Search - Kyau & Albert :: Worldvibe

Best Single-Artist Trance Album of The Year

J. Marranca | Brooklyn, NY, USA | 11/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I encountered a pre-release promotion for this album on Anjunabeats' web site last month, and decided to pre-order one of the first disks off the presses. I received it just before Thanksgiving weekend, perfect for multiple listenings over a weekend road trip.



If you like clean, evocative "thinking trance," as I do, this disk may be one of your best purchases in a long time. Ironically, I find the opening track, "Walk Down," one of the weakest on the disk, the fact that it has already been remixed by several big names in trance notwithstanding. The real artistry here, as with Sasha's "Involver," is apparent only when you listen from beginning to end in one sitting, experiencing the gradual evolution of moods along the way. At that point, the subtle structure becomes more apparent, and the actual composition stands out.



The real ride starts with track two, where a unique percussive rhythm gives way to an emotionally rousing Viola Manigk (who IS this woman and why haven't I heard her before?) -- and an introspective, yet bouncy, chorus. The rest of the disk whirls into a sequence of ups and downs, including tracks like "Metrosun", where an almost tribal chorus breaks down, then builds slowly into a sequence of chords, layered below a *perfectly* symmetrical rise/fall of throbbing accompaniments and warped vocals, reaching a crescendo that actually raised the hair on the back of my neck while I was streaking down the highway. Whoah. Which of these guys is a mathematician?



It's a shame that trance doesn't typically sell well in the USA. There are times when I feel a bit like a missionary of an art form that simply flies over the heads of many of my fellow Americans. Perhaps they are too accustomed to the generic, image-engineered soup that comprises so much of American dance music. While not a totally perfect CD (there are a few bars here and there that sound a bit reminiscent of Paul Van Dyk, circa "Reflections"), this is largely a breath of fresh air in a world sorely in need of original, new music.



Overall, one of the best CDs I've bought in years."

Great mix of old and new

Chris Kim | Boston, MA United States | 01/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kyau and Albert have a trademark sound: flowing synths, epic leads, and harmonic pads all coupled with distorted male vocals. This doesn't change on this album as the lead singles, "Walk Down" and "Are You Fine" both fall into this category. However, what really differentiates this album are the tracks that don't follow KvA's traditional sound. These tracks experiment on their normal sound with slow, chillout tracks and (dare I say it?) almost electro-y, house-y type tracks. They aren't Ferry Corsten-esque by any means. But they are a unique fresh breath of air that hasn't been heard."

Nice!!

A. Goel | Cleveland, OH | 01/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a nice disc. I heard Armin Van Buuren's State of Trance 2006, Disc 2 of which has Walkdown. Having heard that on AVBs set made me buy this album. It is a nice change of pace from some of the new trance out there. I guess Amazon needs to change the title on the IMPORT Disc to "Worldvibe" from "Worldwide".

However, I do have one problem. The production quality of this set does not sound as good as it should. I feel bad for not having bought the IMPORT set, although that is pricier. That is not very uncommon, I have had that experience in the past when I have bought a Disc duplicated/produced in the US of which the original Right holder is European. I am not sure if others will share this concern, if one's as picky as I am about how the music sounds I guess they will."