Dance music kingpin Gareth Emery has been one of the leading names in the scene ever since his emergence over a decade ago. The UK export who has seen a stellar amount of success over the years is a forward thinking artiste and has always remained true to his art having displayed cutting edge sounds. And, there lies the question. How do you cement your legacy?
Following up to his sophomore album Drive released back in 2014, 100 Reasons To Live is an attempt by the Garuda boss worthy enough to challenge the status quo of modern day EDM. A masterful effort, the 16-track LP speaks for itself. Beautifully crafted, the production is done right from the synths and the chords to the perfectly layered vocals. His latest album succeeds due to a single reason, namely that every track has a signature melody that the dance music veteran’s fans have come to love. The title of the LP is of major significance, as you would expect from a Gareth Emery record. Having aced his productions over the years, the man himself has inclined towards a certain fact, and i.e. to evolve as you grow. Experimenting a range of sounds spanning a multitude of genres, the LP weaves a true musical experience.
The album kicks off with a cinematic and grand start with ‘The Story So Far’, and if the title were to even remotely suggest anything, it describes Gareth’s craft in phenomenal fashion. With infused trance vibes over a progressive beat, you have embarked on a pure melodic journey. Next up is ‘Cloudline’ that is bound to pique your interest even further. With a beautiful vocal assist by Joseph, the emotional roller-coaster piece is akin to his 2014 single ‘Isolate’.
The LP grows in steady fashion with uplifting progressive pieces, ‘Farm From Home’ and ‘Reckless’ which see near-perfect vocals consolidating the solid production courtesy talented artists Gavrielle and Wayward Daughter. Now, it might be a little too soon to crown the best track out of the lot already, but ‘We Were Young’ is bound to keep it for now. The veteran weaves magic in collaboration with US based singer duo Alex & Sierra with a power-ridden progressive track featuring stunning upbeat melodies and an emotionally powerful vocal effort.
An interesting move by one of electronic music’s most reputed acts, the inclusion of the single by his parody duo alias CVNT5, is a strange affair. With all due to respect to Gareth and fellow English trance producer Ashley Wallbridge’s production aesthetics, it feels ironic for the original to find a place on the album.
Now, as far as music purists are to be kept in the foray, ‘Make It Happen’, ‘Hands’ and ‘Lost’ fail to capture our attention and are long shots into the dark and seem far stretched to the point of being labelled as downright generic. A critical notion with a conscious motive, the seasoned producer frays into sounds looked down upon in recent times.
A nod to the emotional side of his productions, ‘Save Me’ is a real musical journey, the production is soulful and nostalgic. With a vocal appearance from star vocalist Christina Novelli whose previous collaborations have had brought their tag team much success, the two have soothed our ears with this single reminding us the exceptional song writing skills they are blessed with.
Following the footsteps of the previous track, ‘Until We Meet Again’ which is an elusive collaboration with trance producer Ben Gold, builds on the new found momentum and is a heartfelt single that embodies the true essence of trance and manages to make us date back his ethereal productions like those on his debut album Northern Lights. Ladies and Gents, the veteran is alive and has just exceeded my expectations.
Gareth manages to hit the bulls eye for a third consecutive time with ‘I Could Be Stronger’, another collaborative single with vocalist Corey Sanders. ‘Sansa’ is special for multiple reasons. Carrying the name of his beloved daughter, the concluding track of the album which also is the lengthiest, feels personal and rightfully so, does justice to it with a stunning melodic progression but fails to fill a certain void. Nonetheless, 100 Reasons To Live marks its end with the bonus track ‘Cruiser’, and helps Gareth finish off on a strong note.
At the end of it all, flawless isn’t the term that fits and rightfully so, it shouldn’t be the case. An ambitious LP that will drench you in sonic goodness, 100 Reasons To Live does feel patchy time and again. Moreover, ‘cohesive’ is not the word that comes to your mind after you’re done with the 14-track ‘extravaganza’ with ‘Cruiser’. A tough call on noting the highlights of the LP, but the second half takes the cake for being genuine and making the listeners embark on a highly insightful and emotive journey which almost feels personal to a fair extent. One of the few flag bearers of electronic music who thrive while staying true to their art, Gareth Emery is a man meant for greater things in his career, and is capable of much more, but manages to deliver an album that has its highs and lows and eventually hits the throttle at the right moment to go all the way.
Let us know your thoughts on the album and make sure to grab your copy here!
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