firstfloor

Vancouver yesterday was fun, though a bit rushed as we arrived a bit late and only had a few hours to run around town. We basically started at Robson and Seymour.
Me and Craig went through the scattered Vinyl section in Virgin. I picked up the new Starecase album, Firstfloor, on Vinyl.
I looked at the Vinyl. It was missing at least a few songs. WTF? I went upstairs after the purchase and found the CD. It had all the songs (of course), unmixed, and was $11 cheaper than the vinyl release.
So I did an exchange.
But..What is going on with this? First Sasha releases the Airdrawndagger vinyl without my favourite song on it from the album, Cloud Cuckoo, and now Starecase does this.
arghghghh @#%*!#$^!#$%(~@)$*~!@%@(#&!%^(!@#*@#$@()!
I was just going to say .. they’re on different labels.. however, they’re both released through Kinetic. This is really disappointing. On the other hand, it’s not so bad as I have the CD and it’s unmixed.
Back to that new Starecase album.. I’ve been waiting for it for about 2 years now. Not as long as I waited for the new Sasha album, but still a hell of a long time! Here is my review of it, track by track:
Faith – This is vocal breaks track featuring vocals from Jokate Benson. If you know Starecase’s remix of Neve – Sacrifice, it’s in the same sort of vein as that. The lyrics are not listed anywhere in the album, but they sound quite nice. This track came out as a single with a Loafer remix, a General Midi remix and a Jean Jaques Smoothie remix.
Understand Me – stretched and compressed vocals reverberating through what sounds like a cross of a television and a tunnel start off this blissed out breaks track. Very atmospheric sounds echo throughout the tune and a groovy bassline carries the tune to a great breakdown. Lovely tune. Do you understand me?
[Sound Two] Second Time – The third track on First Floor features vocals by one known as Omi. Bass so thick you can sit on it is one of the Starecase staples, and this time it is coupled with bouncey vocals and intricately layered percussion. Not sure what the vocals are all about, or for that matter, what “Sound Two” has to do with it. Enjoyable nonetheless!
Come In – A clever breakbeat track to start with turns into a bassline rollercoaster quickly. The breakdown and the second part of the tune proves why Starecase is one of the top electronic acts out there today. Nothing less than spectacular and my favorite track on the album.
Stuck In The Middle – Stomping, grinding and pounding. This is probably the most in-your-face track on the album and is sure to devastate dancefloors where-ever it is played. A dizzying bassline bounces through the percussion which is tight in typical Starecase fashion and it sounds awesome. The breakdown is floaty and gorgeous and it extends over the rest of the song, which revs up quickly. Play this one loud and enjoy. Actually play the whole album loud and enjoy. Maybe go driving to this one in particular. Ahh go driving to all of them. This one just kicks some serious ass!
See – Starecase teams up with singer Charlie Newlands for a poppy affair. It starts off innocently enough with the vocal, but then it gets a bit weird with strange high pitched noises phasing in and out of the tune. Before you know it some pads drift in and tease you into a brief journey before the vocals come back in. Well done. This has also come out as a single and features Timo Maas and Rulers of the Deep on remix duties, as well as a Starecase dub.
Ai[bleep]eru – This is a downtempo piece with guitars twanging in and out. Soothing and beautiful. This is a gem of a track.
Bitter Little Pill – What are you on? That’s what the vocalist, Sean Cook, wants to know. This one came out as a single with a few different mixes by Starecase themselves. More of an alternative sound to it. Catchy.
The Bitter End – Well this is supposed to an abrasive, bitter ending. It is not. It’s a blistering affair, to be sure, but it’s also sweet and the percussion is just a pleasure to listen to.
All in all this album is a good listen from start to finish and should be played loud on a good stereo with a beverage and a friend of choice.
I have a starecase production & remixology page which is pretty much the most up-to-date and complete Starecase production & remixology page on the Internet. Take a look if you enjoy the group!