"TRANCE" is an exploration of the battle between the self we present to the world and the self we hide from ourselves. The album feels like an exercise in openness and taking those new risks, from the opening notes of “GOOD TIME” to the ghostly end of “THE LOST ONE.” Quintor’s way of making things reflects this dichotomy, it’s instinctual, spur-of-the-moment, and rough. Recorded mostly in his car, each single sounded spontaneous and in-the-moment, an organic yet ethereal listen.
The album resists being confined with its exploding-with-kinetic-energy tracks, “PARTY” and “CLUB,” are balanced out by the reflective, spaced-out moments (“LONELY NIGHTS” and “OCEAN”) that channel introspection and emotional complexity. Quintor’s dexterity at shifting moods on a dime ensures that no two songs sound the same, but they all tell one story of self-realization. “DREAM,” “ETHEREAL SKY,” and “NOTHING FEELS REAL” are the psychedelic side of his vision, wrapping the listener in thick, enveloping sound worlds that stick around long after the music ends.
The songs that confront darkness and disconnection head-on are every bit as powerful. “FABRICATED FICTION” and “NIGHTMARE (CAN’T WAKE UP)” confront the horrors of being alone and emotionally numb with devastating honesty. On the other side of “FIND SOMEONE LIKE YOU” and “BEAUTIFUL THING,” though, listeners would have heard a more tender human sense to attach them to the album. On both the production side and in the lyrics, Quintor shows incredible control in producing something that feels at once intimate and universal.
With "TRANCE," Mike Quintor cements his status as a visionary in the psychedelic hip-hop realm. The beats, the verses, and even the sound textures behind each one of them verify that he’s not scared to confront his demons, and concerts have surged in joining him on the ride! The album is a testament to instinct and emotion, and the stamp of individuality. It’s a piece that can’t help but demand attention and sticks in the minds of anyone who listens.
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