CHLLNGR: Haven

CHLLNGR
Haven
Rating: Meh

I recently reviewed the new electronic music cd from Machinedrum that attempted, somewhat successfully, to marry a slew of differing music styles with UK bass' penchant for using warped vocal samples. However, the album as a whole left me wanting more. Although CHLLNGR and Machinedrum don't necessarily sound alike, both draw liberally from the dubstep well on their albums, while coming up with similar problems. Unlike Machinedrum, CHLLNGR uses a very monochrome palate, allowing skeletal beats and wobbly bass to frame minimal electronic backing, shifting focus to gentle washes of keyboards, and again, like Machinedrum, to heavily treated vocal samples. CHLLNGR doesn't cut and manipulate the samples as readily as Machinedrum, instead, allowing them to drag out and flow hypnotically over the tracks. Listening to individual tracks makes for an interesting listen, however, over the course of ten tracks it begins to lose its lustre, and blunts the impact of the album.

But there are some great tracks to dig into on Haven. "At Last" pulses and throbs menacingly, with a click track beat and ominous metallic keyboards. "Sundown," one of the few tracks with actual vocals, contrasts the warmth of Coco O's voice with the icy-cold backing.

CHLLNGR - Sundown by Uwe Uzi

Lead track "Ask For" mixes wobbly bass, hip-hop beats and keyboards, with pitch-shifted vocals that actually becomes one of the highlights of the album because it doesn't sound like anything else. I actually wish CHLLNGR had pursued this path more.

CHLLNGR -Ask For by Sound Injections

Title track "Haven" works off the Burial template effectively, warped vocal samples echo off atmospheric keyboards and rumbling bass.

CHLLNGR "Haven" by CHLLNGR

"Out Of Your Hands" slides against heavily manipulated vocal samples and keyboards, sounding like calls from a foggy street. And "Dark Darkness" creates the same ominous mood, but with the echoing vocals feeling like voices in your head, taunting you.

But while these tracks work fluidly together, the rest of the album just lays there rather inert. Too many tracks are just mood and no texture, and like the issues I had with the Machinedrum album, the vocal samples and vocals are just not distinct enough to make the songs stand out. "Dusty" is just throb and warbled samples.

CHLLNGR - Dusty (feat Jessica Brown) by nwsm

While "The End" never seems to gain a pulse, the whoosh of synthesizers and bland soul vocals failing to add any interest.



The remaining tracks are not horrible in any way, they simply lack any distinct element that prevents them from being removed from my hard drive. Haven's issues are similar to those I had with Machinedrum, but where Machinedrum's vocal samples were thematically indistinct he at least changed up his sound enough to where the music was always interesting. Here, CHLLNGR's music fades into the background, which pulls the vocal samples along with it, making it a decent, yet unmemorable album.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.