Second Complex – Therapy (Album – Space Race Records)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Second Complex is a solo-project set up by Danish musician Dan Beck (also involved with Vaylon). After having released a few singles Second Complex now unleashed its debut album featuring multiple guest singers.
Content: The last two songs are instrumental edits, but all other cuts have been accomplished with guest singers. Color Theory has been featured on 3 songs. You’ll also hear Laura Noszczyk, Daniel Hall, Tomas Gustafsson (State Of The Nation), Ole Ulrich Jensen (Vaylon), Neil Francis, Frank J. Freda and one song featuring Ole Ulrich Jensen and Frank J. Freda.
Sound-wise Second Complex deals with amelancholic although danceable format of Electro-Popmusic.Sometimesmovingtoward Cinematographic-Pop –featuring some extra guitar on top, the main part of the work remains pure Electro-Pop.
+ + + : The contribution of different singers injects diversity, but still an opportunity to discover great and talented vocalists. I like the delicacy emerging of “Troubled Mind” featuring Laura Noszczyk, but also the somewhat heavier arrangements at “Every Moment Counts” featuring the charismatic voice of Daniel Hall. “Regrets” featuring Color Theory is one of the most danceable cuts. “Solid Ground” featuring Neil Francis is another attention grabber for the crystalline sound arrangements. But my favorite song is the instrumental “Shadows And Silhouettes” revealing the maturity of this artist. It’s a dreamy song, which sounds as Cinematographic-Pop.
– – – : The album is missing an absolute hit and maybe one singer instead of different vocalists.
Conclusion: Second Complex doesn’t set the world of Electro-Pop alight, but this album is an interesting and promising debut.
Best songs: “Shadows And Silhouettes”, “Solid Ground”, Troubled Mind”, “Regrets”, “Drowned”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/SecondComplexMusic
Label: www.spaceracerecords.com / www.facebook.com/SpaceRaceRecords Read the news on ‘Therapy’.
About Second Complex
Second Complex is the solo project of Danish musician Dan Beck. Discogs states that Beck was born in the suburbs of Copenhagen in the early 1970s and met his longtime friend Ole Ulrich Jensen of Vaylon and Reliant in late 1984.
The project issued the singles “Solid Ground” and “Powerless” on Liquid Substance Records in 2021 before the debut album.
“Therapy” was released by Space Race Records on 19 November 2021 in digital and CD formats. Dan Beck wrote and arranged the album, Rob Early mixed it at Retrogramme Studios in Washington and Brian Hazard mastered it at Resonance Mastering in Los Angeles. Lars Ludvig Sørensen took the photos and Ole Ulrich Jensen handled cover and design.
The ten tracks are “Drowned” with Color Theory, “Troubled Mind” with Laura Noszczyk, “Every Moment Counts” with Daniel Hall, “Regrets” with Color Theory, “Asylum” with Tomas Gustafsson, “Powerless” with Color Theory, “Lost In A Dream” with Ole Ulrich Jensen, “Solid Ground” with Neil Francis, “Spirit” with Ole Ulrich Jensen and Frank J. Freda, and “A Grain Of Sand” with Neil Francis.
The single “Treatment” followed on Town And Towers Records in 2022.
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