Strange Attractor - New Album

[tjommen]

Originally Posted by musicdb

Mafia Island not Alphaville music really....? Sexyland more Alphaville Sound...........not really!

Well that vocoder is not My cop of tea

[Gravitation]

Hm... but for me:
1 Giants = 7
2 Marriotts with halos = 3
3 House of ghosts = 5
4 Around the universe = 7
5 Enigma = 4
6 Maffia island = 8
7 Handfull of darkness = 9
8 Sexyland = 2 (or 3)
9 Rendezvoyeur = 6-7
10 Nevermore = 7
11 Fever = 9
12 Heartbreak city = 8
13. Beyond the laughing sky = 10
--------------------
Album is really strong and I consider him a bomb - one of the best.... this is great!!!

P.S.: From Russia with love!!! And a special thank you to Elena Amosova for the nominal autograph from Marian!!!

[musicdb]

Originally Posted by Gravitation

Hm... but for me:
1 Giants = 7
2 Marriotts with halos = 3
3 House of ghosts = 5
4 Around the universe = 7
5 Enigma = 4
6 Maffia island = 8
7 Handfull of darkness = 9
8 Sexyland = 2 (or 3)
9 Rendezvoyeur = 6-7
10 Nevermore = 7
11 Fever = 9
12 Heartbreak city = 8
13. Beyond the laughing sky = 10
--------------------
Album is really strong and I consider him a bomb - one of the best.... this is great!!!

P.S.: From Russia with love!!! And a special thank you to Elena Amosova for the nominal autograph from Marian!!!

Oh yes you're absolutely right....a bomb and one of the best album for sure!
For me now after one week....(got the album on 31.03.2017)

1 Giants 5
2 Marionettes with halos 7
3 House of ghosts 8
4 Around the universe 7
5 Enigma 8
6 Mafia Island 8
7 A handful of darkness 9
8 Sexyland 3
9 Rendezvoyeur 6
10 Nevermore 6
11 Fever 9
12 Heartbreak city 9
13 Beyond the laughing sky 10

[Kaz]

Will give my verdict in a couple of weeks when it finally gets here from amazon.de.

[Kaz]

Originally Posted by *ariAna*

http://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr2/musik/...actor-100.html

SA was presented on my local radio station this morning! After that they played "Marionettes with Halos" - not quite a song for format radio ... ;-)

The presenter didn't seem too impressed, with his doesn't sound anything like Alphaville line. I for one can't wait to hear it.

[Streetside Romeo]

Wow, Strange Attractor definitely is the bravest record Alphaville have put out since Prostitute! Kudos for having the balls to release something that for the most tracks so radically breaks with everyone's expectations - particularly after CROG (those who turned on to AV because of CROG must be in real shock now). And it takes extra balls to make an album with such a huge diversity of styles, such drastic differences between the individual songs. To me, this bravery is a great thing in itself - because it shows that this is a band that is wild and hungry and does their own thing, quite radically so. Whether one likes it or not. Where Depeche Mode, a-ha, Ultravox etc have contented themselves producing a trademark sound, Alphaville keeps pushing the envelope and taking big risks. It's the difference between art and commerce.

Also, Strange Attractor may just be the best-produced Alphaville album ever. It has to be among the top ten records that I possess (and there's close to 1000 of them) with the most precise, to-the-point production combined with the most (and truly amazing) attention to detail in the arrangements and the mix.

While this applies to the album as a whole, I will now share my first impressions of the individual tracks which may still change a lot over time:
Giants - compact, dark, intense, strong indie vibe but very Alphaville...awesome track
Marionettes with Halos - I dig the lyrics and the starts and ends great, but in between I find it too linear and conventional for its message...even a bit retro (would have been innovative on Prostitute)
House of Ghosts...one of those typical mellow Alphaville songs that never will become a hit but really grow on you...atmospheric and very nice, though a bit (too) nonchalant
Around the universe - I never really understood why everyone loves this song so much, I always found it beautiful but unremarkable (will never understand why they chose this over Gallery). Still do, but this version really makes the most of it and strikes a nice emotional authenticity that makes me feel it, unexpectedly.
Enigma - songwriting, performance and arrangement-wise this is a really great song...but thus far, while I dig its qualities, I don't feel much.
Mafia Island - wow. Just wow. Speechless. An enormous masterpiece which would have been worth a wait of 70 years. In my view the biggest achievement since On The Beach and one of the ten, maybe even five, best Alphaville songs ever. Blows my mind.
A Handfull of Darkness - great version, very intense...classic Alphaville without being retro - very pop and with a pathos sometimes bordering on the cheesy, but it always stays on the right side and It's emotional honesty and intensity will definitely get to you. Somewhat conventional, but grand.
Sexyland - this is a truly great glamrock song, faultless, and I loved it live but on CD it is too 80s for me...great lyrics, great Performance, but lacks freshness
Rendezvoyeur - this is a monster and so much fun. Very innovative track beyond the confines of genres, wonderful madness and great atmosphere.
Nevermore - EDM, maybe even EBM meets rock in an extremely convincing fusion...harder-edged, super tight, breakneck pace; melody-wise nothing to write home about, but the haunting lyrics, the intense presentation and the fantastic production make it a favorite on this album and won't let it get out of my head.
Fever! - I am very undecided about this song...super catchy, good songwriting and really great vocals, but the beat is too much "Ibiza dance compilation" in my view - something I find hard to get past, though I see I could really love the song if it would have a slightly more delicate "bottom".
Heartbreak City - I've already said enough about this one...true masterpiece, Alphaville reinventing themselves in a wild and hyper-precise rollercoaster-ride through unlikely genres, yet stay true to their core. Amazing!
Beyond the laughing sky - very unexpected. Sublime singing, great composition, world-class arrangements. Really captivating. Yet somehow I don't feel the connection to Alphaville thus far (while the Floyd-ish Euphoria is an all-time favorite of mine). Hence, it feels a bit detached to me, gotta give it time.

While it is impossible to say now how Strange Attractor will rank among other Alphaville releases for me or how it will develop over time, one thing is sure: Alphaville have delivered something surprısing, challenging, and quite exciting - and taken a leap forward. Applause!Â*

[shapeseven]

Guys, if you feel StrActor is a cool record, please support the band by leaving positive ratings and comments in the stores :-)

[humanracer]

I am enjoying the new album. I liked CROG but this is a refreshing change with a wide variety of styles. The Bee Gees influenced Heartbreak City is a highlight. I also really like Nevermore. Alphaville have always had a rocky side even going back to 1987 with songs like Underworld. The song works well live too, as evidenced on the Israeli radio broadcasts. I know some don't like it when so called synth bands start to get prog rockish but I think it gives those bands an edge. I like a-ha's Memorial Beach for instance. Another highlight is Sexyland. This is the most New Wave sounding song on the album. It sounds like something The Killers or Brandon Flowers could have came up with. A Handful of Darkness is epic with a real message behind the lyrics. It's the "Things We've Got To Do or Flame" of the album and probably even better than those songs. Enigma is great and*like many of the songs speaks of loss.*There are other highlights but I have to give it a few more listens. My only complaint is that the mastering is too loud but the vinyl will sort that out.

[nicole]

I'm feeling a more of a modern side to AV in this album. I think this is one of their best albums. I just can't stop listening to Giants. Such an amazing song.

[Arjan]

Did somewhere listened to the vinyl bonus tracks yet? Any reviews on that? What versions of Around and Handful can we expect here? Please post a review of them here. Thanks!