Various Artist - WXJL: The Best Of Futurewave Radio Vol 3

Royal Visionaries "Back To Yazoo (Digital Explosion Mix)"
Synthetik FM featuring Empire State Human "Impossible"
Zero Crossing "What You Are"
Echo Us "In The Fall"
<Bit Pixel> "Summer Tide"
Tristraum "Shiver"
Madmen In Vienna "Out Of Sight"
audio Doll "Lost"
Ever "Idyll"
Bunker Soldier "Head In The Clouds"
Ocean 5 "Regrets"
David Vesel "A Man Of My Word (The Wedding Song)"
Eight To Infinity "Carbon Dating"
Love|less "Something About You (Extended Radio Mix)"
Purveyor "Falls"
Empire State Human "Apollo-Mrk II" (Warren K's Ambient Remix)
Assistant Piatti "Summers With You"

This is the third volume of the WXJL series, released by Ninthwave Records to highlight lesser-known or new electronic bands that make radio-friendly pop electronic pop music, of one form or another.

The lead off track is taken from the Royal Visionaries EP, "Back To Yazoo". While this wasn't the best remix of "Back To Yazoo" on the EP, it's still a very solid one, and a great launching point for the disc. Very bouncy, dancey and fun!

Synthetik FM follow with "Impossible" from that project's upcoming album "e=MC^2". On that album, each track will feature a different vocalist. This track features the vocals of Aidan Casserly of Empire State Human, who also wrote the lyrics for the track. Bobby Clark, the brains behind Synthetik FM, handled the music for the track. It's a very smooth track with a strong chorus hook. A very good song, and a good portent of things to come from Synthetik FM, methinks....

Zero Crossing follow with "What You Are", a dark synthpop/EBM track with lush synths backing a strong beat and solid vocals. Unfortunately, according to the band's website, Zero Crossing has been put on indefinite hold, so we'll just have to enjoy this track and hope for more later.

Echo Us contribute a track taken from the self-titled debut album, "In The Fall". While this is one of the moodier and slower tracks from that album, I really liked the vocal effects used here in the chorus. A track that at times seems so fragile that it might break apart at any moment. Very Cool.

<Bit Pixel> follow their extremely impressive contribution to the last volume of this series with "Summer Tide", another very catchy, clever and bouncy song. This band is quickly ascending my must-have album list, they' impressed me consistently and even with time "017864652" is a song I keep going back to again and again. Excellent.

Having heard a little more of Tristraum's material now, I'm not sure that "Shiver" is the strongest track that they've got. But, it is a very enjoyable track, and from what I know, the album will have a bunch of songs even better!

Every compilation has one track that leaves you puzzled, wondering why it was selected for the compilation. Here, that track is Madmen In Vienna's "Out Of Sight". This sound is loud and rough-sounding, un-polished and very amateur sounding No Thanks!

Audiodoll was a project that previously left me very unimpressed. This track is taken from the "Shine" promo album that I previously reviewed. It still stinks. SKIP!

Ever's "Idyll" is a truly beautiful song, right up there with Leiahdorus' "Wake". Lovely, simply lovely vocals over very atmospheric and epic-feeling music. A song you can't help but love, and the self-titled debut album is assuredly worth your seeking out!

Bunker Soldier shows more of the industrial influences on the project on the track "Head In The Clouds". Sharp, edgy (but not harsh) synths drive the echoing drums for the around 3 minutes of this instrumental. Interesting, but this track really needs vocals to really impress.

Ocean 5 start off really well in "Regrets". The synths are catchy, bouncy and very lively. Once the beat joins it, it's thumping along at a great pace. But then the vocalist comes in... UGH!! Sorry, but she's just not impressive at all. Might be a good song, but this band desperately needs a new vocalist.

I've said before that David Vesel has improved greatly on his songwriting and recording techniques. "A Man Of My Word" is only further evidence of that. Clear, catchy and emotionally-loaded, this track is superb. I'm rally impressed with the improvement here, and look forward to more!
Eight To Infinity is another band that's appeared on a previous edition of this compilation series. "Carbon Dating" leaves me a bit torn: it's not terribly catchy, and feels a bit uneven at spots. But the music is very fun and active, extremely danceable. Not their best, but not totally a bad track either...

Love|less present a remix of "Something Wonderful" taken from the promo singe released in 2004. This new mix takes a much more aggresively danceable slant on the track, with a driving, almost frantic bass synth moving the track along at lightspeed. I love it!
Purveyor contribute "Falls", a track that's mid-tempo earnestness seems oddly familiar, but I can't place the compilation I think I heard it on. Still, a very enjoyable mid-tempo track.

The remix may be titled "Ambient", but this version of "Apollo" would be more accurately called downtempo or Trip-Hop. Empire State Human's track here is modified quite heavily, but not to the extent the original song is left totally behind. In fact, I can easily say this is probably my favorite version of the song, as it takes it in some unexpected and very enjoyable directions.

Assistant Piatti close out the compilation with the "Summers With You", a song that has a very strange (and seemingly pointless) vocal come in at about a minute and 1/2 into the song, and wander back out quickly, only to resurface briefly at the end of the song. This is a strange, wandering song that seems pointless to me. It ends the compilation on a down note, certainly.

Overall, I though this third volume of the WXJL series was, if not the best yet, closely tied for the best yet. Lots of great tracks, both new and old, as well as some really promising new acts, and only 2 real stinkers. Highly recommended!

Added:  Saturday, July 23, 2005
Reviewer:  Jason Baker
Score:
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Language: eng