My latest obsession is ‘Progression‘, the release comes with a beautiful remix from Indigo. As with most of Synkro’s music, ‘Progression’ is stunningly minimal and deep, dabbing into elements from various genres, not allowing to put your finger quite on it. His signature sound is alluring and haunting, just needs to be listened to when sitting back with eyes closed. The subtle broken beats and bassline reminiscent of a gently undulating sea surface stay with you for a while. Indigo’s remix does the original a fair amount of justice too, taking things to a sharper level, while staying true to the atmospheric vibes. Darker and with an added thrill, this remix is the perfect company. Dat bass! 10/10

Out on Exit Records.

‘The Agony & The Ecstay‘  features a range of collaborations, from superstars such as Tiesto and Underworld as well as up-and-coming fresh new talents Med School signing Lung and Jessy Allen. Hospital’s Liane Carrol, who you may recognise from London Elektricity live, aswell as Chase & Status / Breakage vocalist Claire Maguire and Kid Adrifts’ Selah Corbin also feature on the album. The anticipation and excitement are through the roof…

The title track ‘The Agony & The Ecstasy’ with the stunning vocals from Selah Corbin kickstarts the album, with powerful string instruments and a generally grand feeling. This track characterises High Contrast’s new sound well in my opinion. It’s different from what was perhaps expected from HC. If five years did not leave a mark on the sound, we should be worried. Beautiful and cinematic, as well as catchy, this one is sure to be be heard on dance floors all over the country. ‘The Road Goes On Forever‘ is introduced with familiar melodies (The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’) and it grows into yet another dance anthem, with the unmistakable Hospitality vibe to it, guaranteed to be stuck in your head for a while.

‘Wish You Were Here‘ is one of my personal favourites, another collaboration with Selah Corbin. Her dreamy voice and orchestral elements make this heartbreakingly beautiful. The melancholic notes are understated and High Contrast yet again proves why he is the legend he is. Outrageously good!

‘Almost Human‘ with continues into darker soundscapes, Claire Maguire’s powerful vocals and the downtempo piano and guitar intro conclude in a breathtakingly powerful drum & bass. ‘The Only Way There‘, another track with Selah, brings more beautiful piano melodies, with the tempo turned down this time. The piano theme continues in various forms and tempos and interlaces different moods and tempos into one whole.

Again on the darker side, with tributes to a more classic drum & bass sounds from the past in the beats and bassline, ‘Father Can’t You See I’m Drowing‘ is another exciting masterpiece, where the ‘old’ sound of HC can be sensed, yet the track is something totally different. ‘The Stand‘ could easily be a film reel running, as the beautiful orchestral sounds create a movie soundtrack feelgood vibe. ‘All There Is‘ with vocals from Liane Carrol, culminates the album with appropriate epicness and euphoria.

Altogether the album is strong and really does feel more personal. The soundscapes are rich and sophisticated, the album feels very much ‘whole’. The piano melodies and orchestral elements represent High Contrast’s sound in 2012 for me, beautifully crafted and mature. The man who was already at the top of the game with his last album (regardless of the five year gap), pushed the bar higher once more. 9/10

‘The Agony & The Ecstasy’ is out on Hospital Records on 27th February 2012.

And here’s a taste of the goodness.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my musical lover, my partner in crime, my driving buddy, personal trainer, shrink and general driving force in life… Fifteen Years Of Hospital Records.

The album comes in a two-CD format. The first CD flaunts the old and the fresh by the Hospital crew. “The past, the present, the future” – as they put it. A treat to many tastes, watermarked with the kind of quality that keeps a record label at the top of the game for fifteen years.

We start with a VIP of the classic ‘If We Ever’ by the man High Contrast himself – one of the key players in the sound that is Hospital. Complimenting the original anthem beautifully, the vocals and bassline get a rework, kickstarting the album with some hallmark epicness. Next up Rusko – ‘Everyday (Netsky VIP)’, guaranteed to take you someplace else with the hands-up-in-the-air-euphoric-almost-religious feel, trademarked by Hospital’s own prettyboy. There is no stopping when Logistics, another honourable resident, takes the bass to a subterranean level with ‘Closer’, followed by Reso keeping it heavy in ‘Voices From A Distant Star’. Nu:Tone‘s take on Adele – ‘Rolling In The Deep’ explores the dangerous waters of remixing something already incredibly good, but the result is a mind-blowingly velvety and bassy masterpiece. Danny Byrd & MC Risky appeal the dance floor with ‘B.R.I.S.T.O.L’ and some unmistakable Byrdesque energy. Camo & Krooked – ‘Reminisce’ with the Austrians’ signature sound and high danceabilty is followed by one of the latest additions to Hospital, S.P.Y., the Brazilian dnb wizard – ‘Untold Future’ who’s keeping the bar high, bass deep, snares sharp. London Elektricity‘s classic ‘Song In The Key Of Knife’ gets a VIP treatment, representing the legend and foundation of the label in his element of amazing. TC – ‘New Frontier’ is something for those who prefer it heavier, a contrast to Fred V & Grafix (also recent signings) – ‘Find My Way’ atmospheric vibes. Blokhe4d & Gridlock – ‘Dumptruck’ is the good and naughty kind of dirty roller, balanced by Muffler – ’4 Years’, bringing us back to the euphoric strings and that big-grin-on-my-face-dancing. Royalston – ‘Late Nights’ and N3GUS – ‘Swag Bag’ add a finishing touch with rolly basslines, excitement, funky drums and a guarantee that the new Hospital lot will be providing us with hopefully many more years’ worth of anthems.

CD 2 is mix by Cyantific, one of the Hospital heavyweights, one of my personal favourite DJs of choice, taking us on a journey through the years on Hospital. The best stuff from way back and just recently, an absolutely delicious collection of ear-strokers.

Hospital, I love you. Thanks for loving me back through the music. Happy birthday! Hope the next 15 years will be as great.

10/10

Here’s my personal favourite, currently on repeat:

Listening to John Mayer makes the shitty weather outside irrelevant, even if it’s just for a couple of minutes. So I thought I’d share.

And by looking for his songs on YouTube, I also realised that’s he’s quite handsome. Definitely a plus (come on, I’m a woman). And I definitely judge books by their covers.

I’ve started exploring different genres more. I always felt adventurous, but now my curiosity has actually materialised itself. It’s exciting, because as much as I didn’t love drum & bass, it starts sounding all the same. That’s also why I’ve gone back to my old loves such as jazz and NinjaTune-esque electronic music.

Here’s a few goodies..

This single tune deserves a whole blog post. A short one though, because I’m le blown away.

The depth and minimalism of it create a soundscape so rich it leaves me completely dumbfounded. It sends shivers down my spine and there is absolutely nothing that should be different in it.

So, so, so damn good. I won’t try to say more, words seem futile in regard to the emotion that emerges from ‘Touch’. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what notes this tune plays on you.

Go on, indulge.

On a Friday night in London, ‘Eesti Fest’ was not the most likely place one would think of ending up. The beautiful King’s Place building held a piano orchestra concert. ‘Eesti’ is Estonia in Estonian. The concert was curated by Fiona Talkington from BBC Radio 3 whose work in Tallinn started in 2001 and she felt that this project helped her renew her enthusiasm for Estonian music. Tallinn is also the European City of Culture 2011, so it was a good time to bring a bit of Estonian culture to London.

A piano orchestra is a group of instruments that does not pop up in our music talk very often. As a matter of fact, Estonia is also not much talked about. So, the idea of a piano orchestra was intriguing, especially when comprised of some of the best pianists from that little country and some of the biggest names among Estonian composers in the repertoire.

The concert started with the ‘Concerto for Eight Pianists on Four Pianos, Op.126’ by Jaan Rääts, an Estonian composer of neo-classicist orientation. The performance of this eclectic concerto was a masterpiece in itself. The interaction between the pianists was admirable as four grand pianos together might seem like a complicated setting. It was playful and emotionally charged. The use of the stringboard gave an original touch and the avant-garde taste made the performance almost athletic and a unique sight to see.

When talking about Estonian music, Arvo Pärt is definitely one of the best known names all over the world. He is among the most prominent sacred music composers. His compostion style ‘tintinnabuli’ which he created himself for works such as ‘Für Alina’ (1976) and ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ is unmistakable and stunning. ‘Für Alina’, performed by the world renowned pianist Lauri Väinamaa alone, had the audience dumbfounded. It is possibly one of the most beautiful modern pieces of music and the concert hall at Kings Place created a mesmerising atmosphere for it. ‘Für Alina’ sounds very whole, playing on long pauses and echoes, the distinguishable ascetic approach has a strong effect on the listener. It sounds like a white feather flying in the wind, alone and it sends shivers down the spine. Listening to such incredible composition performed with passion and skill is breathtaking. It is difficult to not be in awe before the sound when Pärt’s music is performed.

Peeter Vähi’s ‘Pianist Internet Week’ was a high contrast to Pärt. The originality of using percussions and an electric guitar worked out surprisingly well. Quite often the experimentations with modern and eccentric touches added to piano music do not come out the best, but Vähi excelled and the result was far from boring.

The second half of the concert started with video installations of waterscapes on the wall and the corresponding music composed by Ülo Krigul – ‘Aquaspherics’. The use of experimental techniques added character to the tribute to the sounds created by forces of nature. The final piece was Urmas Sisask’s ‘Voices of the Universe, Op.88’ (2002), which summarises half of the composer’s life’s work. Sisask, who is known for a rich style and variation in his works, brought the intergalactic mysteries to that concert hall. The idea of outer space is somewhat abstract and unfathomable, yet the music conveyed the astronomical grandness with utter brilliance.

The elevated feel and spirit after the concert speak for themselves. The concert hall was not sold out, but those who were there witnessed a bit of magic in the form of music that night. Absolutely stunning.