Chandeen - Bikes and Pyramids
2002 / 59:09 Minutes / 12 Tracks / Studio
Release Date: September 2, 2002 - Kalinkaland
Produced by: Harald Löwy
Website: www.chandeen.com

Reviewed by Matt Rowe on September 7, 2002

Pop music has taken on many guises in its long tenure as a leading style of music. In the 90s, it morphed like altered timelines, producing simple to extravagant collections. The style has been good to bands like Coldplay, Travis, and a multitude of others, infusing our cultured histories of music with pleasing tunes. Countries have had their ways with stylistic interpretations, creating uniquely varied and fresh material. Chandeen, from Germany, under the direction of Harald Löwy, have added their atmospheric blend to the ever-changing evolution of pop music. Call it Dream Pop, cuz it’s just that, dreamy.

Europe has long been the playground of music with its population transfixed by the sheer fun of it all, while America has always taken its music for granted. This gives room to bands like Chandeen to propagate and grow with an understanding and diverse environment for nurturing. Chandeen, has been in the business for some time, contributing to the explorations that form new paths for our listening enjoyment. Incorporating the use of synth and some damn fine guitar, the music takes on ethereal qualities exploring all the shades of its boundaries.

Although I’m loath to reuse the buzzwords of the present moment, they do accurately describe Chandeen’s newest. The music is gorgeous; the vocals as airy and as dreamy as can be produced. The whispered lyrics are feverish and charged; like a fragrant warm breeze lightly playing over my face, inducing daydreams and pleasant musings. The melodies are intrinsic to the elements of the compositions.

Cautiously adventurous, which sounds like an oxymoron here, describes the band’s songs. They stay within a certain guideline, one that Chandeen is used to but deliver some very interesting and very 70s like guitar leads. The vocals of Stephanie Härich and Antje Schultz are sweet. Like cotton candy, their singing sticks to you. The tunes stay with you and you find them rolling around your head long after you have finished the CD.

With twelve songs and nary a bad one in the bunch, Chandeen have etched their way into stronger territory. The guitar playing is more polished, the vocals more seductive and the song composition more intricate, incorporating a tapestry of sounds to weave an album of pure flower bed lushness. Every song adds a new trick to the book. Listen to "Pink" and its western styled guitar introducing a haunting song filled with eroticism designed to tease. Or follow through with "Days in Time" and be captured alive by vocal beauty as Stephanie sings with exquisite range. The guitar leads here are so Gilmour like that you'd almost think he guested.

The sweetness of "You Love Him" brings a sashaying feeling to you while "Walking" drenches you with a drizzle of lusty singing and a scintillating, shimmery blend of drum and synth. The guitar leads here are so captivating they cause you to hit that replay button over and over. For me, that's everytime, on every song, that they play.

There are several songs sung in German, "Heute Nacht" and most of "Pink". They work fine and do not frustrate. One of the surprises on the disc is a cover of Pink Floyd's "Apples and Oranges". Sung with such amazing strength and accompanied with expert playing and a beautifully echoed "aaahh" that I just fell into it, enjoying the moment.

Someone in this band has a complete idea of what this band should be and its a noticeable quality.

DISC

The production is spacious and beautifully rendered here in every respect. You can hear every moment clearly and is rich and full-bodied. Making use of L/R channel play, the disc is a joy to listen to.

PACKAGING

It always seems as if a band gets dinged in this category of the review. You make a really cool recording but pull back on the book. This release is no different. The disc features an 8 page stapled colour booklet with photos and credits. The song listing and credits are on the back of the book. There is wasted space on the booklet and no lyrics. The band has opted, instead, to provide a website that contains the lyrics. The website leads to other special bonus materials, however, it seems as if the band has used the lack of lyric inclusion as a carrot to force people to purchase the disc. If you ask me, this is not a way to compel people to purchase the disc.

Unfortunately, not everyone has access to the internet but, most importantly, at a time that we may want the lyrics, access to the internet may not always be available; like riding in a car. Advice? Include lyrics, always.

The bonus inclusions, provided by going to the website (no, I won't reprint it here.) gives some really cool stuff. There are two tracks of live material, three unreleased tracks, and three rare early cuts, all downloadable MP3s. I love the use of the special page to offer the bonus material but the lyric thing is a dropped ball.

THE FINAL SAY

Chandeen is a fantastic band with absolutely talented performers. The girls are stunningly beautiful not only in their singing but in their looks. The songs are all well written and represent a cross section of the capabilities that Chandeen possess. Listen to the meditative "The Spacerider Legend" to realize how expansive they can be. Harald has styled a band that anyone can listen to. Buy this one!!

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