The Dust Brothers - Fight Club

Restless Records: 1999

Fight Club was an incredibly bold movie at the time, highly divisive in what audiences got out of it. Still, whether you agreed with its Gen-X rebellion manifesto or not, you couldn't deny its tight scripting and strong acting – not to mention such a shocking twist as *spoiler* Meat Loaf dying. Another positive consensus was a thumbs-up for the soundtrack, produced by studio wizards The Dust Brothers.

Simpson and King had quite the esteemed discography by the end of the '90s: Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique, Beck's Odelay, countless remixes and one-offs, plus some boy-band thing. Having accomplished so much in the field of regular ol' music, the duo must have been itching to stretch their creativity elsewhere. Enter David Fincher, a long time admirer of their work and in need of someone to score his new, edgy movie.

Regardless of fanboyism, The Dust Brothers were an excellent choice, being something of a staple of ‘90s music one way or the other. If the movie was to deconstruct that decade’s idealism, why not have the duo responsible for some of the all time classics of the era contribute as well? Plus, having an original score of electronic music was just the hip thing to do by that point. So sayeth The Lola, anyway.

Fight Club being a dark comedy and paranoid thriller (not to mention spiffy special effects showcase, like at the end when *spoiler* all the bombs go off) most of the music reflects that tone. Though a few light-hearted bits crop up (the Casio-samba of Corporate World, for instance), dark brooding passages make up the bulk of the tracks. Occasionally dusty trip-hop beats and psychedelic rock sampling break up the monotony, but for the most part we’re dealing with total score stuff.

Still, the movie had its share of pulse-pounding moments, and The Dust Brothers come correct on this front when called upon. Finding The Bomb doesn’t hold back on ramping the tension up as it plays out, while Stealing Fat has all the hallmarks of a mad capper going down. Incidentally, that track’s also where the kick-ass opening credit music lurks, which handily points out one of the unique things about this soundtrack.

Most original score albums will sequence the music as it was featured in the film, as a means of emulating the movie’s narrative. Not so with Fight Club. Bits are lumped together under titles that have little context to what was going down on screen, and the whole thing plays out more like a proper album of Dust Brothers music than a soundtrack. The duo insists it’s not be taken as such, but if they’re adamant about it, why arrange this CD this way? Label interference?

Whatever the case, Fight Club works exceptionally well as a standalone, but having visual context does add to the experience. Like when it’s revealed at the end of the movie that *spoiler*, those really were Marla’s clothes she was selling!

Various - Earth Dance

CyberOctave: 1999

A glance at that cover will undoubtedly have you thinking this is some festival tie-in, and seeing as how many smaller electronic music festivals at the turn of the century often skewed towards the hippie side of the scene, so too will the music contained within. And you'd be right, at least half so. Also featured on Earth Dance are several of the biggest names to grace the commercial side of electronic music: Fatboy Slim, Orbital, Underworld, Überzone, and Meat Beat Manifesto all provide tracks.

It'd be easy, then, to peg this compilation as yet another 'electronica' collection: big stars, a couple token drum 'n' bass tunes, etc. That's far from the case though, some serious digging occurring with these cuts. Okay, Push Upstairs and The Freaks made the rounds, but how many of you are familiar with Next To Nothing from ol' Norman Cook? Unless you happened across that limited 2-CD edition of You've Come A Long Way, Baby (or the American version of Better Living Through Chemistry), I'd wager not many. Most surprising is just how chilled-out it is, considering Cook’s popularity at the time come from big obvious beats, but then given the target audience with Earth Dance, perhaps not. In fact, the chill vibes are aplenty on this CD. Omni Trio and Dune remixing Gus Gus provide us with the jungle, and right there you know it’s gonna be on the LTJ tip. Not to be outdone, Art Of Trance’s meditative Requiem comes near the end.

And exclusives! Nowhere else will you find Meat Beat Manifesto’s Anon or Loop Guru’s Sleeping From The Bag, plus a breaks remix of the already rare Doublecross from Q-Burns Abstract Message. Not to mention Orbital’s charming Mock Tudor and Eat Static’s abrasive Elephant Man aren’t exactly high on the radar of most folks. Elsewhere, tunes from Banco de Gaia and Medicine Drum round out a solid package of music that the more adventurous of global-conscious music users out there won’t soon be disappointed with.

So what is the deal with Earth Dance anyway? Founded by Medicine Drum member Chris Deckker, it’s an annual global event where dancers join up across the Earth at different locations, its primary goal to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian efforts (and still going strong). During the course of the event, at the exact same time at each location, the track Prayer For Peace is simultaneously played, everyone joining in planetary unity for- ugh...

Sorry, I dig the intent, but that’s too corny for me. Sending out positive vibes is all well and good, but I prefer the hands-on approach to incite change and well-being for our fellow man. Donations do far more good in this world than joining hands in prayer. Fortunately, all money earned from Earth Dance goes towards charity, and hey, you get a great compilation out of the deal. It’s an old CD now, but should you happen upon it, there’s far worse ways to spend your money.

Sly & Robbie / King Tubby - Dub Reggae

Proper Records: 1999

Here we go. Nothing gets to the roots of dub music better than a compilation featuring three of the most influential tastemakers the genre has to offer. Hell, King Tubby basically invented the damn thing, after experimenting with studio mixing techniques. Story goes, in an effort to make instrumental versions of various rock-steady and reggae records stand far and apart from competing soundsystem jocks, ol' Tubbs would play multiple copies through multi-track mixers and boost the rhythmic sections, thus creating cavernous echo effects that would define dub music forever after. Of course, only four-tracks were available at the time, so what we get here sounds incredibly simple compared to the sonic roads dub music would later explore, but it is a fascinating listen nonetheless.

The King's material on this particular release comes from music provided by The Aggrovators (though not necessarily written by The Aggrovators – case in point, the No Woman No Cry Dub). A band founded by reggae legend Bunny Lee, it featured a rotating cast of several more reggae musicians, many legends in their own right. Amongst them was one Robbie Shakespear, a bassist, and Sly Dunbar, a drummer. With dub music often highlighting drums and basslines, it’s no surprise that these two would go on to great success within the genre as Sly & Robbie.

Yet, their contributions to this Dub Reggae CD isn’t quite as interesting. The messy experimentation of King Tubby’s work is part of its charm, but Sly & Robbie’s production is crisp and clear in comparison. I suppose it can’t be helped, as by the time the duo began releasing records of their own, studio mixdowns must have improved significantly compared to ol’ Tubb’s day. Say, when were these tracks released anyway? *made up sounds effects of Discogs searching*

Huh. No wonder Sly & Robbie’s tracks sound so clean-cut. This is just a re-pressing of their 1991 album Dub Rockers Delight, only the tracklist is backwards. Really, Proper Records? You couldn’t clear the rights to any of their ‘80s material? You know, the records that would have been a superior showcase of the genre’s origins? Alexander Gelfand wrote such a lovely little essay in the liner notes covering dub reggae’s history, giving the CD proper class. Finding this out, though, makes me realize Dub Reggae really was nothing but a quick cheapy release after all. Guess that’s why it was lurking in the bargain bin along with several other Absolute Best compilations featuring other odd, obscure genre music from Latin America like ‘new wave Brazil jazz’ and ‘ska’.

And frankly, aside from the historical interest, Dub Reggae’s rather dull. The cuts are short, and I can only take listening to a bare-bones echoing instrumental for so long before the aesthetic grows tiresome. It’s like listening to a Dub Remix on Side B2 over and over and over. The King Tubby tracks are worth the look, but there are undoubtedly releases out there far more comprehensive of dub music’s history than this one.

Various - Disco Dub House: Mixed By Carl Michaels

Sixeleven Records: 1999

Disco house was king in the late 90s, but for those weary of Yet Another DJ Mix With Olav Basoski On It, they had to dig into the underground for their fix. Enter the realm of dubby filtered house. Mostly a marriage of Chicago and San Francisco deep vibes, it wasn’t so much a celebration of production, but of DJs working their filter knobs within the mix. Shortly after, the French took notice and incorporated the same tricks within the tracks themselves to great commercial success (more on that in the next review!), but for a while sets of this sort was primarily enjoyed by rooftop shufflers.

It certainly strikes the right chord for folks of chic taste. All the vibrant bounce of disco, but held just back so you don’t spill your drink. Disco Dub House is as good of a representation of the sound as any. The label it came out on, Sixeleven Records, was primarily an outlet for Philly-based DJ/Producer Nigel Richards, so it comes as a surprise that there's little label whoring going on with this mix. In fact, it’s loaded with well-worn house anthems of the time. Angel Alanis' Chicago's Revenge, P.J.'s Happy Days, Troy Brown’s Feel Allright, DJ Sneak's All Over My Face... I could go on. If you're a house connoisseur of any level, you should have a number of these tunes already. So, it falls to the DJ to present them in a unique way, and as mentioned, that was one of the charms of the filter knob twirlers.

The DJ tasked with providing us with all these disco dub house vibes is one Carl Michaels. Who? Good question. What do you have for us, Discogs? “Hell if I know, this is the chap's only entry.” Wow, that's... unexpected. Last.fm, what about you? “Nope, nadda, zilch. Not even a picture.” Well damn, even I have a picture on my Last.fm Artist page despite only releasing mixtapes. And like hell I'm gonna Google this further, as there's no doubt dozens of 'Carl Michaels' in Pennsylvania alone. Guess ol' Carl's a mystery here. If he wasn’t a pseudonym, my best guess is he was a buddy of Nigel's, perhaps a Philly club resident; heck, maybe even an employee at Nigel's shop.

Whatever the case, his set's about par for this type of music. He makes ample use of his knobs, sometimes to comical extremes, but nothing that detracts from the whole. I'm sure it’ll seem antique to those bred on Ableton and other laptop mixing programs. Oddly, he ends the set outright before the final track, allowing Taste Experience's Release play in full, like some kind of encore.

If you're already well versed in filtered funk, there's little point in getting this. If not, the CD's an okay primer, but unessential. In the end, Disco Dub House is Yet Another DJ Mix That's A Decent Used-Shop Purchase. Yeah, there's no end to such releases, is there.

Technical Itch - Diagnostics

Moving Shadow: 1999

Technical Itch was easily among the best names to emerge from the darkstep side of late 90s jungle, but his bizarre refusal to release a follow-up album to Diagnostics has left me wanting. Sure, tons and tons of singles, and perhaps Caro just feels comfortable sticking to that format. I see no reason why he should fear the long-player though, as he’s capable of knocking it out of the park.

Ah, I sense your Over-Hype Alarms beeping. Fair play, but you probably won’t find many hyping Diagnostics these days, if only for the fact it’s over a decade old now. Even then, this passed by with little notice. For whatever reason, Moving Shadow didn’t give the album much promotion, even though Dieselboy and other darkstep DJs pushed Caro’s tracks whenever they could. My enthusiasm for Diagnostics, however, stems not from a deluded belief that I own a buried treasure, but I'll argue this album is something of a rarity for jungle of the 90s.

Fact is, solid d’n’b albums from beginning to end were scarce that decade. Goldie’s Timeless managed to crossover, Roni Size/Reprazent’s New Forms provided some class, and Photek’s Modus Operandi was hailed as a game changer, yet beyond that? Certainly one could find the odd strong album within the niche areas of jungle, but for the most part that scene was a single’s game, the best long-players being compilations or DJ mixes. Even albums would come off as collections of singles.

Diagnostics does not. Whether by accident or design, Caro crafted a proper album, where each track builds upon what came before, all the while offering something different to keep your attention. The Technical Itch aesthetic – aggressive, abrasive, on edge, with a touch of future-shock – is the only linker between these cuts.

First few tracks display Caro's drum programming, which are fine, but when he drops the rhythmic intricacy and goes for the jugular is when Diagnostics truly takes off. Era's a great piece of darkstep, but Led will pummel you, so appropriately named because the bass in that one's heavy as fuck. Even though they both rely on the familiar 2-step Amen, Caro makes each iteration totally unique to his sound. Then he mixes things up with what might be daftly described as industrial broken-beat, and follows that one with a blistering acid workout that would have the London acid techno crew quivering. Oh, Reborn's still a jungle track – the bass drops are awesome! - but c'mon. Acid! Jungle! Together, and brilliant!

The album finishes strong with more darkstep tunes, though save Darkhalf, mostly winds things down while maintaining that twitchy edge. If there's any fault to be had with Diagnostics, it's that it makes no apologies for sticking to its niche, but that’s a complaint of nearly any jungle album, and few come away sounding as varied as this one does. Despite the limited ‘for darkstep fans’ scope, Technical Itch proves it can work in the long-player form.

Scott Stubbs - The Depths Of Progressive Trance

Topaz: 1999

When starting a new dance label, it's usually a good idea having a prominent DJ or two as a figurehead promoting releases. Sometimes, like John Digweed or Markus Schulz, they'll double as management. Other times, the DJ will simply be a hired gun, like Ferry Corsten was for Ministry Of Sound, or Scott Stubbs was for Topaz Records. Wait, who?

Apologies for that lame lead-in, but those were the thoughts swirling in me brain-pan while re-listening to this CD, and dammit, I only have an evening to write these. I can't be bothered to do that much back-checking into the relationship between Stubbs and Topaz, so I'm going with a gut feeling, on account ol' Scott had several mix CDs released on the label when it started out. I assume he was a hired gun, as info regarding Topaz has dried up when it folded around 2005, whereas Stubbs' career as a Las Vegas resident has carried on regardless.

Topaz itself began as a promising American-based label featuring trance, back in the glorious time when trance was at its commercial peak (that's the year 2000, kids). They roped in a few other well-regarded names like Blue Amazon and some Platipus distribution, but their primary focus was centred around US DJs that were just as good as any of the big UK jocks at playing out progressive trance. Noble intents for sure, and their first few releases hinted they'd offer competition against the likes of Renaissance. Sweet deal for those tired of paying import prices on such music!

This debut mix for Topaz and Stubbs catches progressive trance at the flashpoint of the genre's shift into the dark, dubby sound that would come to encompass 'prog' in the early '00s. Not surprising, as the opening clutch of tracks feature names largely responsible for that direction (Mara, Dominion, Bill Hamel, and Chris Fortier). The mix does pick up midway though, bringing in proper hooks for all your trance needs. Nothing cheesy or overwrought; just solid, energetic tunes offered by Expansion, Arrakis, Trinity Sight, and Dream Traveler. And say, do I see that Markus Schulz fella’ in a remix credit there?

Overall, it’s the sort of mix you’d expect to hear Heaven Scent near the end of, had Topaz managed to clear the rights for it. Guess it was just a bit too new when this one was released, so only ol’ Diggers got to milk it that year. Arrakis’ Medusa is an alright substitute, almost a missing link between the Bedrock classic and a prior anthem like Café Del Mar.

Scott Stubbs as a DJ then? Fine, I suppose, though certainly no Digweed (not even a Dave Seaman, to be honest). It lacks silky smooth transitions and the mixdown sounds flat, but there aren't any embarrassing flubs either. Promo mixes of similar quality were plentiful around that time, so there’s no reason to shell out major dollars for this CD.

Frankie Bones - Computer Controlled 2: Live In California (Original TC Review)

Brooklyn Music Ltd.: 1999

(2012 Update:
Mr. Bones doesn't seem as active online anymore, at least not on web forums. To be fair though, music forums in general have seen better times. Seems most online music discussion has migrated to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter ...not that I'd call what occurs there 'discussion'. As for this review, it's alright though I can't help but cringe at anything that's 1000+ words now. One of those Randoms I'd do every month, which gave me the opportunity to talk about Frankie's legacy. Yay for that. Funny seeing my musings on how to score this, considering I don't do scores anymore.)


IN BRIEF: Brooklyn’s techno son tries something different.

Unless you are new to both electronic music and the internet, there's no reason you shouldn’t heard of Frankie Bones by now. As one of the founding fathers of America’s rave scene - and the unintentional originator of the acronym P.L.U.R., incidentally - his place in techno history is already secure. However, when the world wide web grew in prominence, he not only made ample use of web forums and networking sites to help promote himself, but also became one of the very few big names who actually interacted with folks online. Whereas many of his peers will answer a couple token questions or give thanks for an endless stream of ‘awesome choon!’ comments, Bones has no trouble mixing it up with regular guys in debates ranging in topics from the state of the scene to favorite drinks, and shows no fear if his opinions spark heated arguments. It’s as though he’s determined not to be placed on a Superstar DJ pedestal, in spite of the fact he easily could through his accomplishments alone.

And this is why he garners so much respect even though his brash Brooklyn attitude should have burned many bridges ages ago. Bones strongly adheres to the DIY mentality of raves, and does everything he can to maintain credibility, even to the point of sticking with spinning vinyl despite every other DJ switching to CDs or laptops. Granted, it could be argued he sees the scene with rose-tinted glasses, a certain romanticism that belies some of the frank truths out there, but considering it’s worked for him twenty years on, there’s little reason for Bones to need to change his ways.

Of course, he isn’t one to rest on his laurels either. Bones does look for ways to innovate in his own way. Late in the 90s, he found one.

The idea behind Computer Controlled revolves around Bones taking a bunch of his own tracks, playing the vinyls out at a party, and recording the proceedings as a live DJ set. On paper, it sounds simple enough and not much of a big deal. Then I thought about it for a moment, and realized this is something rare after all. Yes, DJs play their own tracks, but an entire set of them? And nor is it to be confused with a live PA set or a sequenced studio mix; this is Bones laying down the dub plates on the fly and presenting it to us as is, warts and all.

Still, this isn’t something Frankie and Frankie alone could do. Honestly, any number of DJ/producers could attempt such a set, and even do with Abelton Live these days (although there is something to be said in doing it with vinyls rather than on a laptop, raising the question of where traditional DJing ends and live PA begins with such technology). Very few do though, for the simple reason not many can even produce enough tracks to make it work. Even Mr. Tijs Verwest - an individual who has long expressed his desire to play a set of just his material - has never actually gone through with it. Perhaps over a long career, after accumulating a large enough discography, such a set would be easy enough, but even there Bones challenged himself.

Instead of relying on past releases, nearly all of the tracks on here were produced during a year’s time leading up to the chance Bones felt he’d have to make this set. As a result, many of these cuts are simple techno bangers, with little attention paid to nuances or creativity. The beats pound, a simple hook is established, and oftentimes a nonsensical looping vocal will enter the fray as well. While it doesn’t sound dated in the slightest, there isn’t anything here coming close to a hit, much less a classic. If techno of this nature holds no appeal, you might as well stay clear. Funnily enough, even Frankie realizes the musical limitations he put on himself. In typical Bones fashion, he calls out the music critics who’d ding him for such reasons in his liner notes, writing “Anyone could make a mixed CD using other people’s records, let’s see them play a full set of their own shit and make it work. If the critics give 1/10 for the music at least give me 10/10 for the continuing pursuit to push DJ culture further...” (He also gives his rating on how critics review music, 7/10 being the verdict) Bones may have been understandably pessimistic about the critics reactions to Computer Controlled, but it isn’t warranted. Yes, the music may be overly simple but the fact remains this set does work.

Frankie often opens his CDs with sounds of a party, as though you are arriving just in time for his set, and this one is no different. It’s a nifty trick to establish the mood of the disc, effectively placing you right there amongst the ravers. And Bones gets working in short time, laying the bangers down with gusto. It’s raw DJing, with rough transitions adding charm rather than hindering. And the tracks are effective party tools, a lot of fun and energetic. A few times they are darker (like Ready For The Darkness), other times they are anthems (like On The East Coast), and sometimes just transitional (like …oh, who cares about transition tracks). It may not be the greatest techno set you’ll ever hear but it’s certainly enjoyable, obviously more-so when you’re active rather than lounging around.

Although Bones’ liner notes are adamant I should grade Computer Controlled based on its DJ innovation, the consumer is still going to be more interested in how it actually sounds. As a DJ set, it’s good. As a producer’s album, it’s satisfactory. So that places this release in the 7/10 ballpark. Coincidentally enough, that’s the same grade he figured he’d get anyways. Perhaps Bones would enjoy a side career being a music critic, eh?

Originally Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2007. © All rights reserved.

Various - Turbo Studio Sessions Vol. 1 (Original TC Review)

Turbo Recordings: Cat. # MARCD007-2 

Released 1999 

 Track List: 

1. Hans Niewswandt - Mental Madness (6:28) 

2. Thomas Krome - The Real Jazz (Erot Remix) (7:31) 

3. Turner - Multiorgel (Marathon Mix) (3:29) 

4. Universal Tongues vs DKMA - Shiver Me (ADNY Remix) (7:33) 

5. Swayzak vs Theorem - Bad Hair Day (8:38) 

6. Steve Bug and Acid Maria - Down With Us (6:57) 

7. Russ Gabriel Pres. Audio Spectrum - At7 (Live In Detroit) (6:01) 

8. Isolée - Beau Mot Plage (DJ Q Remix) (7:18) 

9. Dietmar Lehner & Thomas Biebel - Bobby R. (7:58) 

10. Blaze - Lovelee Dae (Isolée Remix) (6:32) 

11. Nytolbooth - Orange (4:09) 

(2010 Update: This was the first of my Random Reviews, where I would just randomly pluck a release from my collection and review it. I figured it would occasionally and unexpectedly spice up what we covered for TranceCritic. Lord knows it did that, considering some of the Randoms I'd go on to do. Also, this review has somewhat dated, as Turbo Recordings - and specifically Tiga - has gone on to do much more since I wrote this. Perhaps of interesting note, though, is that much of the minimalist style that was featured on this compilation would go on to be quite popular in the years following this review. That's Turbo for you -always well ahead of the curve.) 

IN BRIEF: Get to know Turbo a little better. 

So you think you know Turbo Recordings, do ya? Tiga. Sunglasses At Night. International Deejay Gigilo outlet to North America. Swedish, Finnish, and Nordic DJs you've never heard of but are able to spin circles around your usual suspects. 80s revivalists and trendsetters by tapping and exploiting the electroclash and disco punk sound before anyone else. Is that the Turbo Recordings you know and love? If so, then allow me to introduce you to the Turbo you may have never met. 

Starting out as mostly an outlet for Montreal based DJs and producers, Tiga's label managed to make a name for itself using the tried and tested genre of house. Along with simple yet nifty urban photography on most of their releases, Turbo quickly gained notice from house aficionados for providing quality deep, funky music (with a few token releases showing off other genres on occasion). The Studio Sessions compilations were started up to offer CD buyers a chance to have rare vinyl releases all on one disc, unmixed so you'd be able to enjoy them in all their full-length glory. 

It's a wonderful idea, which is often executed by many labels (although not nearly enough these days) but prone to some hiccups. Sometimes there is a reason for tracks to not be released in a more domestic manner: they just aren't as good. However, Turbo's track record of consistent quality even at this early stage of their run was impressive, and I'd be amazed to be let down by them. 

Sure enough, things get off on the right foot with the funky, soulful Mental Moments from Hans Niewswandt. Starting off quite mellow with some spoken Rasta words overtop low filtered bass, rhythms are gradually layered as the soulful samples and minute melodies are added. By the time everything builds to a peak over four minutes later, the funk has fully infected us and I deny you to not feel it flow through you. The fun plateau of the track lasts a good two minutes before we are gently brought back down as layers are stripped away, ending on the loops of soulful singing. Mental Moments certainly is a warm, inviting track to get us started on. 

Keeping with the upbeat house vibe established by the opener is Erot's soulful remix of Thomas Krome's The Real Jazz. Just like Mental Moments, the rhythm is infectious in its way of moving your body. As the title suggests, the loose melodies of jazz are the name of the game here, letting Hammond organs and flutes alternate in leading the song as they see fit, every so often allowing the percussion to get a little indulgent as well. 

So you think you now know the Turbo label sound? Not quite yet, then, as we are taken into slower, chilled tech-house with Multiorgel by Turner. Mind, this track isn't worth getting into. Despite some mellow, loopy vibes to be had, nothing much is really done with it either. It's best served as a transitional track. Instead, let's focus on ADNY's remix of Shiver Me by Universal Tongues and DKMA. Yeah, gorgeous, those opening strings are, aren't they? Tilt your head back and be swept away in morning-after Ibizan bliss as xylophones and heavenly lyrics sing your troubles away. 

The follow-up of Swayzak and Theorem's Bad Hair Day keeps things on the chilled out run, doing what Multiorgel failed to in making a loopy track have feeling. These guys are masters at the minimal sound of house and techno, managing to suck you in with dubby sounds gradually building over the course of the song. Chances are you won't even notice the rhythm doesn't change one bit throughout. 

Sadly, Down With Us from Steve Bug and Acid Maria is a step back, not really amounting to much of anything throughout its murky stretch. So now you think you know what Turbo's all about? Prepare for a bit of a shock, then, as we leave the mellowy house fronts and engage in straight-up techno, specifically of the old, Detroit kind. Strangely enough, despite the obvious synthetic overtones in the bass and somewhat piercing synth, Russ Gabriel's (as Audio Spectrum) At7 will probably get mistaken for another tech-house track due to the funky nature of it. Somehow, someway, it bears a great deal of semblance to the tracks that came before. 

In fact, I may as well mention here that this compilation as a whole up to this point has a feeling of sameness throughout. Yes, there are differences from track to track but the atmosphere, one of funky, loungey vibes, has remained persistent. This wouldn't be so bad if it was a themed compilation or DJ mix, but when it comes to studio samplers, especially from one as eclectic as Turbo, I kind of expect a little more variety from track to track. There's a definite quality to what's been on offer but it doesn't feel like they're given the best chance to stand out from one another. Hopefully this will improve on the last third of this CD.

Isolée's Beau Mot Plage (DJ Q doing the re-rub) doesn't offer much hope, as it's another loopy track, more on a techno trip with sampled guitars strumming a Mediterranean ditty as percussion gets filtered throughout. It's definitely a groover, though, and probably a fine set piece as well. Along with the rest of what's come on here, however, it doesn't stick out as much.

Dietmar Lehner and Thomas Biebel seem to be willing to slap us out of this samey vibe with Bobby R. -quite literally. I'm not certain, but it sounds like this song opens up with some women being slapped! By the tone of their voices, it sounds more like it’s done for slapstick than abuse, but they are speaking French so I'm not certain. The song then starts out on an ominous tone, with sinister sounds and grimy synths. Along with simple 808 breakbeats, this comes close to the style of music Turbo came to embrace a couple years later. Best of all, Bobby R. completely changes the vibe of this compilation without interrupting the flow. All fine and good, but perhaps this comes a might bit late with only two more tracks left.

Isolée's mix of Blaze's Lovelee Dae is another step in the right direction. Rather sparse, the simple breakish rhythm and slight, echoing electro synths compliments Blaze's vintage soulful chorus. This is some smooth dub to be had here as little effects on the percussion and synths keep things unique throughout. And, just in case you think you've finally figured out the early Turbo sound, final track Orange by Nytolbooth finishes off with a bit of ambient techno reminiscent of many an old morning-after chill room setting. It's a pleasant little thing, making good use of thick bass and warm pads as a synth bubbles about. 

That’s a wrap for this compilation, then. It's a fine collection of tracks that you can throw on at any time but I don't think it'll make much of an impact on one's personal collection either. With such a long stretch in the middle of tracks dedicated to the more minimal aspects of tech-house, this just doesn't have enough weight behind it to leap out and grab your attention as it plays. However, while Studio Sessions: Vol. 1 may be one of the weaker releases I've heard from Turbo Recordings, it is still a notch above many contenders.

Score: 6/10

ACE TRACKS: 

Universal Tongues vs DKMA - Shiver Me (ADNY Remix) 

Blaze - Lovelee Dae (Isolée Remix) 

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Sasha - Xpander (Original TC Review)

Ultra Records: Cat.# UL1049-2
Released 1999

Track List:
1. Xpander (Edit) (3:52)
2. Xpander (11:30)
3. Belfunk (11:08)
4. Rabbitweed (10:23)
5. Baja (12:33)


(2010 Update:
First: this was not Sasha's debut. The Qat Collection was.
Second: Xpander was a remake of Spooky's Little Bullet.

There. Those two glaring factual errors/omissions on my part have dogged me for years. Why, then, didn't I just go and edit the review to correct it? As silly as it sounds, 'journalistic integrity'. I've been a long believer of "what's been published remains as is", as that holds true for anything in printed form. It also thusly forces journalists -professional and amateur- to be factually accurate once they submit something. Call it an honor system. Despite technology giving us cheats to go back and correct, I feel my initial error shouldn't just be easily wiped away. If I did, how could you trust me with anything in the future?

Besides, it was all Discogs' fault.)



I could go on at great length about the importance of this release, and maybe I will in a separate article sometime too. I'm assuming, however, if you are reading this you are either just curious on my thoughts of Sasha's seminal debut, or are genuinely unfamiliar with Xpander and are wondering what the deal with it is.

Well, if the opening synth chords of the first track here, an edit of Xpander, doesn't immediately draw you in with their entrancing reverb, I'll be amazed. Sasha and his producing partner, Charlie May, must have spent hours perfecting its sound. Throw in heavy, punctual percussion and a grumbling bassline that plays off the synth's chords, and you have yourself one heck of an excursion into trancey prog rhythms. An accompanying, glistening electronic riff joins a minute into this edit and synth washes add fuel to the fire. Absolutely marvelous!
Many of these elements retreat for the time being some two minutes into this track to allow for some effects and rhythm to carry us forward for a little while, but once the opening synth chords return in a minor build, they are drenched in effects that creates a sonic wash of fierce intensity. If you do not feel the urge to just explode in energy once everything comes back in full force, then you, my friend, are just not alive.

Still, at not even four minutes in length, the edit isn't really the focus of this release; let's dive into the main attractions here.

The full length of Xpander starts out with some heavy percussion as various paranoid electronic effects flutter and worm their ways about for a good minute or so. Things retreat for a bit, allowing just a pulsating electronic lead to throb away for a good half minute, ever so subtly continuously tweaked so it doesn't get lost in repetitive loops. Eventually, the synth chords that opened up the edit gradually emerge from the background, overtaking the pulsating lead. Once all that remains are the synths, the percussion is progressively added back in, quite content in slowly building momentum as we are lost in the trancey reverb of the synths. The glistening electronic riff and synth washes are progressively added as well, basically stretching the opening two minutes of the edit into four (or the edit pared it down to two, depending on how you look at it).

As with the edit, all these elements retreat for the time being a good six minutes into Xpander, allowing rhythm and embellishing effects to take over for a good two minutes. Soon enough, leads and synth chords are gradually brought back in, leading us to an effects laden build that, just as the edit does, demands a full outburst of energy from the listener. As things play out, elements are gradually withdrawn towards the end, capping off with a bit of delayed reverb fading off.

Which of the two versions of Xpander is better? Well, really they are identical in terms of structure; the full length merely contains more loops and DJ friendly percussive bookends. In that sense, it depends on the listener. If you prefer your songs to be focused and direct, the edit should suffice. However, if you don't mind taking a bit of a meandering excursion along the chosen path, by all means the full length is for you.

Having gone through the main draw of this EP, let's take a look at the extra tracks Sasha was so kind to include here.

Belfunk starts out with some synthetically eerie atmospherics accompanied with light minimal techno percussion. Gradually, extra sounds and effects are added, ambling along for some two and a half minutes worth of moody lead in. At this point, all but the bass kick is withdrawn and a dubby bassline starts out, soon accompanied by techy elements and effects that are progressively brought back for a minute and a half before some subdued, filtered synth leads emerge from the background. Percussive elements come and go as things play out for another minute and a half, drawing us into a subtle yet effective trance.

It comes as no surprise that once the simple, benign chords of this song emerge in a mild breakdown, we are well primed for such tranquility. The rhythm is kept steady as minor percussive elements play in the background, allowing the chords to glow and extra synth pads and effects added at points help accentuate their serenity. Quite lovely.

After two minutes of this downtime, a thick, acidy lead emerges as the chords retreat. Ethereal pads float as the lead grows in intensity, leading back to full rhythmic force over the course of a couple minutes before gradually fading back out into a percussive lead out.

While nowhere near as driving as Xpander was, Belfunk does allow for some groove-worthy moments. Make no mistake, though. This track's main highlight is within its breakdown and, while able to maintain a steady rhythm, isn't meant to fill dancefloors anytime soon. I can definitely bliss out to this, however.

Opening with some stuttering, schizophrenic synth stabs, Rabbitweed doesn't really get going until over a minute and a half in, when ominous effects start to emerge. By two minutes in, punchy kicks settle into a brisk breakbeat, playing off the synth stabs quite effectively. Effects and extra percussion are gradually added, leading to ominous organ and synth pads as even more paranoid effects are added. By four minutes in, we're headlong into quite a menacing excursion of prog breaks, further fueled on by more synth leads a minute later.

After this plays out for a while, we're given a breather with a brief breakdown, but Sasha doesn't let us rest long, building heavy rhythms and fierce synth leads with effects up for a good two minutes. Eventually, things recede for a bit, allowing for some sweeping synth pads to glide along diligently before giving way to even fiercer thick synth leads than we've been offered thus far. Once everything comes together again a minute later, the intensity is so vicious, it feels even more energetic than Xpander did. In fact, I'll be so bold as to say Rabbitweed is even better than Xpander for straight-ahead, infectious rhythms. Similarly, this track also has a slight percussive lead out once the climax finishes up.

Offering up the yin to Rabbitweed's yang is Baja. As floaty, atmospheric pads and effects drift about, crystal electronics, stuttering synths, and bubbling chants weave around each other for a good five minutes, quite content to wrap us in a sonic embrace rather than push forward. After a while, a bit of dub bass is added, eventually leading into a simple, distorted slow breakbeat rhythm. Extra effects punctuate the rhythm as it plays out for a few minutes, building with sonic eruptions until receding a good nine minutes into Baja, leaving only the barest bit of rhythm. Soon enough, Baja adds some dubby effects and ethereal leads, never allowing any element to become prominent as they are all gradually brought back in to put the cap on this track, and EP as well.

I guess the biggest question mark here is does Xpander live up to the hype. In a word, yes.

In more than a word, the title track is worth the price of admission alone. I still recall when this was a brand new song and Xpander seemed to appear in nearly every DJ's set. Yet, it never got old and, half a decade later, it still sounds remarkably fresh. Sasha and May managed to tap into something timeless here.

And that's not even getting into the additional three tracks on this EP. While Belfunk and Baja are pleasant excursions into relaxing rapture, Rabbitweed is easily an overlooked gem of a track that can pummel dancefloors. I cannot recommend it enough.

Get this for complementary tracks that will never date in a set. Get this for relaxing at home as you're swept away in bliss. Get this for a piece of EDM history. Whatever your reasoning, this deserves to be in your music collection.


SCORE: 10/10

ACE TRACKS:
Xpander
Rabbitweed


Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.