If the future of dance music is to be as experimental and out-there as possible, Antidote has the future in hand. Describing themselves as "electronic/dance/trip-hop/funky/acid/trance," Antidote presents their full-length debut, What Mountain?, to mixed results. Sometimes it's amazingly cool, but sometimes it's so experimental that one can get confused or bored and wander off elsewhere. Also in question is whether you can actually dance to most of it. Then again, I may not be an experienced-enough raver to understand Antidote, for their ministry is directly to the rave scene, both to dancers and fellow artists, and they ably speak the language.
Antidote is Jorge and Leigh Goyco, a husband and wife team who kicked off their journey by landing a track on N-Soul's first Eclectica compilation ("Debris," which is also on this album). It was enough to get them signed, and What Mountain? is the result. They strive to put together trip-hop, trance, and electronic experimentation with Leigh's wavering, ethereal vocals for a curious product. It's hard to describe, really, because it defies classification.
Some tracks are quite rave-like, such as "Debris," while you can detect the trip-hop in others ("Mega Ultra," "Love"). Antidote planned to have about five vocal tracks pattered after Björk or Portishead and four primarily instrumental tracks similar to Crystal Method, Orbital, and Prodigy. The end result is pretty close to that plan, although peculiar in some aspects. "All The Time" has some fascinating drum patterns that make it tough to dance to, but well worth a good listen for the sheer technical appreciation of Jorge's skills.
The middle of the album is the vocal section, tracks 3-5, and all these tracks are very dark in texture, looming and trance-like. You can only really move your feet to "Everywhere I Go;" the other tracks made me scratch my head and then forget I was listening. Trippy and trancey, yes, but they couldn't keep my attention. Once it got back into instrumental, though, I was back. "Fizzy Drink" is probably the coolest track on the album, with a slightly dark landscape and danceable beat, plus plenty of electronic noise and effects to make it interesting.
The rest of the album rolls through the peculiar, experimental region of Antidote's style, but it's enjoyable and fast enough, with some vocals on "Love" proclaiming the very simple message "God is Love." I have good things to say about "Soul vs. Spirit" too, and it's not as dark or menacing as most of the album. All over What Mountain? are weird effects, sub-level bass, and differing percussion patterns that are either so cool you can't help but like it, or so out-there that you miss the point. The album is done well, produced well, and there's nothing really wrong with it, but you've got to really like and appreciate rave and experimental electronic music to like Antidote.
Though there are few vocals to Antidote's creations, you'll be able to tell from the ones you hear that they're blatantly Christian, but in a way that shouldn't scare off skeptical kids in the dance scene. "Sending Me" and "Debris" are particularly good on that point, speaking about things from a decidedly Christian viewpoint without making an outsider feel unable to grasp the point. And of course, the electronic voice repeating "God is Love" ("Love") won't be misinterpreted. Leigh stays perfectly in key, which is a very good thing considering how rare a commodity good singers are these days. Antidote speaks positively, though their music is dark and different.
Again, you really have to like experimental music to like Antidote. I wasn't sure what to think after the first listen, I didn't like the vocal tracks and they didn't keep me interested. But the latter half of the album is pretty good, so I think I'll keep it for future listening pleasure. Besides experimentation, be prepared for tracks between six and eight minutes long. If you dislike the repetitive nature or trip-hop or drum-and-bass, then Antidote is not for you. If you like to try new things, appreciate rave or trip-hop, and can find good things to say about seven-minute-long songs, then What Mountain? will probably please you. Antidote has a way to go before firmly establishing themselves as a top-level Christian dance powerhouse, but I'd say they're off to a good start.
