SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 6:19 Min.
For his 1996 dance-electronica album, Dreamland, composer-musician Robert Cocina (aka Robert Miles) performs this instrumental (Track # 10) in an expansion of its radio form. The track’s intro combines electronica with what faintly sounds like chirping seagulls.
Notes: The four-minute radio version of “Children” appears on the compilation album, Ultimate Dance Party 1997, Volume 1. Yet, the closest approximation on Dreamland to the radio version is Track # 1’s expanded ‘dream’ variant (running time of 7:04).
REVIEW:
Building up slower to a consistent beat, this interpretation of “Children” has a completely different tone. By the album’s high-energy standards, it’s actually one of Dreamland’s few subdued tunes. The melody is fine … but, with a six-plus minute running time, this track may grow tiresome. Specifically, Miles just repeats the same beats over and over, with occasional sound effects thrown in for good measure. Though it’s longer, Track # 1’s ‘dream’ variant, which is straight-up electronica/dance, is a far better bet for an adrenaline-pumping workout playlist. The unimaginative “Children (Original Version)” could be used for aerobic workouts, too, but it’s probably best-utilized for a winding-down stretch.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
