Bluetech Rises From the Ashes

After a 3 year hiatus to pursue other musical avenues, that many thought meant the death of Bluetech, California producer Evan Bartholomew is back with the new, eagerly awaited, Bluetech release Phoenix Rising. This mini-album is a prequel to the full-length Divine Invasion release expected out in early 2009.

The aptly entitled, Phoenix Rising shares many the signature elements of older Bluetech releases in terms of the glitch, dub and jazz influences, yet there is also something distinctly new and different about this release. The sound is less intricately layered and relies more on driving rhythms, yet it is no less profound. Bluetech’s use of strong, dark synthetic sounds coupled with warm, lighter accoustic treatments suggest a sonic exploration of the dark and light themes of death and rebirth inherent in the Phoenix myth.This is a strong offering and stacks up well against older Bluetech. There is no filler here. The album holds together well thematically, yet each track has a distinct, unique character, largely because of the different acoustic elements incorporated.

My Dear Friend Kronos, with its progressive bassline, and Kingdom of the Blind, with its classically influenced brass riff, are particularly notable tracks. Other worthy contributions include What The Night Reveals for its spellbinding flute and Invocation for it’s piano treatments.

Phoenix Rising masterfully balances melancholic and uplifting themes to create a fantastic piece of continuous listening enjoyment. I can’t wait for Divine Invasion.