Faith – BNE/YoYo

By his own admission on the interview Fatali did with Psyreviews (plug plug, linky linky, www.psyreviews.com/features) this album was written for playing at a big summer festival. And, regardless of your take on melodic fullon, you can’t argue with the fact that this CD is full-to-bursting of those dusty, sunshine vibes. Sleep On opens at a breezy 142bpm pace, with plenty of room between the sounds allowing them to breathe. Although it’s heavy on the melodies, there’s a great air of expectancy that this album is going to deliver more than the average – and when the tune kicks in and comes alive at around the six minute mark, it’s a finely-tuned piece of smile-on-the-face dance music. I Believe showcases what he’s great at doing – building up not to a huge breakdown, but an icy and spacious plateau (just like old trance folks) where the sounds seem to hang suspended from the sky. Mind & Soul works like more conventional melodic fullon, with a staggering midsection that’s up there with Silicon Sounds’ finest hour, while Natural takes in more melody and firmly gears itself at the crossover dancefloor. D Paradise is pure summer outdoor dancing material with a breakdown to meet the girl of your dreams by, and while the title track may be too saccharine for current (European) climes, by the time it’s summer that breakbeat midsection is going to sound mighty fine. Hyper Love comes in with a gnarlier, down-n-up-again groove, that sustains in a hypnotic, draws-ya-in way before a controlled explosion into an emotive burst of high-end lines that (sorry) will sound amazing on ecstasy, and Forever & Ever is just as emotive, end-of-movie as the title suggests. Point of View is perhaps his best on here – I’m staggered at how the sounds can be so effective in the way they move you, and retain this clean, glassy production… much more energy here than other producers. En Sof, chucked on as a bonus track at the end, steals some of the thunder from the end of the album, but it’s still a decent slice of fullon trance. Which I guess has to be said – while this is a great album, some will find it too melody-rich and lacking the harder edge that’s gaining ground at the moment. Faith is best viewed as a superlative example of energetic melodic trance, and a great case study for anyone with an interest in moving an audience with electronic music.