The Prydz Before The Fall

I´ve pretty much decided recently that I don´t hate all trance music, and that´s pretty hard for me to say (that the last 20 minutes have been spent trying to decide exactly what words to use to write this last sentence prove to me as much). I always try to keep my mind open as far as music but trance music had pushed me against a corner, due to its lack of soul and its overly annoying and dull repetitiveness. Artistry seems largely missing from this genre, most of its great examples stuck between a commercial sound and artistic anonimity.

To me it´s pretty amazing that Eric Prydz wasn´t subjected to the one and done trend that a lot of house-trance artists tend to suffer after his massive dance hit Call on Me, probably not just because of their musical abilities, but because of the overwhelming amounts of trance music available by the dollar.

However, lack of craftsmanship and a disappearance from the public (dance) ear are two things Eric Prydz does not suffer from. Even with the huge emergence of electro music, Prydz has managed to stay on top of what he does best: quality trance music combining soft melodies with Bennassian basses and substituting the overly used and annoying trance drum kits for a deeper rhythm section.

It´s not that Prydz doesn´t suffer from some of the same setbacks that most trance artists suffer (monotonous and unrevised structures; intro-outro like transitions that serve for buildup/dramatic purposes but to me sound like filler and waste momentum) but his deficiencies are more indicative of the genre than of the artist. In the end, Prydz´s strengths overcome his weaknesses and make him an important player in the new wave of electronic music, as evidenced by the release of Pjanoo this year.

The following is one of my favorite unexpected tracks of the year, along with Raven (Proxy) and Take A Chance (The Magic Numbers). My love affair with this one commences with the 8-bit Megaman-esque melody, cut apart by intense drumbreaks and follows through with a memorable trance structure that favours the songs softer overtones and reminds me a lot of Shinichi Osawa/Fred Falke/Paul Wall:

Eric Prydz - Miami Atlanta

Visit Eric´s Myspace as well as his official website.