ACCESSING NETWORK... ACCESSING PROFILE: Kosso ENTER PASSWORD: ********* PASSWORD ACCEPTED LOGGING ON.... ACCESSING EXTRANET URL: "electrofinds.net" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to your source for the latest in indie and underground electronic music! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Genre: --->Electronica --->Dance --->Dub&Glitch [b]---------->Ambient/Trance[/b] --->Classical ------------------------------------------ Ambient/Trance ------------------------------------------ --->Music Store --->Music News [b]---------->Latest Reviews[/b] ACCESSING REVIEW ARTICLE... Album Review: [i]The Anatomy of an Imploding Star[/i] Artist: Shades of Green Publisher: Independent Track Listing: 1. Between the Void and I 2. Despite All Appearances, his Blood is Probably Black 3. Murderer, Medic 4. Drastic Times and Drastic Companions 5. A Man from Kahje 6. Send the Alliance my Regards 7. Captain, You May be the Best of Us 8. Two Suits, Too many As anyone that trawls the forums of IndieEl these days can tell you, new ambient/trance artists are a dime a dozen: it seems as though every misguided amateur with a brand new sound program and a rudimentary grasp on ambient rhythms somehow gets corralled into the comments section of that site with a handful of mediocre songs and a heart full of hope...only to have that hope dashed as more experienced forum-goers jump to point out every flaw. One such EP, however, has been making quite the stir on IndieEl within the last week: [i]The Anatomy of an Imploding Star,[/i] a surprisingly competent collection of songs by a new and unknown artist, known only by his forum handle "Shades of Green." Since its posting, the EP has gained several thousand downloads, and has since been seen being spread to other ambient/trance forums around the extranet. Perhaps what has allowed [i]Anatomy[/i] to avoid the fate of so many similar first-time projects is its unique concept. According to the author's own (admittedly cryptic) comments, the EP is built on sounds gathered from his environment: A spaceship bursting at the seams with ex-criminals and mercenaries. According to the creater himself-"I'm just a simple man, traveling with a bunch of assorted freaks and fools. Most of them never seem to shut up, so I figured I might as well use their voices for something useful. Most of the album was created using voice clips of various members of the ship's crew, recorded secretly during briefings and conversations and then later touched up and mixed with more traditional ambient elements via the SoundPro v.2.4 program. Enjoy." A refreshing concept, to be sure, and one that almost immediately shows promise. The opening track, "Between the Void and I," begins with standard, boring ambient fare before opening into a strangely haunting mix of mechanical hums and beats, allegedly gathered directly from the spaceship the artist lives on. That intro, which perfectly encapsulates a feeling of separation and isolation via spaceflight, builds into the decidedly more intricate (though much stranger) "Despite All Appearances, His Blood is Probably Black," which features a recurring background loop of a Salarian muttering about coffee, of all things. The follow-up third track, "Murderer, Medic" fades in with more surprises: bumbling, jumbled syllables spouted by a human male, arranged in a surprisingly catchy undercurrent that speaks more to smooth jazz then it does to traditional trance. It's easy to see why this EP caught the attention of the underground ambient scene. While the music is competent, it isn't exactly ground-breaking. The addition of voice and other natural noise, all of which sounds genuine, turns what would be lackluster tracks into more intimate and emotional pieces, without sacrificing any of the vast, echoing soundscapes that draw fans to this particular genre. "Send the Alliance my Regards," for example, punctuates its already catchy bass-driven beat with a repeated chorus ("Mako, Wankers!") "sung" by a human female and distorted in such a way that it practically begs to be sung by the listener as well. The arguable highlight of the album, "Two suits, Too many" also capitalizes on the strengths promoted by this concept, featuring a long and intricately woven duet of female Quarian voices, stitched together perfectly into a echoing and somewhat threatening masterpiece. That's not to say the EP is perfect. "Drastic times and Drastic Companions," certainly has an interesting build-up featuring the beautiful and harsh voice of an Asari, but the decision to include an echoing Vorcha laugh in the background, barely distorted and sounding almost as real as ever, may be enough to turn some faint-hearted listeners away. This reviewer herself had nightmares for days after hearing that track. On the other hand, the two songs that don't play to the strengths of the album's concept by including voice or other ship sounds ("A Man from Kahje" is fairly typical ambient affair with very little to be interested about, while "Captain, You May be the Best of Us," is built off of dialogue made by a VI program, a concept that has been mostly played out by now), tend to drag the experience down, and may affect repeat listens. Overall, [i]Anatomy[/i] is certainly an interesting EP, and as a first-time offering, it's also quite exciting. I'm sure I'm not the only one that wants to see what this new artist may come up with next, assuming he continues making music. It'll be interesting to see whether or not the concept of this album is a crutch to mask amateur music-making skills, or whether "Shades of Green" can come up with something to rival his first release. Either way, this EP is worth at least one listen, and is available for free over on the IndieEl forums. Recommended. -Fillaria Notin Rating: 3 stars out of 5 Recommended tracks: "Murderer, Medic" "Send the Alliance my Regards" "Two Suits, Too many" CLOSING EXTRANET... LOGGING OFF...