Tiësto Kaleidoscope Review
New Trance CD featuring Nelly Furtado, Calvin Harris & Emily Haines
Nov 3, 2009
Formerly know as DJ Tiësto, Breda, Netherlands native broke into the club scene with his first album, 1997's Magik, Vol. 1: First Flight. Since then Tiësto has released at least one album a year including remix albums and trance compilations, along with original artist albums such as 2007's Elements of Life.
On his latest artist album, Kaleidoscope, Tiësto splits his time between hypnotic progressive trance and pop flavoured club/dance tracks. However, through a major flaw of sequencing this album frequently shifts gear from guest-star-studded dance pop to hard edged techno, making for a jumpy album.
At 19 tracks long,* Kaleidoscope could have been two albums if the split had been cleaner, with one album of dance pop perfection and another filled with hypnotic trance anthems destined for rave-land.
Calvin Harris & Dizzee Rascal – Kaleidoscope Tracking List Mishap
Trance records tend to feel faceless, and overtime sound repetitious. With this disc, Tiësto branches out musically, and enlists some of the biggest names in pop and dance to lend their voices to his thunderous beats. Though at times he misses, when he hits, he hits big.
Taking several cuts to get started, the first track, “Kaleidoscope” featuring Jonsi could have been chopped for more punch. Clocking in at over seven minutes long, it's one mighty intro for a meaty record like this. “Escape Me” featuring C.C. Sheffield, sounds like a Garbage b-side circa 1994, and again it’s instantly forgettable.
Things pick up when Calvin Harris, the UK dance machine du jour, drops by on “Century”. This track has Harris' signature stamped all over it, to the point where it could have slipped off his Ready for the Weekend LP without anyone noticing.
Two-time Harris collaborator Dizzee Rascal lends a hand on “Bad Behaviour”. The UK Grime rapper having recently scored three colossal number one singles with Harris and New York DJ Armand Van Helden, Rascal works his new found magic with Tiësto to similar effects.
Tiësto’s Canadian Connection – Nelly Furtado, Emily Haines, Tegan and Sara
Tiësto's big American breakthrough came via Canada with his massive remix of Delerium’s “Silence” (featuring Sarah McLachlan). Racking up an impressive four weeks in the UK Top Ten and climbing to number three on the Billboard dance charts, his epic remix of the song fuelled clubs the world over, and remains one of the most cherished and played tracks from that period.
Maybe it's the cold weather kinship the Dutch producer shares with Canadians or simply that Canada produces some of the best female vocalists around, either way, Tiësto has enlisted the help of no less than three of the biggest female vocalists from the great white north for Kaleidoscope.
Nelly Furtado looks for love in the club on possibly her best trip into clubland ever on "Who Want’s To Be Alone". Sounding both provocative and coy, she begs her dance partner "Don't take me home, till the sun comes up" on one of the album’s best crossover tracks.
Alternative folk rock favourites Tegan and Sara lend their pipes to “Feel It in My Bones”, a jagged jaunt on the verge of break-up mess. But the biggest surprise comes from Metric’s Emily Haines who punches out a stellar ode to rough love on "Knock You Out".
“You gotta knock me out some other way / And I want to be with the sun and the moon,” Haines sings on this club-ready track that punches the guts out of the rest of the album.
Kaleidoscope’s Sneaky Sound System, Priscilla Ahn and Cary Brothers
Along with the Canadian ladies, the dance glitter glows brighter on keep-em-up-all-night party jam "I Will Be Here" a track performed by Sneaky Sound System. It may be paint-by-numbers Tiësto, but it works.
Things simmer when Priscilla Ahn lends her vocals to “I Am Strong”, a mid-tempo number emphasizing her smooth vocals and more pop-orientated performance.
Other tracks that fall into the pop dance category include “Here on Earth” and “It's Not the Things You Say” featuring male vocalists Cary Brothers and Kele Okereke respectively. Male vocalists are a hard sell when it comes to dance music but these tracks hold their own next to the ladies.
Kaleidoscope kicks off the second half with the brilliant instrumental “Always Near”. This track builds to a bubbly, atmospheric climax before shifting to smooth dance beats more fitting of a Trance intro.
The first real rave-worthy anthem “Fresh Fruit” ripens mid way through the album. Again the Dutch DJ breaks no new ground, it’s standard affair, but impossible to ignore. Other choice trance cuts include “LA Ride” and “Bend It Like You Don't Know”.
Given the messy track listing, Kaleidoscope is a good, not great album. Otherwise this could have been Tiësto’s finest piece of work. Based on individual songs, this is one of the best dance albums to emerge in 2009 and deserves a slot alongside other collections released this year by David Guetta and Paul Oakenfold.
* This review refers to the special edition found on Amazon.com.
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