Exit/Musique - 4 song CDEP (self-released CDR)
Uploaded to Aural Innovations: January 2004
Exitmusique are based in Los Angeles, CA. They are an electronic duo consisting of Erland Adargas and Mike Lee, and together they construct what can be termed as atmospheric/ambient chill out music.
This self released demo is a short affair, 4 tracks lasting less than 15 minutes. But it does give a gist of definite style and competence of the musicians. The production is very good and this helps the tracks to provide the listener with a relaxed journey feel, even though I think that the tracks are short I found them interesting on the whole. The opening track "The way it should be", starts in the drum & bass mould. Mellow, more in the vein of Royksop rather than SquarePusher, and this is the feel that lasts throughout the CD. I am not a big fan of this type of music, although some parts I can get away with. I like the synths more than I do the drumbeats. Maybe that is my problem. I like the vocoder stuff but only in moderation. I find the music all very ambient, stirring and atmospheric, but it is the drum machine/samples that kill me. I don’t know why, they just do.
In this day and age where more bands of this ilk are pressing the more commercial aspects, taking their part of the underground into the mainstream. The more European bands like Air are at the forefront of this field on a commercial level. Exitmusique in my eyes do just as good a job as Air do. If they can pull it off live with live drums, bass, etc, they will be able to take it further than they could as a duo.
Exitmusique are spacey in their music. They are very mellow and relaxing. The tracks are of a high standard but in my eyes too short. The synths and keyboards are to their credit, and the atmospheres created are warm. They definitely do have a lot to offer to this field. I liked parts of this demo. In the grand scheme of things this style of atmospheric/ambient/chill out stuff is what a vast number of people listen too. A lot of friends of mine indulge the DJ/sample fields, and I’m sure that they would like Exitmusique. I will play this to them and see what they think. Good stuff all round if you dig that shit.
For more information you can visit the Exit/Musique web site at: http://www.exitmusique.com.
Email at: contact@exitmusique.com.
Contact via snail mail c/o Exit Musique; 160 S. Michigan Ave #305; Pasadena, CA 91106.
Reviewed by Albert Pollard