Norman Feller - Frameless Structure

Elektrolux: 2003

This was an album I could have written an early Random Review for back in my TranceCritic days, but chickened out. I didn't feel confident enough in my writing such that I could convey what I enjoy about Frameless Structure while staying somewhat objective about things. Of course, in this blog o' mine, I can fanboy gush all I like, but it's not like this album is that good. Probably I also shirked on writing about it before because I wasn't willing to take the scalpel to the only release Norman Feller's used his full name on, as it suggests more of a personal attachment on the musician's part; a magnum opus, if you will.

Here's the thing about Mr. Feller: he makes a lot good, quality music, but seldom anything I'd consider great. He's made a tidy career in the tech-house scene under his Terry Lee Brown, Jr. guise, yet never have I seen his name dropped when lists of classics come about. Even in his early hard trance days, many of his tunes were mint, but rarely the standouts on compilations of the stuff I’d collect (and usually only if it was in collaboration). Forcing myself to take this critical ear to Frameless Struture - which is quite good, let's be honest – would turn myself into a hypocrite, praising something that others more deeply immersed in dubby ambient techno and chill could easily point out as sub-par, as little more than 'beginner's music'.

And they’d be right. Ol’ Norman’s offering is quite simplistic compared to the likes of Ultimae’s output of the same period in time (though the mixdown’s almost as lush). Most of the track arrangements are straightforward with few unexpected twists in sounds and samples utilized. If you come to Frameless Structure for challenging chill-out, you’ve definitely come to the wrong place.

That all said, this is still one of my favourite downtempo discs to throw on. As with so much of Mr. Feller’s music, it’s easy to get into, and he always finds some charming hook or catchy rhythm that you’ll enjoy from start to finish. As Frameless Structure has its theme centered around cosmic soundscapes, you have plenty of spacey pads, ethereal voices, and dubby beats throughout, though Feller spices the formula up enough so each track sounds unique from the others. The titular cut, for instance, has an incredibly sparse beat, merely an 808 slow-break accompanied with clicky percussion. Further down the index, the dual combo of Energetic Dub and Orbital Slide show off ol’ Norman’s funkier side of beat craft; and whoo, that pure, cavernous dub sound of Tiefenrausch ...bliss.

I guess my ultimate fear is overselling this album. It has all the things that I enjoy in ambient and chill (goodness, is that closer Melting From The Inside ever gorgeous!), but I can understand why others may not fall sway to Mr. Feller’s charms. Frameless Structure’s a high recommendation though, if you’re looking to expand your chill-out palette.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Four

Ultimae Records: 2003/2007

Even as a label known for infrequent releases, releasing a mere two in 2002 is a small amount for Ultimae. Did a busy tour schedule not allow for it? Financial strains? Albums sat on for perfectionist’s sake? Perhaps that last one, as sophomore efforts from Solar Fields and Aes Dana, plus a (proper) full-length debut of Carbon Based Lifeforms were all released in 2003. Oh yeah, and the fourth installment of the Fahrenheit Project series came out too.

Come to think of it, I wonder if the young Ultimae was having finance troubles too, on account this (and the second limited Aes Dana album) initially came out as a CDr. Like most of their early material, it was reissued with new artwork, and perhaps due to the odd fashion it was first released, Fahrenheit, Part 4 had the honors of being the first receiving such treatment in ’07.

Which makes sense, as Fahrenheit 4 is easily the best of the series yet! If Fahrenheit, Part 2 found Ultimae with some swagger of confidence in their sound, this one has them in a full-on strut (no, not full-on psy …although that was growing popular too). Whereas Part 3 noodled about too much with an over-exposure of but a few producers, this one comes off focused and driven, unique music from the Ultimae mainstays rubbing shoulders with new and established talent from abroad.

Of the non-Ultimae contributors, it’s an interesting mix. Mostly on a psy dub tip, Ochi Brothers and Aural Planet were well established by 2003, and their music reflects the spectrum of organic and synthetic sound the genre could run; newcomer Puff Dragon meets them somewhere in the middle with his Chinese Radio. Also returning to the series is Vibrasphere, who, along with Spiral Trax, were quickly establishing themselves as a force to reckon with in the scene. Say, sounds like another label at the time, doesn’t it?

And speaking of Ultimae, the regulars all come correct this time in standing out from one another. Solar Fields’ Union Light finds him dabbling in space synth, while Aes Dana returns to his industrial roots with a cold bit of ethereal techno in Memory Shell. After their strong Ultimae debut, Carbon Based Lifeforms’ don’t lose a step, Epicentre (Second Movement) working a similar looping, building melody as they did with MOS 6581 while adding more instrumentation and a didgeridoo. Awesome! Not to be outdone, Cell combines the best elements of Aes Dana and CBL in the form of Audio Deepest Night, a cold yet lovely slice of bleak ambient techno; the ol’ ‘winter canvas’ sound. Also returning is Hol Baumann, closing Part 4 with another fresh take on the psy dub template. Still no Asura, though. Where’s he been, anyway?

Still, by 2003 the buzz surrounding Ultimae was growing, and I can easily see Fahrenheit Project, Part 4 converting many a curious listener back then. A decade on now, I’ve no doubt this compilation would have the same effect. It’s that damn good.

Deep Forest - Essence Of The Forest

Sony Music: 2003

Several folks enjoyed Deep Forest's take on world beat when they first emerged, but as the duo edged further from Western beats and deeper into local traditions, general interest in their output significantly dwindled. Add me to that group, and I was one of the few out there that actually enjoyed Boheme, scattershot faults and all. When Comparsa came out though, it came off a hodgepodge of any culture Mouquet and Sanchez were influenced by on their last tour, yet sounding like nothing at all. Granted, I didn't give it more than a cursory listen, as my ears had drifted away from the pop side of world beat, finding fresher sounds from Banco de Gaia and the like. I hadn't paid attention to a Deep Forest production since that lacklustre impression.

Then Essence Of The Forest came out. Hm, a greatest hits collection sounds interesting, and there's even updated remixes of all the selected tunes from Deep Forest. Wow, they'd released two albums since Comparsa? I guess it wouldn't hurt to pick this up. It'd be interesting to hear what they'd been up to, and maybe I'd been too hard on Comparsa. After all, this collection features the best cuts from their albums, right? Eh, I'm not sure.

Obviously Sweet Lullaby's the first track, and the lead single off Boheme - Marta's Song - goes second. After that though, the music culled from the first two albums turns weird. Deep Forest gets two more tracks updated, Desert Walk and Night Bird. The former, I can see, as it was a pleasant downtempo tune, but I found White Whisper, Savana Dance, and the titular cut more memorable than Night Bird. And to be blunt, most of the selections chosen from Boheme were tunes I've never liked. The dark, mysterious gypsy songs Gathering, Bohemian Ballet, and Cafe Europa, those were ace! Instead, we get Lament and Freedom Cry because... why? They're different from those other tunes? Meh, oh well, at least Twosome's on here.

What of the other tracks then? Honestly, given the selections from the first two, I've no idea whether they're the cream of the crop off their respective albums. What I can say is those not familiar with Music Detected will be stunned at the change of sound, with a major focus on R&B, funk, and soul. Getting blunty with it again, it's a total clash with the world beat throughout Essence Of The Forest, as all the tracks are mixed among each other. Some of it's good, for sure, and neat to hear Deep Forest stretching out, but incredibly out of place sitting beside African pygmies and Bulgarian gypsies (not to mention the mish-mash of cultures from Comparsa).

I wouldn’t bother with Essence Of The Forest if you’re looking for more Sweet Lullabys (although you do get two versions on here!). It’s a better pick-up if you’re only curious of their output since their debut without actually listening to the other albums.

Various - Erol Alkan Presents: One Louder

Muzik Magazine: 2003

I'm surprised Erol Alkan's career never blew up beyond underground darling. Of course, his refusal to hop on the production wagon until recently probably hurt, but ol’ Erol’s brand of bangers and mash-ups was popular with both the discerning punter and slop-drunk clubber, sets finding that sweet spot of commercial familiarity and underground obscurity. Still, what started as an exercise in cleverness quickly descended into bad gimmickry, and as one of the driving forces of the mash-up scene, Mr. Alkan unfortunately got tied at the hip with it.

It was easy to fall sway to that scene though, as it presented something quite refreshing in that oh-so fun year of 2003. DJ mixes were, for the most part, tediously predictable, so it blindsided many when jocks started raiding glories of dancefloors past, rinsing them out almost seamlessly with music of the present. Okay, the '80s revival was in full swing at that point too, so finding the links wasn't difficult; however, to hear classics not as retro radio fodder, but as vital components of contemporary nights out was magnificent.

Getting back to Mr. Alkan, One Louder isn't his official first commercial DJ mix (that honor going to A Bugged Out Mix). Rather, it was a freebie given away with Muzik Magazine, who were all up on his jock back then. One Louder itself was a short-lived club night that Alkan attended, pushing this particular style of genre mash-up before it ever got popular. In lieu winning their Breakout Artist Award that year, Muzik finally convinced him to release a mix CD, which he decided to dedicate to that club night.

Free magazine CDs are often hit or miss, typically hitting the “eh, 'tis fine” mark. Not this time out. One Louder is exceptionally good, almost too good for a freebie. It has a solid start with the always welcome disco punk classic Make It Happen from Playgroup, but not three tracks in we're treated to Duran Duran's Girls On Film of all things. Duran Duran? In 2003!? You bet, care of the Night Version that made the tune club friendly back in the ‘80s, in no way sounding out of place on this mix. And the choice material keeps coming fast and furious.

Codec & Flexor show a little club swagger with Crazy Girls. Goldfrapp’s Train and Benassi’s Satisfaction get mashed together. Goldrun’s remix of Grand Popo Football Club’s Men Are Not Nice Guys will get your gurn on. A string of thrashy techno calls back those crazy times when guys like Vitalic were thrilling and new. And, if all that wasn’t enough bedlam, Alkan closes out with a freakbeat punk cover of Harder Better Faster Stronger, an utterly mental and ace way to end a set on.

Despite One Louder being an old free CD, it’s still worth dropping down some cash if you happen upon it in a used store. It’s about as much club-trash fun you can have in a mere hour.

Various - DJ-Kicks: Tiga

Studio !K7: 2003

For much of his early career, Tiga remained safely sheltered within his Turbo label. His cover of Sunglasses At Night may have appeared on numerous compilations, and Tom Middleton’s mash-up of it with New Order’s Blue Monday gave it more life than anyone thought possible, but by and large the Montreal native was forever associated with his label. By 2003, however, his star had raised high enough that other labels came calling for his talents. Studio !K7, seemingly in an effort to steer their DJ-Kicks series away from all the broken beat DJs they’d featured in the few years prior, gave Tiga his opportunity to branch out. He wasn’t about to let it go to waste, knocking it out of the park in the slap-dash way only he could make work.

First, I should mention my copy of Tiga’s DJ-Kicks entry lacks Hot In Herre, which is almost unfathomable seeing as how that was his second biggest pre-Sexor hit. I can only assume Studio !K7 released this copy first, Tiga made the single after (including a charming video based on a Czech marionette duo called Spejbl & Hurvinek), then shoehorned it into this mix later. Looking at its placement on other copies, I’m not sure how that would have worked, as it’s lodged amongst several disco punk cuts in the beginning of the mix.

Whatever. Tiga’s mix truly takes off at Soft Cell’s …So, a B-Side to their single What?. It’s enough to get heads turned with an obscure bit of early 80s gold, but following it with the impossibly catchy Sacrifice from Break 3000 (That bassline! Those vocals!), all the while Antonelli Electr.’s Dubby Disco is running underneath them. Chances are you'll barely realize it unless you’re an expert trainspotter. Such DJ tricks aren’t new or revolutionary, but Tiga has a way of riding mixes such that it comes off thrilling, ready to go off the rails at any moment. Or maybe I’m just a Turbo fanboy. Could be, could be.

I’ll make no apologies for enjoying this CD though, as Tiga finds the right blend of kitsch and contemplative throughout. I’ve often found the set drags a little after Codec & Flexor’s Time Has Changed (why weren’t these guys more popular?), but Mr. Sontag hits the sweet spot again with his own haunting Man Hrdina, a rare-ish B-Side to Hot In Herre that was only included as part of the DJ-Kicks singles package. Folks talked plenty about Tiga’s partnership with Jori Hulkkonen, but co-producer Mateo Murphy deserves just as much praise.

And there’s more! Bang Bang Lover, My Biggest Fan, Tiga’s cover of Madame Hollywood (it's like Tom Cruise is singing it!)… Of course, if the whole post-electroclash/disco punk sound of 2003 never appealed to you, then there’s little point in recommending this edition of DJ-Kicks. It very much is a product of its time, but oh what a fun time it was.

Various - Dance To The Underground

Muzik Magazine: 2003

Right, disco punk. I fell head over heels for the stuff when it first (re)emerged in the early 00s, largely thanks to this free CD from Muzik Magazine. Well, that and the rag’s glowing exposé on the ascendant scene that James Murphy and his DFA label helped popularize. Though electroclash still had some momentum, the writing was on the wall the genre wasn’t going to last much longer. So, here comes disco punk to pick up the pieces!

Where it excelled - and for me appealed - was refining the DIY attitude clashcorewhatever did into something musically intuitive. It still sounded raw and intentionally under produced, but rather than borrow from electro synth pop, it borrowed from disco-funk and new wave rock. It made perfect sense to be heard in dingy basement clubs that held no more than a hundred, served cheap hi-balls and forced you to share but one single-stall bathroom with the opposite sex. It’s about as punk as club culture ever allowed itself to be, and for someone having just moved back to the big city, I was sold on the romanticism this New York City bred scene projected.

A CD like this didn’t hurt either. Mixed by DFA, it’s not a brilliant set, but it is an excellent primer into the world of disco punk as it existed in 2003. All the heavy hitters are accounted for: Metro Area, The Juan MacLean, Playgroup, The Rapture, Le Tigre, and both James Murphy projects DFA and LCD Soundsystem. Oh, and Fischerspooner’s Emerge is here as well, but in DFA’d remixed form, turned into quite a minimalist bit of dance music compared to the raucous original. About the only thing missing from this list is a band with exclamation marks.

Given the amount of DFA remixes and label mates, Dance To The Underground probably seems more like a promotional disc than a proper showcase of disco punk. To be fair, DFA pretty much was disco punk in that year, and their influence led to the rise of the scene proper as it migrated out from New York City. It’d be like complaining about a free CD of late 80s acid house that prominently featured artists from Trax Records.

Dance To The Underground has gone on to be one of my favorite pre-party sets. The only thing keeping me from recommending it is the fact it’s not a commercially available disc. It’s not a difficult collection of tracks to gather up anyway, many available through various channels or ‘best of disco punk’ compilations. Aside from the DFA remixes, there’s nothing monumentally unique about this a decade on. Even the mixing’s only adequate because, well, it’s just a free magazine CD. It might be worth dropping a couple dollars if you find it super-cheap in a used shop though, if you don’t mind paying for something that was initially given away to sell magazines.

That doesn’t seem very punk, does it?

Plastikman - Closer

Novamute: 2003

Plastikman is Richie Hawtin, a very important person in the world of techno. A part of Detroit’s second generation, he was instrumental in de-Eightiesfying the genre, ushering in a 'less-is-more' aesthetic for a new era. Unfortunately, due to his near-perfect production, rumours persisted that he was a robot, and a self-image celebrating chrome-dome geekery didn't help. Sensing distress, a kindly German named Sven saved him from an existence of droidhood, and Richie regained his humanity through various acts of debauchery. Having done so, he embarked upon the most noble of white human pursuits: corporate shilling of self-stylized brands. Something like that anyway.

As much fun as that paragraph was to write, it's a horrible lead-in for this here album titled Closer, the third and (so far) last full-length released under the Plastikman banner. For that matter, I'm not sure what an effective lead-in would be, beyond the dry particulars. It’s not a popular album and, when discussing Hawtin’s legacy, barely brought up. Fans were confounded by it, casuals were uninterested, and the techno scene at large shrugged it off, figuring Richie would make a proper dancefloor album later.

Still, I’d argue it’s at least an important album. If anything, Closer was ground zero for the minimal scene’s rise in the middle 00s, as all the tricks that turned into clichés are present: simple lyrics spoken with pitched down vocals, plink-plonk production, white noise wank, etc. In 2003, such sounds were still tucked in the realms of experimental labels like Mille Plateaux. Hearing it on a Plastikman album legitimatized it as where techno should go next, and Hawtin made damned sure he promoted the hell out of the sound on his M_nus label, not just as a form of music, but as a way of life. Erm, yeah…

If you found the minimal wave ridiculous, then Closer isn’t going to convert you - best to stay away. For those who didn’t grow tired of it …well, this album’s still a bit of a chore. It’s the sort that can only be appreciated in a single sitting, but takes forever to build any momentum. All too often progress is undone by Hawtin’s need to detour into sound effect gimmickry, the worst offender being the middle track Slow Poke, which is nothing but sound effect gimmickry. I’ve listened to Closer at least a half-dozen times now, and still the only highlights for me are those crunchy claps in the second half.

That said, Hawtin succeeded in crafting an album that works in spite of itself. The mood is kept tight and claustrophobic, enveloping you into a dark journey of paranoia that you want to take in its entirety - I’ll bet those crunchy claps wouldn’t sound so cool if I hadn’t put up with hissing nonsense beforehand. While this is by no means revolutionary, it is effective, and if that’s enough for you in a concept album, then by all means get closer to, um, Closer.

Yes - Yes: Remixes (Original TC Review)

Rhino Entertainment Company: Cat. # R2 73872
Released 2003

Track List:
1. Tempus Fugit (5:07)
2. Arriving UFO (5:52)
3. Heart Of The Sunrise (5:57)
4. Starship Trooper (7:33)
5. Awaken (7:47)
6. Sound Chaser (5:23)
7. Ritual (6:19)
8. Siberian Khatru (5:26)
9. 5 Per Cent For Nothing (4:40)
10. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (4:44)
11. No Clowns (3:15)


(2010 Update:
One of my early cases of finding ways to worm unconventional EDM music into TranceCritic's archives. I don't think this was a terribly popular review, simply for the fact no one really knew who Yes is, or cared about a remix album from a classic prog rock group anyway. Shame, as my writing had definitely improved by this point, though a little over-anecdotal at times. Oh, and I think this was also the first time I took a blatant swipe at another website. Good times!)


IN BRIEF: This ain't your daddy's Yes.

Don't give me that look. I know what you're thinking: “Great, these guys at TranceCritic.com aren't even reviewing proper EDM like Special D. or DJ Sammy anymore. They're getting all pretentious with that rock crap with the guitars and stuff. That's it, I'm going back to Trance.nu.”

Burns aside, it may seem a bit odd to see a release by Yes in the review archives here. Most famous for twenty minute epic, noodly prog rock-athons and Jon Anderson's choirboy vocals, it could be argued their lengthy songs resulted in the whole punk movement. Well, you'd win that argument because their music really was lengthy, complicated, and quite difficult to dance to for a long time. That is, until they had their 80s make-over, where suddenly it was quite cool to like Yes again as a retro band, but that's not where the focus of this remix album lies.

Yes: Remixes isn't a cobbled collection of DJ friendly four-to-the-floor updates. And thank God for that, I say. While Max Graham's remix of Owner Of A Lonely Heart wasn't too bad, I could see its success spurring on plenty of crappy imitations hoping to milk a very brief 'Yes is cool' revival.

Rather, this release is something of a concept album. There is only one remixer to be had here, by the name of Virgil Howe. Haven't heard of him? Doesn't surprise me. He's Steve Howe’s son. What? You haven't heard of Steve Howe? Why, he's the guitarist for the classic Yes lineup. The guy could absolutely shred like few others. There was a reason all the new kids jumped to punk music when they couldn't emulate Steve Howe: the man was phenomenal with the ol' six stringer. Anyhow, back to his son.

As is detailed in the incredibly difficult-to-read liner notes, Virgil Howe took it upon himself to do a remix of the old Yes classic Heart Of Sunrise using nothing more but the original LPs and an Akai MPC2000XL sampler. It was more of a test of the hardware's capabilities than any real attempt at making a release but, when he showed the results to his old man, The Verge was encouraged to do more of them.

I can't say I was a huge Yes fan growing up, but my father was so that influence was bound to rub off on me. Of course, I enjoyed the 80s styled version of the group but the 70s versions often flew well over my head. A kid like I would have a hell of a time sitting still for twenty minutes to comprehend what was going on in, say, The Revealing Science Of God, much less a 'shorter' nine minute track like And You And I. Slowly but surely, though, I warmed up to the big ones, and have gradually grown to enjoy those older epics. So, seeing a remix album like this was intriguing and I gave it a shot. I'm here to tell you, now, that unless you have a very open mind about little projects like these, you aren't going to get much out of this release.

These are not simple “clutch a verse and chorus, loop them over, and add a house beat” remixes. Aside from rhythms and effects, there are scant few new electronic elements added to the songs; rather, all the songs have been sampled and re-sampled from their original vinyls and re-arranged into new interpretations.

Opener Tempus Fugit, the only track here to not feature Jon Anderson on lyrics (although his replacement certainly did a close interpretation) could originally be described as the bridge between 70s and 80s Yes. Here, it is given a jungle rhythm to complement those oh so catchy guitar licks. The more prominent bits get looped to build tension, as is pretty standard to do in EDM, and the results are a fun, energetic romp. Plus, you've got to love Virgil's cheekiness in taking the "yes" bit from the verses and looping it during the peaks of this song. Arriving UFO works too, getting a funky workout to go with the original's happy-go-lucky theme.

Unfortunately, Heart Of Sunrise can't quite manage to match pace. It starts out promising enough, as Steve Howe's original fierce guitar playing in the original intro works fine with the added jungle rhythms. Once the track settles into the quiet parts though (heh, folks who aren't familiar with the original song probably haven't a clue what I'm talking about), it kind of just bumbles about without much focus. The piano bits sound nice, of course, but Virgil really needed to tighten this remix up to make it more engaging.

Starship Trooper fixes those problems up. I'm amazed at what Virgil managed to craft here, as the original's willful pace jumping wouldn't really make it conducive to EDM's more straight-forward approach. The ending's a blast, too, as he takes the final guitar sequence, a fairly laid-back bit from the original, and uses it as the backdrop to some energetic rhythms and a Moog synth solo that wouldn't sound out of place at a Yes concert (actually, I wonder if it was). Just as inspired is his take on Awaken, seemingly reversing the sections so the riveting opening serves as a climax to the gentle ambience that surrounds it.

From here, though, this album seems to run out of ideas. I get the impression Virgil had no clue how to approach a number of these given the original songs’ dynamic nature. It doesn't help he's using very little equipment to do this project, of course. As a result, tracks like Sound Chaser, No Opportunity Necessary, and Siberian Khatru don’t sound much different from the original, sans all the same sorts of effects and rhythms already displayed. The songs themselves are still great, of course, but as remixes they leave a bit to be desired. It's especially apparent when Virgil does show some clever tricks by taking the super short 5 Per Cent For Nothing and turning it into a five minute funk-fest, or condensing the super-long Ritual into an easily digestible ambient dub outing. It begs the question, though, why would you want to listen to some of these when you can just as easily listen to the originals and not lose much in the process.

Apparently, this album was given a severe backlash from many, many, many old time Yes fans, which isn't too surprising -most of them aren't hip to all this new fangled computer noise called techno, so any electronic element that isn't a Rick Wakeman synth solo is un-welcomed. Their idea of a remix ends at live show interpretations.

Likewise, many EDM fans probably never gave this much notice, mainly for the fact that this is a Yes album, something you find in the rock section of your music stores, not the dance/electronica section way off in the corner. You'd have to be a fan of both Yes and EDM to even know this album exists. Enter yours truly, I suppose.

And, as such a fan, I do admit I enjoy what I hear on Yes: Remixes. However, most of that enjoyment is due to the originals still outshining the electronic elements. Virgil may have been faithful to the Yes legacy almost to a fault by not taking the concept of remixing to further extremes but the lack of more equipment (extra hardware, master tapes, etc.) doesn't leave much room for experimentation. The score I give here reflects that aspect more than the strength of the songs themselves, as I expect more from remix albums. In general, though, if you're an EDM-only fan and want to see what the big deal about Yes was without having odd glances thrown your way for having Tales From Topographic Oceans in your collection, by all means do check this out. Just don't expect to be able to copy that Steve Howe solo in Sound Chaser... ever!


Score: 5/10

ACE TRACKS:
Tempus Fugit
Awaken


Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.

London Elektricity - Billion Dollar Gravy (Original TC Review)

Breakbeat Science: Cat. # BBSCD009 

Released 2003 

Track List: 

1. Billion Dollar Gravy (6:23) 

2. Different Drum (7:22) 

3. Fast Soul Music (6:22) 

4. To Be Me (6:16) 

5. The Great Drum+Bass Swindle (7:09)

6. Cum Dancing (7:15) 

7. Main Ingredient (4:35) 

8. Harlesden (5:44) 

9. My Dreams (7:24) 

10. Born To Synthesise (6:41) 

11. Syncopated City (5:57) 

(2010 Update: This is about the time us writers at TranceCritic were getting more personable in our grammar, making the reviews much easier reads. Well, at least until you got to the wordy track-by-track detailing. That was still a chore to read, even if the quips were coming much faster than before. It'd still be at least another half-year before we finally figured that out for good.)

IN BRIEF: Soulful sweet sound with city cool stylee. 

You know, I really do enjoy me some jungle. When it comes to EDM, the rapid pace and frenetic rhythms of the genre easily encourage you to indulge in the middle word of that acronym. If I just want to cut loose on the dancefloor, jungle gets the job done better than anything else. It matters little to me if my Caucasian heritage leaves me unable to look good going at it -I'm just in it for the fun. 

If this is so, then I'm sure you're wondering why it's taken nearly nine months for me, much less TranceCritic in general, to finally get around to reviewing a true blue, honest-to-God, one hundred percent legit jungle album (or drum 'n' bass, but seriously, the difference is negligible in most cases and artists go between the two of them so frequently, it's simpler to just refer to the whole as one -since jungle was the original term, it gets precedent). 

Well, funny thing about jungle and I is it is one of those styles of music that comes and goes with me. I'll be headstrong into it for a month or two, then be completely apathic to it for long stretches at a time, sometimes never returning to the genre for months, or even a year. Unfortunately, as TranceCritic began, I was on one of those downswings, and it's taken this long for me to feel the vibe again. I'll admit this isn't an exclusive thing to jungle; the same thing tends to occur with other subsets of the EDM spectrum as well. So, if you ever find a style not getting much attention from yours truly, you now know the reason. 

Okay, so now that the jungle bug has bitten me again (going to a prolific jungle night certainly helps) I feel I can give the release I've had on my To Review list some proper attention: London Elektricity's Billion Dollar Gravy. Why this one? To be honest, it was the first jungle release from my personal collection I randomly grabbed to review. Yeah, real revolutionary methods we utilize here at TranceCritic, isn't it. 

The man behind London Elektricity and Hospital Records, Tony Coleman, is yet another of the label's artists that has taken jungle down exciting, new roads with the soul-and-house jungle fusion dubbed 'liquid funk.' Don't ask me why it's named that, although I admit the music does fit the description better than some other names. With this revolutionary, new- 

Wait a moment! That's not right. Liquid funk is hardly new at all. Have we forgotten the work done by Gavin Cheung (as one example) in the mid-90s (Coleman hasn't, as Cheung's Nookie alias does get a shout-out in the liner notes). If house heads or trance heads or any non-jungle heads haven't heard of him, I can understand. But junglists? That's quite criminal if you ask me. It'd be like trance heads not knowing of Claudio Giussani. Hmm... then again, perhaps it isn't so surprising after all. 

So, really, liquid funk isn't all that new or revolutionary after all, despite certain media's claims the stuff High Contrast and the ilk are producing is. However, because the Grooverider tech-step, LTJ Bukem atmospheric, and Aphrodite jump-up styles grabbed all the attention from way back (as well as jazzstep being tapped for the 'electronica' wave), it's understandable some of the other stuff was overshadowed for so long. It seems it took the other jungle styles to run their templates so far into the ground, by the time junglists were ready for something else, the liquid funk sound seemed like a stroke of genius. Huh, well that's what happens when folks dedicate their musical horizons to such a small microcosm of style, I guess (hint hint, tranceaddicts!). 

I guess you're starting to wonder if I'll ever get around to actually reviewing this release. Okay, fine. Man, are people impatient these days. You'd think they would be able to sit through my ramblings to learn something about this music in the process. I mean, it's not like there aren't more important- oh, yeah. This review. 

Billion Dollar Gravy opens with Billion Dollar Gravy, which is as fine a jungle track as any I've heard. Using orchestral strings to provide the backing melodies while frenetic rhythms and smooth, swinging bass energize you, this is certain to move you physically and emotionally. Funky leads and soulful samples provide the padding, as they will for most of these tracks. I could complain the percussion comes off a little tinny, when more refined production would have made this track more intense, but this is only the opener; plenty of room left on this release for Coleman to flex his musical muscle. 

If you thought Billion Dollar Gravy was funky, then hang on tight for Different Drum. Along with Blaxploitation guitar licks (or a very good replica of them), mild horns, and that single high-note string heard in many a house track, this is a smooth, soulful slice of music to be had. Throw in some great lyrics from house legend Robert Owens, and the link between jungle and house is complete. Your typical bridges heard in jungle are filled with little piano solos and while the climaxes aren't as intense here, that oh so smooth bassline gets you grooving just as emphatically, especially as you hear Liane Carrol's soulful wails in the background. 

Things mellow out a little on the next track, letting orchestral strings and Liane Carrol carry the bulk of the track. Don't be fooled, though, as like the title suggests, Fast Soul Music is quite brisk as well, utilizing the strings to build to little peaks, embellishing sound effects bubble about on the other side before repeating the process throughout. 

To Be Me continues the inner city cool trend expertly, spicing up the formula by utilizing a bass lick that goes more wwum wwum ww-ww-ww-ww-ww-ww-wwum rather than the smoother versions we've had on hand thus far. Also, expect to hear mellow horns and single piano notes rather than strings to build the peaks up. It may be the exact same template as Fast Soul Track, but it still sounds remarkably different.

The Great Drum+Bass Swindle takes the Different Drum template and cranks the energy up with rolling basslines, spastic rhythms, and sampled singing getting chopped up throughout. This track is also a great example of why the breakdown/build template works so effectively in jungle no matter how much it gets used. Whereas it tends to get redundant in other genres if abused, the rhythm is just so intense here, when you get that respite that can sometimes last up to a minute (although it doesn't here), it is quite welcomed to have a breather on the dancefloor. In addition, when it builds back up again, the payoff is rarely lacking, thrusting right back into the thick of that mad rhythm that you'd have to be either very athletic, jacked on amphetamines, or plain crazy to match pace. You just don't get that with most typical four-on-the-floor dance music. 

We're now halfway through this release and, while everything that's been heard has been top notch, I'm starting to get a little antsy. The formula has remained very consistent thus far and, while having similar sounding songs may work fine for singles, you expect a little more variety when it comes to album releases. Can Coleman prove hes more than just a purveyor of funk and soul samplings while making use of just a mostly CHA wiki-CHA, CHA wiki-CHA rhythm in the second half? 

Cum Dancing (stop snickering back there, you) aims to prove this isn't a one trick pony, but only halfway. Very synthetic in nature, this was an earlier single for the London Elektricity moniker that seems like the odd man out on Billion Dollar Gravy. Sure, there are still string samples being used, but they are mostly background elements rather than the focus. Instead, Coleman takes a feral bassline and tweaks it about while eerie effects flutter about. However, the same rhythmic template as already heard thus far is still in usage. It's good, but something needs to break up the similarity between all these tracks soon, otherwise things aren't going to stick out as much in later songs. 

Main Ingredient seems to indicate Coleman's made his bed with the current rhythmic template and sticking with it, though. More jazzstep than liquid funk in nature, this one's focused more on the lyrics sung by Liane Carrol than the music surrounding it. Definitely a different take, of course, but the rhythm's been just so similar this far through, and it's not sticking out as well as it should. This holds Harlesden back from being as good on this album as it is on its own as well. Yes, it's another fine example of the liquid funk sound, but we've already heard this done on the album, Mr. Coleman. Let's hear what else you can do. 

Ah, no dice I see. My Dreams brings Robert Owens back for another smooth little bit of soulful jungle. Much like Main Ingredient, it's quite restrained on the musical department (word to the 808 cowbell though!) so Owens gets the chance to showcase his vocal range, but, please, Coleman, can we get something a little different before this album ends? You've proved you're a master at this liquid funk game now. A new direction would be nice, I'm begging! 

Actually, My Dreams was a nice segue into Born To Synthesise, where Coleman finally does something out of the ordinary. The sparseness of the former managed to take us out of the more energetic nature of the rest of the album, and this track brings the energy right down to a crawl with a simple, jazzstep take on, well, acid jazz, I guess. It's quite nice to listen to, as Ms. Carrols lyrics carry quite a bit of weight now that she has the opportunity to embellish a bit without losing pace with quicker rhythms. However, I'm feeling this track is coming almost three songs too late. It would have been perfectly placed after The Great Drum+Bass Swindle to break up the rhythmic monotony that was starting to affect this album. Instead, I guess Coleman decided to go for the "come down at the end of the night after an energetic barrage" feel to this album. 

Syncopated City certainly helps maintain that feeling, as it's book-ended by pleasant strings and nice vocals, with a stuttering bass and a completely atmospheric rhythmic middle that helps ease us nicely out to finish. Unfortunately, as nice as it is to finish out, because there was such a long stretch of similar sounding tracks, Billion Dollar Gravy doesn't quite stick out as well as an album with such great songs should. 

In fact, therein lays my main gripe about many jungle albums: that damned near absolute refusal of some producers to never stray from a given template throughout. It's no surprise to me that some of the best jungle albums I've ever heard are diverse throughout, and don't have a few token different tracks tagged on at the end. However, this is still an expertly produced album, and recommended to anyone either curious of liquid funk or just how good soulful jungle can sound. The track arrangement may be a little lacking, but they are all fantastic in their own right. 

Score: 8/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

Different Drum 

The Great Drum+Bass Swindle 

Cum Dancing 

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

Erik Vee - I Am Free (Original TC Review)

Dropout: Cat. # DROP 0346-6
Released 2003

Track List:
A. I Am Free (Club Mix) (6:44)
B. I Am Free (Original Mix) (6:24)

(2010 Update:
Sometimes one will write a positive review that they may look back on and wonder, "how could I have ever liked that?" This is not one of them! Yeah, it's a cheesy tune, but everyone has a few guilty pleasures in their music collections. Still no shame.)

IN BRIEF: Italo lives!

Say what you will about Regeanomics, arena rock, and fashions that could make your hair stand on end even more than the hairspray that abounded in the decade; the 80s had a lot going for them. One such thing was the music known as italo disco, a wholly European phenomenon that time has been quite generous to.

I'm not sure if Erik Vee intentionally set out to make an italo-esque track with I Am Free (especially considering his first single, Wildside, was as straightforward a hard trancer as it gets) but that's the feeling I'm getting from this single here.

Why? Simply put, everything that made italo so much fun is abundant. The breathy vocals with a touch of reverb; the simple yet effective floating pads; the catchy, primitive synth hooks; and a bouncy rhythm that will get parts of your body moving even if you are lying inert.

And even though I Am Free does follow the typical trance format of lead, breakdown, build, etc., they don't come across as tired here, probably thanks to the lack of so many of the clichés plentiful in other tracks (mega snare rolls, gargantuan synths, overtly pretentious presentations). Everything here has a stripped down, back-to-basics feel to it.

Okay, so some might label this vocal trance but, really, vocal trance tends to come across as the offspring of euro dance, which in turn was the offspring of italo. It all ties together, guy!

If you came looking at this release for something a little more akin to Wildside, the Club Mix provided on the A side will probably be more up your alley.

This is a simple yet effective piece of trance here. The track starts out with punchier rhythm as heavy bass bobbles in the background and grating effects are thrown in about for the two and a half minutes worth of lead in. The breakdown fades things down and, wisely, this mix gives us a bit of yin to the lead-in's yang. Instead of the synth pads that were used in the original, however, we are treated to voice pads instead, lending the ambience of I Am Free to a more benign nature. Adding to that ambience is the main hook being played with a rich piano fed through a little reverb rather than primitive synths as well.

Things start moving along again at a fair pace soon enough and extra effects are utilized to play off the piano melody wonderfully. Things play out typically as the song finishes off, with the rhythm dominating the last minute's worth for all your DJing needs.

I highly recommend this release to either fans of italo or melodic trance. Both versions of I Am Free are very effective in their simplicity, and, even if you aren't exactly a fan of one of those styles of EDM, you just might become one after listening to this single.

And as for Erik Vee, count me as a new fan of his material if he continues to produce songs of this caliber. Here's looking to the future with the past firmly in tow.

Score: 9/10

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

DJ Merlin & NXP - Deep In My Mind (Original TC Review)

Tunnel Records: Cat. # TR 3078
Released 2003

TRACK LIST:
A. Deep In My Mind (Extended Mix) (9:04)
B. Deep In My Mind (Barbarez Remix) (6:59)

(2010 Update:
My first 'below average' review, which stunned TranceCritic's owner quite a bit since he recommended this to me for coverage. It was pretty bad then, and the fact these guys seemed to have fallen off vindicates my early assumptions. So, hah! Take that, Jon!)

IN BRIEF: Aren't we all tired of screaming synths by now?

There's an absolutely great moment in the extended mix of Deep In My Mind, where the beats are thumping, the bass is galloping, and a subdued riff screeches inconspicuously.

Unfortunately, it comes nearly eight minutes into this track and lasts a mere twenty seconds, at a point where its role is 'lead out' from the main bulk of this song. What do you have to deal with to get to this point? Some fairly unremarkable moments, to say the least, but since I have no word count limit on the internet, I'll say more.

After some typical shuffling percussion lead in, a rather perky bassline starts up with a bleeping effect playing off it from behind. Two minutes later, we get a minor breakdown, allowing the built up percussion to be stripped away in layers as a little singing of the song's title unfolds. Soon enough, all the introduced elements are completely gone, allowing a gargantuan synth to blast forth, spurring on a breakbeat build.

A decent enough technique but for one problem: despite its zealousness, this synth sounds far too whiney. Add to this the fact the riff it plays is nothing more than straightforward boshing to go along with the thumping kicks, and, well, it's just superfluous. There'd be just as much energy to this track without it thanks to the throbbing basslines, as is evidenced at the end of this song when the synth recedes and allows a background lead to do the work.

Two builds are in this track, the second of course bigger than the first, but I'd take eight minutes of the lead out of Deep In My Mind over these builds any day.

Marty Schmidt (better known as DJ Dean but using his Barbarez alias here) seems to be aware of the main synth's lack of ability to carry the song on its shoulders so, for his remix on the flip, he adds some more elements to help it along.

The lead in is much punchier, laying the beats on fierce with chunky acid blurps and snappy percussion. Over two minutes later, things recede and allow a throbbing synth line to emerge in a minor breakdown. Crowd noise is added and, as the main synth of the original is brought in, the extra throbbing synth really brings texture. Another synth line plays off the main one, doing what needed to be done in the first place: adding depth to an otherwise basic banger of a track.

Granted, the synth still sounds whiney but at least it isn't the focus of the entire track anymore. There are whole stretches where the other synths get to show off a bit as well; disappointingly, nothing overly remarkable is done with these extra elements either. For the most part, they just thump or throb along with the kicks. Schmidt's remix is better than the original but not by a whole heck of a lot.

Despite a few things that work, these two tracks don't really bring a whole lot to the table. There's far better offerings of hard trance out there.

Score: 3/10

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