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Distant System - Spiral Empire


abasio

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shitty p2p download no. Lossless maybe but with a poor quality download you'll miss so much.

don't go into this again

 

you miss practically nothing in terms of quality.(maybe if you have spent a fortune on your soundsystem, and still, the difference might be audible but not thaaat big to misjudge an album ;P)

 

Anyways, this release is a gem.

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shitty p2p download no. Lossless maybe but with a poor quality download you'll miss so much.

Most albums are ripped using EAC and LAME with -V 2 --vbr-new settings.

 

Hydrogenic Audio Forum states:

 

High Quality: HiFi, home or quiet listening

-V 3 --vbr-new (~175 kbps), -V 2 --vbr-new (~190 kbps), -V 1 --vbr-new (~210 kbps) or -V 0 --vbr-new (~230 kbps) are recommended.

These settings will produce transparent encoding (transparent = most people cannot distinguish the mp3 from the original in an ABX blindtest).

Welcome to reality.

I might be flamed for this post,but i think you should know.

 

and if you paid legally for the mp3 files ?

 

320 kps, no VBR ;)

Best Quality: archiving

-b 320 - This is the strongest setting for MP3, with the lowest risk of artifacts.

With the exception of a few situations, quality is rarely better than the highest VBR profiles described below (above in this case).

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"Mastered by Huby Sea and Vincent Villuis at GingerHill Studio - Lyon, France (www.ultimae.com)" (from Discogs)

 

Now I see why many of you think this sounds like Ultimae releases.

 

Anyway this is a superb release.

 

Edit: but still his Androcell project sounds much better to me :)

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shitty p2p download no. Lossless maybe but with a poor quality download you'll miss so much.

I was wandering... A cd is same quality as 192kbs mp3 right? As long as it is over that i can't hear a diffence...

 

Anyways, this is some really nice music... Can anyone tell me what genre this is? The first tracks are ambient right, but the rest? Was just wandering so i could maybe find something similar... Besides Aes Dana

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don't go into this again

 

you miss practically nothing in terms of quality.(maybe if you have spent a fortune on your soundsystem, and still, the difference might be audible but not thaaat big to misjudge an album ;P)

 

Anyways, this release is a gem.

I am not talking about the quality. I can't hear the difference at all. I'm talking about the style of listening. If you download music from a p2p site, chances are you are not going to feel the need to understand it (same with samples) you only hear what is on the surface & there is no need to go deeper. Just delete it & find something else that is more instantly gratifying.

My problem with downloading is not the quality of the sound but the mental state of the listener. If I download something, chances are I wont even listen to it & if I do & I don't love it instantly I don't give it another chance, often missing all it has to offer. Hell, I never liked Koxbox - Dragon Tales when I had the mp3 but loved it when I finally got the CD.

 

I doubt everyone will get what I'm saying & those that don't are exactly who I'm talking about.

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This is only an issue of human psychic. While listening to mp3 album we have sense of entire lack of value, quality or worthiness because of its digital/virtual format. We have nothing substantial in our hands. We cannot put the cd to the CD-player. But the quality of mp3 can be as good as CD's. Other possible aspects of "not-enjoying" mp3 albums are bad mp3 de/encoding, bad soundcards, bad speakers/headphones etc.

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I was wandering... A cd is same quality as 192kbs mp3 right? As long as it is over that i can't hear a diffence...

i can hear the difference between cd quality and 192kbs when listening to music with my sennheisers !!!! but i don't hear any difference between 320 and lossless :unsure: maybe i will after buying a pair of Grados :rolleyes:

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Distant System - Spiral Empire
Celestial Dragon Records
2008


R-1252483-1203916513.jpg


Track list

1. Astropolis - B+
2. Equidistant - A
3. Light Echoes - B+ / A-
4. Gravitational Vortices - B+
5. Time Circles (Distant System Remix) - B
6. Outer Rim - A-
7. Cloud Nebula - B+ / A-
8. Astromech Starport - A-


What a beautiful, imaingative, atmospheric ambient-influenced [down and mid-tempo] space trance(?) release. Take Solar Field's "spacey" ideas, mix it up with some of the best elements from Asura and Aes Dana and a new visionary package filled with great sound/melody work, beats, and ambient tracks... and you get Distant System - Spiral Empire.

Strong melody work? Check.
Atmosphere? Check.
Beats? Check.
Ambient? Check.
Creativity? Check.
Emotion? Check.
Production values. High.
Lasting appeal? ...
Harder and softer songs? Check.



In conclusion, this is one of the most distinct, and well done albums of 2008, #1 when it comes to atmosphere from me. Much like 2007's excellent Life 2 album by Asura, this is top quality mid/downtempo space/ambient-influenced trance ("trance" may not even be the right word). There are so few artists that produce quality, capturing [Ambient Trance] now days. This album is more visual like Solar Fields work, meets 2007's Asura with a different style. The influences are there but not copied. This is a very strong debut for starters. The artist did a wonderful job here. No track is less than good. The intro builds up into a powerful, memorable impression. The other songs throughout are capturing, filled with character, flavor, and more. I really like the key changes in the third or fourth track, and I wish that the artist did more of them. Also, track 5 seem has less stand out melody work to me, but it's still pretty good. I really like the melodies in tracks 2, 3, 4, but especially 2 (Equidistant) and the opening strings in 6 (Outer Rim) that reprise later. The last number has an entirely different sound and feel to it. I call it [crunchy space] ambient trance. It's interesting and has a wonderful ambient-intro for the first 2:45. I also enjoy how the album was both composed and compiled throughout. If I had to pick a favorite track, I'd pick two: Equidistant and Outer Rim. The melody/sound work in Equidistant is superb (*update* - this has grown on me over the year). I love the faster beat and strong bassline in Outer Rim. It's a great to drive to at night. I recommend this album for those into Asura, Solar Fields, and Ambient Trance in general. Asura, Solar Fields, and Aes Dana are some of the few artists that have impressed me in this genre. I love the combination of Space Ambient influenced Down/Mid-Tempo, and atmospheric throughout this album. Well done! Please don't wait too many years before releasing another.

Favorite tracks - 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8.

A-


Samples

http://www.saikosoun...ase.asp?id=7054

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i can hear the difference between cd quality and 192kbs when listening to music with my sennheisers !!!! but i don't hear any difference between 320 and lossless :unsure: maybe i will after buying a pair of Grados :rolleyes:

let's continue this in general, there are like > 100 topics about downloading mp3 vs wave,

understand the need of discussion, but it's has been done over & over & over,

not saying it can't be done anymore :unsure:

respect ;)

 

on topic :

nice review jon like always,

 

listened to this release for the second time in the sun yesterday,

it's almost perfect imo,

some sounds are done before and look a like but the way they use them

and the concept that's created is original, only asura as an artist has used such a good

slow trance baselines, and that's absolute bliss...

 

favorite track : 4

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I am not talking about the quality. I can't hear the difference at all. I'm talking about the style of listening. If you download music from a p2p site, chances are you are not going to feel the need to understand it (same with samples) you only hear what is on the surface & there is no need to go deeper. Just delete it & find something else that is more instantly gratifying.

My problem with downloading is not the quality of the sound but the mental state of the listener. If I download something, chances are I wont even listen to it & if I do & I don't love it instantly I don't give it another chance, often missing all it has to offer. Hell, I never liked Koxbox - Dragon Tales when I had the mp3 but loved it when I finally got the CD.

 

I doubt everyone will get what I'm saying & those that don't are exactly who I'm talking about.

Just look at it the same way as you look at pussy ;) Free is better than payd, ANYTIME! The problem i have, is that you get so much pussy, that you don't have time to figure out what you think is great, if it is not an emidiatly ear catcher! that you don't have time to try to understand the hidden treasures... Therefor i listen to many of you guys in here i know has a great taste in music, especially you Abasio when it comes to chillout/ambient! I have alot of pussy on my HD that i REALLY LOVE!
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I am not talking about the quality. I can't hear the difference at all. I'm talking about the style of listening. If you download music from a p2p site, chances are you are not going to feel the need to understand it (same with samples) you only hear what is on the surface & there is no need to go deeper. Just delete it & find something else that is more instantly gratifying.

My problem with downloading is not the quality of the sound but the mental state of the listener. If I download something, chances are I wont even listen to it & if I do & I don't love it instantly I don't give it another chance, often missing all it has to offer. Hell, I never liked Koxbox - Dragon Tales when I had the mp3 but loved it when I finally got the CD.

That's totally untrue, at least for me ( and most of the ppl here)

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  • 2 weeks later...

That's totally untrue, at least for me ( and most of the ppl here)

I agree.

 

if your mental state is tuned to enjoy music there is no way one can miss anything. whether something is free doesnt at all decide how deep one goes into the music. plus its only on the basis of the mp3 that i decide whether i should purchase an album. not that ive been purchasing a lot myself. but this one goes straight into my to buy list.

 

when I heard it first didnt quite stirr me up. i just put it on randomly today. one word .. amazing. the flow is perfect. just slept an hour while the album was playing and i didnt know. only really good ambient music does that to me . :)

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<_< i'm still curious to know who's the guru of space music !?!?

 

:P

im curious too. i hope he didnt mean solar fields (matt hiller?)coz there is noting spacey about it.
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Please tell me this album isn't like Efflorescence...? (sure i enjoyed some tracks from Efflorescence, but it just didn't have all the aspects that i personally enjoy and *need* in a ambient trance album).

 

A friend of mine wants to by me a cd as a gift and i think Distant System - Spiral Empire might be just the thing. :)

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Please tell me this album isn't like Efflorescence...? (sure i enjoyed some tracks from Efflorescence, but it just didn't have all the aspects that i personally enjoy and *need* in a ambient trance album).

 

A friend of mine wants to by me a cd as a gift and i think Distant System - Spiral Empire might be just the thing. :)

Its a great album mate and i am 100% sure that you will really happy for choosing it ;) . Tylers project Distant System is different in many ways from Androcell. Distant System is more spacey B) . Read Abasios and Jon Coccos reviews for more details .

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I think abasio is some evil corporate guy out to make us pay for things.

I am the anti hippie :ph34r:

 

People should buy this though, it's good enough that the artist should get as much renumeration as possible.

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I am the anti hippie :ph34r:

 

People should buy this though, it's good enough that the artist should get as much renumeration as possible.

Nah.

 

Ott on a budget ;)

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