Out of the creative minds of Andrew Archer (a.k.a ?Forth?) and John Elliot (partner in ?Avatar? and ?Spector?) comes the powerful and eclectic electronic production duo, Trafik. After much anticipation, Trafik have final... more »ly completed their first ever, full length artist album ?Bullet?. The album features their hugely successful single ?Your Light? along with eleven other songs that span from atmospheric soundscapes, ambient beats and chilled out moods (reminiscent of early Portishead) to big room breaks and peak time club tracks. Trafik have employed the vocal talents of Rachel Lambert and their own John Elliott throughout the album. Andrew Archer is a well-known member of the Global Underground family. As the Forth he has compiled and mixed various compilations for GU such as the Electic Calm series, Departures, Arrivals, Locations, Afterhours, and the recently released Exposures. He has remixed the legendary BT and DJ?d alongside the likes of Sasha, Digweed, Tenaglia and Oakenfold. John Elliott started his musical career at the mere age of 16 as the front man for Polygram/Island signed Solavox, and he had a short stint as the illustrious singer of production powerhouse ?Tilt?. When pieced together the duo was good and ready to turn out a sensational album! Catch it now, as Trafik ushers in yet another era for the world?s most groundbreaking electronic music label.« less
Out of the creative minds of Andrew Archer (a.k.a ?Forth?) and John Elliot (partner in ?Avatar? and ?Spector?) comes the powerful and eclectic electronic production duo, Trafik. After much anticipation, Trafik have finally completed their first ever, full length artist album ?Bullet?. The album features their hugely successful single ?Your Light? along with eleven other songs that span from atmospheric soundscapes, ambient beats and chilled out moods (reminiscent of early Portishead) to big room breaks and peak time club tracks. Trafik have employed the vocal talents of Rachel Lambert and their own John Elliott throughout the album. Andrew Archer is a well-known member of the Global Underground family. As the Forth he has compiled and mixed various compilations for GU such as the Electic Calm series, Departures, Arrivals, Locations, Afterhours, and the recently released Exposures. He has remixed the legendary BT and DJ?d alongside the likes of Sasha, Digweed, Tenaglia and Oakenfold. John Elliott started his musical career at the mere age of 16 as the front man for Polygram/Island signed Solavox, and he had a short stint as the illustrious singer of production powerhouse ?Tilt?. When pieced together the duo was good and ready to turn out a sensational album! Catch it now, as Trafik ushers in yet another era for the world?s most groundbreaking electronic music label.
CD Reviews
Lake District Luminescent Breaks.
Infinite Catalyst | Monument, CO | 03/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hailing from Northern England, I heard Trafik for the first time on a Radio One set. I was blown away, especially by thier close out track, Unkle's, "Reign" (from never neverland.) It was the best remix I've heard from 2004, standing with Vadim Zhukov's breaks mix of "Moscow Morning," Habersham's version of Pat Foosheen's "The Unthinkable," (Not to mention, "Cloudbreak" w/ Peter Martin) LSG ReWorked's -- "Transmutation," Luke Chable & Nubreed's, "One Day," (Vocal Extension mix) and (21st Century Fux's) "Sunspirit" (Ivan Gough and L.C.'s Oreo Breakbeat mix), Madoka & Powerplant's "Turn it to Gold," (Faded Memories Mix) and Snake Sedrick and Andro's "She is my Destiny" (Breaks mix).
With this CD, Trafik establishes themselves as one of the top three emerging 'underground-hard/progressive breaks' artists, along with Powerplant, and the already unearthed Infusion.
In typical UK progressive style, (much like Warren and Sasha's new stuff) this CD is a panoptic blend of styles and suffusive moods. With heavy progressive undertones, dirty synth(that is heavy processed, sometimes chopped tone) and elegiac ambiance, Trafik joins a small force of musically adept DJ's and producers who continue to vault the electronic scene foward.
You can also trust GU (Global Underground), to always produce and endorse artists with phenomenal talent, who aren't mixing sets with a cdr wizard. Trafik is a welcome addition to the line-up of anomylic electronic artists found within the ranks of GU's many successes as a label.
I was not suprised when I learned that "The Forth" was one of the two masterminds here. I remember my first encounter with this genious, in 2000: Global Underground's, "Departures," track 13 I believe. It's called "Breathe in Me." It struck me the first time I heard it, and I said aloud, "This track is as exquistie of a love making song as Sarah McLachlan's "Silence" (Delerium/Tiesto remix) except it's got BREAKS!!!!
I believe the Forth is responsible for the break and ambient elements that you hear; he has a little know ambient mix circulating from 2002 I believe, that you can really draw similarities from the tones and moods he implements at points in this CD.
I Highly recommend this as a solid purchase on the grounds of knowing these guys are going to stick together as a oscillating duo of epic proportions. This being their first release, It's like owning "Sasha's San Francisco (GU 13)" or Paul Oakenfold's "Oslo."
Solid breaks, progressive layering, and years of understanding swell and build; qualify these artists and ultimately this CD as original and dynamic as it gets. Support the movement, and grace your drums with this masterpiece of a CD."
What an album!
E. Southwick | Hoboken, NJ United States | 10/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The artist album -- now there was a concept! It's why people used to buy CDs (or vinyl), back in the day before P2P and iTunes turned music into fast food for the ears at a buck a song. Well, this album, BULLET -- Trafik's debut to the form -- is a stunner. Brilliant. A veritable feast of sound. Progressive "dance" music right? Well, yes, there is that aspect. And these guys certainly have the proper recent club-play credentials ("Your Light" and "Echoes"), not to mention the fact that this album is on the Global Underground label. But this is an album for listening, and re-listening. Electronic soundscapes with the warmth of a well tuned motor vehicle engine. Smooth, but powerful. Vocal interludes with a cool and haunting emotional undertow. Dark and edgy, at times, but also uplifting and fluid, and without the need for BPM in the cardiac arrest range. So maybe NOT "dance" music, then? Let's just say the album has a pulse and polish about it that won't be genre-pigeonholed very easily. Maybe after I've listened to it a hundred more times, I might be able to classify it better."
Glad I found this!
C. A. Bragewitz | Austin, Tx. | 06/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow!! Thats all I can say about this gem of an album. I just received my copy a few days ago, and I'm totally blown away. I stumbled upon this cd while researching for another, and was impressed with the reviews I read. I've steadily moved more towards listning to breaks and downtempo after getting bored with the progressive sound so many dj's are playing these days, and this cd doesnt dissapoint. The soundscapes and textures these two gents have recorded are some of the best sounds to flow from my speakers in a long time. As one reviewer had earlier said, there is no defining genre of music to pigeonhole these guys to. Elements from a diverse spectrum flow in and out of each other with an elegance I dont think has ever been done before.
Some might think that this belongs in the mainstream for all to hear, but I disagree. Albums like this that are wonderful and obscure need to be sought out, not force fed to us like much of the junk being called good music these days. I highly recomend this to anyone that appreciates new and interesting atmospheres, as well as some of the best beats around. Jus tlook at the reviews here, you cant go wrong."
A Tale of Two Halves
D. R. Martens | Scottsdale, AZ | 10/29/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Trafik do it here! (almost enough said) Why 4 stars? This year (2004) has seen an extensive juggernaut of electronica music, helmed by Sasha himself. Globabunderground, has gone global, and consequently surfacing to the main media. Trafik's "your light", has been mixed, and remixed this year, and it doesn't get old. -(check out luke chable's vocal mix) The bookend singles are "echoes" and "your light", which show the exceptional quality of this duo. Echoes launches us into a hitting progressive section of the album, which nearly dominates the first half. It the entire album followed this theme, it would've suffered. But that's what the group understands- the balance of emotion and power. The vocal tracks are excellent, especially when the female vocalist comes in and soothes things down. This culminates in the second half of the album, which complements the harder side of Trafik. The album ends wondefully with "surrender", reminding us of what we've voluntarily just done. This is an album you listen to, not just for the singles, but completely, submersing yourself in the changing emotions that Trafik skillfully adjust in their music. At times, i thought i was listening to enigma, which brings me to my final point. This isn't a dance album! And thankfully, there are other faccets of electronica to explore- an artist album."
TRULY AMAZING....AN INSTANT CLASSIC
D. WILBORN | Dallas, TX | 12/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"TRAFIK IS ONE OF THOSE GROUPS THAT MAY CROSS OVER TO THE MAINSTREAM...WITH INTRICATE MELODIES, PERFECT ENGINEERING AND HYPNOTIC HOOKS, THIS ALBUM IS AN INSTANT CLASSIC IN MY BOOK...DEEP, MELODIC BREAKS CLASH WITH EUPHORIC DOWNTEMPO TRACKS, ALL PLACED AND PROGRAMMED NICELY...BEING A HUGE FAN OF GLOBAL UNDERGROUND (I HAVE 23 G.U. ALBUMS TO DATE, AND STILL OLLECTING), THIS WILL SATISFY ANY DISCERNING MUSIC LOVER..."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1