RU.ARE - RU.ARE
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95%
Three years ago I was listening to this album soon after their debut. Now I have the pleasure of reviewing it for AlterNation. After those three years the record still enjoys my liking, and it is pretty rare for debuting bands, especially with my wavering tastes. RU.ARE is a continuation of attack on dark independent scene from the east. And once again it is a very successful attack.
Maybe at first word of introduction about the group - RU.ARE is a two musicians project, which consists of singer Alexey Odintsov and Anton Repnikov, who deals with synthesizers and programming. Gentlemen met while playing in metal bands, they decided to do something completely different and after a long time of carving produced this album.
Russians’ record is designed for fans of melodic synth-pop in style of De/Vision, Minerve, and maybe even Depeche Mode? We will find there 9 tracks on basic version, and in extended version additionally two remixes. Not enough? If we focus on the amount that is for sure, because in terms of quality everything is fine.
We start from "Fonteblo". The track is in more dance floor climates, there are light modifications on vocal and powerful beat.
Then we deal with "Saviour", which is filled with a whole palette of synthetic sounds, completed by intensive use of a drum machine. Here vocal goes a bit to the background.
Third on the album "Halo" is definitely the biggest hit. Characteristic and uncomplicated leitmotif of synthesizer, great vocal, which additionally gives a kick in the chorus, and the whole song is easily ear-catching.
"Brilliant Of Night" is a solid synth-pop track, maybe somehow ballad like, which outstands with nothing on the album.
"Wings" is another track, which attracts attention with vocal. It reminds me of something, I have already heard before, but unfortunately I do not remember what it was. Nevertheless, this is one of the outstanding pieces.
"Remembrance" is another brilliant song! I will not write anything except that it is a true masterpiece both musically, as well as vocally. It has to be listened to.
Equally high level is sustained by "Strange Games" - dynamic and highly suitable for the dance floor.
From "Far From Love" I was expecting some kind of dreamy ballad, but gentlemen from RU.ARE surprised me by serving decent sounds, though they could not restrain themselves from long downs in the background, as it suits for a song about love.
Basic version of the album ends "My Lunacy". And actually you can only say about this composition that it outstands with nothing.
Just two words about the remixes - "Halo" in Monoclast version is poor... They have not changed too much, but everything they changed causes, it is much worse listening to it than to the original. "Saviour" that was taken by Ikebana also gives no revolutionary look to the track, just, there are some sounds added, some are changed. Whole album is doing well even without remixes, and perhaps even better?
It should be written a word of summary, therefore: awesome. That is how this album is, if you are a fan of synth-pop.
Tracklist:
01. Fonteblo
02. Saviour
03. Halo
04. Brilliant Of Night
05. Wings
06. Remembrance
07. Strange Games
08. Far From Love
09. My Lunacy
10. Halo (Monoclast Remix)*
11. Saviour (Ikebana Remix)*
* Bandcamp and FiXT store exclusive
Maybe at first word of introduction about the group - RU.ARE is a two musicians project, which consists of singer Alexey Odintsov and Anton Repnikov, who deals with synthesizers and programming. Gentlemen met while playing in metal bands, they decided to do something completely different and after a long time of carving produced this album.
Russians’ record is designed for fans of melodic synth-pop in style of De/Vision, Minerve, and maybe even Depeche Mode? We will find there 9 tracks on basic version, and in extended version additionally two remixes. Not enough? If we focus on the amount that is for sure, because in terms of quality everything is fine.
We start from "Fonteblo". The track is in more dance floor climates, there are light modifications on vocal and powerful beat.
Then we deal with "Saviour", which is filled with a whole palette of synthetic sounds, completed by intensive use of a drum machine. Here vocal goes a bit to the background.
Third on the album "Halo" is definitely the biggest hit. Characteristic and uncomplicated leitmotif of synthesizer, great vocal, which additionally gives a kick in the chorus, and the whole song is easily ear-catching.
"Brilliant Of Night" is a solid synth-pop track, maybe somehow ballad like, which outstands with nothing on the album.
"Wings" is another track, which attracts attention with vocal. It reminds me of something, I have already heard before, but unfortunately I do not remember what it was. Nevertheless, this is one of the outstanding pieces.
"Remembrance" is another brilliant song! I will not write anything except that it is a true masterpiece both musically, as well as vocally. It has to be listened to.
Equally high level is sustained by "Strange Games" - dynamic and highly suitable for the dance floor.
From "Far From Love" I was expecting some kind of dreamy ballad, but gentlemen from RU.ARE surprised me by serving decent sounds, though they could not restrain themselves from long downs in the background, as it suits for a song about love.
Basic version of the album ends "My Lunacy". And actually you can only say about this composition that it outstands with nothing.
Just two words about the remixes - "Halo" in Monoclast version is poor... They have not changed too much, but everything they changed causes, it is much worse listening to it than to the original. "Saviour" that was taken by Ikebana also gives no revolutionary look to the track, just, there are some sounds added, some are changed. Whole album is doing well even without remixes, and perhaps even better?
It should be written a word of summary, therefore: awesome. That is how this album is, if you are a fan of synth-pop.
Tracklist:
01. Fonteblo
02. Saviour
03. Halo
04. Brilliant Of Night
05. Wings
06. Remembrance
07. Strange Games
08. Far From Love
09. My Lunacy
10. Halo (Monoclast Remix)*
11. Saviour (Ikebana Remix)*
* Bandcamp and FiXT store exclusive
