{"product_id":"standing-on-top-of-utopia","title":"Standing on Top of Utopia","description":"Personnel: Tomas Hoffding, Louise Foo (vocals).\u003cbr\u003eAudio Mixer: Anders Schumann.\u003cbr\u003eRecording information: around the world; At Home; Ormens Studio.\u003cbr\u003ePhotographer: Anders von Greffelstejn.\u003cbr\u003eArranger: Kasper Bjorke.\u003cbr\u003eKasper Bjorke's lengthy career through 2010 had only produced one full-length album by that point, but his second proved to be something spectacular. Perhaps the strongest full-length electronic release from Denmark since Trentemoller's The Last Resort, Standing on Top of Utopia found the DJ\/producer creating not merely a solid album but a strong and surprising one. If anything, it had the sense of being the equivalent to the Lindstrom\/Prins Thomas and fellow travelers empire -- only instead of \"beardo disco\" imagining a never-never world of space rock\/disco Ibiza, Bjorke looked instead to a wired, early electro-disco that was far more Gina X than Italo disco. Steady, cold beats that often felt like carefully restrained energy from a greater source -- best heard on \"Melmac,\" taking now well-established glitch elements and matching them to a thrilling, strong rhythm -- were still shot through with a gentle calm that didn't suggest the depths so much as easily gliding through them with a calm, upbeat grace. The light synth melody on the opening \"Animals,\" the chilled tropicalia of \"Heaven,\" and the closing mood-out of \"Fasano\" all bear testimony to how well Bjorke works this balance, though the absolute winner may be \"Dasko Vanitas,\" a tense punch of a song that never fully lets go of somehow being a classic instrumental dance effort for a moody time. The inclusion of vocals at various points from fellow Danes like Louise Foo and Tomas Höffding -- as well as Jacob Bellens, whose tour de force portrayal of a slick character served as the leadoff single -- adds to the rich variety throughout a remarkable album. ~ Ned Raggett","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46229981233439,"sku":"4250382401087","price":11.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/0590242a092600bbb159c2af7ab9c8b9.jpg?v=1777887759","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/standing-on-top-of-utopia","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}