BJCDSWAP5 reviews

October 31, 201410 yr

My review will be here eventually, I've got myself into an essay crisis for the next week though. Soz.

October 31, 201410 yr

I hope the person who made the CD I'm listening to doesn't think I'm being overly harsh!

October 31, 201410 yr

Be Alone, Get To Know Yourself

01 | 07/10 | Started off very slow, but about half way through picked up enough for me to keep interest. Loved the Indian-style background vibe!

02 | 05/10 | The music isn't too bad but the vocals got a bit annoying after a while. Not really my type of music though.

03 | 07/10 | Another one where the music is good but the vocals aren't (in my opinion). More enjoyable than the last song though, and the chorus is quite catchy.

04 | 06/10 | There hasn't been much coherence so far, so not sure what the "theme" is meant to be. This one is a lot more RnB than the others.

05 | 05/10 | This is like two different songs put together, didn't really work for me I'm afraid. The second half is better than the first half though.

06 | 04/10 | Boring rap song which didn't really connect at all. One of the weaker songs on the album.

07 | 07/10 | Another RnB song, with hints of trap. Could have done with being a tad faster for my liking but not a bad song at all.

08 | 03/10 | Unfortunately I found this terrible and don't really have the desire to comment on it further.

09 | 07/10 | Sounds like a group I've heard before, a bit like VAZ. The songs seem to keep alternating between listenable and not.

10 | 06/10 | This reminds me of something you'd hear in the Bronx or "in the hood", like 90s Lauryn Hill. Not really my type of thing but I can appreciate others may like it.

11 | 08/10 | The last couple of songs have made the RnB theme more cohesive, was thinking at first it was Grebo's CD but it could well be Bal (if he sent one in?). The best song on the album so far, but STILL not quite what I'm searching for!

12 | 07/10 | With the different female vocals layering over each other in the chorus and the harmonies, sounds like something Sugababes 1.0 could have released. Has that edgy urban tone to it.

13 | 08/10 | Robot vocals in the background of another Indian style beat. The female singer sounds familiar but I can't put my finger on it. The further the song goes the more enjoyable it is; possibly one of my favourite on the album.

14 | 04/10 | A shame that this song has interruped quite a decent run of pleasantness. Sounds like a bad Michael Jackson impersonator. Not really hitting any buttons for me I'm afraid, but at least it's keeping the RnB theme going. I've now looked at the list of members who sent a CD in and since Bal didn't I'm completely lost as to who sent this. Was it David? :unsure:

15 | 06/10 | Pleasant. Nothing sticks out that makes me want to listen a second time but it's one of the better songs on the album so far.

16 | 05/10 | Distorted vocals on a trippy "bubble" beat (I can't really think of any other way to describe it! :lol:). The BPM still feels like it's barely reached 100 on this album though.

17 | 08/10 | This is the closest a song has come to my properly enjoying. It sounds like it wants to be this immense drum and bass track but falls slightly flat. Maybe it needed the breakdown for the beat to shine through but it never comes.

18 | 09/10 | Oh so THIS is where the album title comes from!! Thoroughly enjoyed this, would vote for it if it was entered into UP or BJSC. Broken beats in the background with a male and female vocals taken turns, almost like they're having a conversation with each other.

19 | 08/10 | This sounds VERY much like Lady Gaga even though I know it's not. The last couple of songs have really brought the album quality up. Wasn't expecting the rap breakdown halfway through...

20 | 04/10 | ...And then we come back down with a bump. This sounds like a bad Mart!n reject, not good at all.

For the type of music this is I feel the album length was FAR too long, and would have probably been better keeping it to 15 at the maximum. Towards the end the songs kind of merged into one; VERY slow songs throughout. Probably good as background music if you're studying or reading a book where you don't have to actively listen to it.

I'd still give this a solid 6/10 though, nothing was absolutely terrible but there wasn't really anything that was fully worthy of a 9 or 10. I think track 18 was my favourite of the lot (I know I gave it a 9 but that was borderline). Apologies by the way, I think it's a bit obvious that this isn't my type of music so I'm trying to be as constructive as I can! :lol:

October 31, 201410 yr

Are you going to post the tracklisting of your CD and comments about my review, Oliver? Would love to see it!

October 31, 201410 yr

Thanks for some of the insightful comments Mattias, was glad to see that you enjoyed the majority of the album! :D The theme was meant to be a night out; the first four songs were meant to be the start of the night (pre-drinks, getting ready and heading out), the middle 5 were the "main event" (hence why they were more lively, faster and more upbeat in general). The final three were the "comedown" shall we say, or the end of the night when everyone is going home, which is why the songs are much slower and calmer.

It made sense in my head. Promise!!

Track 1 - Shit, Shower, Shave

This kicks the playlist off in a great way. It was a pleasant surprise on first hearing. An electronic trip that reminds me of Underworld, could it be? On first listen I thought of Röyksopp, but now that I have listened to it many times, it's definitely a little more Underworld-y than Röyksopp-y. It's repetitive but that doesn't bother me in this track, it just sort of creates a more trippy feel. 8/10

| I agree with the comment about the repetitiveness not being an issue, as soon as I heard it I was certain I wanted it to be my album opener. Haven't actually heard any stuff by Röyksopp so will have to check them out (they are the ones that seem to be doing everything with Robyn, yes?).

Track 2 - Aftershave

The trippy feel continues. This is a song that almost puts me in a trance. I liked it from the beginning. Interesting song. 7.5/10

Jeffro - We Never Learn (feat. Jacqueline Arlina) | This was the first of a couple of songs I've considered for both UP and BJSC (I was being a tad lazy when making my album!). It's like a subtle trap song, and I think the distorted vocals add a lot to the song.

Track 3 - Arrival

This is kinda like Grimes gone slightly more commercial, not a bad thing (although I've been reading on here about that song 'Go' being Grimes gone more commercial, but I haven't actually listened to it, oops). I like this one too. Makes me nod my head. I enjoy the effects on the vocals. I do wish the instrumentation had a little something extra, perhaps some kick-ass bass or something. Still works though. 7.5/10

| I was surprised you gave this 7.5, this was probably the weak link in the album in my opinion (even though I still love it). I totally agree about the lack of "something extra".

Track 4 - Shots

This is a very enjoyable deep house track. A good example of something that I was not into when I was younger, but am now. Not the most memorable melody, but I enjoy the song very much. Sort of chilled, relaxing. The male vocals are very suitable to the song, and the bass is great. Maybe this kind of bass is what could have made track 3 even better. 8/10

| This is probably my favourite song on the album, I first discovered it a couple of months ago and still love it now. Very chill I agree, but still enough bass in it to keep me completely interested. I'd love to hear this with a female vocal, to see the difference. I thought this song was the best way to bridge the gap between "pre-drinks" and "main entertainment".

Track 5 - Where Do We Start

This one is not really my taste, but it's still quite enjoyable to listen to. It sounds like Celine Dion produced by Paul van Dyk. One of the most upbeat songs in the playlist. I don't think I would ever choose to play it though. 5/10

Paradise - See The Light | The first of the second section, maybe it was a bit fast paced and a big jump from the last song. I chose this mainly because it reminded me of my teenage years when I was spaffing off to this type of music (not literally!! :lol:). Completely understand the 5/10 if it's not your type of music.

Track 6 - On To The Next Bar

This is like a video game gone mad. I can imagine Mario raving around to this. It's a fun addition to the CD, but not among my favourites. 5.5/10

| This was a bit of a curveball I'll admit. I wanted a punchy, in your face instrumental to include and I love gaming/drum and bass/dubstep hybrids (see my UP song early in the year, a Zelda dubstep remix!!). I thought this would be instantly recognisable as the Pokemon battle theme tune, don't know if you realised or not! :lol:

Track 7 - Mortal

This is my least favourite one. I would probably never choose to play it. It's not horrible, more annoying. Another upbeat one. I dunno, it's too generic for me. 4.5/10

| This was the last song that made the album. I was very wary of including it because I didn't know how it would be taken. Obviously it wasn't received very well! It may not be the exact song, but something sounding like this is perfect for me right at the height of a night out!

Track 8 - Closing Time

So as you may have noticed, the playlist started off quite strong, then got a little weaker for me, but this brings it right back. This is one that I like. I like the little synth riff or whatever in this. Could it be Pendulum? An upbeat, slightly quirky instrumental dance tune. Has a lot of energy and power. 7.5/10

| I'm surprised you gave this a high score, I've always thought it was the weaker of the two instrumentals in this section! I love drum and bass and thought this would be the perfect "normal" one without the gimmick of a Pokemon theme. I can definitely hear Pendulum in it, I'd like to hear a vocal mix if one was to ever crop up.

Track 9 - The Kebab Shop

This one is probably a grower. At the moment, the way I feel about it is that it tries to be a euphoric dance track, but doesn't quite go there. I like certain things about it, but overall I feel it's a bit messy and doesn't flow very well. It's an interesting track though. 6/10

| I agree that this song is a grower, it took a couple of listens to click with me but this is one of my favourites on the album. I love the glitchy-ness of the background music, but feel like it lacks because it doesn't have that third and final chorus which, like you said, could have made it THE euphoric dance track we're all missing in our lives. :teresa:

Track 10 - Calling All Taxis

This is quite an unusual track. You could probably call it another dance track, but it's more chilled than some of the others. I like it. At first it was a little bit difficult to pin down, but I quite liked that. I really enjoy the guitars in this. I also like the calm and simple feel and ambience of the track. There are many songs in the playlist that have effects put on the vocals. This is one of them, and it works well. It's just a relaxing track. Over seven minutes long but it doesn't feel like that. I almost don't want it to end when I'm listening to it. 8/10

| I kinda needed this song in so it would push the album over 40 minutes long (I didn't want to have to add a thirteenth song onto the list). I've got Azedia's album and love nearly every song, but this one is lovely as an "instrumental" (I'm not even counting the noises she makes! :lol:). Thank you for the nice comments for this song in particular, I didn't know how this would be taken considering the amount of time it takes to actually get going.

Track 11 - Come Down

This is another chilled dance track. It's kind of like the person at a party dressed in nothing necessarily eye-catching or flashy, but is interesting, warm and enjoyable to be around. It works perfectly after track 10. More effects on vocals. In this one, those are the most memorable parts of the song as that is basically the melody. Enjoyable track. 7.5/10

| As you have probably guessed, I wanted every song on the album to have a beat and a bit of bass to it at least, and when I heard this I thought it HAD to be on here. I wasn't sure it if would have fit better in the first section or here in the last, but your comment about it following the previous song perfectly makes me think I made the right decision to hold it back til now.

Track 12 - The Morning After

I recognized the beautiful distinctive vocals in this. It's Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes. I don't know if it's her song as I haven't heard most of her third album, so it could be from there, or it could be a collaboration. I always enjoy her so this was a pleasant surprise. A very beautiful emotional end to the album. Also an interesting end, as the playlist has a lot of dance music, but this is very different yet somehow it does work in the context. 8.5/10

| Yep, you got it spot on. It was a joint effort for a film that came out last year I believe; How I Live Now it's called. As it was the last song on the album, and keeping with the theme, I wanted it to be the slowest and most calming. I think I got it right in the end.

October 31, 201410 yr

Thanks Oliver, that was an interesting and fun read! I had no idea the first track was Moderat. It's weird, I put a Moderat track into my CD ('Rusty Nails')! These two are the only songs by them I know though, perhaps I should check out their other stuff.

November 1, 201410 yr

‘BJ CD SWAP’

Track 01

I like the sound of this one, very Gold Panda or Boards of Canada which is very much up my ally. As with many of these sort of tracks, it’s over and done with in less than three minutes but makes for a decent opener. 07.0

Track 02

I know this one but can’t place it all. Definite memories of hearing it earlier this year while scanning for BJSC entries though, I assume it’s called Take Me Back from the chorus. It’s quite Haim if they were more synthy. I like it but I can see why I never downloaded it, it sort of washes over you but wouldn’t ever feel the need to skip it. 07.0

Track 03

More variants on a dance theme up next. This one sounds like it wouldn’t be out of place on one of those moods albums that cropped up in the mid 90s, it’s quite The Orb really. It builds well through some interesting chanting/beat/synth effects. Like this one. 08.0

Track 04

This is definitely a highlight for me. No idea who it is again and the sample is literally driving me up the wall as I know it but really can’t place it. Great slow synth work and the sample really does work incredibly well… interested to know who this is so I can investigate further. 09.0

Track 05

So far everything has had a pretty slow tempo but everything changes with this one… this fits in well with the 90s sound that’s been everywhere this year and as such is difficult not to like. Guessing it’s called In Reality as it’s the most prominent lyric. Particularly like the point the beat kicks back in at about the 3:30 mark. 07.5

Track 06

Piano based house intro and then pretty unremarkable female vocals… this is pretty standard to be honest and really does feel like a hybrid of about 20 other tracks released month in month out, not a massive fan. 04.0

Track 07

Was a little worried this playlist was going to head down the piano house route but this is a step up again. Love the variable tempos and beats, plus the rather Tchami esque elements to it. Sounds like a potential Aeroche entrant which is no bad thing at all. 08.5

Track 08

More dance… another pretty deep house styled track. This one is a little less distinct but carries on the theme from the last track, albeit in a more standard manner. It does have a pretty strong beat to it and, to be fair, I’d probably really enjoy this on a night out. It doesn’t do quite enough to stand out while listening at home though… 06.0

Track 09

This one fizzles in to life at the beginning and is a huge change of direction from the previous tracks. Still arguably fit for a dance CD, just more the sort of balearic beach style versions that you’d find at Café Del Mar or wherever the latest downtempo delights are heard these days. Nice, the lyrics are rather sweet whilst somehow not sounding over the top so. It basically sounds like a Chicane album track now I think about it… 07.0

Track 10

Ooooo piano. And not in a house way. This works well after the previous track and it’s nice to hear a different style of music on the playlist. Is the bit at 3:10 deliberate? There’s a weird point where a female vocal and strange dance bit happens for all of about 2 seconds. Nice enough. 06.0

Track 11

The last track and the first I actually know. This is Cassiopeia by Kölsch feat. Gregor Schwellenbach. I think I mentioned earlier in the thread that I liked this and I almost entered it to BJSC, it’s a great mix of a house beat, piano line and classical strings. Great stuff. 09.5

I’m assuming that this was Thermo’s cd because of the sheer amount of dance music to be found nestling within it. Whomever’s it is, thank you for creating it… I’ve enjoyed listening to it as usually in these swap things I get something where I know half the tracks already and this most definitely wasn’t the case this time around… I shall be intrigued to see who was on it, especially track four.

Overall there's nothing on the CD that I hated but it's probably fair to say that there's not a huge amount that I would return to on it's own merit, maybe a 7/10 overall score seems about right?

Finally... Many apologies to the compiler for the late review, I have listened to it a fair few times on several train journeys around the country over the past few weeks but just haven’t found a spare evening to put any thoughts down until now. Hope you haven't minded waiting for it! :D

November 2, 201410 yr

HI. Well yes it was me who entered it, not hard to guess really even with me limiting the amount of deep house songs and avoiding major dance labels like Spinnin' in order to mix it up a bit

Here was the CD cover I used incase anyone was interested

http://s10.postimg.org/bq9hq64c9/bjcdswap.png

yep, Thermo powerpoint art skills at their finest there~ Anyway let's get on with the track IDs

Track 01

I like the sound of this one, very Gold Panda or Boards of Canada which is very much up my ally. As with many of these sort of tracks, it’s over and done with in less than three minutes but makes for a decent opener. 07.0

Chose this one as it sounded like a great introduction. Quite good especially for an electronica song, it has a hypnotic quality to it and I like the sound effects in it.

Track 02

I know this one but can’t place it all. Definite memories of hearing it earlier this year while scanning for BJSC entries though, I assume it’s called Take Me Back from the chorus. It’s quite Haim if they were more synthy. I like it but I can see why I never downloaded it, it sort of washes over you but wouldn’t ever feel the need to skip it. 07.0

I put this one in incase the receiver wasn't really into dance music but I do like it myself actually, a standard indie-pop song but with an electronic feel to its production.

Track 03

More variants on a dance theme up next. This one sounds like it wouldn’t be out of place on one of those moods albums that cropped up in the mid 90s, it’s quite The Orb really. It builds well through some interesting chanting/beat/synth effects. Like this one. 08.0

Russ Chimes had a top 40 hit not too long ago but he's gone far more underground with his latest EP 'Sula', of which this is the highlight. Nice production and buildup.

Track 04

This is definitely a highlight for me. No idea who it is again and the sample is literally driving me up the wall as I know it but really can’t place it. Great slow synth work and the sample really does work incredibly well… interested to know who this is so I can investigate further. 09.0

Loston - Next Exit

This is one of the few tracks from the selection that didn't make my personal chart actually (although that could change, track 08 only first made my chart last week!). Glad you made a discovery out of it anyway, I came across this whilst looking around for some decent bass music to add to the compilation. I believe the sample comes from La Roux 'In For the Kill'.

Track 05

So far everything has had a pretty slow tempo but everything changes with this one… this fits in well with the 90s sound that’s been everywhere this year and as such is difficult not to like. Guessing it’s called In Reality as it’s the most prominent lyric. Particularly like the point the beat kicks back in at about the 3:30 mark. 07.5

Endor - In Reality

I considered this for BJSC earlier this year actually but in the end went against it in favour of Mar (who was a massive flop oops). I doubt this would've done much better anyway.

Track 06

Piano based house intro and then pretty unremarkable female vocals… this is pretty standard to be honest and really does feel like a hybrid of about 20 other tracks released month in month out, not a massive fan. 04.0

DiscoKid feat. Romany - Treat Me Right (Radio Edit)

Admittedly it is generic piano house but it is quite a tune. Not too disappointed with the 4/10 considering most of the reviews have been good so far.

Track 07

Was a little worried this playlist was going to head down the piano house route but this is a step up again. Love the variable tempos and beats, plus the rather Tchami esque elements to it. Sounds like a potential Aeroche entrant which is no bad thing at all. 08.5

Kastle feat. Domonique - One In A Million

This one is unique in terms of dance music which I like, it's another one that sat near the back of my BJSC potentials list but that doesn't mean it's bad obviously.

Track 08

More dance… another pretty deep house styled track. This one is a little less distinct but carries on the theme from the last track, albeit in a more standard manner. It does have a pretty strong beat to it and, to be fair, I’d probably really enjoy this on a night out. It doesn’t do quite enough to stand out while listening at home though… 06.0

Di Martinelli feat. Sophie Galpin - You Could Be My Lover (Bluford Duck Remix)

It is very deep for a house track with not too much going on so I guess putting this on was a bit risky, but I'm just getting into it properly myself. Standard deep house but great.

Track 09

This one fizzles in to life at the beginning and is a huge change of direction from the previous tracks. Still arguably fit for a dance CD, just more the sort of balearic beach style versions that you’d find at Café Del Mar or wherever the latest downtempo delights are heard these days. Nice, the lyrics are rather sweet whilst somehow not sounding over the top so. It basically sounds like a Chicane album track now I think about it… 07.0

Aruna - Reason To Believe (Aruna Chillout Mix)

A very good chillout dance song, a genre I'm not usually into but this song is beautiful.

Track 10

Ooooo piano. And not in a house way. This works well after the previous track and it’s nice to hear a different style of music on the playlist. Is the bit at 3:10 deliberate? There’s a weird point where a female vocal and strange dance bit happens for all of about 2 seconds. Nice enough. 06.0

Oh f*ck well that teaches me to check the songs before sending them :drama: I was using garageband to duplicate the mp3s to a format where the title is hidden and as I was also using it to make a radio edit of 'Treat Me Right', I must've forgot to delete the 2 second section of it you heard at 3:10. Oops, click the link for the song without that error.

Track 11

The last track and the first I actually know. This is Cassiopeia by Kölsch feat. Gregor Schwellenbach. I think I mentioned earlier in the thread that I liked this and I almost entered it to BJSC, it’s a great mix of a house beat, piano line and classical strings. Great stuff. 09.5

Kolsch feat. Gregor Schwellenbach - Cassiopeia (Edited)

Well I wanted to include this but thought 8 and 1/2 minutes was too long for the listener but I could only edit it down to 7 minutes without ruining the song oops. With you loving it though I'm sure you wouldn't have minded me putting the full version on anyway. Love the classical aspect of it anyway, a great way to finish the CD.

I’m assuming that this was Thermo’s cd because of the sheer amount of dance music to be found nestling within it. Whomever’s it is, thank you for creating it… I’ve enjoyed listening to it as usually in these swap things I get something where I know half the tracks already and this most definitely wasn’t the case this time around… I shall be intrigued to see who was on it, especially track four.

Overall there's nothing on the CD that I hated but it's probably fair to say that there's not a huge amount that I would return to on it's own merit, maybe a 7/10 overall score seems about right?

Finally... Many apologies to the compiler for the late review, I have listened to it a fair few times on several train journeys around the country over the past few weeks but just haven’t found a spare evening to put any thoughts down until now. Hope you haven't minded waiting for it! :D

Thanks for the comments :D 7/10 seems good, I'd rate it slightly higher myself naturally but I sent it knowing the tracks weren't life-changingly amazing, so wasn't expecting anything above 8/10 for an average.