Diorama - Child of Entertainment

Title: Child of Entertainment
Artist: Diorama
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 5th February 2010
Label: Accession Records



Single Review

‘Cubed’ will be the title of the long-awaited new album of DIORAMA. What’s been unknown for a long time was when the new full-length would finally see the light of day. The redeeming news came through finally at the end of September 2009, announcing it would be released in March 2010. The final date meanwhile has been set to 19th March 2010. But what’s to do until then? In an effort to shorten the waiting time, the band around Torben Wendt will release the single ‘Child of Entertainment’ at the beginning of February.

The ‘Cubed’ version, which is likely to be the album version, opens the disc and one thing that’ll instantly be clear is that sound-wise there’s no connection whatsoever to the recent albums. ‘Child of Entertainment’ directly links back to the ‘hla’ album. It’s like an exploration into previously unknown realms of already confined territory with the new possibilities modern sound equipment offers. The sonic depth, the track reaches is amazing, especially once the thickly layered strings reach out to you with vague flashes of operatic chant, immersing the constantly danceable track in a sublime mood. The lyrical part with DIORAMA is never to be disregarded. For me it reflects in one part the disillusionment of a protagonist to, let’s take a prominent example here, the medial circus after being a part if it for very long, even making it the centre of his life.

Then comes the enlightenment and then it’s about letting the whole meaning of ones life fall to pieces or blinding it out and live on. The chorus makes the decision of one of supposedly two persons pretty clear. “If it’s reason against wine / I’ll choose the wine / the gloomy smile of sweet denial.” It’s choosing the lesser of two evils. “I’ll be a child of entertainment.” The next one is the ‘Clubbed’ version and the rest is actually self-explanatory. That is the version I’d like to hear live once with its increased power. The entire arrangement is more powerful, like an amplified version of the original one. The ‘Trapped’ variation is one prime example of what you can get out of one track if it’s well-crafted. The mood is utterly melancholic; the majestic strings and operatic vocals from before have taken the upper hand, and the overall make-up is dominated by a relaxed, jazzy vibe with acoustic drums, making it one of my two favourite versions.

Before the next one comes, there’s a new version of ‘hla’, also titled with ‘Hideous Heart’, and it’s indeed like the imaginary heart is beating under the floor planks when the track starts, which is basically a modern club version. Now to the other favourite version of mine: ‘Broken’. A wonderfully brittle rendition of the track on the piano with only minor synth work to accompany it! As simple as it is I think this version will have the biggest effect on emotional souls and become a fan favourite. The last one in the line of variations is ‘Stolen’. Not in the sense of stripping it down to a vocal only performance but stripping it from an emotional component: the restraint. Bursting with fury, this one could be a different song if it weren’t for the lyric fragments and occasional outbursts of melody. The single is wrapped up by a live version of the evergreen ‘Advance’, recorded on a show at the band’s home base in Reutlingen. It’s a nice gimmick but nothing compared to the real live experience of a DIORAMA show.

There might be reservations about all the different versions on the single and if it wouldn’t have been better to put unreleased tracks on the single instead. In this case, the answer is a huge NO! Every version has a different sound, a different feeling. If all single releases would be like that, the format still would be viable. ‘Child of Entertainment’ whets the appetite for ‘Cubed’ more than just a little bit.


Tracklist

01. Child of Entertainment (Cubed) - 4:57
02. Child of Entertainment (Clubbed) - 5:19
03. Child of Entertainment (Trapped) - 5:00
04. Hla (Hideous Heart) - 5:43
05. Child of Entertainment (Broken) - 4:08
06. Child of Entertainment (Stolen) - 4:46
07. Advance (Live in Reutlingen) - 6:06


Line-Up

Torben Wendt - Words & Music, Vocals, Keys, Percussion
Felix Marc - Co-Production, Keys, Vocals
Sash Fiddler - Guitars
Marquess - Drums


Website

http://www.diorama-music.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/dioramamusic


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 10
Sound: 10
Extras: -
Total: 10 / 10


{jos_sb_discuss:19}