stylistberlin Review: Mario & Vidis – “Changed” (Silence Music)

by Y. Cho

Missed out Mario & Vidis’ release tour last time when they were playing in Berlin, so this time, while I was working on all the piled up albums on my desktop, I chose this one first, as they should get some acknowledgement for their first full-length album release by stylistberlin.

Label. Silence Music
Artists. Mario & Vidis
Title. Changed
Format. 2 x CD Album & Digital Album
Cat.Number. SILENCEWW010
Release Date. February 13, 2012
Distribution. Word & Sound
Domain. www.silencefamily.com

The debut album CHANGED of Mario (Marijus „Mario“ Adomaitis) & Vidmantas „Vidis“ Cepkauskas was the first time I got in touch with the music from these guys from Lithuania, because “Changed” was co-written by our friend Ernesto, a talent from Göteborg, Sweden that spiced up our favourite EP “Good time to pray ” from the debut album “Unreality” which was released by Berlin’s label SUOL by our friends Trickski (stylistberlin interview here) last year. Ernesto was an artist I had an eye on ever since, as he promised to have more talent than the usual vocalists I had heard so far.

Track Review

CD. 1
01.01 Introducing To You (1:46)
A slow and weightful intro. Prepares you for the rather slower, deeper house tracks of this album.

01.02 In My System (Album Redo) feat. Kathy Diamond (6:38)
Kathy Diamond was a good choice of vocals for this one. This track is not only a gem amongst the vast range of slow house tracks, but also works as a perfect motion soundtrack, as sundowner, chill out track at home and will also blend into all kinds of pop-oriented playlists.
01.03 Slow feat. Giedrė (3:52)
“C´mon, do the things you like to do – no, no you are to slow!”
Very delighted to listen to this one, the jazzy voice is perfect to take you to a journey of groove. Who said slowmo house is not for dancing? This track certainly is.

01.04 Suspend The Feeling feat. Giedrė (3:32)
Another piece featuring Giedrė, who gives the track a slight a light retro-touch, you could expect this one on a James Bond soundtrack.

01.05 Changed feat. Ernesto (5:55)
This track gave the album it’s name. “You changed my way into something new…” – already heard this one played by some big names in Berlin immediately after the release. It fits perfectly to any occasion – dancefloor, lounge music, even at home.

01.06 Who‘s Changed The Silence?! (Interlude) (2:24)
No real album with interludes – this one is experimenting with bird singing, deep bassline and melodical background lines.

01.07 ISM feat. Ernesto (6:45)
Heavy bassline, whispering voices, singing vocals, more moody disco-like track – “Play your ISM – escapism, modernism, exorcism” A bit melancholic, darker track all in all. Perfect for afterhour.

01.08 Who‘s Shot The Silence?! (Album Redo) feat. Jazzu (4:27)
Mario & Vidis are presenting another good vocal house track with Jazzu, more into the direction of pop. This track would perfectly match any Totally Enourmous Extinct Dinosaurs set or fitting into a Munk or Telonius set, the slower part.

01.09 I‘ll Be Gone (Album Redo) feat. Jazzu (4:56)
Quite a jazzy track, the instrumental arrangements remind one very much of a classic jazz track, adding some house spices with the beats afterwards – wondering if Mario & Vidis played the instruments on this one in persona. Best haard on a good soundsystem to enjoy the full range of the elements.

01.10 When Nobody Listens (3:37)
Experimenting with sounds was the outcome of this track it seems – the trumpets remind of long lost days, smokey bars and women in fancy glittery dresses, dancing slowly with gentlemen suited up in their best clothes, smiling faces and a small floor with space enough for a couple to dance.
CD. 1 Comment

The first part of the release is just how we like it – housy, slow, and melodic with nice vocals that are not just brushed over the tracks but mingle with the instruments and beats and create actually songs that you can identify as such with proper lyrics, proper melodies. Nothing against minimal electronic dance music, but this, for a change, is a delight for the ears.
I like this album not only because the instrumental arrangements are well done, but also the collaboration with proper vocalists make this album a delight to listen to. Listening to all the productions coming out these past months, I missed the “poppy” side of music – lyrics you can sing along to, a melody you can dance to.
This album seems to be an ode to old times – where singers were getting credits for singing well – the musicians just shifted to electronic devices.
A perfect mixture of old school elements as well as up to date producing techniques.

 A perfect mixture of old school elements as well as up to date producing techniques.

CD. 2
02.01 Plastic People feat. Vytautas Sondeckis (7:51)
Wow – this reminds me of Alva Noto in the first place – but “Plastic People” develops into a house track that makes you dance after all. The interesting arrangements of elements of this one are sophisticated as Alva Noto’s but also very danceable, reminding a bit of the early Members of the Trick productions.

02.02 In My System (Dub Redo) feat. Kathy Diamond
A deephouse track in the fashion of SUOL releases and such, will work for afterhour sessions. Not a big fan of dub versions of tracks, though, no matter who did them. Can’t get warm with the bass.

02.03 You Are Here (8:00)
Love the fun bassline of this one, with the vocals, perfectly to dance. Will heaten up your set from the beginning till peak time. This is one of those tracks that get even better towards the end – f you want to mix this into a set, be sure you don’t miss the second half of it!

02.04 Black Boogie (6:56)
Starting with a quick rhythm, also with a half “live” music-like arrangement of drums. Catchy from the first beat on. Wait for the piano chords to be added later – and you will have the perfect sundowner.

02.05 Test (Album Redo) (7:20)
Hah. Calling a track “Test” is of course, promising weird stuff or fun things. Omitting all vocals in this one is okay, as the melody does it all. Quite long, but perfect for an afterhour.

02.06 Kashyyyk (6:50)
For music lovers of deep house, this is the track for you on this album. Not too monotonous as many releases at the moment, even though slower, keeping it interesting with a melody and breaks and the strings in this one make it classic.

02.07 Demo.Lition Part 1 (3:21)
The only track on the whole album that I could not get very fond of, due to the rather boring keyboard elements.

02.08 Demo.Lition Part 2 (5:36)
This track is simply made, could be featured in a PC game and you would love it. Danceable, too.

02.09 Adventurous Instrumental Music (5:56)
A bit disappointed by Demo.Lition Part 1 and Part 1, this track let’s it all forget and takes us to another journey on the dancefloor. If a track has no vocals to spice it up, it should be interesting enough so you don’t fall into trance right away – this one is delicately made and stays interesting to the end.

02.10 Adventurous Instrumental Music Continues (5:57)
The last track to sum up the 2CD debut album by Mario & Vidis is a delight, too. You don’t get bored till the end, they manage to catch you attention till the very end.
Note to self: I do strongly hear elements of the Super Mario theme track from Nintendo out of this one :D

CD.2 Comment

Compared to the first part of the release, this second part is more electronic, regarding the instrumental arrangements, from the first track “In My System” till the last, “Adventurous Instrumental Music Continues”. I love the wide field of music they covered, the instruments they experimented with, the arrangements of each element in the tracks. CHANGED shows us the ability and the potential of Mario & Vidis.
Downtempo house masters, I would call them.

 CHANGED shows us the ability and the potential of Mario & Vidis

Opinion:
Four out of five stars, as with the track names on CD 2, you get the impression they did not bother to name a track properly – showing lack of sincerity to the end. Nevertheless, all the other tracks are very well made and produced and certainly a very good choice for your playlists. Well done!

Four out of five stars

Overview
Cementing a year that saw a string of sublime stellar releases from Mario & Vidis, the dynamic force give house music a new accessible heartbeat with their album ‘Changed’, set for release next spring.
Mario & Vidis title their debut artist album after their Future Classic anthem, ‘Changed’, an apt advocate to the new age slow house sound they have mastered and unmask themselves as purveyors of a hive of activity in their Lithuanian home. Spanning two discs and twenty tracks they cover much musical terrain, striding through epic soundscapes, hypnotic pop melodies, wandering into pure soul and running away with the finesse of raw house music on the second disc.
‘Changed’ opens with the atmosphere heavy ‘Introducing to you’, lightly tickling the senses. Before delving into the vocal delights of Kathy Diamond for ‘In My System’, a collaboration that came about after Vidis brought England’s disco queen to play in Lithuania. The record for which Mario & Vidis made their name, ‘Changed’, was co-written by Ernesto after the duo admired his earlier inspiring releases. Two cuts feature from number one Lithuanian female act, singer- songwriter Jazzu, who creates apparitions within her ethereal and buoyant vocal in ‘I‘ll Be Gone’ and the ensueing, ‘Who’s Shot the Si- lence?’. Jazzu is Lithuania’s embodiment of Goldfrapp or Roisin Murphy and a true cult figure in the region. Other contributions from Lithuanian homegrown artists Vytau-
tas Sondeckis and Giedre illustrate a diverse spectrum and heavy collection of local talent. Now electronic music dominates Western Europe, its eastern counterpart is flourishing and taking the music in new directions.

Disc two treks into their electronic heart, showcasing a collection of deep, dubby dancefloor cuts. The rolling grooves of ‘You Are Here’, and epic synths of ‘Test’ ap- pear amidst reedits of the prior material. The result is an engulfing journey that personifies a broody older sibling from the first disc. Each of their releases is complimen- ted by stunning video spectacles. Their ‘Who’s Shot the Silence?’ video was blogged by Kanye West and ‘I‘ll Be Gone’ came top of the chart on MTV Baltic Top 20 for half a year and is the most blogged Lithuanian music video to date.

The unique partnership between Mario (Marijus „Mario“ Adomaitis) & Vidmantas „Vidis“ Cepkauskas formed in 2007 in their Lithuanian base, where they remain. Their first production effort, a remix for Atjazz and Robert Owens was quickly picked up for support by Gilles Peterson and Pete Tong. Since this they have garnered countless fans, among them the likes of Jazzanova, Atjazz, Laurent Garnier, Toby Tobias, Pete Herbert, and many more. Mario & Vidis’ sonic assault has enamoured many top international labels of late, such as Japan’s Endless Flight, Australia’s Future Classic, and Germany’s Best Works.