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October 19, 2004
‘Collision’ clubbing and bugging
Throughout high school, I had a friend who was addicted to trance; he lived and died for the synthesized beats and the next Tiesto mix. The kid was an odd fellow, and I suppose his musical choices perfectly fit his personality. When he would pick me up in his maroon-and-pink Honda, with super-DJ Paul Oakenfold blaring through his speakers at an ear-piercing level, my irritation and susceptibility to seizure would skyrocket exponentially.
I pride myself on being open-minded and tolerant person (as the cliche goes) but trance/house music was just something that drove me to insanity.
So when I was handed a DJ Harry album to review, it looked like that unless my garbage man has been given a musical honorific, I had a long night ahead of me. Listen and analyze I did, however, and, as one could expect from the aforementioned, I enjoyed the record.
Although relatively unknown, DJ Harry has been on the trance/club scene since the early ’90s. Harry describes his sound as having “emerged with a singular sound that has an understanding of the underground but goes far beyond that limited realm,” referencing DJ culture on both coasts, and unique underground styles.
Collision is DJ Harry’s first full-length album, put out on Sci Fidelity records, a larger and more popular label than his previous part-time projects.
Harry hopes that his lighterčbut not, by any means, slowerčtype of trance will appeal to more of the general population, rather than a select few in the subculture. It is in this respect that the music maker does not feel that he is “selling out.”
Sellout or not, the tunes from Collision were damn enjoyable to my uneducated ear, Perhaps it was because my only experience with this musical genre was rave-tailored, E-popping, hardcore music, but the record had much to offer.
To all of you trance fans, I apologize for not having the necessary criteria with which to judge the record. I had only my ears. What my ears found, though, was an eclectic mix of jovial beats and melodies blended with occasional female vocals and a wide assortment of keyboard configurations.
A personal favorite was “All My Life,” where singer Lissie’s shrill but relaxing voice was a nice addition to the futuristic sounds. The song starts out in a near-groove, but when vocals are added, it takes on a jazzy/hymn-type melody. All combine to make an enjoyable listening experience.
Although I was able to make a breakthrough, people with a general distaste towards trance, or any type of music for that matter, are not be over inclined to give new stuff a chance. If you are indeed into club-type music, however, it may be a wise choice.
It does sound very good to my untrained ear though, so if you should stumble upon some DJ Harry in the midst of miscellaneous Kazaa surfing, it wouldn’t hurt to double-click. Just beware of the RIAA.
Posted by msveum at October 19, 2004 11:52 AM
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