Celldweller – Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

Klayton, the sole brain behind Celldweller, not only ignores genre boundaries and creates a pioneering vision of the future of electronic music, but he’s also an excellent and subtle songwriter. So, “Wish Upon A Blackstar”, he’s upcoming second full-length studio album, obviously it’s one of the most anticipated Electronic albums of the year. And Celldweller is one of the most reliable artists as well, the new 16 tracks album will satisfy all of his devoted followers – over 120,000 Facebook Fans and still counting – and eventually will bring him a brand new generation of fans. After all, Celldweller is considered “personifying the sound of the iPod generation”, and his hybrid music of digital and organic elements and the smooth, but highly explosive fusion of styles and genres, makes him extremely unique and charming.

In 2012, the Detroit based multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, performer, programmer, and remixer Klayton brings the latest evolution of the Celldweller. And Celldweller is… the sound of tomorrow served right now.
Helmets, seatbelts on, this is an extended journey into the future sound of Electronic music. The album’s sixteen songs seamlessly blend genres from Electro and Dubstep to Rock and Industrial, from Club Electronics to Cyber Punk.
“Unshakeable” is definitively a modern day, Dubstep anthem, Klayton delivered both murderous contortions and wobbling, and melodious choruses witch will remaining echoing in your head.

The whole album is a pulsing race between different sounds, smartly colored layers, subtle electronics and grinding heaviness. Klayton is a wizard of merging sometimes radically different sounds and styles into one seamlessly, but full of taste and in a very groovy way.
While “Blackstar” is a dance floor anthem which definitively can set the fire on in any club, “Eon” is a furious Heavy Metal hurricane build upon a raging guitar riff and some pounding drums, but the song also incorporates some incredibly melodious hooks and sing-a-long choruses, but also a very gentle, electronic breakdown witch only will highlight further more the heaviness of the song. “Louder Than Words” is another fast dance track with heavy accents, contorted synth-lines and memorable vocals. “Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met” is a quiet intermezzo, a short break to let the listener breathing, only to grind them into the ground in the very next moment with the exploding “I Can’t Wait”. Build up simply and tight, with the vocals filtered throughout, it’s a small, modern electronic apocalypse.
“Gift For You” opening full of mysteries, gloomy electronic layers are combined with sick, contorted noises and distorted synthesizers while Klayton lead you through almost whispering. Excellent song, the dark, Nu Metal taste like vibe is very smartly relocated in an electronic ambient, it’s almost like a Korn anthem covered by a (dark) electro band or DJ. “The Lucky One” is another Industrial Rock anthem, blowing up somewhere from the nearby of Nine Inch Nails (“Starfuckers Inc.”) but having definitively the fingerprints of Klayton all over it.
“The Seven Sisters” wobbling like Hell, although this is another almost chill build-up where Dubstep like sounds are merged into an almost Trance-like ambient and everything is glowing in slow motion. “Birthright” kicks in with a nervous and hot bass line, the definitively Rock vibe is overwhelming the electronic construction and the result is a pulsing, flowing track smartly flavored with some subtle orchestral accents and an almost Celtic vocal line chorus. The solo passage is awesome!
“It Makes No Difference Who We Are” starts with a very sick synth line, that synth sounds is like a malfunctioning “something”, eating into your brain. In the other extreme, the vocals are warm and that simple and melodious chorus will make you sing along. In between Klayton placed a nice guitar and some subtle electronics and all together make up a nice pillar of the album, make you memorize and sing “I Wish Upon a Blackstar”.
“The Best It’s Gonna Get” is another Industrial Rock anthem with all the modern ingredients of contortions and wobbling. The groovy is excellent, the energy is dosed perfectly and it blow up right in your face with the closing chorus. “So Long Sentiment” is half way between an electronic ballad and a grinding club anthem, soft and heavy elements are combined smart and seamlessly. “Tainted” is another darker, but tasty moment, tight electronics are cutting the darkness through like some killer blades.
“Against The Tide” closing the album almost quietly with a nice build up of orchestral and acoustic elements and some contorted electronics. Beautiful closure.
But there is more. It’s a story behind this, a journey full of feelings and things to discover, eventually with different meanings for everybody, so, it worth to dive deep beneath the surface and experience every single second for yourself.

Track list:

01. The Arrival
02. Unshakeable
03. Blackstar
04. Eon
05. Louder Than Words
06. Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met
07. I Can’t Wait
08. Gift For You
09. The Lucky One
10. The Seven Sisters
11. Birthright
12. It Makes No Difference Who We Are
13. The Best It’s Gonna Get
14. So Long Sentiment
15. Tainted
16. Against The Tide

(Run Time: 1:14:18)

“Tainted” is also set to be remixed on FiXT Remix , you must be a registered FiXT Remix Artist – Sign Up for Free , contest submission deadline: August 10, 2012.
Prizes:
1st: $250 + Celldweller WUABS Prize Pack
2nd: $150 + Celldweller WUABS Prize Pack
3rd: $75 + Celldweller WUABS Prize Pack

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