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-- Paul Van Dyk backs out of interview...
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Originally posted by Reactic okay, we don't know what he would have given for this cd. fact is, the two CDs are rated nearly the same, and this is very dubious. I understand that they all have there opinion, but I really can't think that the majority would rate a trip in trance 4 above TPOD2.. Sure, ASOT 2005 or ISOS4 could be on the same level, but not ATIT4.. can't really think of one thing, which is better than in POD2.. trance.nu rated both cds the other way round (POD2>ATIT4), what is more acceptable in my opinion.

That is your opinion. That might even be the general opinion. However, you can't take those grades and from them reach the conclusion that they aren't being honest with those reviews.

My guess is that the guy who reviewed the Rank 1 cd either has a "poor" taste in music (if such exists, subjectivity..) or just tends to rate cd's too high overall (i know as i "suffered" from this a bit when i reviewed stuff for other site). But since I haven't heard neither of the cd's i'll shut up.

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Originally posted by weymouth Dont blame them. I just read your review and would have done the same thing. When writing a review about a trance album perhaps keep your own prejudices of the trance scene out of it and just focus on the CD. There is no need to write: "epic trance had undeniably had its day, and the creativity and enthusiasm of the past four years drained out of the scene" "Andy Moor or Santiago Nino will never be as proficient as Way Out West or Signum. It�s a sad day for trance when the fastest rising stars on the biggest compilation of the year are members of the Swedish House Mafia. This isn�t really PVD�s fault- you can only work with what you�ve got, and DJs will always be slaves to what producers are making for them to play, particularly on commercial mixes where you can�t raid previous years for gold. However, it�s not a fault that will go away." "Apparently a few chord changes in a saw synth will pass off as a melody these days." "As usual, when he�s not part of Tilt, Moor is rubbish, and Whiteroom sounds like a sound byte of a supermarket check-out looped over some soft synths." - Whiteroom isnt on the CD "Thank God for the skip button, eh?" - refering to The Other Side. "All in all? The Politics of Dancing 2 is really just another metaphorical nail in the proverbial coffin of trance in 2005." I agree the compilation isnt as good as it could have been but you need to edit your reviews or make sure your editor reads it first. Your agenda shows clearly through the review that epic trance is dead. In the end I think you wrote a review like you post on TA, demeaning and elitest.

Yeah, I just finished reading it and I have to agree with pretty much everything above. To be honest, I didn't think the CD was as bad as you, but everyone's entitled to their opinions. That said, why are you reviewing something that you obviously aren't going to enjoy. Right off the bat, you stated your prejudice in your review by listing the things that feel without even having heard the disc.

My advice if you're going to keep reviewing: Stick to genres that you enjoy. You're not going to make many friends by pissing all over other people's work. Also, why would you listen to music that you already don't like just to write a review to bitch about it more?

Also, you commented about the guy who rated the Rank 1 CD as not being you. The problem is, you both write for the same site. He didn't cut your interview, he cut www.trancecritic.com's interview. As a site, you should strive to have some semblance of balance between your ratings standards, otherwise, you guys all might as well have your own site because the # of stars doesn't mean shit if it doesn't mean the same thing to the guy whose reviews are above and below yours.

Lastly, your comments about not wanting to type people's names (Giuseppe Ottaviani) because they're so awful makes you come off as either lazy or prejudiced. It doesn't seem like that strange of a name for an Italian, does it?

Don't blame SYSTEM-J. POD2 truly wasn't that good. I heard all those tunes over and over and over again. If that CD had been released faster, maybe it would have been a good listen. As of now, those CD's and the CD case are sitting at the bottom of my drawer because it wasn't worth listening to.

I have o say that review is an immature pile of tripe. no wonder they wanted nothing to do with the interview after that.
"(Christ, the artist names just get worse)" - did you really think that sort of comment makes the review sound better?
quite simply you got the sort of treatment you deserved for this effort.

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Originally posted by Groundhog Boy Lastly, your comments about not wanting to type people's names (Giuseppe Ottaviani) because they're so awful makes you come off as either lazy or prejudiced. It doesn't seem like that strange of a name for an Italian, does it?

I wasn't being serious. To be fair, it isn't the most friendly name in the world, no matter where you're from. If I had a tongue-twisting English name, I'd come up with an alias. But they were just light-hearted elements of the review.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J I wasn't being serious. To be fair, it isn't the most friendly name in the world, no matter where you're from. If I had a tongue-twisting English name, I'd come up with an alias. But they were just light-hearted elements of the review.

When you're critical of someone's work as it is, they may not find your humour as funny as you intend.

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Originally posted by Reactic just have seen another review on TC: A Trip In Trance 4 - Mixed by Rank 1 rating: 7/10 (PvD 6/10) this is a joke.. only because your expectations weren't fulfilled, you give such a rating.. be a bit more realistic, ATIT4 in comparison to POD2 is shit..

Eh, as the guy who wrote the ATIT4 (snickers at acronym) review, I guess I should point out the reason for a generous score was the fact for half the disc, there was a good deal of variety and flow to it, which is something I always look for in a comp/DJ mix (and I don't discount something if it's more commercial than something else, although how is Nettwerk/Positiva any less commercial than Hi-Bias?). Whether TPOD2 has this or not, I haven't a clue as I haven't listened to it but judging from J's review, it doesn't appear so. For something that has TWO DISCS to work with rather than just the one ATIT4 has, that is kind of inexcusible.

hmmm...well i didn't take the time to read the review, but from what people are saying i might have to agree that it doesn't sound very professional..

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Originally posted by Groundhog Boy When you're critical of someone's work as it is, they may not find your humour as funny as you intend.

I'm not going to deny it's a critical review. But at the end of the day, you guys are complaining that I'm asserting an agenda into the review, and not being respectful... ultimately I don't slate good music. A good record? A good review. If the music is poor, then I'm not going to pussy-foot around the issue. I never once blame Paul Van Dyk for the quality of the tracks: it's a high profile release so it is going to use big-name records. And if these records don't deserve the hype, I will rip into them.

There seems to be a state of over-hyping by default in trance. No matter how bad something may be, you can't talk bad about a record because you have to respect other people's opinions. We can all praise Trance Track X, but we get demonised if we are critical of it. If this had been an unpopular record I was reviewing, nobody would care what I said. But it's Paul Van Dyk, and it's a rundown of 2005's big hitters, so I have to be respectful. I'm sorry, but my job isn't to bend around big names because they're big. It's to treat everyone the same, and that is what I do. Most of you wouldn't hesitate to call a hip-hop or country track "shit" and roll out the prejudices about those styles. That's called bias, and I don't do it.

time for you to grow up and enter the real world kid. if you want to slate an album there's much more professional ways to do it. that review was not up to scratch in any way, a large organisation recognised that and decided not to deal with you. Finish whinging and learn from this.

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Originally posted by paranoik0 Another sign of the "OMFG!!!!1" culture that has taken over trance and progressive: everyone is the greatest new talent that started playing around with music at the age of 5, every track is 11/10, every radio show is the most awesomest!!! Everyone kisses the producers' asses to get benefits. This time you didn't, and of course the ego-inflated management thought such a behaviour wasn't acceptable. It's a bit understandable that the producers are more likely to associate with the scene that actually likes their music. However, it's this kind of stuff that put trance even deeper in a shithole for the past couple years, and thrown progressive to the same situation.

haha good post

ever think that pvd had nothing to do with this.. im sure hes a busy guy, might have just been the web management crew saying no.

the cd is pretty shit, but then again so is the majority of trance coming out these days so what can u expect.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J I'm sorry, but my job isn't to bend around big names because they're big. It's to treat everyone the same, and that is what I do. Most of you wouldn't hesitate to call a hip-hop or country track "shit" and roll out the prejudices about those styles. That's called bias, and I don't do it.

First, I wouldn't review styles and genres of music that I don't like. Second, if I were to review those styles, I would base my ratings on the caliber of work in that genre/style. If Clint Black's new album has a lot more to say and is done better than 95% of the country albums that came out this year, I'd give it a very high rating even if I personally think the music is shit, simply because it exceeds the expectations of the genre.

That said, do you really feel like PvD's album is mediocre compared to everything from the mainstream trance genre that's been released in 2005. I'd say it's above mediocre and I'd have probably given it a 7/10 or an 8/10. Usually, in my opinion, the bottom 25-40% of ratings aren't used. To only be slightly above that doesn't say very good things about the CD. It was better than ASOT 2005 and ISOS 4. I personally enjoyed Ferry's two comps more, but Creamfields Disc 1 isn't even trance. It's better than Matt Darey's Upfront Trance. Anjunabeats Vol. 3 wasn't bad and I'd probably rank that just below PvD's CD because of a few tracks that I didn't really like (Oceanlab - Sirens of the Sea, for example).

As a reviewer, your job is to come across as having an open mind to start with and letting the CD's impressions on you do the writing in a way that allows you to be critical but still come off as professional.

That said, what CD that's come out in even the past two years would you give a 10/10? It would be good for us to know so we can make a more informed decision about what critics we care to listen to.

I'm agreeing with System-J since the first post, and I like pod2 but pod1 and other 2005 compils like asot 2005 are much better than pod2...
I'm a PVD fan but he's not like some years ago, not only him, but tons of djs dont please the crowd like that old times, but I cant do nothing, just move on to hear other djs...
And I think that was not only pvd fault, but his managers for dont allow him to answer the interview... cus the 6/10...

10/10 is a coveted mark for us. You have to remember that 6/10 is not mediocre- it's above average, but it falls short of real quality. The only record I've given 10/10 from the last two years was Leftfield's recent Greatest Hits. To us, 7/10 is a record well worth owning. 8/10 is a great record. 9/10 is a brilliant one, and 10/10 is an all-time classic one.

It is easy to say "well, what has come along better" and I say "not much" and ramp the score up. But I own so many compilations, from waaay back or only a few years, which are so much better. I love this music, I honestly do, and I was genuinely dissapointed to see POD 2 fall below expectations. When I picked up PVD's "Perfect Remixes" anthology, I was blown away by how much better it was than POD 2. The man can make some of the best trance around, and when he does, I'll be the first in line to praise it. However, I felt that the record was a let-down, and a squandered potential, so I didn't go easy on it.

It's a shitty situation, but that's the way it goes. This happens in every music genre.

Look at it from PVD's perspective: Why would he give you an exclusive interview, which will draw people to your site when on that very site is a negative view of his latest cd release? You have to put yourself in their shoes. I know it sucks but that's life and you should have realized that and waited to post the interview before you posted the negative review, simple as that. Btw, I thought POD2 was weak too

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Originally posted by Numidia It's a shitty situation, but that's the way it goes. This happens in every music genre. Look at it from PVD's perspective: Why would he give you an exclusive interview, which will draw people to your site when on that very site is a negative view of his latest cd release? You have to put yourself in their shoes.

exactly

There are some pretty whack reviews on that site. The Psychlopedia review is waaay off. Thres are some amazing tracks on that album and the reviewer canes it. WTF? no idea...lol...

6/10 = 60/100. 60%. That's an F in any course. So you flunked PVD's album. I'm not surprised he declined the interview.

60% is a C at my level. What course has 60% as an F? Besides, that's a daft analogy. Should I choose to extend it, the guy has kicked out A* stuff before, and suddenly he's dropped all those grades. What would a teacher say to that?

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Originally posted by Axolotyl There are some pretty whack reviews on that site. The Psychlopedia review is waaay off. Thres are some amazing tracks on that album and the reviewer canes it. WTF? no idea...lol...

It's called an opinion. No opinion is right, no opinion is wrong.

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Originally posted by Demoted It's called an opinion. No opinion is right, no opinion is wrong.

Bullshit. Opinions can be wrong. Opinions are proven wrong all the time. We waged a gigantic war 60 years ago killing over 30 million people just getting rid of an entire class of opinions.

Anyone can have an opinion. That's not hard. No one is impressed that you can do that. But to get your opinion noticed, to make it more attractive to others, to make it sound, concrete and unignorable, is to justify the logic and the understanding of your opinion through supporting evidence, empirical research, and keen observation. That's what turns it into a quality meme. That's how your opinion becomes an elite member of human brainfarts. And that's how your opinion can be right.

This whole thing has made me look retrospectively at the review, and there is a lot in there which was only meant semi-seriously, and has been taken badly by people. I think when your favourite artists are at the wrong end, it's easy to assume something is more malicious than it is. For instance, the whole names thing was just a little joke I added, because it's a weighty review and I didn't want to stay po-faced all the way through. I will remember to try and be more black/white on this next time, because humour is difficult to convey in text.

Now I really must go to sleep.

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Originally posted by Ishkur Bullshit. Opinions can be wrong. Opinions are proven wrong all the time. We waged a gigantic war 60 years ago killing over 30 million people just getting rid of an entire class of opinions. Anyone can have an opinion. That's not hard. No one is impressed that you can do that. But to get your opinion noticed, to make it more attractive to others, to make it sound, concrete and unignorable, is to justify the logic and the understanding of your opinion through supporting evidence, empirical research, and keen observation. That's what turns it into a quality meme. That's how your opinion becomes an elite member of human brainfarts. And that's how your opinion can be right.

that was off topic but well wrote...
+1.

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Originally posted by ierxium 6/10 = 60/100. 60%. That's an F in any course. So you flunked PVD's album. I'm not surprised he declined the interview.

PVD should have released it in oz first then. 50% was a pass grade in all my uni classes

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J 60% is a C at my level. What course has 60% as an F? Besides, that's a daft analogy. Should I choose to extend it, the guy has kicked out A* stuff before, and suddenly he's dropped all those grades. What would a teacher say to that?

60% is an F according to our beloved American educational system.

Now, if you were a teacher I would definitely enroll in all of your classes. But that isn't the case. In my analogy, a teacher would be surprised of course. He had expectations from that guy.

Now, modifying the analogy with clear intention of raping it, suppose PVD is the teacher and you are one of his many students this year. Prior students say he is one of the best professors in the school. He's gotten tons of awards over the years. He is currently regarded as one of the best professors after dethroning a professor that was supposed to give lectures for four hours straight but interrupted them because he didn't know how to present his material in a coherent way. One day you're given the job of interviewing your professor for the school newspaper. But before that you make it known to the school that you give a 6/10 to one of his famous articles entitled The Politics of Dancing, volume 2. The students that work for your professor know about your rating of the article and decide to decline the interview you were so eager to publicize. Not only that, they also decide to piss on your favorite Tottenham jersey that you accidently left in the locker room. But who decided all this? Dr. Van Dyk or the students working for him? You have no way of knowing that day so you go home thinking about the answer with your urinated jersey in one hand.

About the interview, I don't know what exactly happened to make Paul Van Dyk decline the interview. I would guess the questions never reached Paul Van Dyk because of his webteam. I would say he hasn't even seen your review. But that's just me putting all the blame on a crew whose only purpose is to kiss PVD's ass and keep all the "negative influences" away.

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