CAN ATILLA

Waves of Wheels

Groove Unltd (2003)

review by Travis Briggs

There is some controversy within reviewing circles concerning the use of references to popular artists for the purposes of describing music, but when an album as derivative as Waves of Wheels comes along, I feel it would be almost irresponsible not to use them. Waves of Wheels is heavily inspired by Tangerine Dream, although unlike most other albums fashioned in TD's sonic image, which generally explore more Berlin School territory, this album is inspired by TD's output between 1988 and 1990, known amongst TD fans as the "Melrose Years." For those unfamiliar with this TD period, it is generally characterized by bright, compact compositions that utilize crisp, overtly digital sounds, all encapsulated in a traditional pop song format. Note: Unless otherwise specified, all of the following references are to Tangerine Dream.

Those who have Atilla's last album Live will recognize the opener "Torchlight," although in this version Atilla abandons the Jarre-esque lead lines, arpeggios and trance pulse, instead opting for a decidedly more TD-like sound design. This includes Froeseian guitar solos, Linda Spa-style sax circa 220 Volt, the famed Melrose Years harpsichord voice, and even that upward sliding effect from Rockoon's "Graffiti Street". Those who thought that "Torchlight" reminded them uncannily of TD will most likely be blown away by the title track, which is highly reminiscent of the upbeat middle section of "Midnight Trail" from Optical Race. In addition, it features synthesized choirs and snappy chord transitions, all propelled by a vigorous drum track and a well-defined sense of progression.

"Mona Lisa Smile" offers both relaxed, velvety sax lines as well as upbeat sections, but at one point shamefully transitions between these sections with an almost note-for-note rip-off of the Lily on the Beach title track. The following "Love Sequence" is blandly but aptly titled, and its opening refrains reminded me of something off of Christopher Franke's Pacific Coast Highway. Although Atilla has crafted an intoxicating sequence and has overlaid it with an endearingly sentimental melody, he fails to gather the momentum necessary for a truly impactful piece, which becomes overly repetitive towards its conclusion.

"Steel Sky Tales" is another saxophone dominated song, and this album's abundance of sax will probably be grating at the nerves of hardened TD purists by now--assuming they're still listening, that is. For those with a bit more "cheese tolerance," however, the sax will most likely be interpreted as at least heartfelt if not altogether tasteful. "Pause of Time" would be more appropriately titled "Delay of Time," as it comes across as pure filler, despite the fact that a strangely and awkwardly aborted initial bassline had some potential. "Eagle's Dance," although starting out with some "Radio City" style virtual bongos and attitude-infused bass and guitar riffs, evolves into yet another saccharine saxophone piece.

With "Lost in Madrid" we are finally presented with a song that's not blatantly derivative, instead exploring somewhat ethnic territory with lively, stylish Spanish guitar-sounding lead lines, all underpinned by a driving trance pulse. The next piece "Winterland" can also be found in a slightly altered form on Atilla's previous album, Live, and its similarity to Christopher Franke's "Purple Waves" from Pacific Coast Highway is more than just striking, it verges on downright plagiarism. Although it fails to surpass the melodic brilliance of that piece, it does feature a more varied soundscape, including various instrumental embellishments and greater sense of development. "Epilogue" is next, and its simplistic yet poignant solo piano melody immediately brought to mind "Cool at Heart" from Melrose.

The remaining four songs were composed following this album's initial release in '96 and were added for its re-release. Together, they comprise a generous 32 minutes of this nearly 80 minute album. "Angel in a Dream" is what TD would probably have sounded like if they had retained their long-form compositional style into the late '80s, as it clocks in at just under 14 minutes while still flaunting those signature Melrose Years elements. The subsequent pieces clearly draw their inspiration from TD's Dream Mixes 1, with "Omega Gate One" sounding very similar to "Rough Embrace," "A New Life in Medresse" liberally borrowing its sounds and style from "Little blond in the Parc of Attractions" (it even has those otherworldly female vocals), and "Karma" sounding like a conglomeration of various pieces from that period. That said, all of these songs are skillfully reworked and present compelling interpretations of their source material.

Can Atilla clearly has an unsurpassed ability to emulate the distinctive sonic qualities of his musical idols. However, although Waves of Wheels is a technically superb impression of TD's modern period output, I couldn't help but feel that it failed to capture that vital essence that is responsible for the best Melrose Years material. Still, this album is recommendable to fans of that period or of the more accessible approach to EM. I just hope that with future albums Atilla overcomes his apparent dependency upon the works of others, as exhibited in all of his releases thus far, and attempts to develop a more unique style.