Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, EBM, Body-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Daniel Pad aka ES23 last year unleashed the EP “When I’m Gone” as an appetizer to his fourth official album “Only Melodies Remain”. It seems that it took a while to release the album, but here it is; twelve songs plus two remixes!
Content: After a rather evasive, instrumental debut song, “When I’m Gone” appears to be the real start of the album. ES23’s last releases were driven by Electro-Pop influences and even if this album holds on this influence, it also becomes empowered by EBM elements especially the second part of the album which is spiced by solid EBM bass lines. Some songs are getting harder while the vocals are spookier. There’s even one song featuring SynthAttack featuring the familiar hopping sequences of this band.
The first part of the song is more into the Electro/Future-Pop and ES23 here sometimes reminds me of Apoptygma Berzerk. The work comes to its end with a remix of “When I’m Gone” by Solitary Experiments and “Taking Me Down” remixed by Shiv-R.
+ + + : ES23 ever started as a Dark-Electro project and progressively moved into solid Electro-Pop music. This album takes some distance with previous productions and becomes harder again, powered by great EBM bass lines. While the debut songs have something more Future-Pop orientated –and revealing some cool songs, the second part of the work appears to be a great fusion between EBM and Electro-Pop. Songs like “Not Your Enemy”, “Good Or Bad” and “Taking Me Down” all are great exposures of this boosted format. Both remixes by Solitary Experiments and Shiv-R are also worthy of examination especially the hard-kicking remix of “Taking Me Down” by Shiv-R is pure sonic adrenaline! I think this album features more potential single/EP title songs.
– – – : I don’t see real minus points about this album, Daniel Pad having released one of his best productions to date!
Conclusion: “Only Melodies Remain” sounds like the perfect offspring between EBM and Electro-Pop.
Best songs: “Not Your Enemy”, “Good Or Bad”, “Only Melodies Remain”, “When I’m Gone”, “Taking Me Down”, “Taking Me Down – Shiv-R Remix”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.es23.de / www.facebook.com/ES23official
Label: www.infacted-recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted-Recordings/124099254321690
