| Musicfolio.com | Reviews & Recommendations |
| Camouflage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Line-up: - Heiko Maile (keyboards, programming, producer) - Marcus Meyn (vocals, synth) - Oliver Kreyssig (programming, backing vocals) "This German synthpop group formed in 1984, first emerged on the music scene in late 1987 with their hit single The Great Commandment. With its uncanny resemblance to Depeche Mode's style, the single was followed by their first full length album in '98, 'Voices & Images', confirming D.M.'s major influence on the german trio. 'Methods of Silence' released in '99, displayed a wider range of influences including - but not limited to - O.M.D, Kraftwerk and The League. Soon after, Oliver left the band, and Camouflage, just like their fellow newwave acts, took a step back and unwillingly maintained the lower profile synthpop bands held in the 90s. Although Camouflage produced three albums in the early 90s, the band only resurfaced years later in a strong comeback, with its three original members re-united for the release of 'Sensor' in 2003."
-- Said Sukkarieh, musicfolio.com, 6/03
½ 1988:
Voices & Images
 Musicfolio Picks: That Smiling Face, Helpless Helpless, The Great Commandment "While the music is as catchy and lively as synth pop records go, Germany's Camouflage have released a debut that more than resembles a Depeche Mode record. The Great Commandment is the big single here, with synth touches and a semi-goth feel that sounds like an outtake from the recording sessions of DM's 'Construction Time Again'. The rest of the album is similar in vein, with dark touches that come up throughout the album. The lyrics are clumsy at best, showing that English is clearly not Camouflage's first language."
-- Richard from Boston, Amazon reviews
¼ 1989:
Methods of Silence
"Camouflage entered the synth pop game when most people had already moved on, which spelled trouble for their 1989 sophomore album. The total absence of acknowledged humor in Camouflage's material contrasted sharply with the vibrancy of the ensuing decade, and the album's widening addition of violins, saxophones, and guitars couldn't prevent the band from being forced into a prematurely outdated pigeonhole. In hindsight, this was the LP's biggest problem. On Islands and One Fine Day were sweet, multi-textured pop that swayed like a hammock strung between industrial pylons, while Rue de Moorslede regaled itself with a taut instrumental of circus organs, filtered horns, and the recurring sound of doors slammed shut. It was the opposite of '90s IDM — frustratingly simple, sonically precise, forever reliant on pop song structure and, along with Depeche Mode's Violator a year later, one of the last times when a band could get away with it."
-- Dean Carlson, All Music Guide
1991: Meanwhile Just click here! to send us your review of this album. 1993: Bodega Bohemia Just click here! to send us your review of this album. 1995: Spice Crackers Just click here! to send us your review of this album. 2001: Rewind: The Best Of 87-95 Digitally remastered compilation for the German synth-pop act. Limited numbered edition two disc set (the second is a PAL 4:3/ 0 all regions DVD). Features 18 tracks on the CD and 11 videoclips on the DVD. Includes all their greatest hits: The Great Commandment, Love is a Shield, That Smiling Face, One Fine Day, Neighbours, Close, and many more.
¾ 2003:
SensorTracklisting: 1. Me And You 2. Perfect 3. Harmful 4. Here She Comes 5. I Cant Feel You 6. Lost 7. Ill Follow Behind 8. Adrenalin 9. Blink 10. Thief 11. Together 12. 74 Minutes 13. You Turn "Sensor is, without a doubt, the best CAMOUFLAGE album ever. They've taken the best elements from each of their albums and married them into this masterpiece. The original trio is back together and they sound very comfortable with what they are doing. It took me over an hour to get past tracks 1-7 because they're that good and I kept going back. The CD starts of with the brilliant first single Me and youand it's b-side Perfect. Then comes one of the best tracks on the album, Harmful; although it's a slower number - like most of the album - Marcus delivers some of his best and most believable vocals ever. Great lyrics and great melody. Next highlight is the next single, I Can't Feel You: starts off slow but builds into a big song. A little rock-ier than most Camo songs. Out of the 13 tracks here, two are instrumental and about four are uptempo. The rest are more mellow, but don't let that discourage you. Another slamming track on here is I'll Follow Behind - wait till you hear this! Reminds me of Depeche Mode's It's No Good; very fast and danceable. Theif, which was released four years ago, is included here. This song has been completely re-recorded and sounds nothing like the original. I happen to prefer the original and this is the only disapointing track to me on this CD."
-- amazon customer from Atlantic City, NJ, 5/03
¼
2006:
Relocated
Tracklisting: 01. Memory 02. We Are Lovers 03. Motif Sky 04. Real Thing 05. Passing By 06. Confusion 07. The Perfect Key 08. Stream 09. Dreaming 10. The Pleasure Remains 11. Bitter Taste 12. Something Wrong 13. Light 14. How Do You Feel? "... although the album starts off with familiar synthpop, it departs into gospel and soul realms which is uncharted territory for Camouflage. Much to the bands credit, the album is frequently successful and in a few places almost brillant. (...) Starting off with the familiar terrain, 'Relocated' opens with two straightforward synthpop singles [We Are Lovers and Motif Sky] (...) Dreaming opens up with rough vocals over a simple beat. The other parts of the song are simple early eighties electropop throwback. Predictably only the throwback parts work. The Pleasure Remains restores things to a purely synthpop realm even if it is grittier than normal Camouflage. (...) Bitter Taste is a trip hop song built around a music box sample with confession booth spare vocals. Bitter Taste is a pitch perfect melancholy ballad that is out of place on 'Relocated'. (...) 'Relocated' ends with the truly awful and pretentious space ballad How Do You Feel? which adds a huge choir onto a meandering song aimed at our space travelling compatriots. This is over a skittish beat and dripping slow music. This song should come with free drugs. But since it doesn't, you can just stop your CD player and imagine the next three minutes were more of the same. It's redundant to tell you How Do You Feel? is the longest song on the album, but it is. And that's how 'Relocated' ends. It starts with synthpop and ends at 21st Century prog rock, stopping at alot of points in between. Whether you like 'Relocated' or not, it is ambitious. How often does a band change directions 20 years into their careers? However I think it's doubtful that anyone will remember 'Relocated' rather than The Great Commandment. But for the first time since 1991, Camouflage seem to have a new direction and space to grow. I can only hope they nix the choirs and electric guitar chords on the next one."
-- Michael Wozny, Virus-Mag.com, 8/06
|
______ |
Charts | Lyrics/Poetry | Links | Contact Us | Advertising Copyright © 1999-2012 - musicfolio.com - All Rights Reserved |