Goldie
Sine Tempus

 Remember 'Saturnz Return'? Well, forget it.  

It took a whopping 10 (!!!!!!!) years before Goldie, one of the most established drum & bass DJs/producers, released his new work.

 For those who don't know, Goldie achieved astronomical success in 1994, releasing his first album, the highly acclaimed 'Timeless', immediately becoming an icon of global dnb. Subsequently, he released his second album, the aforementioned 'Saturnz Return' (see my review on that), which didn't achieve the success expected at all. In the following ten years, our muscular gold-toothed guy practically lived off the fame gained from 'Timeless', participating in numerous DJ sets around the world, producing compilations, running his legendary Metalheadz label, and taking part in various British reality shows (gulp).

 And now, in 2008, Goldie offers us his new work, not very publicized, to be honest. This 'Sine Tempus' was actually written in 2004, with the collaboration of Technical Itch (another famous dnb producer), and is part of a much larger project. In fact, these tracks would be a hypothetical soundtrack for a movie, precisely titled 'Sine Tempus', which Goldie wrote over 7 years, deciding to star in it and (obviously) to write the soundtrack. In his own words: "the movie is the most unbelievable underground British film that's shot in such a beautiful way. The film is 180 minutes long and will blow everyone's mind".

 While waiting for this incredible (?) work, we can enjoy Goldie's new album in the meantime.

'Sine Tempus' is an astounding album. Inside, we can find stunning pieces of pure drum & bass, with few melodic openings (except for some tracks) and with various influences, from pure electronic, to soul, hip hop, and jazz. It kicks off with the stunning 'Letting Go' , where the breaks hit relentlessly, interspersed with the magnificent vocals of the singer, it almost feels like listening to a new 'Timeless'. It continues with the intense 'Say You Love Me', another dnb piece with a very 90s sound. 'Don't Give In' calms the mood with a nice piano riff, great vocals, and a slow pace. 'Chances' has beautiful jazz influences, especially in the finale, while 'I Know Who I Am' is a highly energized rave party track made to blow the speakers :).

The other songs continue along this line, but it's mandatory to make a special mention of 'Rhythm Killa', a masterpiece that suddenly takes you back to a 1994 rave, and the wonderful soul/breakbeat experimentations of 'Latin Skin'.

Ultimately, 'Sine Tempus' is everything Saturnz Return should have been, suitable for both solitary listening and wild rave parties.

A must-listen for all Goldie fans and drum & bass enthusiasts in general.  

WELCOME BACK GOLDIE  

p.s.: For a better listening experience, a high volume is recommended.. ;)

p.p.s.: For now, the album has been released and put on sale exclusively via digital download through the Metalheadz site, but with a little "searching," you'll manage to get hold of it too... hehe