Thursday, March 19, 2009

Landscape Verses



So far this year has been a powerhouse of amazing releases. Most of the albums to date, however, have been of the Electro-House or Electro-Pop genres (which I'm not complaining about). Enter "Selected Downbeats Vol. 2", the newest compilation project from Sweden's ambient, progressive-trance duo, Vibrasphere. Rickard Berglöf and Robert Elster have been producing music together since 1998, leading to their first album "Echo" in 2000. Their musical style ranges from slow-tempo ambient, to ephemeral and up-beat psy-trance that elevates the listener to a state of other-worldly euphoria.

Their first compilation (Selected Downbeats Vol. 1) was somewhat of a "best-of" album at the pair's current stage of their career, featuring tracks from multiple albums, and Vol. 2 does just the same, only this time, there is a fresher feel of more current programming style and a more uniform theme all throughout the CD. The tracks become much more layered with soaring foreground patterns complimented by deep and engaging bass effects and percussion. Most of the songs begin with a slow introduction and continue into a high-charged build that explodes in an epic symphony of sound.

Tracks like "Ensueno" and "Breathing Place" insist upon the hairs of your arms raise in emotional stimulation as chills run down your spine. The album was released on February 18 and is a testament to Vibrasphere's work. It's a good place to start with this band, but I assure you that you'll be hooked.

2 comments:

ja9 said...

This album transformed my experience with homework into something much less distracting than it was previously. Thank you for bringing it into my life :)

b-webb said...

I'm so very glad it had that effect on you. Apparently it works well to motivate swimmers, as the Masters I was coaching the other day said it kept them pumped up while in the pool? Don't ask me how, though.