AMG Review of Stargazer EP

Jason Birchmeier
All Music Guide

Though originally released on Fragrant in 1998, "Stargazer" became such an anthem among the trance community that City of Angels -- known best for their success with Crystal Method -- finally licensed the track and packaged it as a CD-EP with an unnecessary amount of remixes, hoping to reach a crossover crowd of consumers without turntables. The original version of the track attained such popularity for its tremendous build and the resulting explosion. Following a strange lull where the beats drop out, leaving only a strange melody and what sounds like an ultra-synthesized human scream, a fast-moving acid riff drives the song towards its fiery summit, where the galloping bass beats return, inspiring a hands-in-the-air ride through the remainder of the up-tempo track. The countless remixes don't really add anything to the proven effectiveness of the original version and usually just detract from what makes the original version so successful. Thankfully, though, the inclusion of "Cosmic Dancer" does remind listeners that Deepsky isn't merely the one-hit wonder that this EP will have you believe. Still, this release simply takes the proven appeal of the title track too far, resulting in gluttony.