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Way Out West | Intensify

Long awaited album finally released
CD, Distinct'ive

Tekst: Christine Hsieh

Publicatiedatum: 08 oktober 2001

Oh, how cruel of Way Out West boys Jody Wisternoff and Nick Warren to keep us waiting so long for a proper album after releasing 'The Gift' in 1997. It's not entirely their fault, one supposes, that Arista cruelly dropped them just before 'Intensify' was slated for release in the UK early this year, delaying the album until Distinct'ive picked it up and got it on the market this September. If only the album came out when it was supposed to, as it surely would have made a much greater impact. At the time, progressive house was really coming into its own, and nu-skool breaks had not yet lost all of its momentum. Timing notwithstanding, 'Intensify' is a solid album, pleasing without being challenging, proggy without disappearing up its own arse, and solidly crafted. From the opening strains of the first single 'The Fall', featuring Aly Kennon, Way Out West establish their distinctive brand of deep, throbbing, and melancholic dance. Moody synths and ethereal vocals give way to tough beats and vocodered snippets, resulting in a subtly nuanced approximation of the hazy area between house and trance. Other notable tracks include 'Stealth', which showcases dance fixture Kirsty Hawkshaw's quirky voice touching lightly upon the low-key breaks and emotional strings, 'Mindcircus', a Hybrid-channeling trancey breaks piece, and the pulsating title track. Though a touch dated, 'Intensify' still holds its own without sagging unattractively. Wisternoff and Warren have wisely eschewed over-the-top drama and unnecessary theatrics, lending a sense of understated sophistication to the proceedings.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/way-out-west/intensify/1131/
Meer Way Out West op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/way-out-west