Back To Life

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These German techno stars were burning up the European club circuit during the release of Back to Life. Prezioso's thick, shimmering synth lines bring to mind the early-'90s rave anthems of L.A. Style and Moby, while the singing (from collaborator Marvin) is reminiscent of Orchestral Manoeuvres

in the Dark. Most of the best material relies on samples instead of Marvin's voice, if only because Prezioso seems to put more effort into making these songs dance-friendly. These tracks include the relentless and infectious "Rock the Discothek," the goofy but fun "Emergency 911," and even the '80s sample-fest "Gimme a Beat." Although the tracks are blatantly gimmicky, it takes nothing away from the fun factor. The vocal tracks are less dependable — for every song like the lush "Back to Life," there's a miserable fluff track like "Goodbye Girl" waiting around the corner. The problem with these tracks is that the music seems to drop out and take a back seat to the vocal line, leaving the empty lyrics to try staying afloat on nothing more than a simple bassline or a generic beat. If more attention had been given to making every song as lush and full as the instrumentals, Prezioso would have made a great old-school techno album. As it stands, Back to Life is simply a decent dance album with a few standout tracks amidst the filler.