Search - Markus Schulz :: Without You Near

Don't expect anything remotely resembling Miami '05.

Doctor Trance | MA, United States | 10/20/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"There are 12 tracks (13 if you count a reprise of track 4), and only 4 are instrumentals. Clear Blue, which we have all heard a while back is a great track, and it opens the CD in a very shortened version. The next track is a rather slow, uneventful instrumental track. We get into Markus's splendid vocal track of this year, First Time, and it's an album edit, about 2 minutes shorter than the original version. The original gets into the vocals almost immediately, with a lot of vocal-less music in the end, while this album edit starts the vocals about 45 seconds in.



Right now, there seems to be a ton of great male vocal tracks in both trance and progressive house. Sadly, Markus's collaboration with Gabriel and Dresden and Departure isn't one of them. The Coldharbour sound is nice, but the vocals spoil it. Next, we get two Carrie Skipper tracks and Markus update of You Won't See Me Cry. I have always liked You Won't See Me Cry, and this update is refreshing. Out of the two Carrie Skipper tracks, the 2nd one is a stunning ambient/chill track, but the 1st one, Once Again, falls short on the lyrics and vocals. The background music is sweet, but the vocals really distract and don't take the song anywhere special.



Tracks 8 & 9 are instrumentals, one by Markus and Ballymena with Airwave. Neither are anything better than average, with the Airwave collaboration being a little more exciting. Track 10, another male vocal track, really isn't even mediocre. Travelling Light starts off like it's going to be one of the hottest trance tracks of the year, however that is just the music. When the vocals kick in, sadly, the track settles back down to mediocrity. Anita Kelsey, from First Time, sings on Sorrow Has No Home, but it can no way capture anything close to what was special about First Time.



The main theme here is that the vocals really come up short in all tracks except First Time, You Won't See Me Cry, and the excellent ambient track, Never Be the Same. Actually, all the vocal tracks that didn't work, would have worked much better as instrumentals, especially Without You Near and Travelling Light. There music is better than the 3 true instrumentals on here.



I really love ya Markus, and I really wanted this to be something good, but please come out with Miami '06 as soon as we pass the new year!!!! Overall, I can't recommend this, as Clear Blue and First Time, we've all heard and probably have already, and the ambient track and update of You Won't See Me Cry are just not enough to pull anyone in. The instrumentals could have been better and the vocals should have been instrumentals. There really isn't an ounce of the energy here that was so prevalent in Miami '05."

Are you people kidding me?? Markus one more time.

Alejandro Montel | Miami | 01/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Are you people kidding me, this is an excelent album, yep maybe a little too much vocals but that's ok. I want to remember you all, this is an artist album. This isn't any copilation or other people's songs put together. This is the real Markus 100% I love it."

You all do not know Trance

Nicholas R. Katz | Bethesda, MD | 01/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You all are ridiculous, complaining about too many vocals. Take a minute and actually just listen to the music and the SOUND of the vocals. Yes, welcome to the world of electronica, the vocals are RARELY thought provoking. But are they ethereal and haunting? Yes. And for those of you who obviously hate vocals but love "dark gritty trance" you obviously have not listened to Ballymena which is easily one of his best songs ever, play it as loud as your system goes and give this album another shot. If that song doesn't move something deep within you, then you do not like trance music. Try Deep Dish or some deeper house music."