Fight or Flight
Artist: Antidote
Label: N*Soul Records
Time: 10 Tracks/ 72:16 minutes
What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. This includes
the husband and wife duo, that make up Antidote. Jorge and Leigh Goyco
are from Austin Texas, and their one mission is to witness through music
covering many dance scene genres, ranging from house music and drum and
bass/jungle, to trip-hop, and a touch of trance.
Whereas most Christian techno artists leave such things up to the
listener, Antidote has said in the past that they like their music to include
a message, and they are not the type of artists who would leave it out
merely so DJ's will spin their records. Fight or Flight refers to
the Lord constantly, and never leaves you wondering whether or not it's
for His glory.
Of the ten tracks, only three of them bear lyrics. Overall, the
well written God-centered lyrics cover life struggles, carrying the Word
with you, and John the Baptist's theme of decreasing that He might increase.
Unfortunately Leigh Goyco's voice can sound flat as it does on "Decrease."
Originally from the N-Soul's Future Sounds of Faith compilation,
the remixed version of "Debris" over-loops a straight house beat over the
original track. Although the song is now more dance-floor friendly, it
doesn't sound as good as the original. The new version has lost that dark,
disconnected feeling of the first one. The other lyrical song, "Everywhere
I Go," is reminiscent of Daft Punk, a European duo who play funky house
with dark overtones. But Leigh Goyco's voice is so soft that she appears
to be too shy behind the microphone.
The album's strongest point is the rave element. This isn't the
normal radio dance music--this is underground, battle-breaking rave. There
are many similarities, however, between Antidote songs and those from the
mainstream. None of these songs are direct copies, but you can clearly
hear the influence of big league dance scene performers like Josh Wink,
Daft Punk, Tricky, and Aphrodite. Despite the obvious comparisons, Antidote
delivers well done music that is totally dance floor friendly for ravers.
The music isn't too progressive, but it builds enough to entice the dancers.
Most of the album's upbeat songs are typical of dark jungle sounds. There
is even a slow trip-hop song, "Always," for those who like that Brit style
of music. All the tracks
are well layered with musical depth, but the length and repetition
may annoy those not accustomed to techno.
I liked "Deprogram" the best. It's a dark song that uses repetition
effectively. Building on a good breakbeat and the same foghorn sound, the
whole song switches emphasis from melody to drums. Adding a background
symphony, the result creates a compelling touch of sadness and reminds
you to "spend time with God." Another good track, "Fuego Que No Quema,"
uses horns, a flute, distorted bass, and a half-step beat (that is good
for battling) to create a sort of Caribbean tech-step song. And it also
has a sound bit that encourages the listener spiritually.
Fight of Flight really is an up-to-date album, quite unlike
other sanctified dance albums. It seems that Antidote is all caught up
on their Rave 101 homework. If you are a poisoned raver, then you need
this Antidote, but if you are not pro-techno then this is not for you.
As a fan of electronic music, however, this album is not only recommended--Antidote
truly has the cure for what ails you.
Justin W. Jones (6/15/99)
