X-Dream - We Interface (Solstice Records - 2004)

[Insejn]

Name: We Interface

Artist: X-Dream

Label: Solstice Records

 

Tracklist:

01. The 1st

02. We Interface

03. Superintelligence

04. Try To Save Your Song

05. Ultratube

06. Quantum Lab

07. Virus

08. Distresser

09. Slim Drum

10. X-Ray Eyes

11. The 1st (Fluke Remix)

 

X-Dream is back after two years of silence. So what have happend since Irritant? They have kept Irritants basic formula with a kinda minimal dark sound. It's almost closer to electronica/techno then it is to psytrance. It's some kind of mix between psy/techno/electro/whatever. And I must say I love it. The tracks arent long, around 5-6 minutes. But that is all we need because these tracks is exploding with power. This album will probably work 10 times better on the dancefloor then in your home. This is a typical play-as-loud-as-you-can-album Their new member, you know the girl who sings sometimes, is contributing with some nice elements to some of their tracks. If you liked Irritant or have seen them live lately and liked it you will most certainly like this kick-ass album. X-Dream is great!

Final Verdict: 9/10

[Guest djnemo]

Downloading or not downloading, take the subject somewhere else will ya? Hehehe, I buy my records, but I know there are a lot of poor people out there using uni connections, and if it wassnt for the internet they would only have old tapes from 1994 Anyways, thats really a discussion for another topic, quiet HOT topic. Maybe someone would care to start the discussion somewhere else? Would be great to join.

 

Going back to the original topic. X-Dream. WOW! Ok, I didnt expect this at ALL from them. I dont know if it is PSY, though. This is a mix of electro with trance and techno. Very very nice production. I havent been able to stop listening to it yet actually. I will have to listen another few times, then I will give my final opinion about it. I love it already though. Im not just into psy, also electro and SOME techno, well, techy trance... but anyways, I will listen some more

[Redeemer]

The music is good but why, dear god why the vocals. My face turns red of embarassment when hearing that. It's even worse than with Infected Mushroom.

 

Vocals in psy is like guitars in psy, it can be done, but 99,9% of the time it will fail miserably. Juno Reactor did well on Labyrinth, the vocals are used as an instrument, with elegance and style.

 

But this... this crosses the line way over to the corny side. Just like IM did on Supervisor and CV.

[Guest djnemo]

The music is good but why, dear god why the vocals. My face turns red of embarassment when hearing that. It's even worse than with Infected Mushroom.

 

Vocals in psy is like guitars in psy, it can be done, but 99,9% of the time it will fail miserably. Juno Reactor did well on Labyrinth, the vocals are used as an instrument, with elegance and style.

 

But this... this crosses the line way over to the corny side. Just like IM did on Supervisor and CV.

199726[/snapback]

As I said in my previous post, this is not sounding PSY. Not at all. I think that X-Dream has decided to reach out to another crowd maybe. Maybe they have more passion for Electro than Psy. I feel that this is the case. I love the album, as I am a big big fan of Electro It gets better and better for each time I listen to it.

[Dez]

I don't mind the vocals. Its not like I think that they are amazing or speak to me in some spiritual way, but its just catchy and imo works pretty well.

[Guest .::E.P]

I have now listened to the Cd a few times and I have a very hard time understanding how people would ever consider this groundbreaking. Yes the production is clear and very polished but in my opinion not that amazing. It's at it's best ok. The effects and sounds have been used many many times before. I lack something truely new here!

The music is not at all "fresh"in my opinion but borrowed from various sources of original and truely groundbreaking music dating back to the early 80's and forward!

 

If deep basses, a few scratchy sounds and a few breakbeats combined with computervoices partly taken from a Macintosh computer (voices that's been used on Mac's since Mac OS version 8.5) makes X-Dream groundbreaking then I am sorry to say our scene, or should I say the people involved in the scene?, indeed lack a basic understanding of the term groundbreaking!

 

I deffinently prefer X-dream's earlier work where it's obvious they still had something unique over them. And something to say! This latest CD is an atempt to be "different". But in my opinion they overdid it and now stand out as a band that maybe should take a break and seek other inspiration instead of trying to create something "spetacular". It's crystal clear to me that they failed big time with this new release.

[Lemmiwinks]

well I think it helps if you see this as an ELECTRO release... in psytrance terms this isn't really good. Actually I only like Superintelligence , Distresser and Slim Drum that sound like something that should've been on the upcoming The Delta album... Then there are tracks like The 1st , We Interface and Ultratube that sound cheezy as hell!!! It really sounds like club music with a small hint of psy...

 

The others sound like some very good ambient-electro crossover...

 

So it's pretty hard to rate this album since there are many different styles on it that don't appeal to everyone...

[Towelie]

I think it sounds quite interesting.. but its too much kraftwerk rip-off ..

[Sanka]

I saw (heard) X-Dreams live act on Transit this summer and I realized that they would stir up a discussion within the scène with there act. Having a long legged blonde girl in a latex suit crawl over the stage on a Psy-Festival seems to be difficult to swallow for some people. I think I would have found it (only) very funny if the sound that came out of the speakers at that time wasn’t that f*ng genius. For me it was the best Psy-live-act I’ve ever seen and heard.

 

As for the album; ok, they took some risks, but hey, I’m not the one to hold that against them. I’ve been listening and analyzing there album for some time now and I think it’s simply genius. Ok, some of the more minimalistic tracks are not really my taste but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t very good tracks, produced with an eye for detail and originality. I prefer the tracks with the vocals. The “cyberspace-quantum-Xray-science fiction” subject might not appeal to everyone but I think the vocals ad value to the tracks and (for me) they are very well produced. I’ve seen the title track “We Interface” do wonders on the dance floor several times all ready, I very strongly believe that’s partially because of the vocals.

 

One thing about the album I’m still not sure about is the mastering. For some smaller systems the overall sound is somewhat difficult to handle. It sounds different then ‘usual’ and I’m nut sure yet if that’s a good thing or not. On the other hand “We Interface” sounds overwhelming on a big system so play it loud!

 

I’d like to say one thing about the “Fluke remix”; I think it’s a nice, original track with the Ragga feel and all but it sounds like a remix from a different track. I think they missed the ball a little bit with that one.

 

In conclusion: X-Dream is not afraid to take some risks with there work. Taking in account the vast amount of copycat-all-sounding-alike albums coming out these days that’s something I can only respect. I think that with “We Interface”, X-Dream has proven again that they are one of the best and most interesting Psy-Acts (if you can call it hat) in the world and an inspiration to a lot of young producers (like myself, haha). If their plan is to also reach out to a non Psy-public, at least I know some people that don’t like Psy-Trance who are very enthusiastic about “We Interface”.

[Time_Trap]

01. The 1st 5.59

02. We Interface 5.09

03. Super Intelligence 5.25

04. Try To Save Your Song 6.09

05. Ultratube 6.18

06. Quantumlab 7.50

07. Virus 5.44

08. Distresser 4.39

09. Slim Drum 5.35

10. X-Ray Eyes 5.23

11. The 1st Fluke RMX 7.06

 

In general: A "dark" album, as expected by X-Dream.. The mastering is very good and the sound kinda "futuristic", relative to the theme of the album. All the samples talk about technology and life in the future, e.g "Neurotechnology", "DNA-Mapping, Cloning The Human", "we are the first of cyber-evolution, we are the first to program your future".

 

01.The 1st: An intro mainly talking about technology etc...Will get you into the mood...

 

02.We Inteface My favourite track.. The "blip blip" sound is very familiar to most of us that were on a dial-up .

 

03.Super-Intelligence : Static track, few changes , some of you might find it monotonous.. You'll probably like it if you like dark style with almost no melodies..

 

04. Try To Save Your Song: Track with a happier theme/melody.. The "happier" track of the album..

 

05.Ultratube : Similar style to track 3, but i like it more.. Nice drums..

 

06.Quantumlab: Female Vocals are back

 

07.Virus : Also one of the best tracks in this album , IMO. Again, it follows the usual "dark" recipe.

 

08.Distresser: The darker and more "static" track of the album, along with "Slim Drum".. Starts with the beat fading in..

 

09.Slim Drum: Follows the style of "Distresser"

 

10.X-Ray Eyes: "X-ray eyes" vocal... more like an electro/techno/techy trance mix...

 

11.The 1st fluke RMX:RMX of "The 1st"...

 

Personally, i've listened to this album lotsa times, it grew on me a little over time, but now it has just become an album that i will listen to 2-3 tracks of it once in a week or something..

 

General Rating : 7/10 Although kinda hard to rate it... i was between 6/10 and 7/10...

[seraph]

Ummm, I've just realised that I haven't written anything here about this album, and no wonder since I actually even forgot I've heard it. Fuck, this says everything about my opinion of this album....

 

LAME

 

 

I hope they'll change the drug for the next album...

[Taika-Kim]

Well, I listen to a lot of electro and 80s music, and I must say that this IS really good electrowise too!

 

The more trancey tracks suck, but the huge octave-disco-riffs just ooze grit I also love vocoders so I love the tracks with vocals too.

 

I'm a big fan of oldschool goa, and in a sense the electro tracks here have some of that fun, if not psychedelia of the old times. Minimal doesn't _have_ to be boring & stressed.

[Tr@llc@v3]

Thanks, my point as well

199743[/snapback]

new x-dream album is a pile of cheesy boring fluffy shit with 2 exceptions ..slim drum and distresser the rest suxx!!!

 

R.I.P x-dream

[seraph]

I've listened to this album few more times and now I have to say that it is pretty good...I don't even mind vocals songs which I did in the beginning. I find this album utterly artificial but that is the whole point about it. I didn't understand it at first cause I thought, not another change by them but in the end, they knew what are they doing and this is good example of regression of progression...Favourites : WE INTERFACE, SUPERINTELLIGENCE, TRY TO SAVE YOUR SONG ( ! ), VIRUS, DISTRESSER...I gave it 7/10 now...

[freak51]

01. The 1st

02. We Interface

03. Superintelligence

04. Try To Save Your Song

05. Ultratube

06. Quantum Lab

07. Virus

08. Distresser

09. Slim Drum

10. X-Ray Eyes

11. The 1st (Fluke Remix)

 

Where this release is good, it's excellent. The voice they used vocodes well, even though I'm biased against vocoder. Pity about the lyrics. "Desire in megabytes" indeed - I also find "C-31 operations coding" embarrassing: WTF is that supposed to mean? But apart from that gripe, I dig The 1st: it's a solid groove that can mix well with almost any set.

 

We Interface - unfortunate retro-80s undertow wastes any effort they put into this. Why?

 

Superintelligence is a tremendous track. Superlatives all around.

 

For Try to Save Your Song, we fall into the retro-80s-euro-electro suck-hole. It's all well-executed, but let's think about this, is Miss Kittin really a trail-blazer for X-Dream to follow? What a pity if Marcus & Maichel think so. X-Dream has a hundred times more pure sterling originality when they choose to work it.

 

Ultratube is an adequate Delta track.

 

Quantum Lab is a scorcher, an all-time favourite track of mine. Brilliant, I wish the whole CD had this delicate balance.

 

Virus is too repetitive. They do good work with the filter matrix, but I can't listen to the whole track.

 

Distresser - panzer-techno. An endurance test. Might work well at 4 AM, if I ever stay up that late again.

 

Slim Drum is the "A" side to the what should have been The Delta's "B" side of Ultratube. Nice warehouse rattle and well-executed space-opera feel.

 

X-Ray Eyes is good work, but since it's the splash page for G-Plus records, I'm sure everyone knows exactly how this one unfolds now. "C-31 Operations Coding" always breaks me out of my headspace to think, "I wish she had said pretty much anything else right there".

 

The remix is a bit of fun, it'd be nice if breaks would pick up some more psy influence in general, rather wallowing in adolescent I'm-so-cute-and-clever acid chic. But they're doing better things in the jungle now than this, albeit at stoopid 170-180+ BPM tempo. Not worthy of the name X-Dream.

 

------------------

 

OK, for my money this should have been released as follows:

 

X-Dream Single:

A1. The 1st

A2. Superintelligence

B1. Quantum Lab

B2. X-Ray Eyes

 

The Delta Single:

A. Slim Drum

B. Ultratube

 

Cutting Room Floor:

We Interface

Try To Save Your Song

Virus

Distresser

The 1st (Fluke Remix)

 

I know I bitched and moaned with the worst of them when they took 4 years to release Irritant. But if 2 years later we only have 1/2 a release and a bunch of filler, well, I should have been more patient.

 

5/10. But better to have 5/10 from several great tracks, than a whole disc of mediocrity. No disrespect intended, there is some great eating on this CD, you just have to cut around the mouldy bits.

[Manuser]

solid album, nothing innovative but solid.

 

track 1 and track 2 are really enjoyable, particularly track 2, and track 1 sounds like a classic already.

[Time_Trap]

I am finishing listening this album right now after a loooong time[aroudn 1,5 years].. with much more broadened taste & awakened senses..

So, this sounds even better than my initial listens..

Very nice blend, of techno & electro with a pinch of psytrance too now and then. The vocals seem to fit perfectly the sci-fi futuristic theme of the album. I enjoy all the tracks, from the electro ones to the more minimalistic technoid ones. Although it has clearly departed from the 'psytrance scene' limits it has a nice concept and is well-done...

 

So the rating I give it now is 8,5+/10 as opposed to 7/10 initially.

 

Even if we find the secret formula we'll never use it twice

[or something of that meaning].

[rino]

Not great, not terrible, in my opinion it is just an interesting change in direction for Rough & Rush, but unfortuantely I don't see it as anything more... It does not have the rawness and in-your-face energy of "Radio" and it sure as hell doesn't posses the bulldozer, sledgehammer like production skills of "Irritant". This makes "We interface" an entertaining and listen, but I doubt it will do any long lasting and real damage to the dancefloors or leave the scene shook in awe, as each of their previous releases did.

But in the end, who knows? After all, it's X-Dream, so anything is possible. I urge everybody to give it a listen, because there is a possibility you will get positively surprised. I didn't, but it's not like that immediately implies "We interface" sucks...

[Basilisk]

After two years of trying to understand this album I am at wit's end... I pretty much agree with Freak51's assessment, although none of these tracks truly get me going. My main issue is with the lack of substance and depth. This seems very superficial, only skin-deep. It doesn't cut to the core. I can appreciate the cyber-electro feel but it is all flash. I think there is great creative potential here, but this album does not dive right in... I hope the rumoured remixes album takes this concept to the next level, as this has none of the staying power of Irritant, Radio, or the Zebra album. Still, it was a good try, and certainly shook things up for a while!

[Mindphilux]

Superintelligence is X-Dream doing what they do best. I love that pause in the track.. I also like the 4 vocal tracks, only because they are something different.. odds are if this wasn't an x-dream release i wouldn't be digging it. forced myself to like them really. i do expect more from their next album though because i agree this album didnt have a lasting appeal like their past cds

[w_lizzard]

"Information streams,simulating dreams.Interactive mind-control, systematic overflow. We Interface!"

Top Techno-Psychedelic-Progressive innovative act thank you for being X-Dream!

[Jon Cocco]

X-DREAM - WE INTERFACE

2004

SOLISTICE RECORDS

 

 

Track List:

 

01. The 1st

02. We Interface

03. Superintelligence

04. Try To Save Your Song

05. Ultratube

06. Quantum Lab

07. Virus

08. Distresser

09. Slim Drum

10. X-Ray Eyes

11. The 1st (Fluke Remix)

 

 

I generally love X-Dream. I own every main album and side project they ever released with exception to The Delta sequel to date.

 

 

Regarding X-Dream's main albums:

 

"Trip to Trancesylvania" is the much acclaimed debut. Initially I thought the opening track was too repetitive but it's grown on me along with the overall album. There are some truly beautiful songs on it and I recently wrote a review on this in the 1997 section.

 

"We Created Our Own Happiness" I enjoyed far more than their debut. It was more experienced, mature, involved, and beautiful. It is my favorite X-Dream album of all time followed by Radio and I don't know what's next. The release dates were always confusing for both this and the debut because they're not included with the copies. I don't believe that both were made or released in 1997 as it says on here. The sound and style is far too great on this strong follow-up, cult classic.

 

"Radio" is an album which impressed me with its storming selection of super songs nearly back-to-back. I wasn't in love with the entire album but the majority I found excellent for what it was. I recently wrote a review for this in the 1998 section.

 

"Irritant" was the long awaited X-Dream album after two or three side projects and released in 2002. Initially this was described as a follow-up to Radio because this was dark psytrance. Comparisons were silly because the album was clearly not Radio Part 2. However it shared some ideas, dark driving melodies, and influences from both Radio and The Delta at times. The less I compared it to Radio the more I enjoyed it. From what I remember it was a good album with some great songs, nothing spectacular overall. I liked it and for some reason I never came back to this one in around 4 years(!), until this weekend of writing this.

 

 

Regarding X-Dream's side projects:

 

I found "Children of Paradise - Urban Alien" more or less great during three tracks (Bloodsuckers, Fairytale of the Dragon Forest, El Nino) while others were too repetitive, uninteresting, and lacking in being super or engaging enough songs for my taste and preference. This was an extremely dark psytrance album.

 

"The Delta - Scizoeffective" debut is no doubt dark, hard, and stomping. I generally find it repetitive and too minimal for my taste. I will admit that there are several great and/or excellent songs on it. I have to hear this one again too. It's been a while.

 

"The Delta - Send In...Send Back" I never bought. The samples turned me off and general reviews throughout the internet were often mixed and negative. It seemed that this album lacked the impact and super character songs on the first album but I can't say for certain. I avoided it.

 

 

Which brings me to an album I quickly bought after its arrival and quicker soon forgot.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I re-introduce to you the most "stylish but shallow" ... "talkative but inhuman" ... "projecting yet unemotional" ... "over-hyped and overrated" (these things combined) album I've ever heard in my life. I re-introduce to you...

 

 

 

It's innovative and different, if they can simply employ some originality on the cover from existing albums such as...

 

 

 

*Oops!* we didn't know about that. But who cares! It's just a cover! Hmmm... Let's take a look underneath the plastic, so to speak.

 

Placing the CD into my disc-man back in 2004 gave me some similar feelings I experienced again and in 2007 a third or forth time. My analysis and over view has become far more understanding and aware than before. I simply never wrote a review until now. On first listen I generally didn't like this album with exception to the first song and few others. It was a forgettable album. Clearly X-Dream decided to change their general psytrance style to something on the Tech-Trance or what many people have referred to as Electro side.

 

 

01. The 1st is a cool, catchy stand out opening song. This is is the track that most attracted me to buy the album. I really like the deep, strong Booooooom.... Booom.. bo bo cha *repeat* beat, the female/vocal's first impression, and the general melody and sounds throughout. It's groovy in a chilled Electro/Tech-Trance sense in that it's fairly consistent and seems to have other electronic influence other than Tech and Trance present. The female cpu-alterated voice dds more dimension and characte which represents the opening to a new new direction and sound. The songs shorter compared to the general X-Dream song which is fine. It ended well at 5:51. I generally like this song very much but by the end it seems like little more than a cool beat and sound. I'm never in awe but I like the feel of the song. It's cool especially to drive to at night time while listening to loud. X-Dream created a solid effect and sound by doing more with less and I really like, the way it's done here. B / B+

 

02. We Interface begins with the dial-up internet connection sound for those familiar with harsh, lengthy loading times from back in the day. The intro echoes what a follow-up intro to the X-Dreams cult-classic Radio album might sound like if the tracks storming psytrance which it isn't of course. The song is faster, fairly and more danceable than the opening track in a sense. The main female vocal sounds similar to Madonna to me. I own many of her albums and it almost seems like the artists were going for that authortarian, direct voice work existent in Madonna's character and how she occasionally pronounces her words. I.E: Vogue. The song has some melody work around a fairly repetitive kick and beat. The voices make the song feel far less empty than what would have been without them. B- / B

 

03. Superintelligence is the first song that doesn't put voice work as its main focus. This is the first track that appears to be entering the psytrance genre. It's rather a good Tech-Trance (and/or Electro I assume) song. I like the chomping beat coupled by crisp sounds. The transition is totally the X-Dream I remember and love. The music returns in a flurry with an echoed melody and other sound effects. It's nothing superb or great to me. It does however sound influenced by what a cross between albums Radio and Irritant may sound like with exception to not being a killer, super song as the songs often were on Radio. There is little voice work. The main focus seems to be on creating a catchy, dark, and driving track in this new style and influenced by others. In that it succeeds. This is a good track and one of the best on the album. I ask X-Dream for more dark, driving tracks like this one, but that are superb like a post 21st Century Radio album. B

 

04. Try To Save Your Song is the most dance friendly track on the album so far. Around the beat is a strong leading melody. I never really cared for this dance song or the leading melody and how it's programmed to the music because of the big picture. With exception to the transition I've heard so many similar-in-concept house and trance songs done like this before and done better, with more engaging melodies and turbulance. The initial up-and-down lead melody returns and repeats after the song floats without a beat during the middle transition. A siren sound appears short lived. I think some people will like the strong dance approach here. The idea is great. The song has no lyrics or vocal work and didn't need any. However I'm not impressed. They could have created an amazing dance track in their Electro style when you think about it. And that actually happening has yet to take form and actually be developed into something smashing and excellent. This is a decent dance song. If you say it's good I won't argue. I strongly feel it's lackluster and generic to put it nicely. I expect more from some of the best artists on Earth and yes, in this Electro style they can get more creative than this. The song stands out but not much more than being a general dance song. It also has one repeating melody throughout that is far from great, in my opinion. This is basic forumla and X-Dream is known for breaking such basic and derived works by creating something wonderful and fresh. This isn't wonderful IMO and I fail to hear unique, strong Electro influence. Nonetheless it's a cool dance song. People generally seem to like it and I can see why. B-

 

05. Ultratube is another dance friendly song, albeit less successful. It's more empty. It's less satisfying and energetic than the previous one. This is until around 4:30 where some gentle melodies appear. They're nice and add some flavor but do little to save the boy who cannot swim. In other words, by the tiime I get to them my interest has been drained due to sitting through the far from great repetition of this track that could have been a weaker Delta song and I'd never know it. This is a very average track to me. Personally, I don't like it one bit, but it isn't terrible. Coming from X-Dream I expect more. C

 

06. Quantum Lab begins interesting. Initially with the third and maybe forth track, I was happy to hear some strong dance and more or less driving tracks. After the previous one the return to futuristic computer/Electro and female voice control born on the opening track is refreshing! I like the melody, the melodic bits. The voice work compliments yet again. X-Dream can make a handful more tracks like these if they like. And it would be great if they incorporated the voice work into more musically involved and superb songs, both dance and otherwise. Their is some interesting work, sound distortion and (nice albeit repetitive melody around 2:05) altering throughout. However few things seem to be going on that really arrest my attention around the vocals. This is still an interesting song. In the end I feel like there's something shallow and lacking at hand but it's fairly catchy in the moment. The melody work and rhythm from 4:35 to 5:39 is pretty good as well as the following continuation of the song to close. It's pretty good to me, nothing great as a whole. I like it. B- / B

 

07. Virus is a cool return to the more drivng, danceable, and stomping Tech-Trance began with the third song. The beat seems just as strong. A general leading melody carries through the song as few melodies arrive and leave, and repeat. The music falls under the beat and soon returns in a short, quick burst. In a sense the song sounds so basic, so unambitious. It has a nice melodic rhythm beginning at around 3:17 and plays consistent to being dance friendly throught. Several melodies combine together at around 4:17. I like the rising high pitched vacuum-esque sound during the 4:20 space. It's short, put to good use, and returns at around 5:00. It seems that the artists took a handful of tried-and-true ingredients and applied them here to create their own dance track in their Electro style. I don't mind the success of the dance concept less than I mind the fact that no risks or innovation seem to take place here. It's very formulatic, predictable, and risk-free. For the general mainstream it will blend right in and be soon forgotten. For X-Dream fans however it isn't so special although several are bound to like it. Some nice melodies give the track more appeal than it would have without them. Regardless I wish these artists created more with less so to speak as I feel like they've done on the tracks with the female voice work so far with exception to tracks 3 and 4. B-

 

08. Distresser is a lame, repetitive, flat, repetitive (for the record) track. It's less than a filler song because I feel unfulfilled after hearing it. To be honest I cannot think of a more unoriginal, pointless track in the awesome career of such super talented artists and musicians as X-Dream. The beat loops along with virtually everything else until the song ends at 4:39. There isn't anything half decent about this song. It fails at being anything but a failure at appealing to anyone but general fans of focused repetition, average minimal trance, and little else. It's a bad song. F

 

09. Slim Drum is a less regressive from the dull dribble of the last empty void but far from a saving grace. This is another another filler, with sounds unfulfilling and repetitive. They come and go to a looping gabber beat as if X-Dream decided they were out of time producing this album and decided to rush through something in under an hour. I've heard better tracks made in less than ten minutes on a 76 Key Korg by my backbeat maker back when I was doing Hip Hop in the Phildelphia and New York area in the U.S., 2002-2003. I think X-Dream will greatly benefit from focusing on greatness and beyond in their future. This isn't either. I'm at loss as to why they chose to let this and the previous song appear on this album. D

 

10. X-Ray Eyes is a refreshing return to the vocal work again after the previous two forgettable, empty tracks. I really like the female voice, the lyrics, and how they're said by the voice in this track. I'm not a big fan of the male and female singing words "X-Ray Eye". The lyrics saying: "This is a Promise. This is a threat" is damn convincing, provocative, dark, and effective in my opinion. I don't know what "device" this computer is referring to but it loads the track with allure and stands out where the previous ones have failed. Not much else seems to take place around the Electro sound, chorus, and voice work. Note that the musical part from 2:55 to 3:09 as it plays around the guys voice is catchy. I like it very much and would love to hear X-Dream create more cool rhythms and Hooks if they choose to follow up this style on a future album. The overall tone is dark throughout and I like that. X-Dream was always creative and taleneted when it came to dark material and this is no exception. There's some good and great work here. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. B

 

11. The 1st (Fluke Remix) is a remix of the first track. It's slower. The focus is less on the beat. The sound is less pumping and driving than the generally slower opening drive and beat. Many lyrics take place and the melodies around 2:10 sound a bit cheesy at first but improve at around 2:30. The tempo changes and it seems that a slight shade of darkness (sound at 3:07 and at 3:34 for instance) is present but it's few sounds really. The best part is the true reprisal of the opening track at around 3:45. I'm listening to the entire album while writing this. And this song, during this transition, has an amazing opportunity to lift up into an amazing fireball of energy, a super/killer driving dance song. It doesn't. The beat and what some new melodies return to the general sound present before the transition. This is disappointing. This song had so much potential to leave listeners with an awesome, positive (if even the track is dark in the negative sense) impression. The funky Down-Beat, Electro beat isn't that funky and is far from electrofying. I had such excitement and anticipation during the transition of this song. I now hear why I don't remember it as I put it on record. It isn't that the song is bad. It's that it misses a wonderful opportunity to be great. This song hugely in my opinion misses the chance to redeem itself after most of the filler garbage we heard on the second half of the album. The artists of X-Dream chose to not end the album with a bang, but a whimper. It's their choice. And we chose to listen, fingers crossed, that it will be worth it. C

 

 

In Conclusion, it's ironic and interesting how X-Dream can go from music so emotive, soulful, and deep (or powerful, dark, driving) to something so stylish (at times) and shallow. I bought this album because I liked the thumping, groovy Electro opening track and general tracks with female voice work I found intriguing. These artists have began a new direction with so much potential. However strong results in this new direction is what this album lacks at times. The first half has some strong work for instance, but it only includes around two songs in this new futuristic style. The second half of the album is weaker with exception to few tracks. We Interface has some great ideas and execution however gimmicky and simple in creation it arguably is. The second half of this album is less engaging and includes one or two of the weakest songs I've ever heard on an X-Dream main album to date. The songs with the female voice are my favorite because it's new and catchy. They stand out. The vocal words and how they sound create greater dimension to most of the tracks, the ones to have them, had they not had them. Several good dance songs separate the vocal tracks. For example, Superintelligence and Virus are not dependent on the general female voice work and they're very well done although I favor Superintelligence over Virus. The combination of voice to less to no voice tracks work until you hit a weak lyrics free song, and X-Dream has most experience with lyrics-free songs. Hearing an average one can be very disappointing. And that's when the album really starts to cut into my tolerance and enjoyment. If X-Dream is going to give me a Delta-influenced track or a Tech Trance song, be it a great that people throughout the world can talk about and return to time and again. There are at least 2 to 3 songs on the second half of the album that in my honest opinion, are very weak and disappointing. A track like the repetitive, dull, generic, and looping Distressor (and several others) is an example of boring, filler disappointments from X-Dream. I don't care what type of techno or whatever this could be. If X-Dream wasn't so talented they would have given us such classic albums as We Created Our Own Happiness and Radio. I accept that this overall album is somewhat novel and in a different style, and I like when X-Dream makes great and excellent songs with their new style. I'd rather have waited another year or two for 2-3 more great songs than several not good ones that are present here. This album is like a shiny, thin blade. It doesn't stay with the listener long after the CD ends. Sure I enjoy the songs with voice work, but where are the super songs? More importantly, we hear what the songs sound like without the robotic female voice and with exception to two or three really, they're repetitive, dull, unambitious, failures at even being fillers in a sense. They're monotonous! X-Dream's greatest work throughout their main albums often revolve around melodies. Granted this is Electro/Tech-Trance whatever but that doesn't excuse X-Dream from slacking off on almost half the album. There are some very cool songs on this album. They're intrigung. I can imagine some of the voice tracks being played in a trendy, modern lounge, bar, and club amongst the technology, young iPod generation as if it's the cool drug of choice. But a really great drug needs more than a catchy cybernetic, robotic mask. It needs an infectious taste to hook you so you want it more, deep down to the core and this is where We Interface feels empty. It has some catchy elements and songs thanks to the innovative vocal work. Think of each track as an ingredient. The better the ingredients, the better the drug. If this album was a powerful drug I wouldn't be looking at it from afar. I'd be inside it. It's cool at times and needs to be more powerful so I can lose myself and let go. My recommendations to those who haven't bought this album yet is try before you buy.

 

To X-Dream: May we please have 8 to 12 great and excellent/superb tracks in a developed, powerful style and follow-up with infectious melodies, rhythms, strong beats, and awesome female vocal work and dialogue, and whatever other tricks you can roll out your sleeves? Basically what this album began and could have been.

 

 

Favorite songs: 1, 2, 3, 6, 10.

 

 

C+

 

 

Samples

 

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4371

[Time_Trap]

Listening to it atm again, it aged really well and grew on me , I can appreciate it even more now that I have more broadened music taste than in the past !

 

Highly recommended!

[Multi-Media]

7,88/10 However the reviewer above was right that 2-3 tracks seem pointless....