Various Artists - Dependence 2015

Dependent Records is back with their annual compilation Dependence with the sub title "Next Level Electronics". Usually, there's not so much next level going on, but rather the same old headlines doing their thing. They often do good, I give them that, but often it's the same old.

This year's release give us some new fruit none the less, even though it's not much. After the old headline and ever stagnating Covenant deliver a club version of "Prime Movers", taken from their last release Leaving Babylon, one of my favorite tracks on this 15 track compilation starts. It's the heavy hitting "Illuminate" by Encephalon taken from their 2015 album Psychogenesis that Steven reviewed and gave it a stunning 9/10 back in April.

A few tracks further on, we finally get something that is a bit different and steal pretty much the show on this compilation. It's the track "You're Here To Stay" by Clicks. This Electropop/Techno tune is made for the dance floor and this beat haunted me for weeks.

What about the old favorites then? Well, Iris released one of my favorite synthpop albums last year and their track "Phenom" is a favorite, however, the Club Mix does not do it justice. I have a sort of love/hate relation with Beborn Beton's "24/7 Mystery". I find it quite silly, but that god damn chorus simply won't leave you alone. Edge of Dawn gives you a treat with a nice previously unreleased synthpop tune "LoveLost" and is worth checking out.

And like that it continues, Mesh delivers a pretty boring remix of "Adjust Your Set", a pretty decent remix by Iris of "When She's Hungry" from Seabound and the very overrated Pride And Fall deliver the previously unreleased "Norden of Fire".

Dependent Records has a great stable to lean back on, but with this release, I was not surprised and very few things stood out. But then, I was not expecting any more or any less really. My wishlist for the next release in the series would be to lean heavier on the less known acts, because somewhere in there is the next level electronics.
Jun 29 2015