RoD header

Translate


Title: X
Artist: X-Divide
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 12th February 2010
Label: Infacted Recordings



EP Review

The name X-DIVIDE spooks around in the scene for a while now. The duo that consists of Eric and Jens, who both have experiences with the music business already, was founded in 2005 and recorded their first song some time in the same year! Following up their first live experiences, a promotional EP was recorded in collaboration with Vasi Vallis of FROZEN PLASMA & REAPER which entered the German Alternative Charts at the time. It supposedly was that fact that roused the attention of Infacted Recordings who went on to sign X-DIVIDE. The band’s first release will be the EP ‘X’ coming out on 12th February. The duo is also working on their yet untitled full-length slated for a 2010 release as well.

’Forever’ begins with harmonic, melodic expanses encountering a stringent beat eventually. Eric’s soulful, poignant vocals join up with the synthetic ensemble and inject the last bit of emotion, needed for making this an extremely catchy hymn of highly infecting synthetic pop music. The next bit ‘My Love’ is meant as an utterly candid promise and as such has to be dressed in proper sonic clothes which, more than on the previous one, bear the hallmarks of Vasi Vallis who knows better than many how to create multi-dimensional dance tracks drawing on a melancholic fragility. Since we’ve had two club affine tracks now, it’s about time we get something slow, something that has more atmospheres to get lost in and which turns down the beat count. ‘Sometimes’ is such a track whose biggest advantage is the pronouncedly delicate nature of the melodic sections, enhancing the emotive vigour of the vocal delivery which is awesome by the way.

’Mirror’ is the only track to go without vocals, so it’s up to the listener here to read the song’s message from the compositional build of rhythms and layers itself. Especially rhythmically this one is a very interesting tune. While not doing any pace changes at all, the section’s aural appearance undergoes various shifts, partly quite experimental for a band of that genre. If NAMNAMBULU still would be making music, they’d probably sound like on the remix of ‘Sympathy’, if there wasn’t any development in sound whatsoever. This one, in every aspect, is classic NAMNAMBULU sound transported into now: Melodic, and danceable. Even Eric’s vocals at times put me in mind of Henrik’s back then. Strange isn’t it? The EP is concluding with two remixes of the opening track ‘Forever’. ENDANGER’s take has a much more optimistic vibe, while the SHIV-R remix rather swims in the wake of harder and darker electronics.

Well, even if Vasi’s been producing the record, and you can hear that very clearly at times, he never destroys the unique note that is in the sound of X-DIVIDE. It’s not the most engaging sort of music but it doesn’t have to be. It’s good as it is and will quite rightly appeal to a big circle of listeners. Now let’s hope the album will come out soon and pick up the thread of the EP, and who knows, maybe even go one better.


Tracklist

01. Forever - 4:41
02. My Love... - 4:59
03. Sometimes - 4:23
04. Mirror - 6:35
05. Sympathy (NamNamBulu Remix) - 6:09
06. Forever (Endanger Remix) - 3:49
07. Forever (Shiv-R Remix) - 4:57


Line-Up

Eric - Vocals, Programming, Synths
Jens - Second Vocals, Synths, Lyrics


Website

http://www.x-divide.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/x-divide


Cover Picture




Rating


Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10


{jos_sb_discuss:19}

Comments powered by CComment