Throwback Thursday #3: Dune, "Expedicion"

Happy Hardcore may be a lost art in this day and age, but that doesn't stop the classics from maintaining their status. As the genre of pure fun, unbounded by speed limits, synth styles, or having to be actually good(!), happy hardcore spins off hundreds of artists and albums across two decades. With "Expedicion" releasing in 1996, it was riding the wave that brought happy hardcore to the mainstream charts in a number of countries, most notably Germany, and paved the way for Eurodance to take over the world (well... sort of). "Expedicion" is definitely a product of it's time, from the title that seems to desperately want to be Spanish, as well as the dusty-looking cover that seems incongruous when paired with the unapologetically cheesy tunes inside.

The music itself shows its age as well, with the jaunty synths serving as an obvious reminder of the era of its production. This isn't to say that it's bad, of course - if it was, it would hardly merit an article! "Million Miles From Home," the album's lead single, is certainly still the best track on offer here, with its imaginative vocals accompanied by exactly the pounding bass that you'd expect from something marketed as "hardcore." Even if the rest of the album doesn't appeal, it's so old now that the CD is worth buying just for that track alone - and if you like it, you're sure to get mileage out of "Expedicion" (the track) and "Rainbow to the Stars" as well. The instrumental tracks, sadly, are much weaker, and generally just feel like they're missing the vocals that made the singles so entertaining. "Expedicion" (album again!) definitely feels at times like a pop record, and perhaps should be treated as such, but some of the weirdness on offer in the more hardcore-leaning tracks makes this harder to do. In fact, overall, it would be fairly difficult to call "Expedicion" a truly good album overall. There's a lot of filler given that there are only 11 tracks in the first place, and finding an audience to enjoy every track would be difficult. Nonetheless, it's definitely worth listening to the singles, as they're hugely enjoyable as something very different to the pop music of today. You won't find Ariana Grande or Sam Smith singing over acid lines or 190bpm drum tracks, nor will you find lyrics as silly or innocent as Dune's in the current charts. In the end, then, it's hard not to recommend "Expedicion," even if it's just for the singles. Like I said, it's phenomenally cheap to pick up now, making it even harder to say no.