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House music. But relaxing. Such a simple idea that no one had thought of before Robert Miles, who gave a first taste with "Children," the track that in 1995 catapulted him to international attention. Robert, born Roberto Concina - Swiss from Neuchâtel - follows it up with "Fable," his second single and new hit. Both prominently feature in the tracklist of "Dreamland," the debut album released in June 1996.
A trademark - an authentic sonic signature - characterizes the two tracks mentioned above: a particular digital piano timbre to which the main themes of the pieces are entrusted, very singable melodies that in both "Children" and "Fable" capture the listener's full attention. We find that same timbre throughout the entire album, where the sound background is made up of a very heavy rhythm section with keyboard basses responding in counter-time. And, in between, clear decorative interventions, again from the keyboards, that enrich the pieces by giving them variety and color: such as in "In My Dreams" and "Princess of Light".
That's it. Simple to say, much less to do. Robert Miles makes a very personal contribution to the trends traversing electronics in the mid-'90s, creating a stylistic current immediately dubbed Dream House. In reality, the album has various components: trance, ambient, chill out, techno, but all filtered through the author's unique sensibility. Notable in its minimalism is "In the Dawn," just four descending scale notes, obsessively repeated throughout the 7 minutes of the track on an equally insistent rhythmic base, resulting in a successful example of trance.
Here and there, also some vocal contributions: Fiorella Quinn in "Fable," Maria Nayler in "One and One," a track included in the German release of the late 1996 album, titled "Dreamland - The Winter Edition". But it was mainly across the Channel, where they couldn't understand how an obscure former DJ who came out of nowhere could assert himself with such authority on the European and even British scene, stealing the spotlight from their own protégé. And yet Robert Miles was able to move with ease in the dream territory and, with this album, offer us some of them.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
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