I am not a fan of electronic music of any kind. Perhaps it's because I haven't yet sorted through the multitude of subgenres, or maybe I've simply come across too few worthy releases. In any case, after listening to the new album by German synth-goths DIORAMA, I felt an irresistible urge to revisit this collective's previous works and also try to discover some similar acts. "A Different Life" is the fifth full-length release from a project involving members of two well-known acts on the synthetic stage — DIARY OF DREAMS and FROZEN PLASMA. One of the band's key distinguishing features is the creation of a light, melancholic electronic atmosphere through bright yet unobtrusive dance beats, pleasant melodies, and deep, relaxing vocals. I warn you right away — listening intently to the music, analyzing lyrics and choruses is unnecessary and even strictly forbidden, as you will not achieve the desired effect. All you need to do is simply relax and enjoy the atmosphere while leafing through the booklet adorned with circuit boards, indicators, transistors, and multiplexers, tapping your right foot to the beat. And one more warning: to understand the true essence of DIORAMA, start your listening from the second track, as the first one, Screenface, completely breaks from the stylistic groove — dry, crackling beats with a distortion-warped voice... no thank you, that kind of DIORAMA is not to my taste. For that, minus one point, and minus another point for the evenness of the material — I'd like to hear more distinctly pronounced hits, since apart from the single Synthesize Me, nothing else comes to mind.
