Anno 2006 many homestudios have evolved into modern production walhallas that can compete with commercial studios. The big difference is that the owner of a homestudio doesn't have to make a living from it and can be totally dedicated to producing their own music. This is a position that many top artists can only dream of : working for maybe years in a professional studio without someone else hovrering over you, craning over your shoulder, looking at their watch and grimacing at their wallet. And so in March 2006 we are suddenly confronted with the debut album "CONNECT ME" from Alan Lauris of Utrecht in the Netherlands; a production that took so much time, so many production techniques and such dedication that the listener will astonishingly ask themself why they have never heard of this man before. One of the striking things are the references to the Pet Shop Boys, in the music, as well as in the voice of Alan Lauris (CONNECT ME, DUTCH CITIES, DOWNLOADED). These Pop songs alternate very strong singer-songwriter material; HOW YOU'RE ABLE TO SMILE comes closer to Burt Bacharach's classic RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD. When we listen to STOOD OVER THERE or QUESTIONS IN THE AIR, comparisons with Gilbert O'Sullivan and Randy Newman come to mind. The modest SPRING WILL COME won Alan Lauris and lyricist John Coughlan an Honor Award in the popular 2004 Great American Song Contest. If there's one album that proves that homestudios can produce "real music" then it's "CONNECT ME" from Alan Lauris. He uses the most modern techniques for his arrangements and compositions, but doesn't let it rule the music for a second. Loops and sequences are very carefully constructed; man over machine in the best tradition begun by Kraftwerk and continued in the tracks (WE WON'T BE TOLD, NEW PERSPECTIVES).