Digital Mystery Tour - Digital Mystery Tour (2001)

Digital Mystery Tour is a five piece collective of composers living all over the world. It all started in Tokyo in 2000 when Stephane Holweck (Juno Reactor) & Michio Baba decided to collaborate and made a track together. After getting back to Europe, Guillaume Thevenin, Florian Seriot & Loic Vanpoucke joined the band. On a personal note, this is one of the better electronica albums out there and I find myself reaching out to this album whenever I want to relax and just chill out.

010 Seti 101 is one of the web tunes collaborating with Michio Baba - an electronic music teacher from Japan - and it's a quiet and slow start to the album.

Chilam Balam is the second web tune with Michio, and to me much more interesting than the first - again slow beginnings, but this track gradually evolves to become funky with a sharp bassline and almost a melody.

Smokemon is warmer and richer than the tunes before - a melancholy string line and slow tribal beats with swirling synths. Florien Seriot adds the Toires sound

The Blooming is a bit more 'classic' in the sense that it follows a tried and tested chillout formula

Nadeshiko's dream has Loic Vanpoucke on board. It does sound the most 'eclipsey' of the pack - anyone who knows the chillout disc of violent relaxation will know the format. There's a sweet little melody that tries to push its way in at the end.

Runtime has a heavy bassline

Mass is my current favourite tune of this release - a loose melody leads into a slightly breaking bassline and some subtle psychedelic noising, building in intensity throughout. The melody persists, and I find this track very playable.

The album closes with 'Saute Mouton' Syndrome - a very delicate tune - almost beatless and intricately noised - perhaps good to fall asleep to !

Track Listing

* 1. 010 Seti 101
* 2. Chilam Balam
* 3. Smokemon (Chiluemon mix)
* 4. Blooming (Change mix)
* 5. Nadeshiko's Dream
* 6. Run Time
* 7. Mass
* 8. Saute Mouton Syndrome