The Vitals:

Label: hyp0static sounds
Genre: Trance
Number of Tracks: 6
How to Obtain: www.cdbaby.com, iTunes

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 7.0
Programming and Arrangement: 6.8
Entertainment Quality: 6.4
Total: 6.7 – Above Average

Z's take:

the halogen ep is a jaunt into trance and breakbeat that I found myself liking considerably. But I am not sure if I am enjoying it because it reminds me of Cloud2Ground and similar groups or because it is original in itself. I do recommend it though, even if only because it leans on favorite elements in the genre.    

Production Quality - 7.0

All 6 of the songs have a high quality of production. There is a nice liquid feel to all of the tracks. None of them sound under produced, although there is an almost plastic feel to the tracks as they borrow from the typical feel and flow of the genre. The speaking samples throughout the EP are well placed and not too loud as to sound out of place. And the vocals on "Shine" are sung wonderfully without sounding forced or strained.

Programming and Arrangement - 6.8

As I said above, all of these songs are well built from a solid trance foundation, but I almost felt I was enjoying each song because of their similarity to Robert Miles or Cloud2Ground (or even 808 State in the case of "Breath of Life"). This is not a bad thing, because this EP is a warm excursion into the trance genre; however, if you want something truly original, this might not be the place to look. I found that each track dips into a different facet of the trance genre. There are some nice acid saw-tooth sounds and breakbeats on "Iaomai" and "Phenomenology", some glorious piano arrangements in "October Orange", quality vocals and space samples on "Shine", and exotic chilled elements in both "Breath of Life" and "Nee".

Entertainment Quality - 6.4

I personally enjoyed this EP quite a bit. There is a very listener-friendly vibe to the entire recording, and it remained in my iTunes even after this review (which says a lot). So, I do plan on listening occasionally. But, perhaps I am only reminded of other quality electronica artists who have originated this sound. Of the 6 tracks, I found the most originality on "Breath of Life" and "Nee". However, of all the songs, I believe "Shine" was my favorite. The vocals and the space announcer make this a great track.