Founded by David & Patrick from Ganymede, ‘Evolution’ is the first release for their newly formed Synth Pop label Cohaagen Music, the compilation itself gives both an opportunity to promote some of the artists signed to the label itself and a selection of acts and artists from the present Synth Pop scene, this is an excellent compilation with a great selection of tracks, mainly taken from the more 80s based and influenced style of the Synth Pop scene.
GANYMEDE
’The Final Year’ originally appeared on their ‘Euromantique’ album, but appears here as a ‘Club Mix’, an excellent mid-paced to up-tempo track that works very well with the semi-sung and spoken vocals and the vocoder lead vocals of the chorus, while the female backing vocals also add a different touch to the track itself.
RATING – 10
THE MOURNING AFTER
’Listen To My Heart’ is a previously unreleased ‘Ninthwave Mix’ of this excellent piece of simple, light and mid-paced 80s Synth Pop in a familiar style from this Swedish trio.
RATING – 8
SOVIET
’Bank Holiday’ is a previously unreleased track from one of the rising names on the present American Synth Pop scene, like The Mourning After this is another simple and light track of 80s Synth Pop with semi-sung and spoken vocals, an excellent piece of ‘retro synth pop’.
RATING – 8
NUKLEON
’Sometimes’ is seemly a re-recorded and new version of this track from the American solo artist Dan Burke, Dan is also involved in a Synth Pop project called Synthetik and is also signed to this label ‘Cohaagen Music’ with an album planned for release at the end of this year, ‘Sometimes’ is an excellent mid-paced 80s style Synth Pop track with an 90s edge, it builds well into a very good and catchy chorus.
RATING – 9
FREEZEPOP
’Tender Lies’ appears here as a ’Single Version’ of a track that originally appeared on their excellent debut album ‘Freezepop Forever’, its one of the stronger and better tracks on the album itself. ‘Tender Lies’ is lighter, simple and catchy 80s Synth Pop with semi-sung and spoken vocals from one of the few female vocalists within the present Synth Pop scene.
RATING – 10
GARY FLANAGAN
’Summertime’ is a re-recorded track from the Canadian ‘Retro-Electro’ solo artist Gary Flanagan, one of a number of tracks Gary has re-recorded with Ganymede for his third album ‘Future Fashion’ and first for this label ‘Cohaagen Music’, this excellent 80s Synth Pop track originally appeared on Gary’s second album ‘Another Coin In The Daydream Machine’, but this re-recorded version has been produced by Ganymede and over all sounds a stronger and better track that looks very promising for that forthcoming new album.
RATING – 10
ELECTROSQUAD
’Dorain Grey’ is a track taken from their third and forthcoming new album. Electrosquad offer a lighter and more simplistic style of 90s Synth Pop in comparison to the mainly 80s based tracks through out the compilation itself. ‘Dorian Grey’ is a nice, simple track with a Summer feel to it with O.M.D style vocals, but for me the track itself lacks something.
RATING – 6
RAINDANCER
’I Believe In You’ comes from this Swedish duo who where one of a number of new signings to the ‘Ninthwave Records’ label, this track is an odd blend of stomping 90s rhythms and following 80s synth riffs in this catchy mid-paced track, mainly excellent but I’m not so sure about those 90s rhythms.
RATING – 7
AXOE
’The Well’ is a track from an American duo who are completely unfamiliar to me, but that’s one of the advantages of compilations like this, the opportunity to listen to both something new and unknown. ‘The Well’ is an excellent and strong mid-paced track with excellent vocals from this promising duo. Seemly Axoe have also released their debut album ‘Telegraphic ‘.
RATING – 9
EMPIRE STATE HUMAN
’Post Madonna’ is a track taken from their third and forthcoming album ‘Urbanism’ on ‘Ninthwave Records’, this track is one of the more up-tempo and 90s orientated tracks on this compilation, Synth Pop with a touch of 90s Dance rhythms with unique vocals in a strong track with a catchy chorus and some nice synth riffs.
RATING – 8
STRANGE ANGELS
’(You Make Me Feel) Alive’ (Ganymede Remix) is a track from an American solo artist Michael Grady, originally taken from the album ‘Somewhere In The Night Sky’ this version has been remixed with additional production from Ganymede, this is an excellent mid-paced track with treated vocals from potentially another promising American act.
RATING – 8
BLIND BEFORE DAWN
’Angles With Broken Wings’ (Eleoquent Mix) is a previously unreleased track from this English Electro Pop duo or solo artist?, its somewhat ironic that Blind Before Dawn come from Manchester as this excellent mid-paced track of 80s style Electro Pop is very close to New Order at their best.
RATING 9
KARACTER
Along with Lifestyle, Karacter are another band connected with Freezepop, this excellent mid-paced Kraftwerk based track is taken from their equally excellent debut album ‘New Old Stock’, a perfect album of ‘Retro Electro Synth Pop’ not to be ignored nor missed, you wont get any closer to those beloved early 80s than this album :-) but according to the compilation booklet the track is taken from the forthcoming album ‘The New Traditions’?.
RATING – 8
THE MYSTIC UNDERGROUND
’Oxygen’ is a track seemly taken from their first single ‘The Wanderers’ from this New York duo signed to ‘Ninthwave Records’, its an average track that becomes too rhythm based towards the end of the track itself, almost leaving it sounding demo like.
RATING – 5
SIMULATOR
’Moments Away’ is an instrumental E.B.M influenced style of Synth Pop from the American solo artist Ross W. Beall, this track is excellent and a pleasant piece of music that recalls the melodic romance of early O.M.D.
RATING – 9
DANNY KING / syntheticvision@hotmail.com
‘SYNTHETIC VISION’ synth pop fanzine
JUNE 2002
RATING: 9
Artist Link: http://www.cohaagen.com
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