Review: The Digital Blonde – Seranade (JOOF Recordings)

The Digital Blonde is a veteran and a true legend of the trance genre. Serenade is only his second artist album and here is our review.

Tracklist

1. The Digital Blonde – Introx

2. The Digital Blonde – Lanieka

3. The Digital Blonde – 6 Weeks & 1 Million Years

4. The Digital Blonde – Starscreem

5. The Digital Blonde – Amaphis

6. The Digital Blonde – Hydro

7. The Digital Blonde – Jinga

8. The Digital Blonde – Rainsong

9. The Digital Blonde – Sanctum

10. The Digital Blonde – Blaze

11. The Digital Blonde – Serenade

12. The Digital Blonde – Senabite

Our pick(s) in order of preference: 11, 3, 2, 10.

There is no doubt, many were anticipating the release of Ricky Smith's—aka The Digital Blonde's—second full-length album.  The 2006 release of Synthology (J00F), preceded and succeeded by a scattering of singles, EPs, and of course two albums alongside John 00 Fleming  under the 00.db moniker, is a wealth of quality tracks characterized by The Blonde's soaring layers of synthesizers.

Trancealert's standards for album review necessarily involve the oft-neglected parameter of an album's excellence: does the album flow, and work together as a complete product? Or is the album merely a collection of tracks thrown together randomly with enough filler-material to patch up the sonic holes? 

Rest assured, Seranade is loaded with purposeful tracks; and if a trance journey is desired, then you've just bought your ticket with this album. Starting slower and very progressive, but with a majestic and uplifting accent, Introx leads to the subdued and moody atmosphere of Lanieka—a track that contains 4 minutes of teasing buildup prior to hearing the melody at all!  A similar pattern of melancholic, yet beautifully arranged melodic build-up follows in the track, 6 Weeks and One Million Years.

Throwing us for a surprise is to hear a delightful interpretation of progressive-breaks, from the same man who brought us classic bangers like Legato. Splitting the album in half, Hydro fits into the overall flow of the album because the breakbeat is quite busy—but not too cluttered—and never boring.

The intensity builds as the album moves through tracks like Jinga, Rainsong, Sanctum, and Blaze.  In fact Blaze has a cinematic quality, as do most of the tracks which use the characteristic synth sounds of The Digital Blonde, to create layers of melody, as well as sounds that verge on psy- trance, always keeping it interesting.

Until now, the general mood of the album is on the deeper and darker end of the spectrum, so it is a welcome reprieve when the title track, Seranade, will make you want to put your proverbial "hands in the air", no matter where you are hearing it. This is trance as it ought to be.

To once again throw us for a loop, the album ends with an interesting take on the dub step, breaks-style motif which is one of the only unfortunate things about this album.  Although the track is not terrible, it is an anticlimactic ending to an otherwise stellar work.

If any drawbacks to the album were noted, it would have to be that the mix sounds a little thin at times, though it is vastly improved over the earlier work of The Digital Blonde, which may sound papery compared to this album. Still even if there is professionalism and slickness in Seranade, it lags behind that of anything released by 00.db.

The entire album is worth many listens, you owe it to yourself to get it.

Vote: 8.5/10

Review by Andrew/Drewfactor

Online music shops download links

Beatport

Juno

DJDownload

Audiojelly

For more information about The Digital Blonde & JOOF Recordings, check out:

www.joof.co.uk