Ping Trace – Traces
2008, Mrs. Johnson Music
You take an IT guy from Virginia exposed to too much bad TV and throw him in the tank with a rock vocalist from Colorado. Together they play around with beats and sounds until they find something that works for them and they run like crazy with it. This is the genesis of Ping Trace. Sven and Lynnae offer up their debut EP, Traces, on Mrs. Johnson Music.
Traces comes across as a musical exercise in the old quadrant drawing technique you might have learned in high school. The theory is that if you take a picture and break it up into small squares and work on seeing/drawing the small squares you break the picture down into manageable pieces. This allows the artist to focus on the detail and perspective a little at a time rather than being overwhelmed by the objet d'art. Traces sounds like it may have been constructed in much the same fashion. A grid of beats and measures is established and then each measure is filled in distinctively. This approach creates a disjointed song structure that moves from sound to sound and sound set to sound set rather than creating a recognizable progression we might identify as a song or songs.
The songs on Traces likely will play well for relaxation or in a mellow club/rave, but there's not really a lot of life or personality that comes out in the songs. The vocals of Lynnae are sufficient when present, but don't really add any spark to Traces. The recording certainly lacks the vibrancy and sass one might expect. Don't get me wrong, the disc is an enjoyable listen, ideal for relaxation or background, but just doesn't live up to its potential. I am sorry to report that Traces just comes off flat.
Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Ping Trace at http://www.pingtracemusic.com/. You can purchase a copy of Traces at Amazon.com.
2008, Mrs. Johnson Music
You take an IT guy from Virginia exposed to too much bad TV and throw him in the tank with a rock vocalist from Colorado. Together they play around with beats and sounds until they find something that works for them and they run like crazy with it. This is the genesis of Ping Trace. Sven and Lynnae offer up their debut EP, Traces, on Mrs. Johnson Music.
Traces comes across as a musical exercise in the old quadrant drawing technique you might have learned in high school. The theory is that if you take a picture and break it up into small squares and work on seeing/drawing the small squares you break the picture down into manageable pieces. This allows the artist to focus on the detail and perspective a little at a time rather than being overwhelmed by the objet d'art. Traces sounds like it may have been constructed in much the same fashion. A grid of beats and measures is established and then each measure is filled in distinctively. This approach creates a disjointed song structure that moves from sound to sound and sound set to sound set rather than creating a recognizable progression we might identify as a song or songs.
The songs on Traces likely will play well for relaxation or in a mellow club/rave, but there's not really a lot of life or personality that comes out in the songs. The vocals of Lynnae are sufficient when present, but don't really add any spark to Traces. The recording certainly lacks the vibrancy and sass one might expect. Don't get me wrong, the disc is an enjoyable listen, ideal for relaxation or background, but just doesn't live up to its potential. I am sorry to report that Traces just comes off flat.
Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Ping Trace at http://www.pingtracemusic.com/. You can purchase a copy of Traces at Amazon.com.
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