In My Memory
Well known in the European underground dance music scene, Dutch DJ Tiësto (real name Tijs Verwest) is hoping to make his bid here in the United States by teaming his home-based Blackhole Recordings with LA's Nettwerk America for domestic releases. He's already put out over a dozen mixed CDs on the European Guardian Angel label as well as his own and is a highly respected name among trance DJs and fans worldwide. Given his stellar reputation, the actual results on In My Memory - his nine-track artist album of original tunes - end up sounding a bit uneven.The album is strongest on the dance-floor anthems, like the minimalist progressive house number "Obsession" and the techno-trance dance piece "Dallas 4 P.M.," with its sparse, low-end synth work. The closing tack, "Suburban Train," is full of lighter, more interesting melodies, even if it does get into a bit of that Euro-trance cheesiness. He also composes a surprisingly good trip-hop track on "Battleship Gray," a tune reminiscent of Portishead, with the best vocals on the album (courtesy of the song's co-writer, Kirsty Hankshaw). In My Memory fails to connect on the opener, "Magik Journey," which starts with a nicely dark ambient intro but unfortunately moves into more banal progressive trance territory. The downtempo "Close to You" grates with an overly sweet female vocal, while the hard, machine-like noisiness of "Flight 643" simply doesn't work. This one goes out strictly to the fans. If you're not already one, you may want to wait for the singles.Gfire--From URB Magazine