Push – Global Age
Pin ItThese days, when one of the top-of-the-line trance artists announces his artist album, he is seen with a hint of speculation by EDM fans all over. Expectations, fan ship and numerous pin-pointing sway the global forums. But when someone with the caliber of M.I.K.E. is under the spotlight, his vast and successful standout in the industry speaks volumes for him – leave alone this saviour’s studio mastery. 23rd June, 2009 saw the perfect ‘Daylight’ when Push opened his arms and blessed us with the melodic rays of his album – ‘Global Age‘.
Without much ado, we let the music do the talking and our verdicts are finally out for this album.
Disc 1
"Global Age" is styled sweetly, which starts it up for us with an easy listening and acts as a total mood-setter with the inclusion of roughly styled synthic patterns and a engaging melodic support in the background. The bass is smoothly outlined with the melody progressing in an elevating manner.
"Free Time" is your average elemental track with a strong presence of synth placements that carry a very stringent feel as Push keeps the production very unemotional – this is what is felt because of the minimal nature of this tune.
Time for dark grooves? Check out "Infinite" that boasts stabbing dark techy elements, casting visuals of a robot, with red blinking eyes as this too disembarks to touch me emotionally. But I move forward to look out for Push’s soulful expressions. However, the tail of this track surprises me (hint: notice how it turns melodic for a moment!).
Elsa Hill comes in collaboration with Push, lending out her proven vocals for this perfect Vocal Trancer – "So Long". Elsa’s voice always reminds me of a painful debacle in the times of yore – and this one pretty much sounds like it. Push works over spluttering pads and synth peps that barely saves it from changing my state of mellowness. Yet there is a sense of ecstatic listening. All credits to Elsa’s vocals, because Vocal Trance should not only denote euphoria, but sometimes, sadness too. This ends my soulful stint and I find myself looking out for a banger.
"Into My Sound And Music" is a scorcher and brings back the traditional sounds of ‘today’ with its beats and synths – yet fully-flavoured with Push’s zeal. At 3:52, the futuristic, but an familiar bot voice is introduced, followed by a massive break down that brings a whole new wave to this track.
"NY To Miami" could have probably been produced keeping in mind the dreamy visuals Push would have come across from his plane’s window. The dreamy sequencing and teasing teach layaways are a witness to this. Or as I imagine while listening to this tune with a lush and engrossing trancy appeal. I already find myself in cirrus while listening to this one.
While listening to "Trans-tastic" you could easily feel the ambient outfits of this tune. And beat by beat, it sounds lush and dare I say, Balearic too! Push sheds his tech skin to dress this one up as a richly produced stunner. Ambience is the word! This is a point in the album, where you are ready to discard this as a 100% Trance album. But wait, we are just on the 7th track!
Not all the tunes grow on you – fact! "Interference" is one such production that in its first half may sound flat. But what I listen after 4:30 stretch, ends my thirst for euphoric elements – since I find the tune getting euphoric with a superb allocation of synths that starts it all for you at 5th minute of the track.
"This Place" features the phenomenal voice of Sir Adrian, backed by covert electro subs that open up the vocals at 6:03 minute – nothing much to appeal you, if you have listened to the previous 8 tracks.
"Trance Indicator" starts as an electro appetizer but goes full-flow ballistic in the rest of its play. Nothing to say about, but dance! We say good-bye to Disc 1 with this.
Disc 2
Too bad, Disc 2 never came with a ‘Warning’ sign because of the first track that annihilated my speakers. "Daylight" is perfect for your euphoric needs and as I may say, you get perfect tune of this album. The big-hall style and magical layering of synths bring about catastrophic effects on the listening. The break down sets off a great sense of self-indulgence with the song coming to a perfect end.
While "Daylight" fulfilled our euphoric needs, "Voyager", the next track in Disc 2 looks after our uplifting senses with the beautiful synths arising from 3:30 mark post a silent momentary break down. All you land up imagining is a blinding flash of light and unknown – but alike pairs of hands in the atmosphere.
"Mysterious Ocean" features riffy bass and a dawdling succession with subtle expressions. For me, this has a monotonous appeal and thus, takes a step back in motivating me for this album.
Slightly with an old-era feel, "Back To The Essence" sounds like an amalgamation of very rich synths to give you a different listening experience.
"Trance Indicator" remixed by Push’s another guise, Plastic Boy, has detonating effects around me. The ultimate wakeup call that Disc 2 isn’t dead yet, as it brings back the real Trance matter to it. Perfect rhythm!
"Interference" remix by Sean Tyas sounds pretty much in the CDs league, noisy and full of positive energy. Nothing close to the convincingly produced ‘Original’! But be happy, The Tyas energy overwhelms my room for sure.
Klems remixed "Voyager" maintaining the same energy levels the original boasts of. What we hear is additional work on synths that come out in the elongated break down, lending out the same uplifting feel. Something the original might be missing. The dual approach to this tune could be suit two kinds of listeners: the one who love energy and the ones who are subtle babies. Notice the climaxing of this track, the real Klems talent surfaces beautifully!
Ruben De Ronde goes super-minimal with his remix for "Back To Essence" – except the part when the rich synths are squeezed out followed by almost tribal sounding effects. The wave of synths come back in play and leads to the same break down with tribal effect. I am marking this one as the odd one out!
The initial part of "Dream Dreamer (Album Edit)" may invest devastating effect on your speakers with their violent patterns. It slowly builds to an ecstatic moment, when the piano-led break down infuses unconstrained effects into us. Disc 2 ceases its shine with the last track.
Every compilation, artist album has a saturation point, especially when more than 10 tunes are featured. ‘Global Age‘ may saturate your listening somewhere in the Disc 2, because it comes overloaded with energy (more than nuclear reactors produce). Yet, if you can hold the capacity of digest so much aural energy, you would love it – because the album has classic nodes to it with a undoubting and respected name producing it. "Daylight", "Trance Indicator (Plastic Boy Remix)", "NY To Miami" are the real deal in this album. A bit of Electro, Tech and House keeps the variation in the album’s tunes but not to a great extent. Cent percent Trance material, cent percent melodic noise. You can rely on Push!
7.5/10
For more info related to Mike Dierickx check out the following links:
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Reviewed by: Apoorv
