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Cold Beats vol. 1


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By putting on my headphones and isolating myself from the world, I started listening to a compilation from the Cold Beats label. Autumn is outside, the temperature keeps dropping, pervasive nostalgia — a climate conducive to cold sounds, which abound on this record. The aforementioned label has taken the initiative to promote and support bands and projects from the electro and wide-ranging wave genres worldwide.

Wave takes various forms on this record, ranging from new wave to cold wave, and even branching out into synth-pop.

The overall production can be described as quite cohesive. I was able to dig out a few gems from the album that will definitely find a place in my music library. However, despite the coherence and consistent atmosphere, it's difficult for me to give a unanimous verdict on the album because, as is often the case with compilations, there's a mix of very good, average, and some tracks that are hard to get through to the end. To be fair, I visited the websites of individual artists and listened to some of their material to facilitate a general assessment and check whether the selected songs on the album serve as a fair representation of the projects or perhaps a poor choice by the label.

To simplify the assessment of the album, I wrote a few words about each artist featured on the Cold Beats vol. 1 compilation. The first two tracks were particularly pleasing to my ears, which raised my curiosity for the following ones, setting the bar high based on what I heard. The first artist was Alessandro Parisi, creating music in the electronic and dark electro genres. Very pleasant, simultaneously disturbing and cold instrumental sounds. I think the track "Si Non Sedes Is" is a good choice for promoting the artist and effectively encourages the listener to explore their material further. The next track, "Hallucinated Odyssey," by Babies In Grey, is another great discovery on this album. It invites you to listen to other tracks by this project, which creates chilly electronics. The third band on the compilation is N01R with the track "Electrical Fields," which I consider too monotonous and boring — a wasted blend of electro and synth-pop genres. Next, we have Volcan, a band that appears twice on the album. They offer a very mysterious blend of electro, new wave, and synth. The songs representing them on the record are the enjoyable "The Day They Tried To Kill Me" and the weak "Forme Noire." The tracks are quite similar, which may discourage listeners from engaging with the project. However, the first one has something beautifully unsettling that works in its favor and gives them another chance. The next, this time with a female touch, is Demure For Sure with the track "Hollywood," where we can hear fairly average new wave and electro. The following band is Synth Alien and their track "Polar Cell." As they claim, they create cosmic wave, which is hard to disagree with, resulting in interesting cosmic and unsettling sounds. The seventh band is Mynationshit, creating cold wave, new wave, synth, and electro, which gives a very pleasant effect heard in "Foolish Flags" where all these genres are skillfully blended. The next band, Ssleeping desiresS, adds elements of cold wave to their highly rhythmic electronics with the track "Labor." The ninth and, in my opinion, weakest track on the album is VEINHART with "Knc Vision," which, despite its resemblance to the previously mentioned cosmic wave, pales in comparison to the rest. The next entry is Special Darkness, combining cold wave, synth, and new wave. Their track "Stock" sounds cool, pleasant, and intriguing. The penultimate project on the Cold Beats vol. 1 compilation is Silk Entry with the very synth and new wave track "Body Double." The rhythmic sounds, which surprise with a touch of mystery towards the end, are even suitable for a cold dance floor. And the last position is the aforementioned Volcan.

In summary, the label's endeavor was a very good idea. The Cold Beats vol. 1 compilation allowed me to discover several musical gems that will permanently reside in my headphones. Given that it is quite challenging to find something different and surprising in wave and electronic projects, I can note about a 50% success rate in unearthing interesting bands with this album. This is also the role of a compilation - to allow everyone to find something for themselves. It is impossible to create a compilation that would satisfy everyone with the entirety of its material.

In conclusion, the album is quite interesting for people who love everything related to the coldness of electronics and the chill of wave.

Tracklist:
  1. Alessandro Parisi (2) – Si Non Sedes Is
  2. Babies In Grey – Hallucinated Odyssey
  3. N01R – Electrical Fields
  4. Volcan – The Day They Tried To Kill Me
  5. Demure For Sure – Hollywood
  6. Synth Alien – Polar Cell
  7. Mynationshit – Foolish Flags
  8. Ssleeping desiresS – Labor
  9. Veinhart – Knc Vision
  10. Special Darkness – Stock
  11. Silk Entry – Body Double
  12. Volcan – Forme Noire
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Translator: Dobermann
Add date: 2023-05-19 / Music reviews


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