Since her simultaneous debut/breakthrough alongside James Holden on the long ascribed classic âNothingâ, Julie Thompson has never been far from the minds & hearts of electronic musicâs most discerning.
Sheâs been the voice/front-woman on hits from a wide range of producers, TiĂŤsto, the Freemasons, Sean Tyas and the Freestylers to name but a few. Through tracks like âMy Enemyâ, âNo Frontiersâ and âLet Goâ sheâs also notably become the vocal-muse/go-to-girl for Finnish high-fliers Super8 & Tab. Bringing her gifted lyricism and soul-sear vocals to the broadest possible spectrum of electronic dance music, Julieâs catalogue has come to encompass house, trance, progressive, dubstep, breakbeat, electro and many nexuses in between.
Now, five years after she first made the jump with the âFeeling For Cornersâ album, Julie is once again crossing the threshold to assume the solo artist role.
Over 11 sensational tracks, written and recorded over the last 20 months, the British singer has crafted the follow-up that fans from across the electronic music lands have long sought. âEye Of The Stormâ has all the expressive introspection, from-the-soul vocals, story-tell lyrics and absorbing metaphor of a singer without contemporary, all approached with her no-stylistic-borders methodology.
More through nature than design, Julieâs debut album is one thatâll spark the broadest range of emotions⌠Uplifting, touching and meditative, it is also by turns creative, organic and at times bold, to the point of audacious. On completing the album, she said: A friend once said to me ‘when you hit rock bottom there’s only sand beneath your feet” and it was from this place that I began to write the songs that would eventually become Eye of the Storm. This album represents transition. How light is born from darkness, how love is born from loss and how stillness comes from the most chaotic of places. I hope you enjoy this album!
The vocally sanguine overture of âNew Dayâ, the floor-engagement of Super8 & Tab collab âYour Secretâs Safeâ and âWe Are Starsâ unchecked uplift collectively summon the âEyeâs storm at pace. Expanding its style, âFortune Smilesâ conveys atmospherically bleached out synths and speedily paced, running riffs, which are smartly played off against Julieâs lyrical infiltration. âMy Paradiseâ meanwhile brings EDM dimensions to the album, while âLovedâ front-ends with bleepy echo-ism, pays off with a rippingly riffed leadline and is bound together by her vocal optimism.
With stylistic contrast, the album transcends again with the bliss-fest of âDiveâ and the slo-mo breaks and chanteuse-ian lament of âFreezeâ. At the midpoint, alongside London-based twosome Pyramid, Julie brings downtempo dubstep, breakbeat & electro aspects to the album, delivering both its titular and tangible eye of the storm.
Grafting ever more layers, deeper, more trance-progressive textures come virtue of âNaturalâ with Ad Brown, while the bittersweet Andy Duguid-produced âSkin & Bonesâ induces a cooler edged anthemia.
As polished as it is accomplished, admirably far-reaching and allowing her incredible songwriting abilities and extraordinary vocal range full reign, âEye Of The Stormâ delivers on the first great electronic music artist album of 2015.
Julie Thompson âEye Of The Stormâ Tracklist
01. New Day
02. We Are Stars
03. Your Secretâs Safe (with Super8 & Tab)
04. Dive
05. Natural (with Ad Brown)
06. Fortune Smile
07. Eye Of The Storm (with Pyramid)
08. My Paradise (with Zachary Zamarripa)
09. Skin & Bones (with Andy Duguid)
10. Freeze
11. Loved (with Dragon & Jontron)
You can grab the album right here.
To stream it, click here.
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