Brilliant... simply Brilliant
J. Warth | 08/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have not been this blown off my feet from a piece of music in a long time. I've owned this release mix for almost 2 weeks, and I've listened to it at least 20 times through.
Quivver has shown incredible range in that the tracks on "Dirty Nails & Vapour Trails" touch upon so many different areas of electronic music, it would be impossible (and meaningless) to categorize this. Although the music varies (sometimes greatly) from track to track, the entire mix maintains an incredibly cohesive feel.
There is an almost-subliminal, but logical, progression from the haunting "Intro" until the final bittersweet moments of "These Are the Days," which makes the music feel more like a narrative rather than a collection of individual tracks. While I loved this release from the first listen, only recently have I begun to connect with its subtler qualities -- namely the incredible humanness it reflects. There is a delicate, personal element in this music that is often missing from even the best electronic music. When I found out that Quivver performed most of the vocals on this release, it really drove that last point home. (really, really amazing)
All that said, there is a harder side to several of the tracks on this release, including the almost-minimal, "2 Notes 'n' a Beat" (which I know John Digweed has been hammering of late), and "What's Not Going On," which I think is destined to be a secret gem. I was also happy with the inclusion of the Dub version of Dancing in Dark Rooms, as I like that version the best.
Overall, the production quality on DN&VT is really top-notch. I'm not a producer (or DJ), so I can't comment too much from a technical point of view, but the production feels very clean and polished. The music itself feels deep, dynamic, crisp, organic and human, and the way the music is layered definitely contributes to that overall feeling of cohesion, and to the human/organic feel I mentioned above.
In the end, I'd have a hard time imagining how anybody would be disappointed after adding this to the collection. I'd love to hear what others think after giving it a go...
-J"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1