Side Liner - Crying Cities (Cosmicleaf cd 14 /2009

[LLB]

Side Liner - Crying Cities (Cosmicleaf cd /2009) Review

 

 

Track List:

 

1>Crying Cities

 

2>Highway Dreams

 

3>Old Neighborhood

 

4>Dead End

 

5>Camera Obscura (vs. Red Eye Express)

 

6>Violet Room (remix for Zero Cult)

 

7>Tall Stories (remix for D.Batistatos)

 

8>2222 (Prostranstvo 2008 mix)

 

9>Urban Haze (vs Secret Sound Labs)

 

10>Crying Cities Remix (Cydelix's ambient version)

 

About Cosmicleaf => It's an Australian label (Initially from Greece in 2003) component of the CUT music label group which means:

- C for Cosmicleaf, the Chill-ambient division.

- U for Unicorn, the Progressive side.

- T for Tempest, the Electronica-techno dimension.

The artists involved in this group comes from different countries such as Greece (mainly), France, Israel, Australia or New Zealand.

 

Who is Side Liner ? => it's Nick Miamis, and Crying Cities is its fourth album on Cosmicleaf, elsewhere he also released 3 albums, all on Unicorn, under the name "Mendark". By the way, this other project, is its first one starting in 2003.

 

What's Inside Crying Cities ? =>

 

The global style coming out from Side Liner in this album is melodic, hypnotic (i'd say probably the main sin would be too repetitive/hypnotic) .

I'd precise exactly it's the kinda chill stuff which i call "Slow motion productions".

I mean it always give me the impress the track was initially made faster & then the tempo was reduced to confer it the chill aspect.

Indeed when i say : "it gives me the impress to be reduced",actually i'm convinced it's not the case and just a peculiar trademark from some chill, downtempo artists.

It's a style existing since a long time in the psytrance scene (i remember of Tandu - New Aura in the same construction 's approach) but i admitt i always encountered difficulties to enjoy it.

 

By the way & despite this preamble, i found positive points in this album .

I'll focus on them from now.

 

Let's start with Crying Cities the eponymous title of this album appearing twice.

There's the original version and the Cydelix ambient version. My choice goes to the second coz it's succeed to reach what, for me Side Liner manages with difficulties : conferring an atemporal side to his chill productions. Globally he tends to offer a bit too much elements like a dance floor stuffs, in this version from Cydelix we get layers, it's more floating & fluffier, based on the harmony.

 

To be honest, listening this album at first, i noticed i was preferring the tracks in collaboration or with a remix add, so i was starting to think the solo tunes from Side Liner in this album were weaker up to Highway Dreams. This one constitutes my highlight from the album. Previously, i told Side Liner not always succeed in giving this magical atemporal touch in his production, here it's the perfect example that he can & he does . The tune has a morning colouration, i'd say a bit melancholic for the mood. It has another particularity, its rhythmic with sort of soft bongos or African drums alike. There's also a good work for the background soundscape with different crispy tones all along.

 

I was speaking of collab', it's the case with Camera Obscura (vs. Red Eye Express). Here we find out some common positive elements with previous track quoted at the 2 main following differences : the colouration is dark here & it's a collab :clapping: . For the rest, there's all the good & nice trademarks explained previously. The rhythmic is nevertheless on the downtempo-breakbeat side and focus more on special resonating tones on the second half.

 

Another collab deserves some attention, Violet Room (remix for Zero Cult), in this once again Side Liner makes me lie coz this time he's the remixer & not the remixed, & the result is fucking smooth & can't be more that easy to listen & go through it or with it . You know it's the stuff you listen without realizing really what occurs & when it's finished, you're thinking "shit 6 minutes 45 has passed really ? That's not possible, time must have accelerate highly suddenly!".

 

I have also some sympathy for Dead End, despite the vocals which according to me don't match very nicely with the harmony (probably a bit too much present for me). Here, the construction is funny, like an hesitating progression, fill in with lots of sensibility.

 

I'll conclude with another collab', Urban Haze (vs Secret Sound Labs). Listening to this tune which is quite entertaining by itself, several nice musical reminiscences come to my brain :

- Infected Mushroom, coz the part with the hacked melody with fx, it reminds some tunes from the Freestyle Cd of Converting Vegetarians.

-Mauxuam due to the dark & mental(not to say a bit experimental) production's style with unpolished bank tones used.

 

 

So , very quick sum up:

Highlight: 2

alternative Challengers (by order of preference):10, 6, 5, 9, 4

[longloststar]

Who expected Mendark to do anything even half-decent?

[LLB]

Who expected Mendark to do anything even half-decent?

To be frank, i never listen to his other project Mendark, how is it sounding, what's the style?

I'm curious

[longloststar]

The one song I got with him is nizhonot(?), and its one of the worst tune on the compilation (the rest is bad as well).

[Trance2MoveU]

Who expected Mendark to do anything even half-decent?

Ha-ha! So true. His tracks on comps tend to consistently be the weakest. I respect his attempts, as it isn't easy to create moving music, but...um...swing and a miss.

 

Mdk

[headbot]

FULL ALBUM PREVIEW in low quality

http://www.cosmicleaf.com/sidelinerpromo

 

 

review by GROOVE Magazine / Australia:

 

"...While chill out albums have been springing up like mushrooms over the last few years, Cosmic Leaf, a sub-imprint of the global Unicorn Music label, has been pushing out only the most diverse aural aesthetics.

 

The latest album to escape the Unicorn stables, Crying Cities is the fourth chapter in Side Liner's already classic body of work. In typical Side Liner style, Crying Cities continues the journey through sublime textures that hopscotch between comforting warmth and oblique menace.

 

Running the gamut from ambient to breaks, the album soars through a 10 dreamy soundscapes where Side Liner's chilling vision of the future collides head-on with the realities of a perplexing modern world.

 

Saturated with ponderous melodies and glowing with brooding reflection, Crying Cities is a trusty companion as you sleepwalk through a domain of rasping beats, velvet synths and diabolic rushes and out into the cold unknown future..."

 

Review by Mic.gr / Online Music Magazine

 

"...A music story for the future of big cities and their citizens dreams.The concept subtitle.10 years took till being spit out by someone of next door, to be clarified.Popularly, how every monday kills a sunday, anonymus, silent, behind technicolour sun lounges in 10th floor. Only Parallel Worlds with their album Obsessive Surrealism" had reach this in thousandth.... Crying Cities is the final result of Side Liner's involvement for years now with urban typology. Great album in terms of sound quality (not far from being a foretype), following darkmoods, ambient atmospheres,strong basslines and breaks..."

 

8.5/10

 

Read full review in Greek:

http://www.mic.gr/cds.asp?id=16941

 

Review from Mixside / Spain

 

"...Nick Miamis is a Greek that producing music since the end of years 90. Being able to put in the market cds loaded of chill out admirable, with a strong environmental line and warm and dynamic electronic reflections....a cosmic atmosphere with sounds between Solar Fields or Carbon Based Lifeforms but with his own style..."

 

Read Full Review in Spanish:

http://www.mixside.com/side-liner-crying-c...icleaf-records/

 

Review by Djane Tamara (Cosmicleaf , Active Meditation Music, Danceradio.gr)

 

 

"...gently seduces your mind to take the whole journey to the end,it opens a view for you,a view into artists soul,of his desires pulsing trough the chords he plays.His forever gentle melodies,companioned by the mysterious beat which keeps them from telling it all at once, will push your feelings to the top , making your ears happy to hear the sound that comes next..."

Full review here:

http://www.shejay.net/articleDetail.php?articleID=62609

 

Review by Nick Klimenko aka Chronos

 

The 4th album from Greek downbeat maestro Side Liner “Crying Cities” showing us an utopia of modern civilization, it’s level of development in technological & spiritual ways.

Let’s see what the story will show us in this time:

 

1. Crying Cities

 

Melancholic & thoughtful atmosphere open the doors of the journey. Warm sounds of guitar & flute adding more deepness & wideness to the sound.

Morning movement, faces in the crowd of the coldly town

 

2. Highway Dreams

 

Very Harmonic beginning which showing us a sunrise over the horizon, beautiful shadows, soft lights & thoughts. Faces becoming smile. Dynamics of arrange is very specific & pulsating. Ethno percussion adding more courage to the sound.

 

3. Old Neighborhood.

 

Nice trip-hop beats are adding more breath in musical flow. Nautical bells from deepness complete the state

 

4. Dead End

 

Let be alive Side Liner’s band.

Mood is very optimistic and lightened. Maybe, voice of the man tells us that all will be fine on our planet; people will help each other & save nature? Well…El Chyke..Jan Te Ke Sa!

 

5. Camera Obscura (vs. Red Eye Express)

 

One of the central tracks of the album & the most powerful in project’s musical portfolio.

Very serious & productive collaboration with R.Y.E. Starting is very exciting. Beat is very strong & born desire to move. Live guitars are adding more rhythmic feelings. Lo-Fi bells, pads are giving expression & force to overcome all barriers on the way.

 

6. Violet Room (remix for Zero Cult)

 

So what about this room? Mystery. Percussions start moving & soon we recognize well known

pictures from original track. Textures are adding more enigmas in the atmosphere. Did anybody have a key for the violet door? Wonder…

 

7. Tall Stories (remix for D.Batistatos)

 

Dubby mood. Time for resting & become dreaming. Moving arpeggio showing that no cheat. This story is really very tall. Glitch elements are adding more twisted thoughts to the mind & dreams becoming wider & bright.

 

 

8. 2222 (Prostranstvo 2008 mix)

 

Dynamics & arrange of this track showing us a great experience of Nick in letting people move with atmospheric grooves. Another central track in the opus. Main theme is very emotional & exciting. It shows what kind of emotions we had on Prostranstvo festival in Russia & a great inside feedback from Nick’s bright nightmare dream. In fact, there was not such a big difference between these two events. Both were nightmare.

 

9.Urban Haze

 

..Sounds like soundtrack for thriller film. Wow, it starts!

Sounds more psychedelic, especially pad spheres & sound “whew”. Glitch fading in Arabian harmonies over around adding more mystic in the mood.

Who’s there??? Chill out…it’s me.

 

10. Crying Cities (Cydelix rmx)

 

Showing us the whole story under another corner & point of view. It’s like observation of higher creature on our life.

 

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

 

The 4th chapter of creativity of Nick Miamis showing us strong movement forward.

In this time it’s not only soft textures & warm beats. It’s absolutely magical work with percussions, fills, dynamic breathing & panorama in every part of arrange.

Powerfully drum parts of each track are a visiting card of Side Liner project.

 

Keep moving with inside force & make your conscious choice.