Artist - Magdalene’s Dream
Album - Self Titled
Label - Piggyback Records (2004)
Reviewer - Erik Beyer
The name of this project, Magdalene’s Dream, is very appropriate. The feeling of this album from start to finish could almost represent the flow and emotion of any kind of dream. The pure talent behind this album is astonishing, and being that the singer, Lana Lokteff is from Oregon, and the label, Piggyback Records is from Bend, OR, is what first caught my attention. As I listened and read further, I also realized why I recognized the other half of the this project, Keith Hillebrandt, a renown electronica/dance producer and has worked with names such as NIN and Trent Resnor, and David Bowie, to name a few, and Apple has recognized him as being the “world’s best sound designer.”
So, what about Lana? Well, she was doing some vocals for a Duran Duran project, and through one contact to the other, she was working on another project with Keith. The complete story behind the start of this project and how it gave birth to this album is amazing, and for some, a real dream. The elements in this album are perfect and help blend the sounds into multiple genres of electronica. The sultry and sexy vocals Lana puts out on this recording are to die for and will definitely seduce you…make you want more! You can give into this one. Lana put her heart into these vocals and lyrics, this is obvious.
Starting at the beginning, track 1, “Coming To Get You,” really is a great introduction to the other 12-tracks with the start of a subtle pulsation of a synth, then layered with a bass line, and breaks right into the an addictive groove and Lana’s voice. Track 5, “What Do You Want?” is a wonderfully unique blend of distorted analogue synth lines, a great groove, and again, Lana’s vocals that fit so well with the entire rhythm. If you crank it up you may find yourself starting to dance. I love to crank this up in my car. Track 11, “The Mind I’m In,” a very eclectic and world-groove driven song comes to be a very clean yet edgy track full of the attractive mesmerizing beats and sounds found on the rest of this CD. The final two tracks are radio edits which are good examples of what you may hear on TV. Magdalene’s Dream has been selected for tracks on MTV and VH1 shows, such as Pimp My Ride, Date My Mom, VH-1 Bands Reunited, and Flab to Fab.
If you visit their website at www.magdalenesdream.com you will find a lot about this project and also see a link to Keith’s home page for more about his new solo project.
This is a true must-have album for any electronica lover, and a gotta-have to everyone else who can appreciate great music.
Track Listing:
1. Coming To Get You
2. Still In Love
3. Wash Away
4. Tell Me Secrets
5. What Do You Want?
6. Coming Home
7. Drifting
8. Dreamscape
9. Are You Ready?
10. It’s Time
11. The Mind I’m In
12. Coming Home (radio edit)
13. Wash Away (radio edit)
