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BUY + LISTEN |
ARMIN VAN BUUREN - STATE OF TRANCE 2005 (ULTRA) |
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Sometimes Armin Van Buuren is just too subtle. I mean,
not that subtlety is a bad thing but I get the same
feeling with this disc that did with the last release
of Van Buuren’s I reviewed. There’s something very low
key and unassuming about his music, but in this case,
it’s not entirely a positive trait. I realize I’m
risking the wrath of tranceheads everywhere by
questioning such a high flying name in the scene, but
hey, what can I say (besides the fact that critics of
THIS critic should remember that I too like trance).
Disc one feels like progressive trance that just never
progresses anywhere; there is some overall growth from
the beginning of disc one until the end, but it’s,
well, subtle. It’s true that smooth etherea undergirds
all his track selections and there is some nice
layering. But the textures feel flattened, the
ambience never achieves the flavor of uplifting epic
(which I’ll grant you he’s not shooting for, I don’t
think) and somehow the whole end result just doesn’t
quite have hook. The second disc does continue the
progression, however (I should mention disc one is
called “Light” and the second, “Dark”). One should
look at this 2-disc set as one whole work, rather than
2 separate discs of music, in my opinion. You must
also note that I’m keenly aware that my reaction to
this disc is very much a personal one, rather than a
response to bad trance. Bad trance it’s not. Van
Buuren seems to like pulling you in slowly and this
collection seems more oriented to dancefloors than
headphones, which is really the DJ’s first venue,
anyway. The energy does slowly build and the closer
you get to the end of the two CD set, the more hook
you’ll find. Van Buuren would rather ease into things
with a lot of foreplay rather than going right for the
... uh ... throat. I suppose Van Buuren’s style and
taste in trance just doesn’t entirely align with mine.
When it’s all said and done, the only fair conclusion
is that this is a tight set of trance tunes and that
Van Buuren probably does deserve the attention he
gets. Hell, he had me into before it was all said and
done. Like I told you, I was never saying this sucked
or that I dis-enjoyed it. It’s just not exactly the
kind of trance i seek out. But it is really good
stuff. So don’t listen to me. So, puttin aside
personal taste, four lovely stars.
-- review by Kristofer Upjohn
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