15
April
2009
April
2009
Participate!
I may not have the worlds biggest fanbase but I’m willing to bet that it’s one of the best groups of fans.
I’d like you to send me some critics/reviewish things in on the recent stuff I’ve done (for example “Lighthouses & Shorelines EP” and “Don’t Fall On Purpose”). Any negative/positive feedback is welcome! These days when there are so many cross-genres I feel I have a hard time keeping my music in a direction moving forward, which is also the reason I’ve been somewhat quiet recently.
So, get involved and earn a pin (and perhaps a track or two)!
Dunno if I the review should be there but i’ll make it there :p I’ll go with 3 tracks. I can’t review it like pro reviewer (wish I could sometimes :p)
1) Orchid Blossom (This mix)
A really sweet track! The melody is well worked and I like that it have a nostalgia feeling to it. It’s how Trance should be IMO. I’m not too fund about the electric sound. They way the tune is worked it integrate it well but just not my thing.
2) Lighthouses and Shorelines
An ok track for me. It have a cozy house beat feeling to my ear and I don’t root for that. It have a good progressive beat.
3) Whenever I May Find Her
Now we’re talking! Ok it does have a house feel to it but it remind me so much of Cafe Del Mar - Energy 53. I don’t know if you worked with that track it mind but the result is amazing. Progression is subtle and cheezy and when the track explode it’s just pure subtle madness :p That’s the kind of song I would listen at the beach. It also have a nice bass kick.
I wish I could have been much sharper in my little review but I’m only a listener :p
Can’t wait for Chasing Ember! I really like the way you took with Chasing Ember/Whenever I May fing her/Orchid Blossom.
I guess I’ll post my reviews here too. if there’s an email you’d like to send this too, I’d be happy to send it there too. I’ve followed your releases under all of your different aliases, and here are a few reviews of them.
JPL - Your Whole Life - CD-Maxi Single
“Your Whole Life,” released under Swedish producer Joni Ljungqvist’s JPL alias, is a good indication of why the young talent has received so much acclaim recently (he has appeared on several editions of Ferry Corsten’s Passport and Tiesto’s In Search of Sunrise). The original mix is a deep, progressive track that builds slowly into a main melody consisting of one constantly morphing tone. The instrumentation recalls the best of 90’s Trance, including Shivers-era Armin van Buuren, but the production is strictly Progressive. In a genre that heavily emphasizes melody, “Your Whole Life” finds a perfect niche.
The other notable track on the disc is the auto-remix titled “Ljungqvist Always Lives.” It trades the classic trance instrumentation for Progressive House bell-like chimes, reminiscent of Peter Smit’s work as Monogato or Gui Boratto’s last two albums. To complement this change, the bassline is reworked into a low, atmospheric tone, which creates a beautiful mix of staccato and fluid sounds that is unlike anything in the Progressive movement right now.
Added to the two in-house mixes are a few remixes by other notable talents. Carl B gives the original a more traditional Trance feel, and Algarve reworks the structure without making any noticeable changes to the content if the song. Both are decent mixes, but neither touches the work by Ljungqvist himself. It’s a disc worth picking up for the first two mixes alone, and some of the finest work by a DJ already at the forefront of the Progressive new wave.
JPL - Feed Us With Love - Free Single
“Feed Us With Love” is a track released digitally for free that well surpasses the usual “free DL” fare. It is a fully realized, and actually quite engaging track under Ljungqvist’s JPL alias that embodies the Progressive Trance style of that moniker. It has a harder edge than some JPL tunes, and most Progressive in general, but the deep production sets it apart from the classic Trance of the 90’s. Ljungqvist has always been at the forefront of the movement to digitally interact with his fans (he maintains a regular blog and, unlike super-DJ’s Armin van Buuren, and Tiesto, an RSS feed) and this free single is the best thing he has done yet for his fans.
Joni Ljungqvist - Don’t Fall On Purpose
“Don’t Fall On Purpose” represents a move by Progressive Trance producer Joni Ljungqvist toward House music. The results are somewhat disappointing; the tune shows the deep production and thoughtful instrumentation typical of Ljungqvist’s work in Trance, but none of the engaging melody that made tracks like “Your Whole Life” and “Lighthouse and Shorelines” stand out above the rest of the new wave in Trance. Now that almost anyone with a computer can make music, the work of a genuine talent like Ljungqvist needs to illustrate his keen ear for melody and composition, and not get buried in rhythm and bass. While “Don’t Fall On Purpose” is definitely a well made track, it is ultimately not engaging enough to stand out in a genre populated by the likes of Gui Boratto and Projections.
Other Notes:
Your melodies are generally quite good; stick to them, even over production if necessary. Some of your stuff is quite well produced, but ultimately forgettable just because there is no engaging hook (“Feather Falls,” “Don’t Fall On Purpose”). Also, I love the blog. You’re probably to only producer I follow who has an RSS and a proper blog. It’s a small thing, but it makes a huge difference to fans who like to keep track of the latest releases and news from their favorite DJ’s.
Finally, I have to say that, as an informed listener (I am familiar with Peter Smit, Estiva, Solid Globe, Lemon & Einar K, Kamaya Painters, and a lot more), I have to say that you are my favorite producer in the recent Progressive Trance genre. I discovered you through In Search of Sunrise and Passport, and have since become a huge fan. Keep up the good work.
- Jack Craig
I appriciate the words people! Is there anyway I could get in touch with you?
Cheerio,
Joni
Sorry this too so long. My email is jack.m.craig@gmial.com and I’m on facebook as well.
Loved “Orchid Blossom,” by the way, and can’t wait for “Envision.”
thanks for the opportunity to share my ideas,
- Jack Craig