One of Texas's best exports to the world is D:Fuse, he finally has released his artist album, What's it like?
D:Fuse – Begin (System Recordings)
Texas’s biggest dance music import is back with his much awaited artist album called Begin. D:Fuse (aka Dustin Fusilier) has been around the Texas scene for the last decade and a bit and it has taken time for him to become a decent name to those with a clue in the scene. He started out as a resident in Texas but he got his biggest break when the man (love him or hate him) named Paul Oakenfold came calling and he was opening for Oakie on a few tours. His status went through the roof from there and his bookings are more varied and more diverse because he is wanted by promoters from around the world. His North American status has picked up, with being much loved in America and especially more and more in Canada. This album has been about a few years in the making and D:Fuse already had some plans, so he went wild in the studio to let out all his creative ideas. He was joined by Pete Lorimer (aka 29 Palms) as a vocalist, he drafts in Motorcycle’s vocalist, a nice lady named Jes Brieden and he adds a few more friends to aid him. His EP that paved the way for this album called “Prelude to Begin”and it hinted at how this album would take shape. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present you, the I:Vibes.nu review of Begin.
D:Fuse – Begin (System Recordings)
1.Begin 2.Everything With You 3.Indecision (With Blueletter) (Chill Version) 4.Into Me 5.Missing Home (Interlude) 6.Other Side (w/Pete Lorimer) 7.A Light Less Broken (feature Pete Lorimer) 8.Deep Seduction (with Mark Horwood) 9.Know It’s Late 10.Living the Dream 11.Blue Skies 12.Letter To A Friend Bonus Tracks 13.Everything With You (Marteen and Jes’s Radio Mix) 14.Living The Dream (D:Fuse and Lorimer’s Chill Version)
1.Begin
This is a well thought out intro, just like with the EP called A Prelude To Begin. We have ice stabs that surround a guitar that is aiming for a more chilled influence. While most producers use samples or other people to add spoken words, D:Fuse adds his own voice, saying “This is where it all begins”. It really is an indication of what is to come and it easily pushes you into the D:Fuse mold.
2.Everything With You
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest Jes fan but I knew she had talent, when I heard her vocals on Starchildren, which was a PvD fave, a few years ago. This track has a chilly start as well but some parts of it are warm and fun. I know it is hard to describe here but go with it for me. It does contains some nice underlying riffs, which are placed more near the middle, which is completely deliberate on the part of D:Fuse. The song moves into more commercial house direction. It has that more mainstream feel at times and it should push Dustin on to radio, which I’m sure was the thought behind this song. The vocals mesh perfectly with the background and it gently glides you into the world of this artist.
3.Indecision (With Blueletter) (Chill Version)
D:Fuse drafts in Blueletter, which has Nosmo that you know well from Grayarea + Kris B. “Indecision” starts with a nice electro voice, which leads to some nice warm vocals, which at this point, it does show more of D:Fuse’s evolving style. He likes to use vocals that mesh well with the background and the vocals are usually warm. The best part about this track, has to be the bass stabs that enter about 60% of the way through this song, they add this kewl flavor and this track contains a guitar that tends to push it from start to finish. A solid start for the man from Texas!
4.Into Me
Track numero quatre (as the French would say) uses some shock value, when it begins. Some gongs really start this song and it catches you offguard because the first two tracks have been warm house. The drums are in the background here and they slowly move to the front and just as they hit the start of the line, a subtle yet well placed piano line comes in. This track is funky but the bass stabs that are added are very heavy, just the way that I like them. Jes’ vocals then come in and I actually dig them, I’m not sure what’s different because it is known that I’ve been the biggest critic of Jes over the years. I do add that I would have liked to see this track with a darker approach and an meaner bassline but I’m just picky at times. This is obviously D:Fuse moving towards a more commercial EDM view but if it gets non EDM lovers into the genres then I’m all for it. I also think that a little bit of a change is necessary, when you are like me and you tend to listen to more underground influenced stuff. Jes does try to pull a Sarah Mclachlan, which does not work but at least she tried to get into that mold.
5.Missing Home (Interlude)
There is one thing that you can’t slag D:Fuse for doing right everytime and that’s interludes, which I think is a lost art in music as a whole. It breaks up the flow but it also tends to keep the listener for longer because one long album may wear on you but if you add a few interludes, it gives you more variety and it is easier on the ears. “Missing home” uses the sound of Wind Chimes in the wind and it is a nice break in the action. A friend told me that these are sounds of actual chimes outside D:Fuse’ own house but I’m not sure.
6.Take It, Return
Now for those who don’t realize how talented Pete Lorimer (aka 29 Palms) is, this should prove the point that he is not only multi dimensional as an artist but also very versatile. I had no clue that he could actually sing but not only that but he can sing quite well. I guess we all learn something everyday. This is a funky driving tune that uses the line “Take It, Return” around an incredible hook that just grabs at your coattails. The vocal is repetitive but it works well and yes Lorimer is not singing many lines but if it works, why change it? The bass in this song is sickening, almost to the point of making me try to find the Pepto to qwell the damage to my stomach. Now this is not saying that it is bad, this is saying that is it so nasty that it makes my stomach sick in the figurative sense.
7.A Light Less Broken (feature Pete Lorimer)
Now this song starts with some subtle percussion that does not immediately smack me like most of the stuff that I’ve been hammering on my stereo of late. It takes about a minute to just start to add the riffs, they are placed more to the middle and this screams commercial radio, so if you are an underground elitist, then go back to playing the latest UR release. Lorimer’s vocals are in the middle and they are actually quite well done, I actually like what D:Fuse is trying to do. He is trying to push his sound to a wider audience and since he’s never put out an album before, he is justified in trying.
8.Deep Seduction (with Mark Horwood)
D:Fuse continues the journey into more of a commercial house sound, with some funky percussion and some jazzy sounding electronic organ. The track here is really more radio oriented but it would work well in the first hour of a warmup set before the opening DJ actually went to harder stuff. The instrumentation is well done with some filtered instrument that I cannot identify. About two minutes in, a nasty grinding bass is thrown in and you know this ain’t commercial anymore because it just does not use that type of mean ass bass. I like the variety that D:Fuse is showing here, he is giving you the ideas that are in his head but they are not sugar coated nor are they all the same. The breakdown here is just immense because the instruments drop out and it pushes the riffs, which just makes me smile. The bass quickens near the end but still it is well thought out, even thought, the first minute screamed commercial house.
9.Know It’s Late
Let’s recap the scoring so far, 8 solid tracks and nothing that would keep you from turning off the CD. So you hear some water running and some instruments in the background, then thunder in the background appears. The water still appears and then it hits you, it is D:Fuse trying his hand at ambient house. The vocal is in the back but the song is so laid back and it really shifts the tempo after the uptempo of “Deep Seduction”. It is a nice change and I’m certainly welcoming it because it totally pushes the album and gives you more variety. The best part here has to be the saxophone that appears after the two minute mark, easily pushing this into more a chillout song, yes it had the ambient feelings but I’d venture a guess that this is more jazzy downtempo.
10.Living the Dream
Now at song ten, we finally get the first indication of a real club track on this album. “Living the dream” is uptempo at the beginning and it immediately uses an underlying melodic riff with a female vocal singing “Ohhhh”. What a groove this song has! and What a drive! and Jes appears again as the vocalist and I’m actually digging her stuff here and for those who have known my comments concerning her over the years, will say that it is a complete 360 reversal but I’m more than happy to keep saying nice things, if she puts out work like this. D:Fuse adds a piano line at one point, this is the only part that I don’t dig because he could have made this, even more of a club banger. I like the track anyway, a friend of mine argued it was far too commercial but I tend to differ because commercial style tracks don’t have such a hook with such a fierce groove in my honest opinion.
11.Blue Skies
D:Fuse goes from uptempo to downtempo again with a more of a jazzy feel chillout track that utilizes a nice piano line with some kewl riffs. I like the variety of this album because it does not drone on the same thing and it gives you a bit of everything and that’s what I’ve argued for years, artist albums should be. I’m a big fan of all genres but I love to hear an album that tends to has everything in it. The vocal is the best part of this track, it is a whisper and you don’t quite hear it at times because the music is almost louder than it but then you think, it isn’t.
12.Letter To A Friend
This is technically the last song on this album, before the extra songs and what a ride this has been and I’m a huge fan of this album. This uses a guitar and a vocal that I don’t necessarily dig but it is really a different direction that you are used to hearing from D:Fuse. “Letter to a friend” shows that D:Fuse is just not a one idea puppy unlike so many of EDM’s producers nowdays (L-Vee, MIKE, Markus Schulz and others), who are the total opposite of him.
13.Everything With You (Marteen and Jes’s Radio Mix)
This is really just a shortened version with more guitars, which I’m completely not digging because it sounds too top 40 poppish in my view and the original is better.
14.Living The Dream (D:Fuse and Lorimer’s Chill Version)
I loved the uptempo fact of the original and that’s what caught my attention but bloody heck, they ruined it, they took the best part of the original out and as well as taking out the grinding melodic riff but they tried something different and they at least deserve a C for attempting something non traditional.
Conclusion:
The album is very solid and it certainly shows off D:Fuse’s skills and it shows what Paul Oakenfold saw in him about eight years ago. It may have taken a few years to finally get this together but it was well worth the effort and it was well thought out. The key to this album is the variety that you from it, so this is an essential addition to any library unless you are a hardcore underground music fan, which in that case, you won’t dig it. The only problem is the two bonus tracks but I’m told that is not included on all the releases of this. So check out the wonder from Texas, you won’t be disappointed.
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