quote:

Originally posted by SMC +1 And i don't just agree, i'm really passionate about such a statement. I'm a huge fan of soft electronic music, ambient in particular. Sometimes i don't listen to a single edm tune in weeks, all that comes out of the speakers are atmospheres and drones. I've given This Binary Universe a listen now, + i listened to the last two tracks a few more times, they're sooo beautiful. I love the piano BT uses (it reminds me of Thomas Newman and his trademark-piano used in some of his best film scores, Road To Perdition, American Beauty and The Shawshank Redemption). The album is really good, production is insanely advanced. At times the experimental aspect of some of the tracks slightly push me out of the state they so gently put me in, but it probably depends on the fact that it was the first time i listened to it and didn't expect to hear some of the more radical elements. As with most works in this genre, a single listen isn't enough to get the whole picture, so i'll listen to This Binary Universe a few more times and let it's beauty unfold. And now i feel like some bullshit-writing review guy.

Yeah I totally agree with what your saying. Some people are so in a rut when it comes to electronic music, that all they can think about is this music for dancing, when there are so many more ways that electronic music can be experienced. Surely dancing is great, but what about music that is truly compositional or so enthralling that you literally get lost in the music. It takes you into another world. It stems from artists like Tangerine Dream, Enigma, Enya, Delerium, Brian Eno and the like.

Too many reviews of trance tracks and people's opinions of them, there seems to be this focus on "what works for the dance floor", ignoring the fact that some of this stuff...it may not all be this music for the peak hour of the dance floor and could work very well as a composition. I'm believing that trance music can be more than dance music, and there are a lot of ambient music out there that does border on being trance. This is a step I think more artists can go, making true deep and downtempo trance music. This is essentially trance music that isn't orientated for dancing, because why does it all have to be for dancing? This could be what BT is doing, and I definitely think Ulrich Schnauss's music is a step towards creating a downtempo trance. You really can't call all of Ulrich's stuff ambient, and it's more than just downtempo music. There is this ethereal, trance-like quality to his music.

quote:

Originally posted by Reactic I know its not the same but nevertheless it goes in the same direction: "kaito - hundred million light years" - imo better than TBU.

you said it!
Totally agree. There is much more emotions and passion in Kaitos songs than the ones on TBU.
Everyone give Kaito another listen.

___________________
My new oldskool TRANCE mix!

quote:

Originally posted by Spirit5 and I definitely think Ulrich Schnauss's music is a step towards creating a downtempo trance. You really can't call all of Ulrich's stuff ambient, and it's more than just downtempo music. There is this ethereal, trance-like quality to his music.

Sven Vath did that over a decade ago: ambient music that used a lot of what were then trance sounds and were really hypnotic.

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

quote:

Originally posted by Reactic I know its not the same but nevertheless it goes in the same direction: "kaito - hundred million light years" - imo better than TBU.

Yeah that kaito is awesome. Top 10 albums of the year for sure. Havent heard BT yet, so i cant compare yet

___________________
Albums of the year:
1. Hybrid - I Choose Noise
2. Liberto - Lullaby
3. Immer 2 (Mixed By Michael Mayer)
4. Peter Gun - Friendly Fire
5. Thomas Schumacher - Home
6. Recorded In Rotterdam (Mixed By Michel De Hey)
7. Boogybytes Vol. 01 (Mixed By Kiki)
8. Addicted 1 (Mixed By Kosmas Epsilon)

quote:

Originally posted by Spirit5 Yeah I totally agree with what your saying. Some people are so in a rut when it comes to electronic music, that all they can think about is this music for dancing, when there are so many more ways that electronic music can be experienced. Surely dancing is great, but what about music that is truly compositional or so enthralling that you literally get lost in the music. It takes you into another world. It stems from artists like Tangerine Dream, Enigma, Enya, Delerium, Brian Eno and the like. Too many reviews of trance tracks and people's opinions of them, there seems to be this focus on "what works for the dance floor", ignoring the fact that some of this stuff...it may not all be this music for the peak hour of the dance floor and could work very well as a composition. I'm believing that trance music can be more than dance music, and there are a lot of ambient music out there that does border on being trance. This is a step I think more artists can go, making true deep and downtempo trance music. This is essentially trance music that isn't orientated for dancing, because why does it all have to be for dancing? This could be what BT is doing, and I definitely think Ulrich Schnauss's music is a step towards creating a downtempo trance. You really can't call all of Ulrich's stuff ambient, and it's more than just downtempo music. There is this ethereal, trance-like quality to his music.

There is a broad range of music and quality that is ignored when ppl only look for stuff that works on a dancefloor, that is true. I think many in the edm community also limit their own view, so to speak, in an unnecessary way by being to attached to the established artists, labels and jargon of edm. Many don't seem too eager to leave the word "trance" behind for example. They listen to trance, and if they listen to something else that they think is good and relaxing but isn't trance then it's chill-trance. Any downtempo/dub/leftfield/ambient version of a trance-original is chill-trance or ambient trance etc.

When it comes to Ulrich Schnauss i would personally not use the word "trance". He's an amazing musician, he does great music that has a very organic sound and quality. He mixes huge dreamy ambient soundscapes with organic-sounding elements, drums in particular. However his music differs a lot from other sorts of music in the same "family" that sound more explicitly electronic. I would say the characteristics of his sound are much closer to those of a typical rock song than those of a typical contemporary trance tune. However, even if i wouldn't place Schnauss in it, there is a category of music that i would like to call downtempo trance, but it's not a big genre, it's more like a style or a description that fits some tracks here and there on diverse artists records. Artists like Aes Dana/Asura, Solar Fields, Carbon Based Lifeforms and Cell put out this kind of tunes sometimes. The french label Ultimae Records is home to most of these artists. Some tracks on Human Blue's "Diskovery Channel" are in that fashion too. Those are a few examples, there are of course many more artists putting out this kind of music. A rough definition would be: explicitly electronic sound, 4/4-beat (most of the times) or a beat that does not break much, it still has to sound repetitive, hypnotic and steady, bassline has to share those characteristics too. The tracks are most of the times based on atmospheres and harmonies, melodic elements are quite minimal. This has to do with the fact that those tracks are an offshoots of ambient and downtempo going towards trance rather than the contrary.

Two examples:

Carbon Based Lifeforms - "Neurotransmitter" (from the album Hydroponic Garden)
Human Blue - "Oceans One" and "Riddle Rythm" (from the album Diskovery Channel)

Now i've written too much bs again.

When I think of trance music, I think of music in which takes you away from reality and is based around repeated melodic fragments with some change over time...i.e progression, as well as a "B" section like much trance has (a breakdown, or some grandiosness or some suspense kind of like classical/romantic and some rock music has as well). With Ulrich, I see that with tracks like "Nobody's Home", he repeats the same melody over and over throughout the track, with some minimal changes or variations and a "B" section. This is also done with a lot of trance, like with BT's "Flaming June" or PvD's "For An Angel" or many of the other seminial trance tracks.

I mean none of this stuff is psy-trance, and when I think of psy, I think of really hypnotic psychadelic sounding stuff, and in that case, For An Angel or Flaming June are neither. So putting Ulrich with the likes of them, you will find more similarities then looking at him and comparing him to psy or prog psy artists. I guess it's more like progressive trance, not made for the dance floor. Maybe some of Ulrich's stuff could be rock-like or really post-rock like, but I don't really equate his stuff with rock unless your equating him with bands like Tangerine Dream, and in that case, there is some similarities. And even Tangerine Dream experimented with some early trance music. So i'm not saying Ulrich is a trance artist, but he does share some similarities to melodic, progressive trance music.

holi fcuk.....this is is growing on me!!!

___________________
Tokyo Taxi ( Tokyo Mix ) Hope for 07.

I didn't like the album very much. The music is definatly quality, coming from BT but it seems as if all the tracks are just some combination of soft pianos, orchestral strings, guitar, and the stutter effects. There are no truly memorable moments, the music seems almost uninspired, especially compared to something like "Protect Life" by Eric Serra, which is similar in ambience.

The melodies and string arrangements in all the tracks all seem very predictable and not unique in general. The stutter percussion sounds good, but not when repeated in every track. Moreover, most tracks start with a minute of two of pretty much soft and silent ambience. Thats nice for an opener, but I didn't really like that the entire album was like that.

___________________

blog
deep blue records
Leo G - my discogs

quote:

Originally posted by eulerfx ...the tracks all seem very predictable...

I have never ever thought I'd see someone describe the CD in those words...

___________________
khalalala member #2

quote:

Originally posted by ++ EGO ++ I have never ever thought I'd see someone describe the CD in those words...

I was not speaking of the tracks as a whole, just the melodies and string arrangements. To me, there is nothing unique or special about them. Offcourse the breaks and percussion are quite novel and experimental, but I also thought they were a bit overdone, though the long stutter section on the second track is pretty nice.

___________________

blog
deep blue records
Leo G - my discogs

I like this. And about the comparison with Kaito... Well, u cant compare it. Its that simple. And about the fact there is more emotion in Kaito's album.... Thats subjective ofcourse. To me there is alot of emotion in both albums.

Good stuff from BT

___________________
Albums of the year:
1. Hybrid - I Choose Noise
2. Liberto - Lullaby
3. Immer 2 (Mixed By Michael Mayer)
4. Peter Gun - Friendly Fire
5. Thomas Schumacher - Home
6. Recorded In Rotterdam (Mixed By Michel De Hey)
7. Boogybytes Vol. 01 (Mixed By Kiki)
8. Addicted 1 (Mixed By Kosmas Epsilon)