The name might lead you to think that this is yet another German artist but, in fact, Munich Syndrome is the solo project of American musician David B. Roundsley. MS was born in the 80s & it's clear that this is where Roundsley's heart still belongs, his music being heavily influenced by the European synthpop/europop heroes such as Giorgio Moroder (the title makes this a prime example of an album that does exactly what it says on the cover!) &, on a more obscure note, Koto & Lazerdance with a consistently strong melodic feel that pays dividends throughout, starting with the opening 'Manifesto' which immediately impresses with its mix of vocodered voice & rhythms that resemble Kraftwerk circa Computer World (& thus the hiphop styles that that album inspired) & catchy melodies that just scream 'THIS IS REAL SYNTHPOP', something which can only ever be a cause for celebration. After this fine start the quality is maintained as a pleasing combination of voice effects & soaring synthleads make 'Dance (Ah Eeh Ya Ya Ya') another instantly exciting piece while the dreamy saxophone voice that adds an additional funky edge to 'Revenge' as well as both versions of 'Love & Dancing' (the extended version of which could well gain widespread club appeal if it were promoted in the right circles) & 'Electro Bop' which boasts some rather, er, boppy rhythms but is otherwise quite a laidback piece, testifies that Roundsley is not afraid to look outside the normal synthpop influences for inspiration which is all to the good, of course. Like the aforementioned bands, this isn't an album big on variety although the combination of appealingly gritty guitar sounds & emotive synth riffs make 'Come Out & Play (Peaks & Valleys Mix)' another worthwhile number while the almost freeform-sounding 'Space Age Bachelor Pad Music' sounds appropriately laidback & loungey. With 14 tracks on offer & a running time of well over 70 minutes as well as some excellent computer artwork, this is an all-round excellent package, making Munich Syndrome a musical infection well worth catching!

Whatever you might think of David Roundsley's music, you can't say that the titles are in any way misleading. Like the Electro Pop album (which the music here predates by up to 6 years), the potential listener is given a very clear indication of what they'll find here, namely slow, mellow, dreamy &, at times, quite romantic electronic music that, in places, resembles the sensuousness of Enigma but fortuntely avoids the cliched monks chants in favour of a smooth melodic approach that is much more appealing &, in the case of the excellent piano work that graces 'Quiet Atmosphere' & "Cathedral Interlude' (the titles, for the most part, also act as a description of the music!), shows Roundsley's musicianship to be of a very high standard. The sax voices that added a touch of class to Electro Pop again prove their worth by adding an additionally sensual edge to several tracks, most notably the instrumental 'To Whom It May Concern' & 'A Night In Paris' which is alive with Gallic flair while this style is taking to its logical conclusion during the 18-minute title track where the extended duration makes the most of the richly-textured melodics on a piece which expertly unfolds at just the right pace, creating the perfect soundtrack to a romantic evening as nothing is rushed or out of place, it's mood music of the first order that one can really get lost in. After this the addition of the 'Electro' EP brings Roundsley's more up-tempo leanings to the fore with 'Regret' showing the style that would later become his forte & while none of the remixes (of tracks that would later appear on Electro Pop) add anything startlingly new, the release as a whole gives a good demonstration of the artist's versatility & considerable musical skills.

Awesome
Well, after first hearing - i was browsing something with google all the time, and when your song has stopped, i said - great piece, what to tell more?
here:
you had used incredible original piano, background synths - where to find these? just great - this song sounds like everything i'v been past in my life, memories on good and the bad things, it's so perfect, and this vocal that comes on the end, fitts great with the mood and the rhythm. the thing that i appriciate the most in songs is the subby, and you had arrange it allso great. and nice outro, nice intro. This is a MASTER PIECE

Keep on

Respect

Ears Ring
The synth at the very beginning has these high tones that just dance in my ears and make them ring (in a good way!) Also the middle synth just has that fat, dirty tone that sounds like somebody made a mess in their pants. The production is very ethereal and spacey. A very chill, moody track, but the bass kick is very big and tight and drives the song forward with intensity. All of the pad work is very nice and only adds to the mood. All in all a very dark, housey, enjoyable jam.

Great Production!
Nice Production values are very striking immediately... There is nothing that stands out in the mix, it just creates its own psace where each sound fits seemly into the next sound...Piano is nice but the Reverb on it just makes it brilliant! Ahhh the THEME @ about 2:30 comes in & really enhances ALL that went B4!

I really like the rhythm parts...Clave is brill near the end...The Ubiquitous E Piano Part : WOW! This is like the glue that hold Infinite possibilities together! Rite from the start the EP creates a backing, rather like a pad with attack...First of all I adore the EP tonality selected (really Tasteful) and the theme played is MANTRIC within itself:

The Little break @ 1:48 is beautifully observed & the arrangement is superb...I really LOVE this and would love to feature it on our AMBIENT WORLDS...Please contact me! Great work!

PS: I could imagine another arrangement of this brilliant trk with the Theme @ 2:30 building @ 1:30 for about 30 sec...Pushing the next Theme on to 3min...Just a thought
Reviewed by:

The soft synth tones, and oceaneque samples in the intro set the mood of this track. The bass and drums then bring the song together. An eerie choir resounds in the background making the mood even more intense. The guitar parts a very well written, and add much to this track.

This song definatley sets up a great mood. For me, a night time song. Wonderful.

This song's IQ allows it to show off it's intelligence very smoothly. It's tight all around, letting you know it's alright to wake up this morning.

Love the bassline sound, nice vocoder vox as well. Kind of dark and paranoid mood which I like as well. Vocals are okay, but the strings in the chorus are very nice. And yeah, to hell with WalMart and 'thraxless crack. Very well done, top notch production and mix. Kraftwerk for '04.

Wow. this sounds like something straight outta the early 90s industrial dance clubs. these lyrics have a good socio-political influence. i dig the musical break. if wax trax is still around, you should send in a demo.
cool manipulated guitar solo

Solid arrangement with innovative, Steve Nebitz-like guitar work layered behind organic sounding synths and beats.

Sets a mysterious, action/suspense mood that permeates the entire piece. Can be listened to at any volume and still conveys a sense of pending urgency.

This song's IQ allows it to show off it's intelligence very smoothly. It's tight all around, letting you know it's alright to wake up this morning.

THe opening sexy saxophone line of this track is at first deceptive. There is a meaty bassline and funky drum programming sequence that takes over, and when it blends with that sexy sax, the deal is sealed... for your ears, that is. This song is excellent and has a playful flavor that reminds you of sweaty city nights and alleyways that the beautiful people slide through at night. I like the mood i get from this song, it's an original feel and mood that takes me to an interesting place internally. Nice Song!