ECHO IMAGE COMPUPHONIC ALBUM A DIFFERENT DRUM, BLOODLINE RELEASE: MARCH, 2001 (USA), APRIL 23 (GERMANY) REVIEW: APRIL 8, 2001

I come up empty handed every time I scan "Compuphonic" for flaws. You'd think that disc with thirteen tracks (one of which is hidden), would suffer from some form of minor error in judgement or miss calculation. I have already revealed my Echo Image obsession with the review of the "Need to Be Proud" single and if anything, it has deepened in meaning as a result of this, their debut album.
"Compuphonic" is a coherent, yet impressively diverse number of synthpop perfection travelling along the edges of dance and techno, balancing them nicely. Now, you know as well as I do that the lack of vocal strength is apparent in many synthpop productions, but Echo Image singer Pål Magnus Rybom caresses us with silky smooth vocals, with near perfect pronunciation as well.
The songs themselves are all top material and no track deserves to be mentioned exclusively. Modern elements are integrated in a magnificent Norwegian mesh of dance-friendly synthetic pop, making me bounce off the walls in hysterical rapture. Lyrics about lost and found love may be common to the genre, but Echo Image's fresh, talented song writing has become a lost art in synthpop generally.
I'm impressed, I'm very impressed.

NIKLAS FORSBERG