Title: Endorphine
Artist: Equatronic
Genre: Synth Pop
Release Date: 2nd November 2007
Label: Koi Records
Introduction
It was in 1987, when three guys locked themselves up in a cellar with some synths and an Atari ST to make music juts for fun and because they shared the love for the music of the 80s. This project was named THE WISH but turned into NEW SUBSTANCE after the conceptual ties got too tight for Oliver Thom already 2 years later. After three demo tapes and many live appearances, the project was cancelled due to internal musical differences and Oliver decided to found his own band and the result is EQUATRONIC. In 1996 they released the EP ‘Shadowland’ which caught the attention of the renowned electro label Zoth Ommog. The first full length album also called ‘Shadowland’ has been released in 1997 followed by the second album ‘Motivation’ in 1998 and a best of album called ‘Too close, too far and gone - The Best of EQUATRONIC remixed’ in 2003. In November 2007 they finally returned with their new album ‘Endorphine’.
Members
Dirk Gerlach - Keyboards, Vocals
Oliver Thom - Vocals, Programming
Website
http://www.equatronic.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/equatronic
Track Review
01. Wait in line - 4:29
You live for life like all the others do. Trapped within your daily routine. Don't you wanna break out and experience something new. Is that all you expect from life??? The first track starts with some lightly distorted drum patterns before some spherical layers appear to create a dreamy atmosphere. After a short period of time Oliver starts the first strophe underlined by some additional sounds which meanwhile joined in and right after the verse ended a laid-back and slow beat kicks in and Oliver is accompanied by some backing vocals.
02. Me, Myself and I - 4:04
Dou you know such a person who doesn't care for anyone but himself and who always needs to be the centre of the world. This song obviously deals with such a person. The song has a quite different approach in terms of the drumming which sounds a lot more organic to me. Even guitars were added to the sound which is rather unusual when it comes to Synth Pop. Strings even though they are used are hardly audible and play only a minor part in this song.
03. The opposite of Maybe - 3:33
The band wastes no time here and immediately starts the song with a quite danceable beat which is rather restrained, I have to say accompanied by a sound that has a certain similarity to a saxophone, but then the beat gets a stronger foundation and new elements are added like some bleeping synths. Those warm and swirling synth layers which appear in the chorus add a 80s feeling to the song.
04. The Liar - 3:27
One day she went away saying she would return, but it was all a lie. She disappeared, letting everyone behind, who cared for her. Maybe to start a new life with someone who was more important to her? Even her child. He waited for along time, but I guess at some point he decided to move on and when she finally returned seven years later he waves her away “You came back too late”. Fitting to the lyrics, the song is a melancholic drawn out balled with gentle and slow beats, wide synth layers and a melody that almost sounds like it is descended from a musical clock.
05. Trilogy - 4:04
A somehow uplifting vibe flows throughout the song which also integrates guitars again and adds an organic t ouch to the usually electronic arrangements, but they're rather low and only seem to accentuate the mood. Synth layers are hardly audible here because the focus here lies mainly on the vocals.
06. A shaky thing called love - 3:34
It's about a love run cold. They just seem to be together for the sake of it. He can't stand this any longer, so he has to make a decision and leaves her. ‘A shaky thin called love’ is another balladry track with a quite minimal instrumentation; slow-ish and gentle beats and sequences collide with a melancholic atmosphere created by the minor strings sounding out of the background. The strings are very low on the track. It is almost as if they're holding back to give Oliver’s voice more room to unfold.
07. Truth or Dare - 3:50
Who doesn't know this game? It mostly doesn't matter if you choose 'Truth or 'Dare' cause almost every time it leads to very embarrassing situations but let's get back to the song which - at least from my point of view - is leaving the conventions of society behind to do some very courageous things. I recognized guitars again which set a quite aggressive counterpoint to the mostly melancholic synth layers and Oliver’s soft chant.
08. Even like myself - 4:05
To cut it short: You don't like anything. You hate the people, the way they live their life and even what they eat. Is three nothing in this world that would put a smile on your face??? Maybe you should just change your perspective and live with the people instead of observing them and as time goes by you'll find something that you like. Sometimes it's the small things that make a life worth living. The spherical melody which starts the song directly captures you and carries you away. The drums were programmed very restrained and processed with echo effects. Atmosphere is what counts here.
09. Darken the Sun - 3:29
Everyone has its demons. Whether they are shadows from the past or dark secrets remained untold. Those demons haunt you, when you least expect and when you're in a bad condition. They take control of your thoughts and all your actions. The symbolically darken your sun and give you the feeling that you'll never see the light of day again. But no matter what demons may haunt you, they'll disappear, just keep on fighting and don't loose your faith. A minimal Introduction leads to a danceable beat equipped with low synth lines and melancholic string arrangements and over it all thrones Oliver's clear voice processed with reverberation effects.
10. Killing Machine - 4:22
On most parts of the verses, the atmosphere is created with melodic dabs, which only last a few seconds before they disappear into nothingness again, while the beat pushes the song forward. But as strange as t may sounds, at the chorus the melodies get a somewhat uplifting character even though the lyrics go of the track are the exact opposite. You can almost see someone running through a hellish environment though he knows that his fate is unpreventable.
11. Moonshine - 3:56
The moon always fascinated mankind, even though one can't tell what causes this fascination. In this tune, the moonlight wakens memories of the past, of a relationship... or maybe a possible relationship??? It could have been all so happy, if there wasn't this one small thing.... To properly fit the topic, this song comes in the vest of a ballad. With wide layers which spread a mystical atmosphere and slow, fragile drums.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 7.5
Conclusion
This is – to be honest - my first EQUATRONIC album so I was curious about how the style of the band differs from other Synth Pop bands I already know and I was pretty surprised to hear rocking guitars or even a saxophone on some of the tracks .The songs are quite catchy and of course very melodic with their atmospheric textures. From melancholic ballads to more danceable tunes, everything is presented here. ‘Endorphine’ is - in my opinion - no extraordinary but a good Synth Pop album and fans of that genre should definitely risk an ear here.
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