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 Artist: Brandon Miles Release: Kiss the Stars Genre: Electronic / Drum & Bass Reviewed by: Jay Imagine for a second that the Postal Service sat down with AFI (circa "December Underground") and they played Super Mario Brothers while making music for 45 hours. Now imagine that immediately afterwards they cut an album, and it was called "Kiss the Stars." What actually happened is that Brandon Miles, a one-man electronic / drum & bass artist, conceived and crafted "Kiss the Stars." "Kiss the Stars" presents a number of different aural impressions. Miles has a mellifluous voice. According to the one-sheet, this voice serves as the guide through dreams (often good things) that reach too far, where even the sense of self can be questioned (not as good). The music carries a subtly threatening vibe, contrasting and complementing Miles' gentle voice against hazy, ephemeral backdrops. And while the elements that comprise the sound are shifting, the sense of atmosphere they create is pervasive. The dichotomy between voice and mood is not only well-realized but makes sense tonally as an accompaniment to dreams. More importantly, the album makes sense as an entertaining collection of songs. The title track [Kiss the Stars] is at once moody and driving, pulsing along while Miles croons accusingly: "open up your eyes / the whole world is up in arms for you tonight." The brooding, defiant Era of Chimes declares: "You want to take my life? / well come and get me / your world is not for me / your world is not." His voice is not present all the way throughout the journey, however. Less than half of the songs feature his (or any) singing. As is often the case with electronic music this can work, and does here. Denial in the Moment is an expressive and catchy 2 ½ minutes, sans voice. Similarly intriguing without lyrics is Altered, where the dark tone and successfully dreamlike backdrop are prominent. "Kiss the Stars" succeeds because it avoids usual electronic music pitfalls like lack of appreciable structure, criminal reliance upon repetition, and overall blandness. Fans that dislike electronic music or adjectives such as "gloomy" in descriptions will have a hard time with this release. For everyone else, "Kiss the Stars" is an interesting and entertaining trip into dreamland, well worth checking out. |
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