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08/03 The Other Side Of Words is charting in the top 100 radio charts!
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All Music Guide
Never let it be said
that Delvian Records was neglecting Kyle Swager in 2003. April 2003 found the California label reissuing Swager's Rise to the Sun album and putting out a new recording titled The Other Side of Words—then, in June
2003, Delvian reissued the Swager disc Into the Blue. This CD, like The Other Side of Words, offers ambient electronica with a rock edge—the sort of rock edge one acquires by listening to the polished, sophisticated
sounds of Pink Floyd, Dead Can Dance and Peter Gabriel. Of course, there are those in the punk field who would argue that rock should never be polished or sophisticated—that rock was meant to be raw, basic and
primal. But truth be told, rock should accommodate a variety of approaches—and the same goes for electronica, which can be anything from the harshest, most abrasive and forceful of techno to the most laid back
chillout music. Clearly, Into the Blue represents the more reflective side of electronica, and that approach serves Swager well on mysterious, intriguing tracks like "Back in Front" and
"Purified". One of the CD's most interesting tunes is "Techno Blues," which finds Swager using his synthesizers to get the sound of an electric slide guitar; the end result is an unlikely mixture
of electronica and blues-rock that hints at what Canned Heat and John Lee Hooker might have sounded like in a high-tech environment. Meanwhile, the dusky title track contains a guitar-like sound that brings to mind
guitarist Ernie Isley (of Isley Brothers fame). John Lee Hooker, the Isley Brothers, Pink Floyd—these aren't names that one ordinarily reads in an electronica review. But they're names that easily come to mind when
one is playing Into the Blue, which is arguably the best album that Swager provided in the early 2000s. — Alex Henderson
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SWAGER SWAGGERS & SHIMMERS
Kyle Swager is one of the most subversive instrumental artists on the scene. His two
albums, The Other Side of Words, and Into the Blue, are deceptively simple on the surface: mid-tempo electronic rock with swirling textures and big guitar chords. Nice stuff, perhaps like some of Tubular Bells. But
when you just let yourself float away with his sounds, you become aware of all kinds of counter rhythms, pulsating harmonics, and subtle electronic flourishes that take these albums to a higher level of enjoyment.
Immedia Wire Service
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THE OTHER SIDE OF WORDS is a solid set of lushly produced guitar-driven songs with an innocent sophistication that immediately brings to mind Peter Gabriel, Dead Can Dance, and the smooth side of Pink Floyd. THE
OTHER SIDE OF WORDS marks a return in music to a level of sophistication that all but disappeared in the 1990's.Meticulous crafting, beguiling rhythms, and a superb consistency mark
this third album from Kyle Swager, Delvian Record's latest addition to the group of electrifying artists on the label. Rewarding, eminently listenable, and truly pleasing to any listener, this album will be a quiet sledgehammer in the coming breakdown of music that cannot stand the test of repeated listenings. THE OTHER SIDE OF WORDS has many sides to offer, but consider just one: IN THE SOUL (IN THE MIND), which is a new, fresh side of the beautiful moon than Pink Floyd so deeply explored. — Alex Henderson
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Chris Spector
Midwest Record Recap
KYLE SWAGER/Other Side of Words: Guitar pop on the trance/drone side that
has a lot of craftsmanship flowing through it's vein. A passionate work
that didn't come form heat of passion, Swager leads you along rather than
bludgeons you with his vision. Tasteful and tasty, those that like it along
the sensitive side with some subversive bite will have a nice left field
find here.
1250
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