Search - Danny Tenaglia :: Futurism

Experimental, dark, almost sinister, but forgettable

Globalaza | Washington, DC | 09/17/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of Danny Tenaglia since the mid-90s. His live sets are the best that ANYone has done. The days at Vinyl in NYC were perhaps some of the best music I have heard. The Futurism cd, in my view, would have been better to take us back to those days, but update it for the future. Unfortunately, this set does not. I hope this is not the future.



CD#1: Is highly experimental. There are many classic Tenaglia elements (no pun intended) that bring you back to those heady 90s megaclub days. This set is never boring.



It is dark, almost mean and sinister, but not in hard charging, danceable way that Danny fans have come to expext and want. The sounds are overly mechanical in places and flat in others.



There at attempts at electro that sometimes work, but are not really what you buy Danny Tenaglia music for. He includes a few tracks with driving beats -- the hard, stompin' grooves that make you want to move (Track #14) -- but they are mixed in with plateaus that merely get by (Tracks 9-10) and have you wait for the next excitement to come along. Truly experimental, without the well-thought-out direction and focus of previous cd releases and certainly his live performances. Including noises that sound like a broken alarm clock (Track #8, #11) is never fun and never excusable.



CD#2: Is harder to describe. Tracks #1-#6 have some elements of good music, but not enough to keep you interested or happy. There is no direction or focus in the mixing, no story to tell, no trip or journey to take with him. It sounded like a broken dishwasher motor was the primary source of the sounds. None of the talent we buy Danny for. Boring.



Tracks #7 to the end are a dramatic improvement and makes you stand up and take notice. The old (real) Danny Tenaglia was back, throwing amazing sounds for you to enjoy over and over. Track #10, "No Revolution" is pure magic! Deep, detailed, hard and nasty. Great stuff!



There is such a convoluted range here that it is hard to give more than 2 stars. I debated with 3 stars, but even considering the brilliance and enjoyment of CD#2:#7-#14, it really justifies 2-stars, sadly. Even in the age of minimalist techno, electro, and downtempo progressive, there is still room for the deep, dark tech-house that made Tenaglia great. I wish we had that back. There is still a future for it."

One of the best cds i've heard in a while

BT | coram, ny | 08/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"although its probably not for everybody, every time i listen to it, i like it more and more. if you're looking for alot of vocals, you wont see many here. this is filled with deep funky, futuristic tribal beats. this is a good representation of danny tenaglia live. this guy is a pioneer in the industry who continues to stride forward. he just keeps getting better and better. long live dt"

Danny Tenaglia On Top Form - A Thinking Man/Woman/Goat's Mus

S. A. Hutchinson | London, UK | 08/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been waiting for a new mix from Danny for ages, and this for me is better than the Global Underground CD's he did a few years ago that are also superb. This is a Mix CD to listen to over and over again and yes it does take some repeated listening to aclimatise to his 'new sound' but it is as soulful as ever, just a different manifestation of the totally unique sound that Danny Tenaglia has been creating for many years. The sound quality is also fantastic, and for me this is the closest you will get to experiencing him live. This CD demands repeated listening before making a judgement - I had it on full blast on my bycle yesterday and got home 10 minutes faster than normal due to the drive and power the music has! some of the tracks reminded me of putting a microphone in your stomach whilst you had really bad cramps! THIS IS TWISTED TENAGLIA AT HIS BEST! Sleevenotes are touching as its been a tough old year for him personally (this mix is dedicated to his Mother and Aunt who sadly passed (his Aunt was responsible for turning him on to much diverse music as a child in the 60/70's growing up in Brooklyn) this is something special. BUY IT!"