GEOFFREY DOWNES & NEW DANCE ORCHESTRA: ELECTRONICA

Geoffrey Downes has to date released four full-length albums under the name "New Dance Orchestra". These four albums are rather different from each other. The best of the four is by far the 1986 debut The Light Program, an all-instrumental, keyboard-driven symphony in five parts. The second best New Dance Orchestra album is 1999's The World Service, likewise an all-instrumental work. 1992's Vox Humana was more of a song-based album with various guests singing lead on different tracks. This brings us to the present album, released in 2010, entitled Electronica. Comparing this to the previous three New Dance Orchestra albums, the most similar is Vox Humana in virtue of this being a song-based, vocally driven album.

The vocals on all 12 songs are handled by Anne-Marie Helder who has a fine voice. Downes himself stands for keyboards and programming. There are no other musicians involved and there are no real drums on this album and neither is there bass, guitar, or any other instruments. The songs are not poor as such, it is just that this is not the kind of music that I want Geoff Downes to make. Electronica is 100% pure electronic Pop music with absolutely nothing progressive about it. As such, it bears no relation whatsoever to Geoff's previous solo albums or to his day jobs in Yes, Asia or even The Buggles.

Best avoided!

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