ALEX GOLD REVIEWS

www.drownedinsound.com May
Dom Gourlay
...Among its eleven tracks is the pulsating 'LA Today', which features the vocal talents of Phil Oakey of The Human League. Initially set for a fully fledged release prior to Alex's accident, 'LA Today' is a brooding synth-pop number that seemingly pre-dates the likes of Fischerspooner by several months, meaning that it was quite possibly the first Euro-friendly electroclash record...

www.popmatters.com September 2005 new
Tim O'Neil
...Perhaps globe-trotting DJs like Gold should take time off more often, because I'll be damned if Backfromabreak doesn't sound exceedingly fresh. A presence in electronic music for over 10 years (as proprietor of the Xstravaganza label in addition to collaborations with Prince, Chuck D and, uh, Bryan Adams), this album is a significant step away from Gold's previous progressive/trance sound. The record swerves in and out of electronic music history, reflecting a wide variety of the most popular sounds of the last decade while retaining a distinctly appealing and atmospheric production style…

...The album's climax comes on "LA Today", featuring vocals by synthpop mainstay Phil Oakey (vocalist for the Human League). It's an interesting piece, contrasting Oakey's distinctive voice with a peak-hour pop-trance sound. I enjoyed this track despite reservations. I usually dislike these kind of obvious anthems, but Oakey's compelling and welcome presence managed to overcome my dislike of the genre..

...Despite the fact that Backfromabreak is occasionally derivative and sometimes edges to close to big-room cheese-trance for my comfort, I still found myself impressed with the record. There's a lot to like here, and despite the stylistic mélange, Gold's well-heeled, cosmopolitan production manages to pull it together well. Gold doesn't have a particularly distinctive voice as a songwriter, but he does have enough ingenuity and enthusiasm to cover a multitude of sins.