Your Love Means Everything

所谓的Faultline组合，背后只有一位仁兄，来自伦敦北部的Drum＇n＇Bass DJ － David Kosten，看上去这一切只会是每年欧洲大量生产的Darkwave电子唱片中平凡无奇的一张，差不多的封面设计，差不多的人员构成，差不多的名字，也许会有差不多的声音，节奏…… 但这一次与以往不同，David Kosten带来了不同的声音，在抛开了1999年不成功的首张大碟《Closer Colder》之后，《Your Love Mean Everything》充满了丰富而且成功的音乐元素。在这张专辑中，David用极度偏执的冷峻声响做防卫，用过于煽情的人声做武器，彻底捣毁脆弱的人的最后防线！对于乐风的取向，David不再追求简单，经典而单调的节奏，也没有盲目跟风做出不三不四的甜美音符，但没有盲目跟风做出不三不四的甜美音符，在并不复杂的Slow Beat氛围中，他加入了Brit－pop，Blues等的不同元素。这也许也是没什么奇怪的，但看看他的名单里，却竟是R．E．M的Michael Stipe，Cold play的Chris Martin之类的人物！而与他们合作的几首歌，则是令人惊喜不断，尤其是与Chris Martin合作的《Where is my boy？》，在低沉的背景下，Martin的嗓音更是发挥得淋漓尽致，低吟乃至与**的声音，极富张力，David Kosten的节奏更令人产生了这是在听Cold play的错觉。除此之外，还有与Jacob Gorden合作的《Bitter Kiss》，也可见Kosten在节奏编写上确有一手，像这样的当然还有与Michael Stipe合作的《Greenfields》，可见其对不同种类音乐的把握能力。 可是嘛， it doesn＇t mean everything………．，无可否认，Kosten在编曲上有他的一手，在不同的人声配合下都有不同的效果，这里除了有他本身作为 DJ的经验外，还有就是他在入行之时Brian Eno的照顾和帮助，这都为他成为成功制作人提供了条件。可是除此之外，《Your Love Mean Everything》的问题在于他所选择的歌手的表现力实在太强，甚至在一定程度上压过了Kosten的表演，使他变成了单纯背景音乐的制作人。而在轮到他独奏的几首曲目如《 I only know myself》《Missing》等，感觉却又过于单调，可感觉却和 CD封面的感觉很相像。这不禁令人困惑，到底真正的Kosten是更擅长与他人合作，还是做出彻底的自己的作品呢？到底是Chris Martin的嗓音更吸引呢，还是Kosten的节奏更吸引呢？Your Love Mean Everything？到底是爱重要还是人重要？ Prolific producer David Kosten's second solo album positions Faultline as another in a line of electronic musicians who excel in blending moody tones with guest vocals. The list of collaborators on Your Love Means Everything is quite impressive. Guests include Michael Stipe, Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, Chris Martin from Coldplay, newcomer Jacob Golden, and ex-Verve guitarist Nick McCabe. It's the songs that enlist the help of Kosten's famous admirers that really sparkle and take off. Chris Martin's pensive vocal delivery on "Where Is My Boy" and the title track suggest a more subtle, introspective take on Coldplay. The sweeping, glitchy "Bitter Kiss" works like an electro-Western ballad, thanks to Jacob Golden's touching Thom Yorke-like falsetto. Wayne Coyne's fractured, brittle lullaby might not reach the peaks of Sparklehorse, but the song works slight magic as a creepy, sad passion play. Michael Stipe appears to be having fun on "Greenfields"; his haunted voice makes for a mystical, almost Christmassy mood. The only problem, and it's a minor one, with the album's many instrumental songs is that they seem somewhat emotionally vacant. It's as if the songs are crying out to be used as film score material. That's not to say that Kosten isn't a fine sonic sculptor, because he wields electronics and traditional instruments like an ace, but there is a sense that something is missing. Songs like "Clocks" and "I Know Myself" work just fine as background music, and the strengths of the songs with vocals can't help but bring the instrumental tracks down a notch. Your Love Means Everything is a fine album, and one guesses that given the right set of circumstances and more first-rate collaborators, Faultline's star should continue to shine.