It's a wonder, then, that the much-anticipated Airdrawndagger fades so listlessly into the annals of anonymity. Opening with muted dub effects, electro echoes, and thought-clearing synth winds, the album starts off with an introspective ambient tone that only occasionally gives way to Sasha's euphoric stateliness.
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After a dozen or so years as a high-profile remixer and DJ, 's premiere full-length album has an almost unfair amount of anticipation to live up to. After assembled a couple solid mix CDs plus jaw-dropping remixes for the likes of, and several others, sounds a bit anticlimactic by comparison. All his past work earned him the spotlight, but now that he has it he's not sure what to say. It suggests he's better stretching and dissecting other people's material than he is at writing his own. This being said, and co-composer have an exceptional ear for the tension-and-release formula of trance music. Their crispness stays intact here, along with gorgeous production value, but there's a price to pay for all the digital exactness: sterility. Track for track, the CD strains for the visceral excitement that has come so easily elsewhere.
As subdued as it is, 'Mr. Tiddles' is a warm depth charge to start the disc.
It at least succeeds in delivering an anthem, rather than going right for the rave-house glowsticks and 190 beats per minute. It takes the album some time to summon a consistent attention-grabber like 'Immortal,' which growls through the streets like in a hovercraft. Immediately following, listeners can finally feel the hairs on the back of their necks start to stiffen as the nine-minute centerpiece, 'Fundamental,' marries cinderblock beats, acid-soaked squelches, and an opulent synth-bell refrain that digs hard into the trenches of dance club aesthetics. This, and the two subsequent tracks of 'Boileroom' and 'Bloodlock,' is the reason to - yes - buy the album. 'Requiem' is a lush cloud of sequencers that reaches the twilight of the disc, owing its sound to mid-'80s as much as anything in the past couple decades. The two pieces that follow are not especially groundbreaking, but there's enough variety to prove that this is in fact a legitimate album instead of an overstuffed EP like his polished from 1999.
Has a sharp blade, and hovers with threat, but it takes almost half the album before it draws blood. For, it's the shape of things to come rather than a triumphant arrival.
Contents.Background The album is named after the term 'air-drawn dagger', which was used in 's to characterise an emotional outburst. The album is entirely, and has a different sound from Sasha's other work, such as the EP. Its tone is more atmospheric and relaxed compared to his mix albums. In a 2013 interview with Dupspot, Sasha stated that the production of this album had relied heavily on use of the and the synthesizers, describing them as 'the sound of Airdrawndagger'.
In press releases and marketing, the album was advertised as Sasha's 'debut artist album', despite 's release in 1994. Sources reviewing the album largely acknowledged this and described Airdrawndagger as his debut, with notable exceptions including, who wrote that 'he released his debut album in 1994, the underwhelming Qat Collection, but that has been erased, -style, from his history'. Release The album was announced in July 2002 with live performances of it scheduled for 24 and 31 August 2002. The album was first released on 5 August 2002. It was released in the UK and Europe through, a former subsidiary of. The album was distributed in the US by on 6 August 2002.
The vinyl release of the album was given a variant album cover, with the full spike ball shown. A digital download version of the album was issued on 17 May 2010. The album's single, ' was released on 19 August 2002 through BMG and Kinetic, and promoted by a remix contest held in 2003. The single charted on the at position 64, and on the at position 4. Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scoresSourceRating64/100Review scoresSourceRatingMixerMusic Emissions2.5/109/10Airdrawndagger received generally positive reviews from critics. Reviewer Glenn Swan gave it four stars out of five, summarising his review with ' Airdrawndagger has a sharp blade, and hovers with threat, but it takes almost half the album before it draws blood' although stated that 'when given his mix albums and remixes, Airdrawndagger sounds a bit anticlimactic by comparison'. Reviewer Christian Hopwood noted that 'the album might come as a disappointment to anyone expecting something akin to a DJ mix CD' but praised the album, describing it as a 'glittering, euphoric masterpiece'.
Robbie Y from wrote a very positive review, rating the album 5.0 out of 5, describing it as 'mixed and produced to perfection, not one stone in the making of this album has been left unturned'. However, gave the album a negative review, rating it 2.5 out of 10. Track listing No.TitleWriter(s)Length1.'
Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018. Hopwood, Christian (20 November 2002). Retrieved 7 August 2008. Jones, Simon (3 July 2002).
Archived from on 4 June 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
Battaglia, Andy (23 September 2002). Retrieved 7 August 2008. 6 March 2013. Lynskey, Dorian (2002). Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
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Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018. ^. Its sweeping cinematic scope and all-instrumental tracks recall the lushness of Orbital in their prime. Oct 2002, p.86. The album will wear thin on short-attention-spanned listeners who need their dance albums dosed with a bit more variety.
Aug 2002, p.79. ^. 2006-06-04 at the. ^ Y, Robbie. Retrieved 5 August 2018. An impressive artistic debut.
Oct 2002, p.96. Hopwood, Christian (2002). Retrieved 5 August 2018. Airdrawndagger (Liner Notes). CS1 maint: others.
Retrieved 5 August 2018. ^.
Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
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Retrieved 5 August 2018.
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