DT8 Project – Perfect World
Pin ItA magical night, July wind slowly breezing up the drops of rain that are falling slowly upon everything in their way. Yes, it was upon this night when I decided to listen to an album from an artist whom I’ve never given any extra attention. My very good friend recommended this album to me and he spoke very highly of it. I can see his words written before me even now when I close my eyes: "If you haven’t heard this yet, you’re not living." I took his words very seriously, not only because that he never exaggerates his statements about music, but also because I was very curious about this album in particular.
Few years back, in 2007 to be specific, DT8 Project aka Darren Tate released his first album, titled ‘Perfect World‘. By the name of the album, we can predict many exact ways for the sounds of it. Dreamy? Slow? Even perfect maybe? You can never really know what to expect until the music starts flowing through you, leaving marks upon your musical soul. What can I say right away though, is that I couldn’t have wished for a better night to listen to this piece. Rain pouring down on everything, cold summer breeze pouring into my room through the open window and tickling my skin. Listening to trance in conditions like these becomes a bit romantic, calm and most of all a very memorizing moment.
The most emotional vocal track on the album is called "Succumb To The Night", this track itself contains beautiful vocals, a sweet melody and gentle beats, that go together very well. What is even better though, is "One Further Thought (Succumb Reprise)", this track has been made as something reminding a chill-out version of the original track. And I must say, that it’s one of the sweetest emotional tracks I’ve ever heard, it’s just pure bliss! Makes you really think about the decisions in your life.
"Narama", probably the best track of the whole album for me. DT8 Project featured another magical project on this, making this completely special track for the whole trance scene. Mory Kante is the name of the featured project, and yes, for those of you who know them, it’s always a very exotic track with these guys isn’t it? "Narama" keeps it this way. With Darren on the basic building stones of the track, and Mory Kante on the exotic vocals? Simply stunning! Completely teleports you to a native village, making you feel like you’re dancing around the fire with natives.
The original versions are just… I can’t even find the right words! I would have absolutely no problem of writing something kind about every single one of those tracks. Tracks like this aren’t made today anymore, a massive shame for the trance scene. It’s like the emotion just passed away these days. I’ve been listening to trance for few years now, and I can say that I have always been able to go with the stream (not mainstream!), with the evolution of trance. But when I look back? Very few artists can now make an album similiar to this one.
NOW! The Remixes! DT8 Project got remixed by really huge names on this album. For example Adam White, Sunny Lax, Ronski Speed, Mike Koglin and even Above & Beyond dropped their sound into this second Disc. All of these names did a major job on Darren’s tracks. I really didn’t expect that the second Disc will be great as the first one. In most of the times, when originals are perfect, the remixes are barely catching up to them, but not here! Comparing these two discs, I find myself shocked and carried away by the load of stunning music!
Favorite track of the remixes? I didn’t know much about the remixer of the finest track on this second Disc, I really just knew his name thanks to a perfect collaboration with Andy Moor, called Whiteroom. Yes, Adam White did a magnificient job on the first track of the originals, called "Lose Yourself". Very nice man vocals in this track, balanced with medium beat, simple melody, and angelic drops! Yes, definitely a track that will take you to heaven.
I really must say, that this is the best album I’ve heard in those three years of listening to trance music. No album can outmatch this, not even Leon Bolier’s ‘Phantasma‘, Super8 & Tab’s ‘Empire‘, nor Above & Beyond’s ‘Group Therapy‘. There is just nothing to point out in a bad way here! The old-school, trancish aura that comes from these tracks is simply perfect. Maybe some of the remixes aren’t as great as the originals, but that is a very small detail for this piece!
9.5/10
For more info related to DT8 Project check out the following links:
www.dt8project.com
www.facebook.com/djdarrentate
www.myspace.com/dt8project
www.twitter.com/darrentate
