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One year & A Day | A sound exposure vol. 2
[Equinox Records - 2008]

Trois après sa première sortie – l'excellente compilation 'Welcome To The Neo Golden Age', Equinox Records nous propose le deuxième volume de 'A Sound Exposure' : 'One Year & A Day'.

Comme précédemment l'album est proposé en trois versions : digitale, cd et vinyle. Bien évidemment on ne saura que vous conseiller cette dernière tant le support noir se prête excellement bien à ce type de musique. Mais assez de tergiversion, rentrons dans le vif du sujet.

'One Year & A Day' est un excellent témoignage de la scène actuelle et regroupe de nombreux profils mais réussit le challenge de garder une bonne homogénité. A la question « Y a t-il un style Equinox? », il semblerait bien que cette compilation soit la meilleure réponse que l'on puisse donner.

Parmi les artistes on trouve donc certains revenants dont on a déjà entendu parler dans d'autres sorties Equinox : 2econd Class Citizen, DJ Sept, Ceschi Ramos avec Deadpan Darling (deux artistes dont on attend l'album avec impatience), Arcsin, Aqua Luminous III, Deckard, Emynd et l'incontournable DJ Scientist déjà présents sur la précédente compil.

Pour les nouveaux on peut citer Vangel, Free The Robots, Brenmar, et le frenchy Geste. Difficile de détacher certains morceaux plus que d'autres tant ils ont tous leur univers et leur caractère. Une fois de plus Equinox Records signe ici un « must-have » qu'on ne se lassera pas d'écouter avec délectation. Une chose est sûre cette onzième sortie laisse présager d'excellentes choses pour l'avenir.


Track by track par DJ Scientist

The Peddlers – A Year And A Day (Metamorphosis)
This is the song that gave this compilation its name. Recorded in 1972 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and released on the Album “Suite London” it was sung by the legendary composer and lyricist Roy Phillips. His unique and inimitable voice makes it the perfect intro for “A Sound Exposure Vol.2”.

Vangel – A Different Direction
It's time for a change and we're back: bigger, better, and louder. Equinox 2008. “A Different Direction” is the wake-up-call of this album.

Free The Robots – Times Like This
"Times Like This“ is an insatiable drum inferno that leaves you begging for more. Taken from the very limited Free The Robots debut-cd “The Prototype”, this track is THE electronic progressive rock song for the year 2008 and beyond. The vocals are sung by Phil Nisco.

2econd Class Citizen – Wishing Well (Re-Wyred Mix)
2econd Class Citizen is the master of contemporary electronic folk rock, and "Wishing Well“ is the genre’s prototypical hymn. In true postmodern fashion, because of a harddisk crash, the final version of this seemed to be lost forever. Now, one year after the release of an unmixed version on his EP „Wyred Folk“, we finally get the official version of this classic. Descry or rediscover: "Wishing Well“ is one of these songs, that won't let you pass by unaffected.

Arcsin – Scarlet Fever
Since the label’s early days, the music of New York's Arcsin accompanied me and Equinox. Who said he was too progressive and dark? His most recent album "Oculus Fang“ is a paragon of perfection, and though the noteworthy anthem "Scarlet Fever“ might be more accessible than most of his other work, the song still reflects the cold, brazen sound of post-9/11 New York. This is this album’s love song.

Brenmar – Cavernous
"Cavernous“ is not a merely skit, but an awe-inspiring and fascinating fragment of sound--full of tension and energy, blazing with anger and stirring your blood to just let you return back into a fair and beautiful dream.

Deadpan Darling – Laugh Track
Deadpan Darling is the music of Kingston and Ian Taggart a.k.a Blue Sky Black Death with the vocals of Ceschi Ramos of Toca and Anonymous Inc.. Ceschi travelled with Equinoix on the 2007 Tour and “Laugh Track” finally solidifies him as a recorded part of the label, making him the first vocal artist on Equinox. The bitter-sweet lyrics and the dallying-minimalistic production make it one of the album's centerpieces. “Laugh Track” tells the story of somebody trying to escape reality; a story about battling the monotony of life. Wouldn't it be nice to be constantly followed by laughing or a soundtrack in your head – something that nobody else could hear – a little push to get you through our often mundane reality?

Aqua Luminus III. – Tibetisches Gutenachtlied
Aqua Luminus III., producer of the obscure 88:Komaflash, is one of the most challenging composers of the German abstract hip-hop and electronic scene. Who is layering ancient rap heroes’ vocals on brutal beats better than him? “You try to run away but you can’t!”

Deckard – Dignity Of Men
With "Dignity of Men“ Deckard takes his sound to the next level. His typical sequential drums, a pulsing, hummy bass, an energetic guitar sample and a perfect arrangement make it one of the most barnstorming tracks ever made out of a breakbeat.

Geste - Octobre
„Octobre“ was the last track chosen for this compilation and was the first track ever made by the electo/IDM wunderkind Geste out of Paris. To me, it kind of symbolizes the work on this album: the calm before the storm and the storm itself. A story within the story...

DJ Sept - Morning Comes (Revised)
The original version of this track is found on the first DJ Sept demo that I received from a mutual friend. Finishing the revisited version for his EP “A Promise Never Given” was a long, hard endeavour, but it was certainly worth it. In my opinion, "Morning Comes (Revised)“ is a perfectly composed instrumental masterpiece. It has tension, energy, and emotion, all combined in a way that only Sept is capable of producing, fitting complexity with minimalism flawlessly.

Emynd – Identity Through Alterity
Emynd's quest for the perfect beat isn't over yet. “Identity Through Alterity” is five action packed minutes, garnished with breaks and 808-claps. This is the grand finale.

2econd Class Citizen – Change & Motion (Outro)
It's like a movie's end at the cinema: you don't want to get up from your cozy seat.

[Eric H.]

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