REVIEWS

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Glis
A Shot and a Bassline

Alfa Matrix

Posted: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
By: Dillon Carlyon

Ah, Shaun F., let us count the ways. You got our attention with Balance, backhanded us with Equilibrium to make sure you kept our attention, and reminded us to hate to love and love to hate with Nemesis. It's been a rough and tumble relationship all right, but if you thought you lost some of us while you were off indulging your TBM side live with Combichrist, think again. A Shot and a Bassline bathes the listener in warm, fine-tuned instrumentation and features the production talent of Krischan Wesenberg, one of the electro-wizards of popular EBM act Rotersand. The material crosses the entire spectrum of Glis albums, highlighting and enhancing some of the best moments that Glis has created over the years. Fans who may have strayed or lost track of what Shaun has been up to until now will unavoidably be dragged back, kicking and screaming and begging for more.

The CD starts off with reworked versions of "Nightvision," "My Machine," "High Dreamer," and "My Cruelty," the original versions of which all appear on Glis' debut album, Extract. These are essentially still the same songs, but Krischan's touch is apparent. Subtle changes have been made, blending the synths with the vocals much more smoothly and creating more overall depth. The new version of "My Cruelty" stands out with extras added here and there, including effects on the vocals. Moving into the reworks from Balance, the bleeding heart of this release is bared. The RE:clubbed version of "Sunrise" is a definite highlight, featuring some excellent atmospheric swells and a complex, unbeatable buildup. The Anthem edit of "Resolution" and the Classic edit of "Letting Go" are simply incredible; there are many small additions and tweaks to these versions, such as the electrifying effect added to Jennifer Parkin's vocals in "Letting Go," which make them more impressive and engaging than any rework or remix of these songs previously available. The Dirt Dub of "Hate You" is really not to be missed, either - the off-kilter beat and the surreal soundwork intricately overlap, thoroughly absorbing the listener. The remaining reworks on this release have, like the tracks from Extract, been made bigger and better, but they seem to lack the extra kick that has been added to the songs off of Balance. The RE:inforced version of "October Skies" is notable - the vocals have been more harshly distorted, and there is some lower instrumentation that has an almost growling quality.

So what's the downside to A Shot and a Bassline? Perhaps the most obvious downside to a Glis rework album is that Glis has put out a total of five major releases, and two of those releases have consisted exclusively of tracks that have been remixed or reworked. This is aside from the copious number of remixes and reworks that have appeared on the Disappear! EP, on compilations, and on the special edition version of Balance. How many times can a song be reworked before the various versions begin to blend together and disappear into one another? The sheer quality of A Shot and a Bassline goes far to distinguish it, but some of these songs have been redone too many times for them to evoke much newness or freshness, no matter how masterfully the material has been reproduced. It's grand and intricate and energetic, but simply put, we've heard it before.

This is a release forged and destined for the dancefloor, and that's where it will truly shine. A Shot and a Bassline brings Glis full circle. The warm, smooth rhythms will suddenly run hot and punch their way into cold, hard hearts, and the result will be explosive. Whether you buy this album to get your hands on the excellent reworks of your favorite Glis tracks or to experience what happens when two of the most influential figures in EBM unite, you will not be disappointed.