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On this CD, the debut full-length artist release from John Digweed’s legendary Bedrock Records, the label owner’s latest darling, Benoit Franquet, falls a bit short without the rocking or the grooving of his much-anticipated Pink Floyd or Massive Attack comparisons, yet still shines with this spectacular display of studio skills and audio abilities as the entire disc is carried by the Sarah MacLachlan-ish vocals of guest vocalists such as Sandra Ferretti, Kirsty Hirkshaw or Shelley Harland. A handful of prodding, down-tempo-ish tracks add a melodramatic (albeit sometimes boring and depressing) twist to a handful of full-on progressives caners, yet Zero Gold surprisingly holds an uncanny aura around itself, like so many other electronic dance CDs, that screams and begs for you to play it again and again, over and over, until all it’s best parts slowly outweigh the bad, suddenly making it sound incredibly better upon an eighth or ninth hit on the “play” button. The CD begins slowly with “Abrasion”, a brooding pop track, filled with ethereal angelic vocals and strumming intrinsic guitars, while track #2, “Waterfall of Love” continues where the first left off, slow-building, laced with watery splashes and digital drips. Track #3, “Salvation on Slavery Sins” finally kicks in the progressive overdrive and futuristic hum of his more familiar and popular work, such as “Apollo Vibe” or “Dust”. Regrettably, track #4, “Scared to Lose”, returns to formulaic pop crap, this time peppered with a techy Breakbeat, sometimes resembling (ick!) Ace of Base or Bannarama. “Inner Turmoil”, the disc’s fifth track, finally explodes with a sick keyboard line, mantra vocal, and addicting, pulsating beat, saving the first half of the CD from the “stop” button with an incredible guitar-fueled climax. From here, the disc continues with some spectacular production work on a band of top-notch progressive head scratchers. Described as “cinematic”, this is truly an understatement in explaining this un-danceable yet truly incredible first release from a dance artist. While Zero Gold shines with luster and sparkles in spots, it left me a little empty, making its title fitting.-- review by Carl Noone, Jr.
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