Like life, music must move on and progress. But like life, we must remember to reminisce and recall the past at times. It is the sole reason why we enjoy experiencing new and going back to old music, it is an extension of life. Shine the third artist album by Parov Stelar gratifies life's movements and moods perfectly, the new the old. What we already know about Parov Stelar and what we don't know.
This is obvious to Marcus Füreder aka Parov Stelar too. Sampling 'Charleston' and 'Jazz', conjuring up new 'Breakbeat' and 'Pop' into a creation of interesting music is no easy task, but Parov Stelar seems to have a sensibility about what it should sound like. Thankfully his worldwide fans agree as the Cinderella story of a new unheard artist from Austria's third largest city 'Linz' shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, things can only snow roll more as word gets around of the brilliant new music of Parov Stelar. Fans will enjoy traditional Parov Stelar tracks that offer sexiness and sophistication, these same fans will be delighted that this artist is not standing still and resting on his laurels and just repeating the same sound as he gets a little rougher and dirtier in places. This is not elevator music, this is not lounge, this is simply good music with influences and cognitive factors far and wide. Success in something in this case only encourages Parov Stelar to move forward and not to stand still.
So, who will listen to this CD? Well, we think the world just got a lot smaller for Parov Stelar? He has obviously opened up a lot of new doors with this new work. The jazz is still there, the soul is still there, but you will find new flavours and ingredients in the sound that will be universally appreciated and approved we think.
The guest artists come through with flying colours too. Singers like Kristina Lindberg (Laine), Gabriella Hänninen, Lilja Bloom and Luke (Music for dreams) add much property to the form. The third album brings out not just the best of Parov Stelar to date, but also the guest artists he has graciously asked to appear on Shine. He gets the very best out of them, and they get the very best out of him it seems. Even more interesting is that Parov Stelar actually sings on two tracks 'Autumn beasts' and 'Lost in Amsterdam'.
Shine is the brilliant third album by an artist that simply enjoys to make people happy with his music. No aloofness or emotional distance between the artist and fan. In fact, the key to the success of Parov Stelar has always been this true feeling of being intimate and of belonging together with the music fan and artist. Shine is like a good new friend.
Actually, we can say that all the songs are based on breakbeats, more or less!
Perhaps Homesick is a bit more dancejazz!
So, breakbeat-jazz for Come Closer, Good Bye Emily, Shine ft. Barbara Lichtenauer(real name of Lilja Bloom), Crushed Island & Happy End!
Breakeats for Tango Muerte, Little Lion, War Inside!
Breakbeat-charleston for Charleston Butterfly, it's obvious!
And breakbeat-pop for Your Fire, Lost In Amsterdam, Love, Autumn Beasts, On My Way Now!
We can add to these ones, Sugar(housejazz)!
So, Shine, even if the songs are shorter than before, it's high quality music, very worked, complex, good singers,.......perfect!
