GOTHTRONIC
Media Motel Review
According to the band and because of the
hard work they put into it, the third album of 'Blind Faith
& Envy called 'Media Motel' had to be a record that would
end up in everyone's playlist for a long time.
What was promised by Charlene April and Daniël Gunther,
starts really well with the flat mid-tempo track called 'My
Life Is Ordinary'. In this song the transparent singing
potential of Charlene April is obvious. Musically the
emphasis is stressed on the use of electronic guitarsamples,
mid-tempobeats and electronic blendings. 'Master Of Angels'
is a two-minute interlude to 'Media Motel', a song again
full of electronic sounds and samples with a heavy synthbeat
underneath it. It's a really enjoyable song and will be a
floorfiller in every club.
'Dehumanized' is an ambient-like track which includes a nice
piano-section untill a vicious rhythm is added. The song
instantly turns into a swirling vulcano but extinguishes as
soon as it came. 'Gentle's Delay' is certainly the sweetest
popsong on the record. Some trip-hopbeats conduct some
honest pianosounds across which Charlene April murmurs some
romantic lyrics. This song is ideal for the next
lounge-compilation to come.
The transition to the next track is huge. 'How Is This For
Entertainment?' rolls in with heavy electrobeats. The
magical voice of Miss April and a catchy chorus does the
trick. In 'Fragments' the tune changes once again. The
construction of this instrumental song is really good and
then suddenly...silence. 'Rising Tide' is more from the
same. Mid-tempobeats, monstrous synths and some electronics
are on the menu but the dish is less delicious than before.
To me it sounds like an ordinary kitschy popsong with less
well-chosen synthsounds. 'Loving Last For All' opens with
violins and ambientsounds but these after a few seconds they
get stuffed with some non-common electronic soundstructures.
Just as Charlene April restores peace with her soothing
voice, the break in the song leads us to a climax after
which a piano puts ou the light.
As an extra to the album you get four remixes of a few songs
on the album by Felix Marc, Liquid Divine, Edge Of Dawn and
Neuroactive, but they don't add any extra credit to the
album in my opinion. As an extra gift the futile track
'Dimming' is on the album. A short experimental piece of
music made by Daniël Gunther. This album is suitable for
anyone who likes the more accessible songs of Nine Inch
Nails female-fronted by for instance Jennifer Parkin of
Ayria or Julia Beyer of Technoir and Chandeen.
http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=5681