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.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Out via the EK Product sublabel Space Race Records is the debut album by the synthpop act Second Complex, called “Therapy”. Behind this Danish solo-project we find Dan Beck, better known for being with with Ole Ulrich Jensen one of the two members of Vaylon. Strongly inspired by the 80’s synthpop, this debut album features a wide array of guest vocalists.

The album holds twelve tracks with guest vocals delivered by Brian Hazard (Color Theory), Laura Noszczyk, Daniel Hall, Tomas Gustafsson, Ole Ulrich Jenbsen, Neil Francis and Frank J. Freda (Halovox).

Tracklist:

1. Drowned (Feat. Color Theory) 4:49
2. Troubled Mind (Feat. Laura Noszczyk) 4:17
3. Every Moment Counts (Feat. Daniel Hall) 3:43
4. Regrets (Feat. Color Theory) 5:03
5. Asylum (Feat. Tomas Gustafsson) 3:48
6. Powerless (Feat. Color Theory) 4:13
7. Lost in a Dream (Feat. Ole Ulrich Jensen) 3:27
8. Solid Ground (Feat. Neil Francis) 3:57
9. Spirit (Feat. Ole Ulrich Jensen & Frank J. Freda) 3:46
10. A Grain of Sand (Feat. Neil Francis) 4:15
11. Shadows and Silhouettes (Instrumental) 4:15
12. Humble (Instrumental) 4:49

Here’s already a track featuring Neil Francis. Read the review of ‘Therapy’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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