Within A Second

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Phenotract was created by NJ native Eric Shans in 1999 and has not stopped evolving. Eric has also played live keys for Metropolis recording artist Cesium 137 for several years, which led to C137 mastermind Isaac Glendening helping Eric produce and shape "Within A Second."

Album Description
Exploring the Unknown with an adventurous technological sensibility, striking sparks and fanning flames, fusing cold hard tech and human warmth... "Within A Second." Phenotract uses a myriad of anthemic hooks, funky, oddly house-like beats, atmospheric moods, breathy, otherworldly vocals and imaginative electro sounds and structures to create a debut album remarkable for it's individuality without sacrificing accessibility. "Within A Second" is the debut album of Phenotract: a means of experimenting with electronic sounds, textures and rhythms geared for the progressive dancefloor and mind. Drawing inspiration from classic electro and ebm, house and hard trance, Phenotract strives quite successfully to meld these potentially disparate styles into a seamless whole.

Tracks:

Bottle Of Sunshine
Bluebird
School
Woo-Woo
Milkshake!
Boom, Boom
ABC Of Me
Space Song
Book Of Dreams
Jump
Smile
MS R&R
Rainy Day
One Wish
Sleepytown

Amazon.com

Milkshake, the duo of Lisa Mathews and Mikel Gehl (alums of the pop/rock act Love Riot), pours heart and soul into Bottle of Sunshine, and kids ages one to six will slurp it up the same way they did Happy Songs, Milkshake's harmony-thick debut. Mathews's pleasant voice (reminiscent of Cowboy Junkies's Margo Timmons' in its sleepy, drifty, peacefulness), and a light acoustic touch earns this act a spot in the cool kids' musicians category. Parents will love Sunshine for its pared-down folk/rock sound, and kids will appreciate a lack of shyness when it comes to getting silly. For parents, some children's records make the drone of a blender seem a preferable listening experience. In the span of two super-smooth discs, Milkshake manages to reverse all that. --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description

Well, true to the phrase "Good things take time," two years after the release of our 2002 debut CD Happy Songs, we present Bottle Of Sunshine. The disc offers fifteen brand new Milkshake originals the whole family can groove to. You'll also find lots of variety here, although most of the songs still live in the rock genre. We recorded "ABC Of Me" live in the studio with a jazz combo. It's a new take on the Alphabet Song, and each letter stands for some quality or thing that reminds us of how great we are, and how wonderful childhood is. "Boom Boom" turned into a country rock song as we added fiddle and banjo and a "yee-haa". There's a doo-wop tinged song about having fun in the water called "Woo-Woo." There are some totally acoustic songs ("Bluebird" and "Milkshake!") and some very electrified, all-out rock songs ("School" and "Space Song"). But every song is memorable. And each one was great fun to record.

British children's author/illustrator Alexis Deacon created the cover art for Bottle of Sunshine, along with illustrations for the 16-page booklet accompanying the CD. Please look for his wonderful children's books "Slow Loris" and "Beegu," both published by Kane Publishers, NY.

Bottle of Sunshine also contains a bonus: three Milkshake music videos of songs from Happy Songs. Two of these, "Fingers & Toes" and "Tall", are fully animated. The third, "Happy Song", is a live action video with some animation sprinkled here and there.