ESDishesM

Artist: BT
Album: ESCM
Released in: 1997 (so long ago!)
Fun?: Yes

I had wonderful memories of this album, and they have mostly remained intact. The first four or five songs are impeccably produced, energizing, gorgeous, progressive trance -- I don't even mind the mystical flourishes and cheesy synths. Check out the anthemic Flaming June (wiki, Youtube) -- the build-up and release at about 40 seconds in is so deeply satisfying.

The latter half of the CD begins to drag, especially with the randomly angry Solar Plexus. However, it also contains my favorite track from the album, the surgingly beautiful Remember. It's all the sonic goodness of the progressive trance with an emotional punch (although I could do without the guitar parts). I remembered the melody of the final refrain even though it had been years and years since I listened to this album: "Remember me near / There may be times when it's not right / You need to be there / and remember me near." Cue your swelling strings and swirly synths, but I love love love it anyway.

This was one of the must-have albums for anyone who listened to electronica in the late 90's and early 00's, and, in my opinion, it remains a classic.