Atmosphere Album Review
Kaskade's New Album is More of The Same
Kaskade is one the definitive EDM superstars, and has been producing and DJing for longer than most of his fans have been alive. This isn't a bad thing, as Kaskade has time in and time out produced absolutely stunning electronic tapestries for his listeners. He also isn't half bad at live mixing, but that's a different subject all together.
'Atmosphere' is Kaskade's newest foray into love house and downtempo seductive beats. It has it's moments, but sounds like a very crash revisit to 2008's 'Strobelight Seduction', but without the warm emotion that SS featured. I will be going through song by song given a brief review of each tune, so lets start from the top.
1. Last Chance (Feat. Project 46) - The opening track will sound very familiar to any Kaskade fan, and is a typical sound one can expect with Kaskade. It's not a bad thing, but the track features very generic buildups, and lyrics, which only hinders it's ability to separate itself from any other song on the album. 3/5
2. Why Ask Why (Feat. Late Night Alumni) - Unfortunately the addition of the Late Night Alumni doesn't bolster this songs ability. Combined with a constant 128 bpm, the song falters out of the gate, and minus the breakdown mid way, it falls flat. 2/5
3. MIA To LAS - This tune harkens back to Kaskade's deep house days, but unfortunately sounds very dated without enough changes in an already generic beat. I found myself skipping this tune after one listen. 1/5
4. No One Knows Who We Are (Feat. LIGHTS) (Kaskade's Atmosphere Mix) - The original version of this song was released sometime last year, and was an instant classic. This acoustic and symphonic rendition of it is the highlight of the entire album. It is absolutely beautiful and is extremely full sounding, especially the (now) prominent vocals leading the track. The piano work, symphonic cord changes, and song construction are top notch. 5/5
5. Feeling The Night (Feat. Becky Jean Williams) - As with 'Last Chance', Feeling The Night is very generic, and there isn't much to really say about this tune. It's listenable, but not a standout by any standard. 3/5
6. Take Your Mind Off - As with the third track on this album, this tune reverts back to Kaskade's deep house roots, and is repetitive but also very melancholic in a relaxed 120bpm. Great for a cocktail party, but not much else. 3/5
7. LAX To JFK - As with track three, this tune has a very Tron feel throughout, and is actually one of the more interesting tunes on the album. Definitely play this one through, and take in all the switches and breaks, interesting listen if anything else. 4/5
8. Atmosphere - The title track of the album is also it's best true EDM song. Kaskade provides the vocals himself, and does a fantastic job with the cord changes. The pacing, and production values are fantastic, and Atmosphere holds up it's end of the bargain being the title track. 5/5
9. Missing You (Feat. School Of Seven Bells) - The majority of the song is an attempted buildup that features a very disappointing drop. Coupled with very mediocre lyrics, leaves the song at the bottom of the pack. 1/5
10. Something Something (Feat. Zip Zip Through The Night) - One of the more melancholic songs on the album, and unlike the others it doesn't stick to just one tempo. The song has a fantastic switch in tempo and pacing at around the 2 minute mark, and closes strong. Worth the listen! 4/5
11. SFO To ORD - The last of the what I'm dubbing the "Terminal Songs," It places second to only LAX To JFK, and is a very steady tempo with enough breaks to keep it interesting throughout. Feels like a throwback to the deep house of the mid 90's, as with the other Terminal Songs. 3/5
12. Floating (Feat. Haley) - Kaskade always features Haley on his albums, and she doesn't disappoint. This bass-less beauty is something I would expect listening too on a rainy day while thinking about the world. Like the Atmosphere rendition of Nobody Knows Who We Are, this songs greatness lies in it's minimalism. 5/5
13. How It Is (Feat. Debra Fotheringham) - The album closes with another trademark Kaskade sounding record. How It Is features great vocals from Debra Fotheringham, and a fantastic piano backing. Not the strongest song on the record, but definitely one of the better. 4/5
'Atmosphere' is Kaskade's newest foray into love house and downtempo seductive beats. It has it's moments, but sounds like a very crash revisit to 2008's 'Strobelight Seduction', but without the warm emotion that SS featured. I will be going through song by song given a brief review of each tune, so lets start from the top.
1. Last Chance (Feat. Project 46) - The opening track will sound very familiar to any Kaskade fan, and is a typical sound one can expect with Kaskade. It's not a bad thing, but the track features very generic buildups, and lyrics, which only hinders it's ability to separate itself from any other song on the album. 3/5
2. Why Ask Why (Feat. Late Night Alumni) - Unfortunately the addition of the Late Night Alumni doesn't bolster this songs ability. Combined with a constant 128 bpm, the song falters out of the gate, and minus the breakdown mid way, it falls flat. 2/5
3. MIA To LAS - This tune harkens back to Kaskade's deep house days, but unfortunately sounds very dated without enough changes in an already generic beat. I found myself skipping this tune after one listen. 1/5
4. No One Knows Who We Are (Feat. LIGHTS) (Kaskade's Atmosphere Mix) - The original version of this song was released sometime last year, and was an instant classic. This acoustic and symphonic rendition of it is the highlight of the entire album. It is absolutely beautiful and is extremely full sounding, especially the (now) prominent vocals leading the track. The piano work, symphonic cord changes, and song construction are top notch. 5/5
5. Feeling The Night (Feat. Becky Jean Williams) - As with 'Last Chance', Feeling The Night is very generic, and there isn't much to really say about this tune. It's listenable, but not a standout by any standard. 3/5
6. Take Your Mind Off - As with the third track on this album, this tune reverts back to Kaskade's deep house roots, and is repetitive but also very melancholic in a relaxed 120bpm. Great for a cocktail party, but not much else. 3/5
7. LAX To JFK - As with track three, this tune has a very Tron feel throughout, and is actually one of the more interesting tunes on the album. Definitely play this one through, and take in all the switches and breaks, interesting listen if anything else. 4/5
8. Atmosphere - The title track of the album is also it's best true EDM song. Kaskade provides the vocals himself, and does a fantastic job with the cord changes. The pacing, and production values are fantastic, and Atmosphere holds up it's end of the bargain being the title track. 5/5
9. Missing You (Feat. School Of Seven Bells) - The majority of the song is an attempted buildup that features a very disappointing drop. Coupled with very mediocre lyrics, leaves the song at the bottom of the pack. 1/5
10. Something Something (Feat. Zip Zip Through The Night) - One of the more melancholic songs on the album, and unlike the others it doesn't stick to just one tempo. The song has a fantastic switch in tempo and pacing at around the 2 minute mark, and closes strong. Worth the listen! 4/5
11. SFO To ORD - The last of the what I'm dubbing the "Terminal Songs," It places second to only LAX To JFK, and is a very steady tempo with enough breaks to keep it interesting throughout. Feels like a throwback to the deep house of the mid 90's, as with the other Terminal Songs. 3/5
12. Floating (Feat. Haley) - Kaskade always features Haley on his albums, and she doesn't disappoint. This bass-less beauty is something I would expect listening too on a rainy day while thinking about the world. Like the Atmosphere rendition of Nobody Knows Who We Are, this songs greatness lies in it's minimalism. 5/5
13. How It Is (Feat. Debra Fotheringham) - The album closes with another trademark Kaskade sounding record. How It Is features great vocals from Debra Fotheringham, and a fantastic piano backing. Not the strongest song on the record, but definitely one of the better. 4/5
Overall, Kaskade's new effort brings more of the same that fans have come to expect. This brings mixed results, but with a little less than half of the album being fantastic, I would recommend buying songs individually for the casual listener. However if you follow Kaskade, I'd recommend the entire album as you will enjoy the bulk of it despite it's faults. Overall 3.5/5
Fun Fact:
Kaskade originally started as deep house and techno before transitioning to his current sound in the mid 2000's.
Images From:
-http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o678/houseplanetdj/Kaskade_zps3757059c.jpg
-http://thissongissick.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Kaskade-Atmosphere-artwork.jpg
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