Vtech - Inertia EP review

Vtech is a Drum and Bass producer from Finland. He makes dark and fast paced sounding
Drum and Bass with some occasional ragga vocals.

First track Gangsters Anthem name implies for something about Gangster Rap but offers something very different what is expected. Vtech appears to use street talk phrases in many of his track names.
The track opens with a tiny synth melody and filtered breakbeats and after intro in 0:45 the gangster vocals come in. This track uses low bass only sparingly and nice distorted reece is coming quite late in 2:00 mark.
The mixing and dynamics works very well and usually in drum and bass scene some artists albums are either too loud or compressed to hell. The dynamics mix is both listenable and I believe it sounds just excellent with real PA on the dance floor.
Gangster combines an industrial ambient background with ripping reece leads and is very successful at that.

World Is a Ghetto has got nice breaks style with ragga vocals. Ragga vocals are sung by Ft. Mc Jahvice. His vocals suit perfectly for the Drum and Bass. Could not be any better than this. The track has got also some occasional acid synthlines. What a perfect addition to any breakbeat or Drum and Bass DJ stash.

Third track Black Ice style somehow reminds me of the classic and dark TeeBee tracks.
Very cool rhythmic reece bass is at its best when served with warm and distorted effects with some frohmage* (*editors note: Not sure if the produced uses Frohmage filtering. Just a personal note.) filtering to give listener a maximum drum and bass enjoyment. I am not familiar with origins of the speech department of this track but it surely gives some serious creeps in spine with some hysteric female screams and speech. Around 3:20 is very emotionally intensive with the "horror movie" genre. The track is very well mixed, layered and enjoyable to listen with headphones without head exploding.

The most industrial and eerie sounding track is the last track called Demise.
The ambience is propably the most interesting in this track of the whole bunch. I am able to find myself in a movie theme for a while with some swirling pads and other interesting sub fx. Let´s not forget the drum programming that is perhaps the most "junglistic" especially on the outro part. The outro kind of drum programming style makes me convinced that the producer has listened at least Goldies tracks. I still miss this kind of drum parts in other parts of this track. Anyway this was the most cinematic track on this EP.

Visit Vtech myspace

Buy Vtech Inertia EP

Jean Michel Jarre in Helsinki

Saturday I saw Jean Michel Jarre live in Helsinki.
This was also the first time I saw and listened his music live. He´s not playing alone and has got many people which makes the band. One playing drums, other musician on second synth and also some noises/effects.
Jarre indoor gick was a real enjoyment both sonically and visually. The sound system was said to be new and all the frequencies were clear and perfect. Even the lowest basses we´re rumbling nicely in a big Hartwall arena in Helsinki.
Our seats were quite nice and on the bottom floor just in the tenth row.
Jarre has been always a real musician but also a great person who takes the audience.
This was instantly seen in his performance. He tend not to be some superstar (he is but) he seems both cheerful and humble man than obnoxious and uptight person.
I feel this makes him stand out from rest of the electronic artists.

All the evergreen songs like Oxygene and rest were in the program. But the trademark instrument that is really great looking on stage was the laser harp. It must be over 500 mW strong special laser. Jarre had these special goggles and gloves when he played it. The stage lights and lasers were also programmed to accompany the music and were visually very nice apart from some light spots that we´re pointing onto the audience. But only for a very short time. Also the laser harp "didn´t work" on second play but I think that looked like a practical joke that Jarre invented to entertain the audience. He started to play and there was no sound at first then after short break he came back and the laser harp worked just perfectly.


Some live pictures from the Indoors Tour 2009.
http://aerojarre.blogspot.com/2009/05/few-photos.html