Van Bloomen – Geist (Album – ProNoize / Dark Dimensions)
Genre/Influences: Techno-wave, minimal-electro, EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Behind this new project is hiding Marcel Nickels. Some of you for sure know him from his involvement with 100blumen, which he had released several productions on Ant-zen. “Geist” has been introduced as a fusion between ‘synth, wave & techno’.
Content: “Geist” has something special, covering different influences and genres. There clearly is something retro-like in some of the bass lines and synth leads. It even evokes some good-old EBM souvenirs, but there also is something technoid hanging over the tracks. The songs remain instrumentals creating a kind of imaginary EBM soundtrack.
+ + + : The least I can say is that Van Bloomen tries something different. It’s not exactly an innovating album, but you don’t expect to hear old-school electro elements mixed with some techno approach while the entire album remains instrumental. The songs are well-crafted and revealing excellent sound treatments and some solid bass lines. Von Bloomen has something refreshing.
– – – : The only thing I’m missing is the addition of vocals and/or spoken samplings. The songs now remain pretty similar while they now and then need vocal lines to become totally achieved.
Conclusion: “Geist” has something of a challenge, but I’m sure it will catch the attention of electro lovers in search of something different.
Best songs: “Choros II”, “1990”, “Puce”.
Rate: (6½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/VanBloomen
Label: www.darkdimensions.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206
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