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Music reviews
Review by PKS
Swedish Son Kite is back with their third album...
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Son Kite (Marcus Henriksson and Sebastian Mullaert) from Sweden is back with their third album. This time they have made some sort of hype around themself, by releasing a series of "Colours". Pretty cool concept, which include two CD singles, this album and a live DVD. Son Kite started as an unknown duo, and released their first album “Minilogue” on Nova Tekk in 2000. My first experience with these guys was at the Arvika Festival in Sweden in 2000. They wasn’t very lucky at that gig, but after a ton of live performances around the world and another album (Perspectives Of...) on Digital Structures in 2001, these guys have really gained a good reputation, for their willingness to try out house, techno and progressive trance, and mix it all together. I love it when the musicians/labels do things well done and everything with the cover art and music is carefully thought through. That is what these guys have done. Here you get a pretty cool cover art, a concept and even a fat booklet with stuff you can read. Booklets like that is pretty rare to find in releases within "our" style. The reason is probably because it is expensive to do it like that.
Son Kite "Colours" Digital Structures 2004 (DIGCD015)
1. Other Side
2. Focus
3. On Air
4. Game & Watch
5. Let us Be
6. The Stars Within Us
7. Jukebox
8. Made To Move
9. Colours
The first track starts with a long intro of relaxing light sounds. Then we get a voice sample, and the rhythms start drifting. Suddenly, the progressive bass line kicks in. The beats sound very monotonous, but the melodies and sounds around it vary all the way. Very typical Son Kite drift, when they make progressive trance. Or should we call it progressive house? The boarders between these two styles get pretty small now and then. Anyway, this builds up in a progressive way, and the sounds are light and happy. We also get a break, before things build up again. Track 2 continues the beat from track one because this album is mixed. This track goes the same style, but with less of those light sounds. Here we get some tribal drums mixed with the bass line, and they have put in a little bit of violin. This is probably the only progressive trance duo that use violin in their live shows too. I saw them in the heating sun at Samothraki Dance Festival in Greece last year, and was surprised to see they used violin on stage! Live ingredients like that is always fun. This track also builds up, and after a while a beautiful atmospheric, floating sound sneaks up on us. A perfect dj tool for a progressive trance dj. Then things take a different direction, and we get some electro sound influences. The electro sound from the eighties is back for full in many music styles these days. Then we get the track called On Air, which has been played a lot lately. This is a very floating progressive house track. Drifting as hell, with beats that some how reminds me of some synth pop! You also get some kind of synth pop melody in there. Track 4 is a pushing track, with a more heavy bass line. The melody you get here is pretty fluffy, but doesn’t sound too cheesy. The style reminds me a bit of some of the works by Dado (aka Synthetic, Deedrah etc.)
Track 5 starts with a singing female voice. Then some techno inspired beats starts pushing. This track has a bit darker vibe, but after a while we get some pretty fluffy ingredients. It builds up in a smooth progressive way. The vocals come back a couple of times too. A bit too fluffy progressive house for my taste. Things get better in track 6. It starts off with some funky guitar. Then we get some banging beats, rolling along with a few sounds that almost drown in the heavy rhythm drift. After a while we get a little break with a twisted computer voice and some weird computer melody. Again I get this eighties electro feeling. This track can easily become a bit intense for home listening, but is perfect as a dj tool. Track 7 sounds better for the homelisteners. This one starts beautiful, with a floating atmospheric sound. The rhythms work it slowly into the track, and it goes from the floating atmospheric vibe to a funky house inspired vibe. This sounds a lot like some tech house music, but doesn’t sound bad. Track 8 is a pumping progressive track. Very groovy, with some nice metallic, tribal drums above. Another dj tool that could have been a bit more varied. The last track they give us on this album starts with the relaxing sound that we got in track one. Then some stumpy, pretty slow beats start pumping. This is my favourite track on this album. You also get this violin sound in there. Nice finish.
Son Kite deliveres a strong album, floating between progressive house and trance. I don’t think it is as innovative as many people say it is, but I’m sure it is refreshing for many trance heads around the world if they never have explored the house and techy side of electronic music before.
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
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Daniel
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07.05.2004 06:28
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ok, I love this album. My review is not very insightful. But I finally got a hang of what 'progressive trance' is. This rocks.
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New album 
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