Mammoth Records: Cat. # MR 118-2
Released 1995 (1993 in the UK)
Track List:
1. Prana (7:24)
2. Gulf Breeze (6:33)
3. Kalika (6:50)
4. Splitting World (8:44)
5. Kinetic Flow (6:44)
6. Forgotten Rites (8:13)
7. Abduction (8:00)
8. Intruder (6:11)
9. Xenomorph (6:32)
10. Inner Peace (6:08)
(2010 Update:
Another thing I wanted to do for TranceCritic to differentiate the website from all the other trance sites of the time was ample coverage of older releases, specifically from the genre's infancy. Browsing through several forums of the time, I was quite dismayed by the utter lack of knowledge regarding the genre's history. It seems things have managed to turn around in recent years, as there's more looking back going on now than there ever was in 2004. Not that I'm saying TC was responsible for the shift, but hey, at least I can claim to be ahead of the curve, right? Er, maybe if I'd written a better review for this.)
IN BRIEF: It's Eat Static... before the aliens abducted them.
Longtime mainstays in the psy trance scene, Eat Static (Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler of Ozric Tentacles) may have become associated with all things alien but their music wasn't always so. In fact, some of their earliest work was more in vein with what much of the initial goa tunes thematically tried to capture, namely the vibe of outdoor dance parties and tribal gatherings. It wasn't long before the extra-terrestrial soundscapes of trance music had an influence, though, and Abduction seems like as fitting a title for this debut as it gets.
How so? Let's dive into this release and I'll show you.
Granted, the opener on this release, Prana, has its fair share of sci-fi bleeps, samples, and effects. However, for most of its duration the emphasis is placed more on the rhythm as acid and subtle electronic sounds meander throughout. Don't go looking for any clear-cut leads in this song; you won't find them. Instead, just let the rhythm take hold and bob your head or feet along.
Gulf Breeze may have gained fame more due to Sasha's remix of the track but the original here is worth a look as well. Starting quite deep with thick, grumbling bass and pulsing electronic effects, various melodies come and go throughout. Some, like arpeggiating sounds and mechanical pads, come off quite interesting. Others, like chanting samples, come across as a bit redundant. Still, the good outweigh the bad here.
Keeping things still on Earth is Kalika, a track which easily exemplifies goa trance. Plenty of Indian sounds, both percussive and melodic, are used throughout and easily conjure up images of beach parties held in Goa under the stars. Compared to the last two tracks, this one is quite mellow. Sure, there is still some speed to it but the rhythm doesn't dominate quite as much, allowing the sounds of India to let the mind wander.
With Splitting World, we get to hear Eat Static's real strength at work. Always more of a live act, Joie and Merv have a tendency to embellish with numerous patches throughout their songs. The former tracks already presented on this release used this to some degree but with fewer patches so you'd hear familiar sounds coming and going. Splitting World has all sorts running through it, keeping things shifting and unpredictable.
For instance, after four minutes of leisurely rhythms and stuttering native chants, the song changes gears into a breakbeat with mechanical sounds and synths. Former and latter patches switch up and intermesh for the rest of the track as even more elements come and go. Much like jazz or prog rock, this embellishing is amazingly coherent. Great stuff.
However, throughout this whole album, the alien influences that Eat Static is known for still have yet to surface. Kinetic Flow gets a little more spacey with bright electronic sounds and effects fluttering about in a rather light-hearted track but it remains somewhat insubstantial. What follows, however, is dripping with imagery.
Oh, not aliens. Forgotten Rites instead takes us back to the beginning -that is, the beginning of humanity's association with dance. This is overflowing with primal energy. Starting with eerie effects as organic percussion is progressively added, the tension is gradually built for three minutes before the main kick hits. For the next two minutes we are treated to some fierce tribal rhythms as dark sounds weave about, conjuring up shaman bonfires at twilight.
But all this is just building us to the heart and glory of this track: a bright, sputtering synth that tickles at your consciousness as your feet keep moving to the heavy rhythms. You want to know how trance got its name? This track is a perfect example. Once everything comes together for a rousing finish, you are absolutely enraptured by the sounds on display here.
Forgotten Rites is probably the most human sounding track on this release, so it makes a great deal of sense to follow it up with the aptly titled Abduction. It is here that the aliens of Eat Static finally make their presence felt. After a lengthy intro of creepy starship sounds, we are treated to a bit of a mellow excursion of bizarre noises and peculiar effects. There are some melodic moments thrown in for good measure as well but this is mostly a chance for Joie and Merv to musically indulge with quirky sounds.
Having let the aliens snatch them from Earth, Eat Static take us into the cosmos with Intruder. Spacey synth pads soar in a minute long intro, eventually fading back as arpeggiating electronic effects and acidy, tribal rhythms take over. During a brief pause in the momentum of this track, we are treated to some mechanical sounds and spoken samples -one repeatedly utters, "Consciousness expanding." When the synth pads return to the fray, I'm inclined to agree.
Xenomorph is quite a bizarre sounding track, much in line with Eat Static's later works as they experimented with futuristic noises to make stomping dance music. Letting their alien influences completely dominate here, there is nothing human to this track at all. It can come off very disconcerting after so many tracks of ground based rhythms and melodies. That's not to say this is a bad track; in fact, it's quite a remarkable piece of work to behold considering all the unusual patches in effect here. Just be prepared for something very different than what you've heard thus far on Abduction.
To finish off the album, Inner Peace brings us back to the more familiar tribal gatherings that we bore witness to in the first half of this album. For the most part, this is a very straightforward track, with ethnic samples alternating between benign electronic sounds and string pads. While decent enough, compared to much of what's come on this album already, Inner Peace comes off as very simplistic; perhaps not the best way to end an album on as it kind of leaves you wanting for a bit more.
But for that, you'll have to seek out Eat Static's subsequent releases, as we've come to the end of Abduction. Overall, it is an enjoyable listen provided you don't come looking for aliens aplenty. While making brief appearances here and there, they tend to be lurking in the shadows of this album, lightly influencing the sounds while we mere humans have fun dancing under the stars to our own tribal sounds.
What a chilling thought.
Score: 8/10
ACE TRACKS:
Splitting World
Forgotten Rites
Intruder
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
Released 1995 (1993 in the UK)
Track List:
1. Prana (7:24)
2. Gulf Breeze (6:33)
3. Kalika (6:50)
4. Splitting World (8:44)
5. Kinetic Flow (6:44)
6. Forgotten Rites (8:13)
7. Abduction (8:00)
8. Intruder (6:11)
9. Xenomorph (6:32)
10. Inner Peace (6:08)
(2010 Update:
Another thing I wanted to do for TranceCritic to differentiate the website from all the other trance sites of the time was ample coverage of older releases, specifically from the genre's infancy. Browsing through several forums of the time, I was quite dismayed by the utter lack of knowledge regarding the genre's history. It seems things have managed to turn around in recent years, as there's more looking back going on now than there ever was in 2004. Not that I'm saying TC was responsible for the shift, but hey, at least I can claim to be ahead of the curve, right? Er, maybe if I'd written a better review for this.)
IN BRIEF: It's Eat Static... before the aliens abducted them.
Longtime mainstays in the psy trance scene, Eat Static (Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler of Ozric Tentacles) may have become associated with all things alien but their music wasn't always so. In fact, some of their earliest work was more in vein with what much of the initial goa tunes thematically tried to capture, namely the vibe of outdoor dance parties and tribal gatherings. It wasn't long before the extra-terrestrial soundscapes of trance music had an influence, though, and Abduction seems like as fitting a title for this debut as it gets.
How so? Let's dive into this release and I'll show you.
Granted, the opener on this release, Prana, has its fair share of sci-fi bleeps, samples, and effects. However, for most of its duration the emphasis is placed more on the rhythm as acid and subtle electronic sounds meander throughout. Don't go looking for any clear-cut leads in this song; you won't find them. Instead, just let the rhythm take hold and bob your head or feet along.
Gulf Breeze may have gained fame more due to Sasha's remix of the track but the original here is worth a look as well. Starting quite deep with thick, grumbling bass and pulsing electronic effects, various melodies come and go throughout. Some, like arpeggiating sounds and mechanical pads, come off quite interesting. Others, like chanting samples, come across as a bit redundant. Still, the good outweigh the bad here.
Keeping things still on Earth is Kalika, a track which easily exemplifies goa trance. Plenty of Indian sounds, both percussive and melodic, are used throughout and easily conjure up images of beach parties held in Goa under the stars. Compared to the last two tracks, this one is quite mellow. Sure, there is still some speed to it but the rhythm doesn't dominate quite as much, allowing the sounds of India to let the mind wander.
With Splitting World, we get to hear Eat Static's real strength at work. Always more of a live act, Joie and Merv have a tendency to embellish with numerous patches throughout their songs. The former tracks already presented on this release used this to some degree but with fewer patches so you'd hear familiar sounds coming and going. Splitting World has all sorts running through it, keeping things shifting and unpredictable.
For instance, after four minutes of leisurely rhythms and stuttering native chants, the song changes gears into a breakbeat with mechanical sounds and synths. Former and latter patches switch up and intermesh for the rest of the track as even more elements come and go. Much like jazz or prog rock, this embellishing is amazingly coherent. Great stuff.
However, throughout this whole album, the alien influences that Eat Static is known for still have yet to surface. Kinetic Flow gets a little more spacey with bright electronic sounds and effects fluttering about in a rather light-hearted track but it remains somewhat insubstantial. What follows, however, is dripping with imagery.
Oh, not aliens. Forgotten Rites instead takes us back to the beginning -that is, the beginning of humanity's association with dance. This is overflowing with primal energy. Starting with eerie effects as organic percussion is progressively added, the tension is gradually built for three minutes before the main kick hits. For the next two minutes we are treated to some fierce tribal rhythms as dark sounds weave about, conjuring up shaman bonfires at twilight.
But all this is just building us to the heart and glory of this track: a bright, sputtering synth that tickles at your consciousness as your feet keep moving to the heavy rhythms. You want to know how trance got its name? This track is a perfect example. Once everything comes together for a rousing finish, you are absolutely enraptured by the sounds on display here.
Forgotten Rites is probably the most human sounding track on this release, so it makes a great deal of sense to follow it up with the aptly titled Abduction. It is here that the aliens of Eat Static finally make their presence felt. After a lengthy intro of creepy starship sounds, we are treated to a bit of a mellow excursion of bizarre noises and peculiar effects. There are some melodic moments thrown in for good measure as well but this is mostly a chance for Joie and Merv to musically indulge with quirky sounds.
Having let the aliens snatch them from Earth, Eat Static take us into the cosmos with Intruder. Spacey synth pads soar in a minute long intro, eventually fading back as arpeggiating electronic effects and acidy, tribal rhythms take over. During a brief pause in the momentum of this track, we are treated to some mechanical sounds and spoken samples -one repeatedly utters, "Consciousness expanding." When the synth pads return to the fray, I'm inclined to agree.
Xenomorph is quite a bizarre sounding track, much in line with Eat Static's later works as they experimented with futuristic noises to make stomping dance music. Letting their alien influences completely dominate here, there is nothing human to this track at all. It can come off very disconcerting after so many tracks of ground based rhythms and melodies. That's not to say this is a bad track; in fact, it's quite a remarkable piece of work to behold considering all the unusual patches in effect here. Just be prepared for something very different than what you've heard thus far on Abduction.
To finish off the album, Inner Peace brings us back to the more familiar tribal gatherings that we bore witness to in the first half of this album. For the most part, this is a very straightforward track, with ethnic samples alternating between benign electronic sounds and string pads. While decent enough, compared to much of what's come on this album already, Inner Peace comes off as very simplistic; perhaps not the best way to end an album on as it kind of leaves you wanting for a bit more.
But for that, you'll have to seek out Eat Static's subsequent releases, as we've come to the end of Abduction. Overall, it is an enjoyable listen provided you don't come looking for aliens aplenty. While making brief appearances here and there, they tend to be lurking in the shadows of this album, lightly influencing the sounds while we mere humans have fun dancing under the stars to our own tribal sounds.
What a chilling thought.
Score: 8/10
ACE TRACKS:
Splitting World
Forgotten Rites
Intruder
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment