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.

Side Project: Fever Ray

The Knife's Karin Dreijer begins 2009 with a breakaway side project labeled Fever Ray. Dreijer has always been known for her excellent work as The Knife, along side her partner in acoustics (and brother), Olof Dreijer. The two of them have toured world-wide and have three full length albums: the 2001 Self-Titled release, Deep Cuts from 2003, and 2006's acclaimed release Silent Shout.

Although not a drastic change in sound, Fever Ray works solely on Karin's musical strengths. There are tracks that feature the signature, deep vocal distortion as is expected of her, along with an appropriate pairing with face-up vocal work that remains unedited. Refreshing, as per usual for The Knife, Fever Ray retains a foreign element to its sound. Being a native of Sweden, Dreijer creates a sound with characteristics that fans of North American electronica are not familiar with. A listener perhaps would have a pre-conceived notion of general vocal distortion to make the lyrics sound robotic or synthetic. However with The Knife and Fever Ray, the product is more ghostly or banshee-like.

The album begins with an eerie first track (and first released single), "If I Had a Heart", and continues as a lush, dark, and textured sound-scape until its finish. Overall a very anticipated release which will be in stores later this year on Rabid Records.