the scene he has often been at the fore front of defining what will be the next popular sound. Lets take the album track by track: Track 1 - Glow: First off great name for an opening track. In fact I love the album title as well--playing off the idea of 'glow in the dark'. Haldolium has always been good at choosing good lyrics and titles for his music. Alright, now for the song itself. Glow opens with a low key industrial palate of looping dark ambient pads, basslines, a ticking sound, and static like ambience. The melody mainly revolves around a repeating bell/chord sound that changes pitch rarely but when it does it is for dramatic effect and really only alternates between two pitches/keys. Still it sounds a little contrived the way it is attempting to create drama and tension here. Later in the track, when most elements fall out and you hear just the kick and bass clearly, it sounds very nice. 5.5 mins in we get a very interesting erratic synth line that adds some nice emotion. Overall, this track reminds me of the first track off QNT in that it doesn't jump out at you as very interesting. The first time I heard it I thought it was boring. However, upon repeated listens it has grown on me. I still wouldn't call it a dynamite track but it is 'interesting' if not really loveable. Track 2 - Out in the Woods: This track has a serious case of Atmos - Klein aber Doctor. The main synth line is very reminiscent of the end of that track. This doesn't bother me as its sounds good. It is almost like an updated more minimal remix. Fat bass and kick. Nice supporting synths and rhythms this is sure to get your head bobbing and if you are on the dance floor you definitely want to dance. Not much else to say...very groovy track. A nice blend of old school and new school sounds and feelings. Track 3 - Cs-Ras This song starts out with a sound the leads one to expect it will be good. However, the first time I heard it the song as a whole wasn't very interesting to me. Now after listening to it more there are parts I like and don't like so much. Between we first minute and second we get some cool industrial dirty synths and a driving bass. This is fun. However, as things start to progress the middle portion begins to bore me. I feel like the song is relying too much on minimal synth lines that stick to one note a lot. The occasion synth that is melodic only at the end of the bar doesn't interest me much. The last 2 mins of the track are my favorite. The industrial synths are back with other elements and combine to create an interesting interplay. Track 4 - Alice Dream (Haldolium rmx) Finally on this track Haldolium begins to cut loose a little (actually quite a bit;). The mood is spacey and repetitive with an undercurrent of an electo synth. The bassline is driving and deep. It all combines to create a hypnotic driving bombshell. It has the energy of some old school driving psy with the more minimal approach of progressive today. About halfway through we get a breakdown and main synth line emerges from the depths that mimics the percussive stabs in one part and it is very catchy and good. When the bass/kick come back in we are blown into hyperspace. Fuck, I want to hear this loud sooo bad. Sweet f'in track. Track 5 - Photographic This track is a mixed bag for me. It is much more melodically focused than the previous tracks and has a sort of electro robot sound to it. Reminds me of X-Dream's new sound. I usually love when Haldolium uses more melodic changes and longer vocal samples/lyrics. Here I feel like some work and some don't. The "I take pictures, photographic pictures" works well with the synth that plays only when it comes on. "Bright light, dark room" kinda sounded contrived when I first heard it but in a big crowd and dark room probably would be pretty cool during the breakdown part. The turnaround synth that plays each time after the 'bright light, dark room' sample to bring the beat back is sweet. The rest of the vocals don't do a lot for me. My favorite synth comes in with 1:40 left but then at 1:30 another synth comes in that sounds a little fluffy. It sounds commercial but probably works well on the dance floor with a big crowd. If I heard it live I wouldn't complain. In terms of album placement it is an appropriately placed track to mix things up. Track 6 - Ridge A This track starts off pretty unsuspecting. A repeating note with delay and a pretty weak sounding kick (gives it a mysterious foggy harbor at night sort of feel). A simple off beat hi hat comes in and some background drones. Nothing special here but kinda intriguing. Then the bass comes in with a stronger kick and the low end is just brutal! I love it. Can only imagine how this sounds with some serious sub-woofers. This track is a progressive minimal dark brooding master piece. When the track breaks down around 3:30 there are some beautiful under-stated synth lines that emerge and draw you in by not being in your face but by being quiet. And then the kick comes back in again. Love. This song just works. It doesn't try too hard and everything finds a space to shine. Along with 'Alice Dream' best track so far. Track 7 - End of a Government More dark brooding sounds...this time more twisted. The synth lines in this song seem to materialize like some swamp creature slowly raising itself out of the water. The track builds very nicely with a lot of nice interplay between percussion and bassy melodic elements and even between the melodic elements themselves. Halfway through, the track breaks, and all the sudden we are getting a sermon about trade unions and government power by some women that goes on for over a minute straight. The long vocal sample wasn't really my cup of tea at first...its a little hard to follow and feels a little long winded and kinda breaks the energy of the first part of the song. Plus it felt a little cliche. However, with 2 mins left the long sample is over and we get a repeating sample of "yes i'm with you all the way, towards the end of a government". This sample and the way she says the last line is so infectious it is clear this is the point he is getting to. Its like a "yes we can" barrack obama chant for psy-trancers. It sounds awesome. I wish the middle portion of the track had this elegance but alas. It still is a pretty good track. Track 8 - In Life, We Have I'm just gonna say it. This track is tits. Everything about this track makes me want to get up and jump around. It has an excitement bubbling under the surface that makes it feel like a revelation. There is one main repeating vocal sample that goes "in life, we have". The supporting synths and samples are great at adding emphasis in places and energy in others. I am very impressed with how 'expressive' the sound fx are here. The second half of the song peaks beautifully. There is no meandering around here trying to sound cool. It is cool and its going places. The best track on the CD. Brilliant. Track 9 - Moral Conviction Starts with a heavy rolling dark bassline. Breaks into a breakbeat with the sample "moral conviction". This song is well programmed and does a good job creating a mood. It is well placed on the CD to break up things a little and begin preparing to wind down. However, it doesn't really grab me as a track in and of itself and neither do the vocal samples. Though I can appreciate some of its good qualities I feel like its main value is in relation to the other songs on the CD not in and of itself. I wouldn't feel any great loss if I woke up tomorrow and it was no longer on the CD. Track 10 - No-World This track starts off with a classic Haldolium sound and effected vocals samples. Oddly enough while one of my overall critiques to the rest of the album is it sounds like it needs an update out of the old school psy sound a little in some places this song with its throw back to previous Haldolium sounds is welcome here. The synth lines in the middle are kinda haunting and when the vocal samples come back in it feels like a nice way to bring some resolution to the CD as a whole and end it. Good track. Overall, I had a lot of expectations for this CD especially after hearing "In life, We have" samples on psyshop. I must say that the CD doesn't quite live up to all the hype I placed on it. I was expecting a perpective ultering masterpiece where Haldolium introduces us to the new hot sounds that other producers will be copying in the coming years as he has done in the past. Instead, we get a little bit of a retro sound where it doesn't feel like Haldolium is really venturing too far outside his comfort zone. Instead, it feels like a good bit of rehashing of previously explored themes and sounds littered with some exciting psy-progressive-minimal revelations that happened to pop out. Overall rating: 8.5/10. Best tracks: 2, 4!!, 6!, 8!!, 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trance2MoveU Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I've picked on Haldolium for being minimalistic and uninteresting, but your very honest review has my interest peaked just a little bit. The review itself was a great read as it felt like two friends talking rather than just text. Good job. Mdk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaxer Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 End of a Government!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark_Puppy Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I agree, End of a Government is a decent track. I also like Alice Dream. I'm usually all about uplifting GOA, but there's just something relaxing about Progressive. Makes good "settled in the chair" tunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemmiwinks Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 never have been a great Holdium fan cause I simply found his music too boring and "empty", however now his style has taken a turn towards twilight which is pretty good IMO. My faves are Alice Dream and Ridge A which both have some very nice dreamy morning melodies, just the kind of music I'd listen to when driving back home in the morning after a party. That said, the other tracks are pretty medoicre IMO 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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