| Product Summary | | Label: Caroline Distribution | | UPC: 00724596924822 | | Release Date: 6/29/2004 | | Buy.com Sku: 61011249 | | Item#: MNL7UN | Format:  CD |
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| Song Listing |  |
Disc 1
| | Song Title | Sample | | 1. Crush - (with Second Sun) ~ Paul Van Dyk |  | | 2. Time of Our Lives - (with Vega 4/John McDaid/Simon Walker/Bruce Gainsford/Bryan McLellan) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 3. Like a Friend - (with Jan Johnston) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 4. Reflections ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 5. Nothing But You - (with Jennings/Hemstock) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 6. Buenaventura ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 7. Homage - (with Jan Johnston) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 8. Never Forget ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 9. Knowledge - (with Atomek Dogg/Trooper Da Don) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 10. That's Life ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 11. Connected ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 12. Spellbound - (with Jan Johnston) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 13. Kaleidoscope - (with Jan Johnston) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | Disc 2
| | Song Title | Sample | | 1. Nothing But You - (Berlin Mix, with Jennings/Hemstock) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 2. That's Life - (PvD mix) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 3. Buenaventura - (Reflections Vinyl remix) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 4. Time Of Our Lives - (UK Club Mix, with Vega 4/John McDaid/Simon Walker/Bruce Gainsford/Bryan McLellan) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 5. Crush - (PVD Album Remix, with Second Sun) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 6. Reflections - (Club mix) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 7. Like a Friend - (Vandit Club Mix, with Jan Johnston) ~ Paul Van Dyk | | | 8. Homage - (remix, with Jan Johnston) ~ Paul Van Dyk | |
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Paul Van Dyk (vocals, programming); John McDaid (vocals, piano); Second Sun, Vega 4, Jan Johnston, Antoine, Hemstock, Jennings (vocals); Atomek Dogg, Trooper Da Don (rap vocals); Bruce Gainsford (guitar); Simon Walker (bass); Bryan McLellan (drums). | | Recorded at White Room, Nucleus Studios, Berlin, Germany and Eden Studios, London, England. | | Personnel: Paul van Dyk (vocals); Paul van Dyk (programming); Chris Forman, K.Y.M., Jan Johnston, Antoine Toupin (vocals); Bruce Gainsford (guitar); Simon Walker (bass guitar); Tablaman (drums). | | Additional personnel: John McDaid (vocals, piano); Jennings, Second Sun, Les Hemstock, Trooper da Don (vocals); Bryan McLellan (drums); Atomek Dogg (scratches); Jan Johnston, Vega 4, Bruce Gainsford, Simon Walker. | | Recording information: Eden Studios, London, England; Nucleus Studios Berlin; Nucleus Tonstudio Berlin; Nukleus Studios Berlin. | | Photographer: Olaf Heine. | | As both a club DJ and a record producer, Paul Van Dyk is known for fusing the crowd-pleasing aspects of house and trance, and 2003's REFLECTIONS follows suit, while adding a string of pop hooks and catchy refrains to the usual mixology. The use of pop elements and guest vocalists on the album indicate Van Dyk may be moving away from his more progressive tendencies and toward--perhaps--a more crossover-directed sound. | | "Like a Friend," for example, features a sung moral lesson about friendship and trying to live with a clean conscience, adding some thematic weight to Van Dyk's percolating keys and beats. On "Homage," a wispy female lead gives the disco-fueled production the feel of a Donna Summer song. In general, the hook-centered thinking on the album balances nicely with the artist's trademark skill mixing up four-on-the-floor beats with heady atmospherics and shuddering effects. The combination heightens the appeal of this frothy electronica set. | | As both a concert DJ and a record producer, Paul Van Dyk is known for fusing the crowd-pleasing aspects of house and trance, and 2003's REFLECTIONS follows suit, while adding a string of pop hooks and catchy refrains to the usual mixology. The use of pop elements and guest vocalists on the album indicate Van Dyk may be moving away from his more progressive tendencies and toward--perhaps--a more crossover-directed sound. | | "Like a Friend," for example, features a sung moral lesson about friendship and trying to live with a clean conscience, adding some thematic weight to Van Dyk's percolating keys and beats. On "Homage," a wispy female lead gives the disco-fueled production the feel of a Donna Summer song. In general, the hook-centered thinking on the album balances nicely with the artist's trademark skill mixing up four-on-the-floor beats with heady atmospherics and shuddering effects. The combination heightens the appeal of this frothy electronica set. | | Paul Van Dyk is one of the few trance DJs with a sure touch in the producer's chair as well as the DJ booth. That his productions usually end up bland and disposable like most of the white labels being passed around proves only that the trance scene relies more on the enthusiasm of its audience instead of the quality of its music. Reflections, Van Dyk's first album of new productions in three years, illustrates that his long years of Smiths/New Order fandom left him with a good sense for a sublime hook. While not a pop album by any means, Van Dyk did write songs for Reflections, and collaborated with several artists, all of them obscure and strictly to type (Vega 4 equals Dirty Vegas, Jan Johnston equals Sarah Cracknell). The pleading, artificially textured vocal performance that fronts Vega 4 is calculated and several years behind the times, while a rap production for German-based rapper Trooper da Don doesn't measure up either. Though most of these tracks appear to have been created with car-commercial crossover in mind, "Like a Friend" is worthy of a spin; a sublime melody and an unencumbered backing track proves the perfect setup for Johnston's sincere platitudes about friendship ("Be aware of the world/And be true to your conscience"). Most of the songs here are detached in their attempts at euphoria, always with a strong melody chained to a percussion line that sits back and waits for several minutes to elapse before fading away. Several of them would be strong tracks if Van Dyk slotted them during a DJ date, but in trying to slant Reflections both ways -- as pop crossover and progressive trance -- he fails at both. [In 2004 Mute released a special edition featuring a bonus disc of eight remixes.] ~ John Bush | | Paul Van Dyk is one of the few trance DJs with a sure touch in the producer's chair as well as the DJ booth. Reflections, Van Dyk's first album of new productions in three years, illustrates that his long years of Smiths/New Order fandom left him with a good sense for a sublime hook. While not a pop album by any means, Van Dyk did write songs for Reflections, and collaborated with several artists, all of them obscure and strictly to type (Vega 4 equals Dirty Vegas, Jan Johnston equals Sarah Cracknell). "Like a Friend" is a standout: a sublime melody and an unencumbered backing track prove the perfect setup for Johnston's sincere platitudes about friendship ("Be aware of the world/And be true to your conscience"). Most of the songs here are detached in their attempts at euphoria, always with a strong melody linked to a percussion line that sits back and waits for several minutes to elapse before fading away. [In 2004 Mute released a special edition featuring a bonus disc of eight remixes.] ~ John Bush |
Producer: Paul Van Dyk; Paul Van Dyk |
Engineer: George Shilling |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Associated Artists and Works |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 06/29/2004 | | Original Release Date : 2003 | | Catalog ID : 9248 | | Label : Mute Records | | Number of Discs : 2 | | Runtime : 122m : 12s | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00724596924822 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Q (11/03, p.124)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...Gorgeous, string-swaddled trance cuts like 'Buenaventura' and the title track are a reminder that the oft-imitated maestro has yet to be bettered..."Q (11/03, p.124)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...Gorgeous, string-swaddled trance cuts like 'Buenaventura' and the title track are a reminder that the oft-imitated maestro has yet to be bettered..." CMJ (10/6/03, p.37)
- "...A fabulous vocal-driven record with a place in the club, as well as the home..." CMJ (10/6/03, p.37)
- "...A fabulous vocal-driven record with a place in the club, as well as the home..." |
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