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-- Rank 1...what's the big deal?

Posted by TeKnoHe@d2025 on Sep-13-2002 21:50:

Rank 1...what's the big deal?

What is so great about Rank 1? I've never been able to understand it...so they had one massive hit: Airwave...big deal. They're VERY over-rated IMO. Their remixes are nothing outstanding either.

Posted by netw3rkd on Sep-13-2002 21:54:

/me pets TeKnoHe@d2025

Posted by Cobalt on Sep-13-2002 21:59:

Re: Rank 1...what's the big deal?

quote:
Originally posted by TeKnoHe@d2025
What is so great about Rank 1? I've never been able to understand it...so they had one massive hit: Airwave...big deal. They're VERY over-rated IMO. Their remixes are nothing outstanding either.

Thank you.

They're good, but not worship material. I never really understood it either. Must be a Dutch thing.

Posted by Mills on Sep-13-2002 22:01:

/me ph33rs

Posted by randummboy on Sep-13-2002 22:02:

noway.. these guys are quality producers

Posted by Gooseman on Sep-13-2002 22:04:

It's the work they do under their aliases that really impress me.. Stuff from Benicio, Quest...
Quest - Shaken Not Stirred is one of my favourite tunes of 2000.. (or was it 2001).

Posted by starglider on Sep-13-2002 22:09:

I'd have to disagree. Actually, I consider Airwave overrated -- it's a great track, but it's not the best trance song in existence. Incidentally the Rank 1 vs. Dutch Force Mix deserves more credit than the original... but I digress. Apart from Airwave the lesser known Rank 1 release from the same era, Black Snow / The Citrus Juicer, doesn't get much recognition and is very good. Moving forward, Many Miles Too Soon was lauded upon its playing and while the final release saw some criticism of the vocal content one can't ignore the fact that it was a huge track. Besides, the Deep Dub got rid of the vocals and demonstrated their talent in a less anthemic domain. Awakening was for the most part critically acclaimed, but what strikes me most is that none of the singles I've mentioned sound anything like each other. In a world where one-hit wonders can't seem to resist milking their big anthem for everything's it's worth it's refreshing to see that Rank 1 have not followed suit. Such Is Life and Awakening may not be the two best trancers in the world -- but they're no Airwave clones either.

I won't say much about remixes but I think most people would agree that their takes on Superstring, Cry and Reachers Of Civilization speak for themselves. Finally, while these three are quite similar they've shown they can do it differently with their Dreamland edit. Seems like a pretty successful project to me, all things considered.

Posted by TeKnoHe@d2025 on Sep-13-2002 22:10:

quote:
Originally posted by Gooseman
It's the work they do under their aliases that really impress me.. Stuff from Benicio, Quest...
Quest - Shaken Not Stirred is one of my favourite tunes of 2000.. (or was it 2001).

Yes, but I am speaking of this alias only.

randummboy, you did not answer my question...

quote:
Originally posted by starglider
Apart from Airwave the lesser known Rank 1 release from the same era, Black Snow / The Citrus Juicer, doesn't get much recognition and is very good.

I have heard Black Snow and I'm not a fan of it at all. There are some great remixes of Rank 1 tracks (Awakening (Ferry Corsten Remix) for example) but the originals lack quality IMO.

Posted by starglider on Sep-13-2002 22:12:

quote:
Originally posted by Gooseman
It's the work they do under their aliases that really impress me.. Stuff from Benicio, Quest...
Quest - Shaken Not Stirred is one of my favourite tunes of 2000.. (or was it 2001).

Couldn't agree more, although Benno de Goeij alone is responsible for those aliases (hence my not mentioning them above). On the topic of older aliases Rank 1 have also remixed many tracks under the Bervoets & De Goeij guise and are the equal of their later productions, to say the least.

Posted by CortexBomb on Sep-13-2002 22:13:

Just a matter of taste I suppose...

IMHO Rank 1 are very high quality producers and remixers...sure, they're well known mainly for Airwave but they've done a lot of other high quality work like:

Such is Life
Awakening
Many Miles, Too Soon
Passage to the Unknown
Cygnus X - Superstrings (2 Remixes)
Baby D. - Let me be your Fantasy (Remix)
NU-NRG - Dreamland (Remix)
System F - Cry (Remix)
York - Reachers of Civilization (Remix)

And that's just the stuff I've burned, I'm assuming there's more...

As I said, I think it's really a matter of taste, either you like their sound or you don't...they certainly don't have any shortage of material IMHO...

Posted by aloep on Sep-13-2002 22:15:

quote:
Originally posted by starglider
I'd have to disagree. Actually, I consider Airwave overrated -- it's a great track, but it's not the best trance song in existence. Incidentally the Rank 1 vs. Dutch Force Mix deserves more credit than the original... but I digress. Apart from Airwave the lesser known Rank 1 release from the same era, Black Snow / The Citrus Juicer, doesn't get much recognition and is very good. Moving forward, Many Miles Too Soon was lauded upon its playing and while the final release saw some criticism of the vocal content one can't ignore the fact that it was a huge track. Besides, the Deep Dub got rid of the vocals and demonstrated their talent in a less anthemic domain. Awakening was for the most part critically acclaimed, but what strikes me most is that none of the singles I've mentioned sound anything like each other. In a world where one-hit wonders can't seem to resist milking their big anthem for everything's it's worth it's refreshing to see that Rank 1 have not followed suit. Such Is Life and Awakening may not be the two best trancers in the world -- but they're no Airwave clones either.

I won't say much about remixes but I think most people would agree that their takes on Superstring, Cry and Reachers Of Civilization speak for themselves. Finally, while these three are somewhat similar they've shown they can do it differently with their Dreamland edit. Seems like a pretty successful project to me, all things considered.

I agree with you almost 100% although I rate Airwave as their best production. I LOVE their remix of Baby D - Let Me Be Your Fantasy. It's exactly what uplifting vocal trance should sound like. They made an amazing job out of it.

Posted by robstar on Sep-13-2002 22:24:

I have never liked Airwave...IMO that tune destoryed the trance sceen , without that track we would have MORE 99-00 style tracks these days.
They started the Stab Melody trend...

But I do dig The Awakening.....that track is MASSIVE!!!

Posted by Haak on Sep-13-2002 22:31:

quote:
Originally posted by robstar
They started the Stab Melody trend...

I've never liked those, that's why I don't like Awakening much. And even worse when lot's of producers have copied this type of melody

Posted by Rakoon on Sep-13-2002 22:35:

quote:
Originally posted by starglider
...but what strikes me most is that none of the singles I've mentioned sound anything like each other...

Thats the nail right there. A group who puts out one single after another in the group's traditional style, but having the track not even close to sounding like the single before it. And an added bonus, one of the members produces awesome tracks alone as well. Thats the nail, thats the nail They dont have to be anthem-makers to be favored by me. Plus, if other artists try to copy their style, then they must be something

Posted by mr. poopyhead on Sep-13-2002 23:06:

i've only seen videos, but their live performances look awesome. they gotta get props for that.

Posted by robstar on Sep-13-2002 23:23:

quote:
Originally posted by Haak

I've never liked those, that's why I don't like Awakening much. And even worse when lot's of producers have copied this type of melody

Yeah and that�s to bad...

But it seems like the Stabbin' melodys are disapearing more and more now days...

It allmost sounds like 99 again

Well almost...

Posted by Tcraze84 on Sep-14-2002 00:04:

Cygnus X - The Orange Theme was their best remix IMHO, but I believe it was under their real-name alias.

Posted by Arbiter on Sep-14-2002 02:11:

symsonic = beauty

Posted by Phu on Sep-14-2002 02:29:

TeKnoHe@d2025 U must outta your mind dog for dissing these guys, go out by a set wheels and start playing there stuff , Big differnces buddy.

Posted by Narcotic Mind on Sep-14-2002 02:50:

i support tekno... there are few rank 1 tunes that i liked although their latest remixes were extremly disappointing (i.e. dreamland (rank 1 remix), ligaya (rank 1 remix)), so i considered them overrated since they never fill the expectations

Posted by Ste on Sep-14-2002 09:03:

Re: Rank 1...what's the big deal?

quote:
Originally posted by TeKnoHe@d2025
What is so great about Rank 1? I've never been able to understand it...so they had one massive hit: Airwave...big deal. They're VERY over-rated IMO. Their remixes are nothing outstanding either.

aye i have to agree they arnt doing too well these days

Posted by aeonik on Sep-14-2002 10:54:

its understandable that you are not able to comprehend what rank 1 tries to express with their music. fact is their tracks are quality, and livesets are hard, deep, energetic, and smooth. you may not like it, but rank 1 is dope.

Posted by WildCard on Sep-14-2002 11:21:

I don't they are overrated, they got some good tracks.

But personally I don't they are too good either, there live act is cool, and that's about it