Waldeck
Balance of the Force (E-Magine Music)
Waldeck
Balance of the Force REMIXED (E-Magine Music)
By: Alex Steininger
Austria's Klaus Waldeck finds perfect harmony on his debut full-length, BALANCE OF THE FORCE. Along with Joy Malcolm (ex-Incognito) on lead vocals, Waldeck transcends sounds and styles into a rich, deep musical collage. Using the best of techno, house, acid jazz, and cerebral electronica, Waldeck finds himself blazing a trail many will no doubt follow in the months to come."Defenceless" is a tingly, sultry blend of acidic tones and mystical grooves. Malcolm's vocals add the beautiful imagery the song uses to fully take control of your mind, while the subtle, intricate grooves trip and hop around your subconscious and have you thinking solely of the music. "Children of the Ghetto" is another sultry stinger. It's deep, infectious grooves trigger thoughts and visuals in your mind like no other while the sound textures jump around in the air at every click of the music.
"Aquarius" and "Moon," both co-produced by Kruder and Dorfmeister, have a very similar effect. The tingly percussion trips around in your head while the steamy vocals have your ears fixated on the sounds coming out of your stereo.
The remixed disc is similar, though it incorporates and encompasses many more genres, including dub. "Northern Lights," the album opener, is a trip-dub track sure to send you on a mental acid trip, while "Defenceless (Thievery Corporation mix)" will have you dancing to the trip-hop bounce that breathes throughout the song. Then there is Fauna Flash's "Defencelss" mix, a wild, energetic house mix sure to turn the raver inside of you alive. Solar Moon's mix is a bit subtler, using Malcolm's vocals to seduce and control you. Slippery and vibrant, "Defencelss" is able to draw you in and keep you on a constant fix of pumping percussion and simmering grooves. "Aquarius" never sounded so enchanting and "Spy Like An Angel" hits you over the head with thundering bass and deep percussion grooves. Also, ending with the James Bond Theme (a bonus track only available on the remixed CD), "You Only Live Twice," the band once again sends you on a mental mushroom trip.
Music for the mind, body, and soul. Waldeck's concepts come to life as the music and the grooves penetrate your body and make you think and feel everything that is going on. Here is literary music that moves you with sounds rather than words, and touches you like nothing else can. I'll give both CD's an A-.
