The Sonic Music Review Playlist: Week 4

This week's playlist compiled by The Sonic Music Review looks back on some of the earliest work featured on the site. This playlist combines the highlights of the progressive rock and synth pop music covered, featuring a selection of works from acts including Camel, Neu! and Ellie Goulding.

Tracklisting:

1. Camel                    - Dunkirk from The Snow Goose

2. NEU!                     - Negativland from NEU!

3. Kraftwerk              - Autobahn from Autobahn

4. The Prodigy           - Omen Reprise from The Most Incredible Thing

5. Depeche Mode      - Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix) from Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix)

6. La Roux                 - Tigerlily from La Roux

7. Ellie Goulding        - The Writer from Ellie Goulding

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

Save on Delicious

The Sonic Music Review Playlist: Week 2

Following the success with the introduction of a weekly playlist, a short cross section of the works featured on The Sonic Music Review, we are proud to release the second instalment, featuring a selection of Trance, Ambient and Pop works from acts including Daft Punk, Tangerine Dream and Depeche Mode.

Tracklisting:

1. Daft Punk / Avicii    - Derezzed (Avicii Remix) from Tron Legacy - Reconfigured

2. Tiesto                       - Elements Of Life from Elements Of Life

3. The Human League - Breaking The Chains from Credo

4. Tangerine Dream     - Navel Of Light - Part 2 from Springtime In Nagasaki

5. Alva Noto                - By This River from Summvs

6. Thomas Dolby         - She Blinded Me With Science from She Blinded Me With Science

7. Depeche Mode         - Enjoy The Silence from Violator

8. Kraftwerk                 - Radioactivity (Live) from Minimum-Maximum

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

Save on Delicious

Depeche Mode: Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix)

Depeche Mode are known for their iconic synth pop and fame as one of the seminal acts of the 80's. Recent remixes of past works have bought their sound up to date with contemporary pop and dance music. This particular track, 'The Stargate Mix' of 'Personal Jesus' from the band's 'Violator' album, reviewed here.

Depeche Mode: Personal Jesus 2011

'Personal Jesus' at the time of writing back in 1990 was the first single from 'Violator.' Fiercely promoted, it became one of the band's biggest singles. This remix introduces a synthetic soundworld in place of the guitar led alternative blues style of the original, the new style being comparable to many works by the band themselves.

The piece is lively and upbeat and contains a 12/8 feel metre in place of the clear 4/4 time of the origional. Throughout the arrangement, the synthetic timbres develop although greater variety between each verse could be achieved to great effect. With a 3:40 runtime and little variation of timbres between each repeated section, a slight sense of monotony creeps in when actively listened to.

It is interesting that the track has seen very diverse covers and remixes - on one hand, this particular dance and pop influenced remix is crafted for the dancefloor, while on the other hand this piece has been covered by Heavy Metal icon Marilyn Manson among others, presenting a great variety in the musical context of the song. This particular track comes from a recent release of remixed material, when browsing the sheer number of remixes available, it goes to show the great skill of the band and their sustained longevity.

Save on Delicious

Depeche Mode: Violator

By 1990, British Synthpop group Depeche Mode had been active for a total of 10 years, having released six studio albums in that time. Their seventh album, 'Violator' came on sale in March 1990, spawning two of the band's best selling singles to date: 'Personal Jesus' and 'Enjoy The Silence.'

Depeche Mode: Violator

The first track on the album, also the fourth single to be released from it, 'World In My Eyes' quickly establishes the slightly dark and surreal nature of the entire album, combining extensive synthetic elements with a strong sequenced groove. This typical use of instrumentation for the band contrasts with the first single from the album, 'Personal Jesus,' which is heavily influenced by blues music and features prominently an electric bass and guitar in lieu of purely synthetic derivation of sounds.

'Waiting For The Night' comes later in the album, exemplifying the brooding and dark quality of the album, not least due to the use of restricted instrumentation and passive accompaniment. This track leads on to the second single to be released from the album, 'Enjoy The Silence,' undoubtedly a highlight of the album. In this track, the band reference some of their earlier work through the initial rhythmic foundation offered by a sequenced synthesiser and sophisticated use of additional electronic elements. The track also ends with a more experimental extended postlude which hails back to the band's earlier work.

At a point in their career in which the band was already well established, such a successful release contributes to the band's long standing successful image. The band's later tour, the Tour Of The Universe also makes use of several tracks from Violator and is reviewed here.

Save on Delicious

Depeche Mode: Tour Of The Universe

'Tour Of The Universe' is a live album/DVD release recorded during synth pop group Depeche Mode's most recent tour in 2009. While the tour was largely supporting the group's 12th studio release, 'Sounds Of The Universe,' the set list contains material which goes back as far as the group's 1986 'Black Celebration' album.

Among the credits to the album is its chart performance, in fact going platinum in Germany and becoming the first live album to top the German music charts in a period of two years. The album also exhibits the group's praiseworthy musicianship, a notable virtue given the band's 31 years in the industry.

The album begins with 'In Chains,' 'Wrong' and 'Hole To Feed,' all from the group's 'Sounds Of The Universe' album, before revisiting tracks from their wide and varied musical past. Among the highlights of the album are 'Enjoy The Silence' and 'Personal Jesus,' in addition to several of the band's classic played toward the finale of the set. The band's energy sustains a listener's interest through the 2 hour long album and indeed the new arrangements to their older material allow Depeche Mode to showcase their formidable talent.

The album is clearly crafted with great precision to sustain their audience's attention, seen particularly in the juxtopposition between the energy of 'Personal Jesus' and sobering finale of 'Waiting For The Night.' While the audio CDs' are mixed with loving care, the DVD performance certainly adds even more to this fantastic live album.

For the review of the band's 1990 release 'Violator,' from which several tracks in the set list are taken, including 'Personal Jesus' and 'Waiting For The Night,' click here.

Save on Delicious