Andy Hunter

Item: Exodus
Author: Olin Jenkins

Exodus

(2002)

Reviewed by Olin Jenkins

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Label Sparrow RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

ambient electronic techno

Regarding the very existence of Andy Hunter's Exodus, it may be too easy to find oneself on the defensive with such a music movement. Why? Imagine you're surrounded by many people who are dancing wildly to a pulse-pounding electronica beat, but you listen just long enough to absorb the lyrics: "who is like you?" or "I want you to radiate; your perfection permeates" or "come with me, spirit free." Okay, it's praise and worship lyrics set to electronica and trance, and why the defensive mode? Easy. Why does this music exist? In its press kit, Sparrow Records explains that this music "reach(es) into the darkness and finds hope," and that's where UK club scene DJ Andy Hunter fills a needed void, bringing, according to Hunter, us "into the presence of God." Exodus is a ground-breaking project.

For you, the listener, with a penchant for a club scene and/or trance and electronica beat who enjoys music that praises Jesus Christ, Exodus is a prerequisite; it is not an option. On the other hand, if you, the listener, cannot stand pulse-pounding dance music, stay away from this recording. As Hunter himself states, "Either you're into it or you're not." Simple, huh?

No. Don't hang up the phone so quickly. There are too many variables here. I have already noted that these lyrics are praise and worship, and they are excellent worship lyrics at that! Onward to other variables.

I'm not a fan of dance club music; however, the more I listened to Exodus, I found elements -- besides the lyrics -- that I instantly enjoy. Remember your dance favorites from World Wide Message Tribe's (now The Tribe) We Don't Get What We Deserve? That style, taken up a notch or two, is here, in "The Wonders of You." Remember Germany's Kraftwerk? Or Brian Eno? Or Deep Forest? Or Wendy Carlos? Or Enya? Or EDL? Bits and pieces of these sounds are prevalent in "Translucent," "Show," and "Angelic." Chances are that you've heard the dance tune, "Amazing" in radio airplay. The rest of the tunes from Exodus are of the high-energy caliber.

Andy Hunter has laid an excellent foundation on which to build, but there are a few elements I'd like to see polished on Exodus. The flow of the project needs tuning. It would be very tempting for the listener who wants more of a trance sound to hear the first four dance tunes and stop listening. "Show" is the first break from the immensely fast pace of this project. If Hunter would have placed "Show" or "Angelic" earlier on within Exodus, the project would have been more palatable. In short, Exodus begins and ends with highly-intense dance, sandwiching trance/electronica in the middle, which is almost predictable. I'd like to see Hunter break the rules in future projects.

I have mentioned possible influences, and Hunter would do well to broaden the scope of the sound. Too much of Exodus is keyboard oriented, which borders on boring repetition with many listenings. I would like to hear more exotic sounds such as those Deep Forest employs.

Exodus is a unique project for Christian music, for which DJ Andy Hunter is in his element. It is important to give Exodus at least one careful listen instead of hearing the first four tracks and throwing it away, thinking it's just another guy jumping on the praise and worship band wagon. There's too much good stuff happening here that demands and commands attention.

3.5 tocks