Solar Fields - Leaving Home

Ultimae Records: 2005/2008

It’s hard to imagine a guy like Solar Fields having a ‘forgotten album’, but that’s honestly what Leaving Home comes off like. There's a transitional feeling to his third LP on Ultimae, an attempt to move on from the psy dub that made Blue Moon Station such a standout, but not quite reaching the musical diversity and epic scope later albums offered. One of Mr. Birgersson's enduring strengths is his willingness to try something different every time he releases an album, but I don't think he quite knew where he wanted to go next on Leaving Home, resulting in something of a hodgepodge CD.

Case in point: the track list, or rather the track 'demarcation'. The first half of this album is indexed in such a bizarre manner, I have to imagine ol' Magnus deliberately aiming for avant-garde. First tune Home is barely a tune at all, serving more as soundscape lead-in for summery chill-out second cut Time Slide. Fair enough, many albums start this way, but the two blends so seamlessly together, you'd think it was the same track. Insum does more to stand out as something distinct, though noodles about for nearly half the track before establishing a proper melodic theme (a lovely bit of lazy ambient techno featuring strumming strings and sweeping synths ...standard Ultimae at this point, if I'm honest). Couldn't the first half just been an independently indexed interlude?

Following that, we get Star Fruit, Magnetosphere (Star Fruit Part 2), and Stereo Hypnosis (Magnetosphere Part 2). Oh cool, a running theme between three tracks, this should be- what, it's over already? Yep, three individual 'tracks', running a total time less than Insum. What was the point of that? Sure, the drum programming grows more complicated with each track (Star Fruit Part 3 almost enters braindance territory), but couldn't this have been one single track instead? The first two parts are simply too short to have much interest as stand-alones.

Following that, we’re treated to three tracks breaking the ten-minute mark – heck, Monogram breaks the fifteen-minute mark, mostly noodly ambient techno but fine for that sort of thing. The first of this bunch though, Air Song, has three totally different ideas during its run-time, yet isn’t split up like the Star-Fruit-Magnetosphere-Hypnosis sequence that preceded it. It doesn’t ruin the listening experience, mind you – I doubt Solar Fields could release a bad album if he tried – but boy does it make for a wonky looking tracklist.

Right, I haven’t been detailing much of the music itself, mainly because there isn’t much to talk about. Leaving Home has a soft atmosphere running through, chill even for typical Solar Fields chill (and if you aren’t familiar with his sound yet, what are you waiting for!?). Fortunately, it ends strong, with Times Are Good coming off like a Pete Namlook tribute, and the titular final cut featuring a great climax of wordly sounds, synths, and trip-hop breaks. It can be something of an ambient-soup slog to get there though.

Cheb i Sabbah - La Kahena

Six Degrees Records: 2005

Okay, I needed that break from this blog. Juggling it with near full-time work and scholastic endeavors was just too much to deal with. Brain drain on the job, coupled with necessary research and study for essays, there was nothing left in the think-tank for music reviews, even ones as concise as the ones I write here. This semester’s over now, so let’s get back to electronic music criticism. What’s next in my alphabetical list, then? Cheb i Sabbah’s La Kahena? Uh, what the heck is this? Traditional Middle Eastern music? I don’t know a damn thing about this stuff. I… need to research some of this. Oh, God, no! I beg of you, no more researching! My brain can’t take- *grey matter implodes*

Right, I should have known Six Degrees Records would release just as much proper 'world music' as their world beat offerings, but how was I to know Cheb i Sabbah would put together a project of this nature? I've only known of the chap through his DJ gigs (almost primarily at hippie trance parties), and few scattered productions on regular world dub-beat compilations. It was enough to pique my curiosity enough to pick up La Kahena blind, and hoo, was this something I was not expecting in the slightest.

I won't deny enjoying the music here, but it’s on a 'dumb' level, the sort of basic musical appreciation that comes with most things of a rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic nature. Despite the use of drum programming and synth effects, La Kehena is about as traditional as this music gets. Which tradition, you ask? I... honestly don't know. I'm guessing it's Middle Eastern, though maybe North African too, given it was recorded in Morocco. Bottom line is I have no cultural connection to this album (much less able to understand the language it's sung in), so any significance of content beyond “cool beat, neat sounds, heartfelt passion; me like” is utterly lost on my way-Western sensibilities. Maybe if I do a little resear- *grey matter implodes*

Mr. Sabbah must have strongly believed in the potential of this album, as he rounded up tons of musicians to perform on it (how much he contributes, I haven't a clue). Oh, there's Bill Laswell again, doing bass. Karsh Kale, a Six Degrees alum, also shows up. I don't recognize anyone else here. Hell, I don't even recognize some of the instruments they play. An oud? A ney? You got me, names sounding about as foreign as I'm sure a dobro sounds to folks of Yemen. Whatever they are, I bet they sound good on this 5.1 Dolby mixdown I sadly cannot enjoy (damn paper-thin apartment walls).

Is La Kehena worth your time? Sure, I guess. At worst, it'll expose you to a form of music that's just as lively as anything you'll hear in a club, perhaps more so by tapping into the communal nature of such performances. In the end, it's a great educa- *grey matter implodes*

Various - Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked

Verve Records: 2005

It’s been one year since I started this blog up again, and I've ducked, dodged, and weaved away from this beast of a genre. Now, I must deal with one of the most daunting scenes of music for any rookie to delve into: jazz. Not acid jazz or dance-jazz or nu-jazz or sampled-jazz; no, nothing so easily tied to the forms of music I'm most familiar with. This is full-blooded, one-hundred percent, straight from the smokey recesses of inner-city habitats jazz. John Coltrane's here! Dizzy Gillespe's here! Chico Hamilton's here! Pharoa Sanders is here! Archie Shepp's here! Still with me on this? 'Cause I'm already lost on some of these names.

I don't mind jazz, but I can't claim to knowing more than the cliff's notes version of its long, long, long history. It's a scene where you're either all-in, or barely dipping your toes. To do that, I'd have to become a Jazz Guy, but I'm not ready for that kind of commitment. I'd have to dress different, act different (all other music's inferior); I'd have to grow a moustache and get all kinds of fedoras and wines. I'd have to get new furniture and 'art' for the walls and mood lighting. I'd have to get new friends, new Jazz Friends. No, I'm not ready for it.

Fortunately, we have handy bluffer’s compilations to get a taste of that action without going all the way in. This here Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked is one such collection, several contemporary electronic acts having their chance at remixing classic cuts from the groundbreaking label, Impulse! Records. Establishing itself in the early ‘60s, and with John Coltrane leading the charge, it was instrumental in popularizing the free jazz movement from which I shall stop talking about its history because I really, really don’t know more than what Wikipedia tells me nor do I care and is this freeform method writing cool-daddy enough for ya’? Argh, all this jazz, man, it gets in the head.

So we have Kid Koala, Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, RZA, and others giving modern takes on classic urban stylee jazz numbers. For the most part, it puts the music closer to the acid jazz camp clubbers will be familiar with. Others go more for the hip-hop flavour (Prefuse 73’s go on Gabor Szabo’s Mizrab is almost glitch) and Teflon Tel-Aviv turn Oliver Nelson’s Stolen Moments into something out of a Hybrid interlude. A solid gathering of reworkings all round, and perfectly safe listening for those who feel Ninja Tune’s the extent they’re willing to indulge jazz music in.

But, if you’re feeling more daring, this here 2CD copy has the original cuts on the second disc, all in the same order as their remixed counterparts on disc one. Now you can compare and see if these updates do the classics justice. Let’s hear how first track, George Russell’s A Helluva Town, sounded. *couple minutes pass* Oh my God, that drum solo! That’s awesome! No, must... resist... becoming... Jazz... Guy...

Miguel Migs - Get Salted, Volume 1 (2013 Update)

Salted Music: 2005

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review.)

I must be getting old. It's the only explanation for how I somehow enjoy this CD more than when I first wrote a review for it. When was that, six or seven years ago now? My God, can one's taste in music really change that much from their late twenties to mid-thirties? I mean, I heard the rumours of it being so, the anecdotes, the old-wives' tales, but now that I've experienced it myself, I'm astounded to find the legends are true. It's not like I didn't have an appreciation for deep house when I was younger. Even in my early twenties, I enjoyed the output of chaps like Mark Farina and such. This is a different feeling though, a soul feeling, a- Oh dear, I'm turning into one of those house heads, aren't I.

Yeah, yeah, I quipped a whole bunch about that in my original TranceCritic review of Get Salted, Vol. 1, which sure makes my writing come off immature now that I look back at it (not to mention the overlong, pointless 'angle' of whether Miguel Migs should get an artist credit or not – inappropriate, leftover snark-rant regarding DJs and the spotlights they seek, t’was). Folly of youth, I guess, but it’s not like this CD’s an overlooked gem that my lack of maturity couldn’t comprehend at the time. All that’s happened is the bumpin’ funk and soul vibes that’s long been a deep house trademark now resonate stronger than they did before, and there’s any number of reasons for this other than ‘getting older’.

For instance, the music that passed for popular ‘deep house’ following Get Salted, Vol. 1’s release was, for the most part, boring as shit. Minimal deep-tech? For the love of... What happened to the funk and soul? Hell, what even happened to the artsy European flavour? But whatever, that fad thankfully came to an end, to which we now have the nu-‘deep house’. It’s... well, just boring house for the most part, like 2002-era prog, but with all the plod and a distinct lack of spaciousness. Well sure then, Get Salted, Vol. 1’s gonna sound brilliant compared to those contemporary offerings of ‘deeper than thou’ house.

Props to Mr. Migs, then, for ignoring such trends while maintaining his Salted Music label to this day. Though sporadic in releases, it still peddles in that West Coast summery disco-funk style that OM and Naked made their names on. He even released a second volume of Get Salted in 2009, though I’m not compelled to check that one out, which brings me to a final point.

Get Salted, Vol. 1 may sound better to my aged ears in the here and now compared to the then and before, but the stylistic and pacing problems I mentioned in that old review also persist, especially the drag in the middle of the set. Despite Mr. Mig’s brand of deep house hitting those classic soul notes better than most, it still has its flaws too.

Gorillaz - Demon Days

Parlaphone: 2005

It could have simply ended with the first album. Albarn and Hewitt had made their 'anti-pop' pop statement, had their fun. But, pondered ol' Damon, what if they could do it again, only better? Could a cartoon band be just as popular a second time? After all, that Prozzak duo utterly failed to recapture the 'glory' they achieved. Surely the Gorillaz couldn't succeed where others had failed, especially when their music was generally so esoteric.

Yet, something happened to the group that was absolutely brilliant in hindsight, something that seldom happens to cartoon characters, if at all. They aged. And with age came a growing history of their world, most of which could only be gleaned from online content or music videos. The Gorillaz were developing continuity, and for music geeks who were already intrigued by their quirky sounds and designs, this was like catnip. There were ongoing changes with this band (or phases, as it's come to be known), and if you wanted to keep up to date on all the going-ons of their world, you'd have to pay attention to all the little details that'd be sprinkled forth. How could any fan resist this ongoing story, especially considering the oddball setup that was presented in the first album?

So Noodles became a teenager (a super-soldier experiment one at that!), Murdoch turned more demonic (what's up with that?), Russell’s morose after losing his ghosts (no, Del!), and 2D... well, he's kinda the same. The plan worked, and by establishing the story of how Noodles wrote the majority of Demon Days, it gave Albarn an opportunity at a proper concept album, or at least one that was far more unified in tone than the previous Gorillaz effort.

Guiding the whole enterprise was Danger Mouse, his popularity on the rise following The Grey Album. Emulating Dan The Automator’s eclectic sound from Gorillaz could never be easy, so it’s just as well that the Mouse scales back the genre jumping. There’s still plenty of it – tracks ten through fourteen runs the gamut of grime, dance punk, folk (!), and piano-pop that would make even Brian Wilson weak in the knees – but in maintaining a lo-fi, dubby Casio aesthetic to the proceedings, Demon Days is a far more consistent listen than the first album. No matter how weird things may get, you seldom feel the need to skip anything, as it all plays into the Gorillaz’ bizarre anything-goes style. Only a cartoon band could get away with such catchy anthems like Dirty Harry that features a child’s choir.

Oh yeah, there be anthems here. Feel Good Inc. and DARE were the big ones, but O Green World and All Alone are awesome examples too - no mere filler here, my friends. Plus melancholy moments like El Mañana and Every Planet We Reach Is Dead round things out. Demon Days is a great album, all said. Only quibble is none of the guest rappers top Del’s work, but then few could anyway.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Five

Ultimae Records: 2005/2008

Five editions of Fahrenheit Project deep, it's safe to say Ultimae had found a formula that worked. Fresh material from their regular roster, a few contributions from outside sources, and an excellent mix of mellow trance, ambient techno, and cinematic chill keeping the music varied and interesting. Oh, and release it after a fallow year, a handy tactic in building anticipation for the next entry in the series.

By 2005, however, the need to take it a step further must have been on their minds. Mostly fuelled by the popularity of Israeli full-on and Swedish prog psy, the psy scene was enjoying a resurgence of interest, and those into the downtempo side of things were cluing into the label's potential. The buzz generated by their early material had grown into a steady murmur now, but Ultimae had long been a cut above their musical peers, so it's not like they had to up the ante. Besides, Fahrenheit, Part 4 was such a good compilation, I doubt anyone expected them to top that one. Could they even top it?

They fucking smashed it.

For one thing, Ultimae noticed psy's changing trends, and capably found a footing within the realms of prog psy. Not that the label was adverse in dabbling with an upbeat tempo, but it was mostly a sort of 'slow trance' style they were comfortable with. Here, Aes Dana's Purple and Solar Field's Water Silence could easily find DJ set duty with any of the Iboga or Spiral Trax offerings of that year (though probably better suited early in such a set). Wedged among those two are the returning Jaïa and Aural Planet, each providing a different tone of psy dub, keeping variety high and class.

At the other end of the spectrum (and CD) lurks the other Ultimae regulars in Carbon Based Lifeforms (including two solo outings from CBL member Sync24), and Hol Baumann. The former’s sound often skewed in ambient techno’s favor, but even that was seeing changes with the trendy emergence of minimal, drone, and glitch by the mid-‘00s. Following suit, they along with Hol explore such music to great effect. Heck, Baumann’s Final could have made for an excellent capper with strong drum programming and guitar strums complementing the glitch, but Sync24’s suitably named ‘Epilogue Edit’ of Wake takes us out in fine fashion.

And then there’s the middle section! Holy cow, it’s the best string of music I’ve heard out of all these Fahrenheit Projects, no small feat considering how strong the track arrangement usually is. Processing Lights from H.U.V.A. Network is a lush piece of ethereal chill, then Cell somehow outdoes that with his own haunting Blue Embers. Joining them is prog psy vet Marius Katz, bringing a touch of actual ambient techno funk to the proceedings, and sounding not a touch out of place in the process. How he do that!?

Okay, that’s enough enthusiastic rambling from me. If you can only get one Fahrenheit Project, Part 5’s the one. Trust.

302 Acid - 302 Acid 0005

em:t: 2005

I’ve been listening to my music alphabetically for nearly a year now, yet am only in the middle ‘C’s. Even if we assume I listened to an album a day (absurd) it seems like an inordinate amount of time with very little gain. I don’t have that much music, do I? Heh, you’d be surprised, but no, not that much. One thing has held up the queue on occasion though, and that’s the acquisition of new music. An early rule was, were I to purchase something that fell before my current position, that release would be next instead, then carry back on in order where I left off. Simple enough, but for the point I have a habit of buying music in bunches. As I did this past day. So, we leave the ‘C’s for the time being to go back to the beginning, all the way to numbers in fact.

This also presents something of a challenge for yours truly. Reviewing material that’s been sitting in my collection for awhile, that’s easy. Even if I’ve only listened to it once or twice, I’ve still had plenty of time to form thoughts on it. But tackling fresh music doesn’t offer such luxury. Unless it’s some bona-fide classic I’ve already heard tons, chances are I’m heading into these cold and, unlike my TC days, won’t be listening to it repeatedly before writing about it. After all, I only listen to these once on my portable before moving on (Rule #2!), and I’ll need to crank out a review for that too.

Dang, that’s half my self-imposed word count already. Alright, 302 Acid. Lessee…

Well, I’m in luck. Discogs lacks info about this trio, and Last.fm isn’t much help either. Apparently a live PA act, they haven’t released anything since this debut full-length. That simplifies things.

Not an easy sound to pin down, they run the gamut of downtempo and chill. You got abstract glitch (Six), droning synth washes that cover the full spectrum of mood (Mortariggus and Nocturnum be dark, Calibrations be high in the clouds), bubbly psychedelic dub that seems influenced from either Bill Laswell (Push Button) or Simon Posford (Quest), and various other dabblings scattered throughout. Don’t take these comparisons as suggestion that 302 Acid lacks a style of their own though, as everything on this album is distinct enough to stand out from the crowd. Trouble is, in showcasing their diversity, the album lacks cohesion, moving through different segments that, while interesting, can be jarring.

It’s a shame there’s little else to be found about them, as the ideas present hint at something that could have developed into intriguing possibilities - a melding of early Warp records experiments and Twisted Records chill, if you will. As it stands, 302 Acid is a fine pick-up should you be curious, but not an essential one.

Miami Dub Machine - Be Free With Your Love (Original TC Review)

UMK: Cat. # 0694 PUMM 

Released September 19, 2005 

Track List: A1. Be Free With Your Love (Deepgroove’s Big Love Mix) (7:07) 

A2. Be Free With Your Love (Cube Guys Miami Mix) (6:00) 

B1. Be Free With Your Love (Deepgroove’s Big Dirty Dub) (8:14)

(2010 Update: Yeah, I totally missed the pun on this one. It's not like Mylo's mash-up with Miami Sound Machine hadn't been around either. *shrug* A momentary lapse in brain power. The tune's still pretty good, and even got a subsequent remix by Fonzerilli that was mildly popular. The Deepgroove dub's still my favorite though.)

IN BRIEF: Not dub, but still fun. 

It’s safe to say any music fan has certain weaknesses for specific styles. You become so attached to a genre that if a release has its name on it, you instantly want to check it out. I’ve known folks who’re fans of, say, house, and will snatch up anything with the word ‘house’ in the title, irregardless of the content.

I’m no different. For a while, trance was the pet genre I adored but as more and more releases were filled with music I felt was less and less trance, I gave it up. Filling in its place was a form of music I’d grown quite fond of by that point: dub. Of course, such an ambiguous name can mean many things, anywhere from layered bass-heavy reggae to mere instrumental mixes. It can be a frustrating endeavor sifting through it all; for every Dub Trees (cool psychedelic ambience) I come across, there’s an Asian Dub Foundation (poor-man’s Rage Against The Machine) that finds its way into my racks. You’d think I’d learn to be more discriminating over time but, admittedly, half the fun in collecting music is the trial-and-error process; that sense of anticipation whether you’ve stumbled upon something incredible and new. So, I will continue to eagerly check out anything with the word ‘dub’ in it, logic be damned (it’s good to be human!). 

Which finally, in the third paragraph of this review, leads me to this release by Miami Dub Machine. Having already provided you with my reasoning for wanting to check this out, perhaps I should tell you straight-up whether it met with my expectations of what I want out of a release with the word ‘dub’ somewhere in it. The short answer is no. For the long answer, keep reading. 

Miami Dub Machine is an alternate name for Italian trio Cube Guys, relative newcomers to the scene who’ve done a few remixes- er, covers of 80s songs. This one is the same, as Be Free With Your Love was originally done by synth-poppers Spandau Ballet. In this case, they lift the catchy chorus and guitars of the original wholesale and surround it with their own beats and effects. 

The elements of their own device are actually quite nifty. A hollow bassline (I refuse to call it ‘electro’) bobbles around as glitchy electronic noises grate and grind throughout. Sounds like an IDM noise-fest when I type it but, amazingly, it actually sounds quite funky, as the sounds on display weave and work with the musical template and morph through various effects to remain fresh throughout. Additionally, the original’s verse is now treated as a bit of somber spoken-dialogue, which adds immensely to the more synthetic nature of the Cube Guys’ treatment. 

The additional remix here is done by Deepgroove, a DJing duo whom seem to be garnering some praise lately thanks to their live shows. By removing the spoken-dialogue bit and amping up the bassline so it’s a fiercer bleepy bit of funky freshness, their remix is dancefloor dynamite! They also add some sweeping pads during minor breakdowns, creating an ethereal vibe to the proceedings as the original chorus sings along. Deepgroove’s take on Be Free With Your Love is definitely a keeper to groove a clubbing crowd. And, if you feel the Spandau Ballet bits are inhibiting what their remix is fully capable of, they provide a ‘dub’ version, which is basically the same thing but without the sampled chorus and driven by chunkier rhythms. 

So, while Miami Dub Machine may not have been what I was expecting, I still enjoyed Be Free With Your Love for entirely different reasons. It’s not going to score super-high marks, just due to the fact this is still more of a cover than an original piece of work, but both the Cube Guys and Deepgroove manage to throw their own dynamic wrinkle into this release. Definitely worth a look-see. 

Score: 7/10 

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

Various - Unwind: A Journey Into Global Grooves (Original TC Review)

Com.Pact Records: Cat. #CPCD-IL025 

Released 2005 

Track List: 

1. Solarians - Spring Thing (4:53) 

2. Tribalistic Society - Åarhus On A Sunday Afternoon (4:46) 

3. T.K.Y - Long Before This Day (7:50) 

4. U&K - Sähkövalo (5:26) 

5. Lish - Blue (4:44) 

6. Sunfire - Electronic (7:14) 

7. Visual Paradox - GaYo (2005 Remake) (5:50) 

8. T.K.Y. vs. Max Maxwell - Twilight (5:18) 

9. Wilson Stout - Helpless (Dini Dub Mix) (5:05) 

10. Sesto Sento - Slow Move (4:47) 

11. Psionyx - Deimos Vista (7:53) 

12. The Misted Muppet - Defender Of The Past (2:17) 

(2010 Update: The middle of this review if kind of forgettable, much like the middle of this CD, to be honest. There was actually a second Unwind compilation, featuring most of the same artists, though none of the better ones on here. One of the fun things with these generic psy releases is I often got to try something different with my writing, in this case doing a 'Good, Bad, Ugly (Verdict)' summary at the end. Come to think of it, that could have been a practical reviewing method for everything. Well, if you were after capsule ones anyway.) 

IN BRIEF: Pretty standard stuff. 

Com.Pact Records is yet another in what seems to be a never-ending supply of psy trance labels coming out of Israel. Every time I poke my head into the psy scene again, there’s yet another label churning out a slew of mostly full-on trance. I honestly have no idea how some of the more dedicated psy fans can keep up with it all, much less want to. I’d be amazed if there’s enough diversity between the releases to warrant such dedication. Yet, the scene must be there, as the albums and compilations of Israeli psy just keep on trucking out. 

Perhaps Com.Pact sensed there was too much of the same ol’, and decided to expand a little into other styles. The result is what we have here: Unwind, a collection of chilled-out global grooves featuring a bunch of names only the Israeli psy scene would have a passing familiarity with. I’ve been wary of these sorts of compilations for a while now, as the Great Chill-Out Campaign of the new millennium saw a huge glut of ‘adequate’ downtempo releases when Moby’s Play suddenly made it commercially viable. The trouble, my friends, is the very nature of music like this. It isn’t designed to excite or inspire or infuriate, but merely provide a backing soundtrack to everyday situations. Perfectly fine when such situations call for it of course, but very drab when, as a paying listener, you’d rather have the music engage your consciousness rather than evaporate within it. 

Still, I’ve heard some decent downtempo stuff from the psy camps in the past, and perhaps an underground label like Com.Pact won’t fall into the same ‘chilled-out muzak’ trap so many commercial labels do. Let’s find out, shall we? 

Um, unfortunately, opener Spring Thing from Solarians doesn’t bode too well. You ever see those racks of easy listening music in New Age shops that read like Rainforest Rhythms or Sounds Of Sweet Savannah Showers? Yeah, they tend to look low-budget and hokey, and trust me they usually are. Spring Thing is the kind of track you’d probably hear on one of those: wispy synths, ‘organic’ sounds, and ‘inspirational’ melodies that are anything but. And what’s with that bass? It just grumbles along without harmonizing or leading. This track’s hardly the kind of first impression you want to make. It’s like someone attempting to make a grand entrance into your home, but trips and falls flat on their face. And instead of quickly gathering himself to save some face, he follows up the trip with a mere shrug and wanders off to settle in. 

Or, to be rid of this clumsy metaphor, Unwind has a peculiar choice to follow-up Spring Thing with Tribalistic Society’s Åarhus On A Sunday Afternoon. This is a very loose track, borrowing mellow themes from across cultures to form a nice collage of disparate ideas, but little else. You’d think it’d be a better idea to try to grab your attention with something a little more focused, but it is not to be. Long Before This Day by T.K.Y. carries on the loose musical ideas, seemingly unsure of what kind of track it wants to be. It starts a bit goofy but turns quite somber once some pads are added. Most of the sparse melodies that weave around aren’t terribly interesting, as the sounds used are a bit flat. Midway through, Long Before changes direction again with a weak bassline, some reggae organs, and an Arabic chant. I don’t know about anyone else, but these elements just don’t gel for me. It sounds like it’s trying to be dubby but the sounds don’t carry enough resonance to make it effective. I often find myself tuning this track out. 

U&K’s Sähkövalo finally gives us something interesting. More on a trip-hop tip, funky loops and groovy rhythms set up the start. Eventually, moody subdued chords gradually emerge from the background, gently growing stronger as additional synth washes accentuate them. While nothing revolutionary, it is still an engaging bit of music. Blue by Lish continues the trip-hop trend, though opts for something a little more upbeat. Although murky dubby sounds weave about in the background, the rhythm’s got more kick to it than Sähkövalo, and the added synth hook towards the end is quite effective along with squelchy sound effects that don’t annoy. Perhaps Unwind will be salvageable after all. 

Hah, you know that last line is a set-up, so I won’t beat around the bush. Sunfire’s Electronic starts out fine enough with nice sweeping pads and gentle rhythms, creating a pleasant Ibizan atmosphere. It all goes south though, when for reasons that utterly escape me, Mr. Kosyvev introduces a harsh, tuneless synth noise. It’s abrasive, it’s ugly, and it’s completely unnecessary, knocking me out of my calm tranquility like a slap to the face. What follows for a bit, while interesting in spots, falls into the ‘lounge’ trap of being content to remain unobtrusive. GaYo has a nifty bouncy bassline, but the assortment of xylophones, echoey synths, pianos and so on never bother to carry any kind of melody. Twilight benefits from a murky Arabic atmosphere but also doesn’t settle into any kind of gripping theme. And the Dini Dub of Wilson Stout’s Helpless, while a pleasant bit of Mediterranean chill, is just as hookless as the previous two. Of course, none of these tracks are bad by any means, but they are quite typical of lounge vibes, and probably won’t stand out much if you listen to a great deal of this sort of music. 

Unwind seems about ready to move onto something new, though, and opts for the gradual transition. Slow Move by Sesto Sento is an intriguing slice of ambient breaks, making use of some spacey pads and acid squelches to complement the rhythms and hooks. The percussion is also quite good, never settling for simple loops. With Slow Move easing us from the organic lounges to the synthetic sounds, we move into sci-fi territory... or psy-fi, as the case may be. 

If Com.Pact’s usual audience has been put off by all the laid-back, jazzy, dubby music thus far, Deimos Vista by Psionyx should be more their style. With spacey synths, stuttering soundscapes, and narrative melodies, this is also the most structured song to be hand on Unwind. The usual ‘psybient’ theme of benevolent alien ideologies should appeal to spaceheads as well. We close with Defenders Of the Past by The Misted Muppet. Not a very long track, this serves as a decent enough ambient outro following in the theme of Deimos Vista. Eerie synth pads and piano melodies make up the bulk and, even for their short duration, they sound wonderful. This guy continues to impress me; maybe I should seek out that album of his all the psyheads were gushing over. 

Now, for The Good: As far as chill albums go, there’s a decent amount of variety to be had. Additionally, the music flows nicely together despite the disparate downtempo styles. Credit should also be given to Com.Pact for daring to expand a little beyond their usual borders.

The Bad: There really isn’t much here that we haven’t heard from countless other chill compilations. Aside from some points where the quality of a track leaps or plummets, Unwind would have a hard time distinguishing itself from your usual chill fodder. Plus, this compilation has a pretty weak start, and first impressions go a long way in setting the mood for any CD. 

And The Ugly... er, Verdict: If you see this in your shops and have very little chill music in your collection, you could do worse. However, like so many chill-out compilations these days, Unwind remains far too content to be ‘background’ music. I know the argument goes that’s the whole point of music like this, but with so many compilations of loungey music available, does it then matter which one you put your money down for? No, even chill music should be able to engage you when you’re actually listening to it. 

An average score should suffice for Unwind. It would have been lower on account of the weak opening, but it finished strong; even-steven all the way. 

Score: 5/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

Psionyx - Deimos Vista 

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

Benny Benassi - Who's Your Daddy? (Original TC Review)

Universal Licensing Music: Cat. # 983 624-8
Released December 2005

Track List:
A1. Who’s Your Daddy? (Original Extended) (6:27)
A2. Who’s Your Daddy? (David Guetta & Joachim Garraud Remix) (7:15)
B1. Who’s Your Daddy? (Electro Extended Mix) (5:51)
B2. Who’s Your Daddy? (Fuzzy Hair Remix) (6:32)


(2010 Update:
Oh man, lots of dated stuff here. Guetta doing trance? Okay, yeah, I admit I hadn't a clue who he was at this point, but his star was still a few months off from properly blowing up. Then there's that whole predicting the electro-house fad would die out by 2008. *sigh* Wishful thinking there, Syk'. As for Benassi, he's fallen off a bit since, Guetta having now become the premiere electro-dance-pop DJ and producer. You can still catch Benny on tour, though I dunno if he'd play this single. Maybe if you ask him nicely.)


IN BRIEF: Do the Daddy Dance.

You kind of have to feel sorry for Benny. Sure, he successfully produced a monster hit that made him a critical darling and mainstream star overnight. Unfortunately, in doing so his career could only follow one of two paths: continue recycling the formula of Satisfaction, keeping his mainstream fans but alienating the critics for ‘rehashing the same ideas’; or use his newfound stardom to stretch his musicianship, winning him continued critical praise but losing his mainstream audience for not providing ‘more of the same’. With Who’s Your Daddy?, it would appear Benny’s settled with the former.

Milking a winning formula isn’t necessarily a bad thing -hell, 2 Unlimited alone did it successfully for numerous singles. They are more of an exception than a rule, though, as all too often the perfect storm of circumstances that can make a dance hit massive across the board rarely works twice; just ask Darude.

But odds be damned, says Benassi. He’s made his bed with stupidly simply, dirty rockin’ house music, and he’s determined to give his fans more of it, whether we want it or not.

Fortunately for him, the style hasn’t worn out its welcome just yet (I predict two more years, tops) so Who’s Your Daddy? is an effective bit of rowdy dancefloor business. Looping guitars thrash as not-so-innocent dialogue spoken with innocent voices will undoubtedly get the ladies randy, inciting them to get drrrty in a club should they have consumed enough liquor -it encourages girls to play the innocent tease, and the guys to act on it. This is more of a novelty song, though, so your post-club enjoyment will only last for as long as those lyrics keep from annoying you. Personally, they overstayed their welcome by the third remix of this track on here, but party gals usually have a higher tolerance for skanky, shrieky words in music.

Ah, yes, the remixes. Not a whole heck of a lot to talk about regarding these, as they are fairly straight-forward exercises in making Who’s Your Daddy? suitable for certain scenes. It doesn’t quite work, though, as Benassi’s original trashy version invites wild antics while the others don’t. David Guetta and Joachim Garraud provide a bit of a trancey re-rub, which works decently enough until those slutty, screaming lyrics pop up, as they hardly mesh with the music on hand; anyone not familiar with the original will cast plenty of ‘what the fuck?’ looks in the direction of the trance DJ foolish enough to play it. The Electro mix cleans the sounds of the song up somewhat so it’ll fit better in electro house sets but the rowdy spirit of the original is slightly lost in the process (they’ve yet to make a synth sound that’s quite as wild as a good ol’ distorted guitar, though they are getting closer). And the Fuzzy Hair remix is only notable for an anti-climatic build, as the rest of it is funkless bumping electro house; very skippable.

Still, the original mix is a keeper for the time being, and Benassi should be able to maintain his career off of its strength for a little while longer. It doesn’t have nearly the accessability of Satisfaction but as a clone of the formula, Who’s Your Daddy? works fine and randy... er, dandy.


Score: 6/10


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

Azuli Presents John Digweed: Choice - A Collection Of Classics (Original TC Review)

Azuli Records: Cat. # AZCD35X 

Released March 28/2005 

Track List: CD 1 

1. Voices Of Africa - Hoomba Hoomba (4:33) 

2. The Grid - Floatation (3:17) 

3. T Tauri - Joy To The World (No Felt) (4:35) 

4. Hypnotone - Dreambeam (Ben Chapman 12" Remix) (3:55) 

5. Smith & Mighty - Dark House (4:00) 

6. Peech Boys - Don’t Make Me Wait (5:05) 

7. Propaganda - Your Wildlife (Red Zone Mix) (4:45) 

8. The Beat Club - Security 88 (Midnight Club Mix) (5:06)

9. Sheertaft - Cascades (Hypnotone Mix) (5:08) 

10. Euphoria - Mecurial (Euphoric Original Mix) (4:29) 

11. One Dove - White Love (Scott Hardkiss’ Psychic Masturbation Mix) (5:23) 

12. Dance 2 Trance - We Came In Peace (John Digweed Re-edit) (4:57) 

13. Desert Storm - Desert Storm (6:06) 

14. Abfarht - Alone, It’s Me (Alley Cat Edit) (5:40) 

15. Underworld - Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (Jamscraper Mix) (6:46) 

CD 2 1. Babble - Beautiful (Blue Mix) (6:38) 

2. Waterlillies - Tempted (Spooky Mix) (5:18) 

3. INXS - Disappear (Morales 12" Mix) (5:03) 

4. Megatonk - Belgium (Nintendotone Mix) (3:52) 

5. DSK - What Would You Do (8 Minutes Of Madness Mix) (5:14) 

6. Reese & Santonio - Back To The Beat (With The Sound) (3:34) 

7. Jody Watley - I’m The One (Def Dub Version; John Digweed Re-edit) (4:39) 

8. Saint Etienne - Cool Kids Of Death (Underworld Mix) (6:16) 

9. Hi-Bias - Drive It Home (4:47) 

10. Young American Primitive - Young American Primitive? (4:26) 

11. DJ H. featuring Steffy - Come On Boy (Larry Levan Remix) (5:29) 

12. Secret Knowledge - Sugar Daddy (7:27) 

13. The Cure - A Forest (Mark Saunders Mix) (6:46) 

(2010 Update: Man, I wish I'd spent "only" two paragraphs on the first disc too. Then I wouldn't have ended up with a cumbersome 2000+ word review. Still a fun compilation to throw on once and a while, certainly more so than some of Digweed's more recent forays into dry minimal-tech house. Bring back the classics, Diggers!) 

IN BRIEF: A history of Digweed untouched upon by the media. 

In this era of placing DJs on unreachable pedestals for their fans to idolize, it’s grown increasingly difficult for them to do what they do best - namely bring the listeners a variety of diverse music strung together into a cohesive flow. To quote from the liner notes of this release written by Sean Cusick: “A DJ’s fanbase can have very weighty expectations...invisible limits placed on diversity and the potential creativity that distinct music encourages. A dedicated fan-base comes to expect ‘more of the same’ from their hero and sometimes very little else.” 

While not all EDM scenes are quite this picky, the trance scene, for the most part, can be very guilty of this. How many fans of, say, Oakenfold, abandoned him when he stopped playing tracks from his Tranceport compilation (and don’t give me that ‘his DJing got worse’ excuse - it was always like that; you just didn’t notice it because you liked the tunes he played). For DJs whom grew up exposed to music long before their fan-base’s niche even existed, I’d imagine this can be a very frustrating thing. 

Let’s face it. Good DJs, of any style, have exposed themselves to a lot of music. Their music collections tend to be ridiculously large, even if they only get to play out a fraction of it. Labels realized this and figured out a way to not only introduce a new form of compilation, but also give these DJs a chance to do what every music collector loves: show off their records. 

So maybe you could argue these sorts of compilations are just stroking a DJ’s ego, or are redundant because there’s nothing but old tracks that any connoisseur will already have. Fair arguments, but I tend to take a less cynical route with this. Compilations like Back To Mine, Life:Styles, and Choice serve as a chance for DJs to create a sort of mix-tape for their audience. No scrutiny placed on them to only have the latest tracks, no critical analyzing of their technical skill - just one music lover sharing their tastes and influences with others. 

Prog house legend John Digweed was tapped for this particular edition of Azuli Records’ Choice series (which has featured mostly house legends like Frankie Knuckles and Danny Tenaglia). There’s no need to get into the history of the man, as I’m sure many already know about his raise to super-stardom from the Renaissance days on. Besides, most of that is moot here, as Digweed takes us on a little trip to an era before that. Most of the music on display here dates back to a time when the man was just a fledgling DJ, working from the ground up. As such, much of the music that tells the tale here is a far cry from what his more recent fans have come to expect of him, even if the elements that would come to define the Digweed sound are scattered about. 

Indeed, who’d have ever thought a song like Hoomba Hoomba by Voices Of Africa - a world beat group more akin to Enigma than Banco de Gaia - would ever find its way on a Digweed compilation? Yet here it is, right out of the gate. The first disc is littered with willful genre jumping so don’t expect any kind of typical DJ mix here. Digweed’s aim is to showcase songs, sometimes in their entirety, that have a personal connection to his young DJing career. It also gives his newer fans a chance to hear music they may have overlooked. 

Second song, The Grid’s Floatation, is a prime example. Everyone knows the groups’ ‘spaghetti western’ tunes like Texas Cowboy but who knows they did blissy, downtempo tracks like this? Not many, I’d imagine. A good chunk of the opening act of the first disc dwells on groovey, laid back tunes. It is definitely not a sound Digweed’s newer fans are likely to connect with him but they may stick around to see where he’s going with this. 

With Smith & Mighty’s Dark House, it’s straight into the old Chicago clubs. Rest assured, these are some old songs on display, and folks weaned on the pristinely produced cuts of the 21st Century will probably be a bit put off - provided that infectious bassline doesn’t hook them in regardless. Or, hey! How about some classic disco to make his new fans run for the hills? Despite being made in ‘82, Don’t Make me Wait by Peech Boys (a Larry Levan production) sounds as though it could have come straight from the glory years of disco’s birth (that’s pre-Saturday Night Fever, folks). Well, they use a drum machine instead here, but the spirit of old disco is still present. It’s a groovy song, as most old time garage is, but I’m willing to bet only the most trusting of Digweed fans will buy into his showcase of one of the most heavily sampled tunes around (Lord knows I’ve heard bits of Don’t Make Me Wait scattered about the last thirteen years). 

The eclectic choice of tracks continues unabated: the Morales remix of Propaganda’s Your Wildlife is a great grooving house number, if you don’t mind some of the late 80s pop hooks sprinkled about; The Beat Club’s Security takes us through an erotic trip in freestyle’s dungeon - yes, freestyle proper, as in massive use of the good ol’ 808 drum machine; Sheertaft’s Cascades brings us back to the groovy ambient dub on display from earlier; and Mercurial from Euphoria touches on the chunky prog house Digweed would soon embrace. 

So much musical territory to cover, so little time. I get the impression Diggers had even more than this in his initial selection but was cut short due to trying to keep some sort of cohesive narrative to the whole enterprise; even mixtapes like to tell a story when possible. But our man knows his audience well enough to give them something they’re familiar with. 

Probably striking parallels to the early Northern Exposure series, the Hardkiss remix of One Dove’s White Love certainly is a groovy gem of dreamy prog house done as only the names Andy Weatherall, Scott Hardkiss, and Dot Allison can imagine. It’s a shame these names aren’t given the recognition they deserve today. Well, at least Digweed does here. 

 And, of course, he let’s all of his ‘99 fans have a taste of trance towards the end - classic trance, that is (hah!). No progressive anthem schlock for you. Instead, you get the trance tune that practically defined the genre: Dance 2 Trance’s We Came In Peace. After what seems like a lengthy bit of minimal techno going nowhere, the song’s building tension is finally unleashed with synthy strings accompanied with a sample uttering the song’s title repeatedly. It’s an incredibly simple technique but is still just as effective in putting your mind in space as it must have been fifteen years ago. 

 With the cleverly ironic follow-up Desert Storm, the hypnotic trend continues. Again, nothing fancy with this track: looping rhythms, gently bubbling acid and melancholy three-note chord progression played on spacey pads defines the bulk of it. Yet, it’s far easier to become entranced listening to a track like this than anything with a supersaw in it. As the disc wraps up with Abfarht (hey, it’s Nosie Katzmaan again!) And Underworld, I can’t help but notice this starts to sound like, dare I say it, an actual DJ mix! No, there’s no beat-matching or transitions fancier than brief crossfades, but the final run of tracks have such amazing chemistry together, it sounds just as smooth as any decent mix. How’s that for track selection, eh? 

If you figure the end of the first disc is a sign of things to come in the second disc, you’d be partially right. For the first half of CD2, Digweed takes us on a tour of all sorts of 2nd generation house music: deep house, prog house, tech house, deep prog house, prog tech house, tech deep house, deep prog tech house, and some New York stylings, too. But, most notably, ‘choice’ house (hah, again!). Most of these tracks tend to play out without much mixing, but they all segue nicely together so as things don’t sound too disjointed. 

For the final stretch of this disc, our intrepid DJ digs into his crates an unloads a bevy of rarities and obscurities that collectors would cash in their retirement reserves to own. In case Skyscraper wasn’t enough convincing, Underworld’s remix of Cool Kids Of Death is further proof we should really be hoping for that eventual reunion tour [involving Emerson, that is -2010 Syk]. And the genres begin to liberally jump again, sometimes within the same song (like Young American Primitive, a track more akin to Banco de Gaia than Enigma) before ending off on Mark Saunders’ mix of The Cure’s A Forest, a track that sounds like it could have helped spur the electroclash movement had it not been produced ten years prior. 

If you’re wondering why I’ve only given two paragraphs to describe what goes on in CD2, the answer is I don’t feel it quite lives up to the expectations set out by CD1. Of course, all the songs on display are nice and make for decent listening, but aside from the tail end of it, it lacks the spontaneity of the first disc. As such, it doesn’t engage you with surprises like you might have hoped. But don’t let this nitpick of mine put you off of this whole compilation. For folks looking for some history in either Digweed’s own musical beginnings or discovering older, obscure EDM cuts, this edition of Choice is fine buying. 

In fact, I’d go so far as to say this, and any of the Choice releases, should be required listening for those who wish to explore the rich tapestry EDM has created in the last thirty years. There was so much that was left to the recycle bin by major record executives, we are quite fortunate to have compilations like these to remind us where this music came from and where it is still going. However dated some of these songs may sound, their influences can still be heard over a decade later. 

Score: 7/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

The Grid - Floatation 

Desert Storm - Desert Storm 

Saint Etienne - Cool Kids Of Death (Underworld Mix) 

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

Various - Buckle Up, Vol. 2: The Trancelucent Garage (Original TC Review)

Trancelucent Productions: Cat: # TPCD-IL012 

Released July 2005 

Track List: 

1. System Nipel - Russian Gangsters (8:08) 

2. Cosmic Tone - Element (6:51) 

3. Electro Sun - Demon's Halo (7:20) 

4. Aquatica - Skydance (Remix) (7:35) 

5. The Misted Muppet - Snarling Zraw (7:56) 

6. Noga - Acceleration (8:15) 

7. Etic - 1 Day (7:38) 

8. Systemic - Systec (6:53) 

9. Noga vs Solar System - Above The Ground (6:53) 

(2010 Update: Well, at least I was getting the hang of talking about the music without going track-by-track, even if I only did it for the latter half of this compilation. A lot of these guys are still around, though have somewhat faded as the whole prog-psy thing started to get more attention than full-on. In fact, I think this was about the peak of full-on's popularity, not to mention creativity -a lot of subsequent full-on I heard wasn't quite as good as this stuff was. Maybe I just had bad luck of the draw? Cover's still hilariously tacky too!) 

IN BRIEF: We're missing a decade here. 

 Before I write anything regarding the music on Buckle Up Vol. 2, I want to direct your attention to the cover of this compilation. No, go ahead and look at it. Don't be shy, I know you want to. Got a good look at it? What's that? You need more time? Okay, but don't take much longer. I have much to cover here. 

Seriously now! You can stop looking. No, I mean it! Stop looking! Bloody pervert... 

So what's the big deal, you ask. It's just a couple of naked gals. Plenty of covers have used this tacky gimmick to sell their CDs: thrashy, trashy rock music; booty bass hip hop; even superstar teen pop (well, they may be clothed in the last one, but they certainly don't leave much to the imagination either). You can hardly take such covers seriously. 

That's exactly the point, though. All too often trance music, especially of the psy variant, takes itself far too seriously and uses overly pretentious images of Buddhism or fractal artwork. Fine and dandy for the most part but it'd be nice to see the genre have a little fun as well. It might actually attract more casual folks into the fold, if anything to sate their curiosity. The only time I've ever seen trance try to get kinky is back when Hypnotic would put devil chicks wearing S&M gear flopping their giant breasts around in moving cover art (plus other assorted fetish material inside, but perhaps too hardcore for many of our readers so I'll spare you the details). Whether you were turned off or on by the stuff was inconsequential -at least Hypnotic had the balls to do something different from the norm. 

These days trance covers play things safe with scenic art, contemporary computer art, Renaissance art, or 'DJ/Producer looking off in the distance' art. So, no matter how many psy-heads may call this cover tasteless, I say Kudos to Trancelucent for breaking the norm. That rant out of the way, let's get into the music. 

Straight up I'll tell you there isn't anything revolutionary or groundbreaking on Buckle Up Vol. 2. This is un-mainstream trance going about its business as though the last ten years hadn't happened. The furthest thing from these producer's minds is having the likes of Tiestin van Corstenfold play them or to be broadcast on A State Of Global Deejays (or something like that). As such, this compilation would probably get lumped into the psy trance section of your stores, even though not everything on this is true blue psy - it's just a tendency for stuff that doesn't fit into popular niches to get shunted over to the psy camp. However, such concerns aren't all that important: how effectively these producers craft their music is the main question. 

We dive into Buckle Up Vol. 2 with System Nigel, one of many members of the Trancelucent family I've never heard of prior to receiving this disc. Like many psy-trance titles, the song's name of Russian Gangsters doesn't make a lick of sense to what goes on in the song. As for the song itself, it's serviceable full-on stuff, building from simple, chunky acid sounds and bleepy hooks to more stock psy sounds anyone with a passing familiarity with the scene will recognize. As with most psy-trance, there are a few tangents taken during the course of the track before peaking out with rhythms that pick up the intensity as most of the hinted elements throughout come out in full force. It's a bit happy-go-lucky, which may scare off the purists, but certainly inoffensive enough as an opener. 

Cosmic Tone's Element borrows the spoken dialogue from Danny Tenaglia’s track of the same name, but doesn't go through the whole laundry list of items that make up the track like the original, mainly because they'd be out of place here. Instead, it cuts to the chase by skipping right to the "I like it all" bit after the initial prelude. As for the track itself, it's a simple, moody little number. Not much happens in it, letting the subtle sounds create a sinister atmosphere and deep, rolling bassline groove you on. 

As Element ends, we're thrust into the soaring pads of Electro Sun’s Demon’s Halo. The track doesn't waste too much time getting into it though, as chunky, acidy rhythms erupt with everything they've got after the paddy intro. From here, this song absolutely tears along. I mean it! Compared to most of the material on Mr. Elkayam's debut, Demon's Halo is leaps and bounds better. Okay, so there are a few odd tangents (is that a synthesized chicken being strangled?), and Electro Sun still hasn't changed the sound patch for his bassline, but these are just minor nitpicks. When the soaring pad work and invigorating rhythms are this infectious, who cares? Had I known Electro Sun was capable of this kind of stuff, I might not have been quite so generous in my rating of his full length. 

Aquatica's Skydome makes for a decent transitional track on this compilation, but not much more. It's pretty standard full-on material, including a build that peaks with a typical full-on synth - it could easily be called Psy Synth 01 in a pre-set bank. The peak isn't nearly as good as the build would have you believe either but nice eerie pads are to be had in this track. 

The Misted Muppet seems to be one of the main stars of the Trancelucent label, and if this offering of Snarling Zraw is any indication, I can see why. Whatever a Zraw is, it certainly snarls in this track as it oozes absolute evil with some of the most messed up sounds this side of a Hellraiser sound-effects studio. And those rhythms! My God, I thought Demon's Halo was busy but Snarling Zraw is absolute chaos! I've listened to this track several times since receiving it from Boa Distribution (plug!) and am still discovering little nuances amid the mayhem. Most trance seems content to use around four elements in their rhythm sections - Zraw uses three times that in the first half alone. 

Unfortunately, it's not all aceness in this track. It seems my compatriot Cinos was correct in his assessment of Zraw: despite a very promising start with things building in intensity for a while, it loses the plot around half-way through, veering off into just plain weird tangents for the sake of it. Ah well, Zraw finishes off wonderfully with a chopped up female chant accentuated with shuffling percussion that'll get the hippie girls shaking their skirted asses if they hadn't already fled to saner pastures. 

For the rest of this compilation, something strange happens. A feeling comes over me that recently seems to only occur with some the deepest prog around. I know what it is, but I'm almost afraid to say it. For so long now trance music has been mostly about mega-melodies and worshiping the guy who plays them; the name of the genre has gone on to only imply euphoria so saying what this feeling is would be out of place here. Ah, what the Hell. I'll say it. From Noga's Acceleration to his collaboration with Solar System in the form of Above The Ground, I literally feel like I'm getting sucked into a trance -the inward, hypnotic kind, that is. 

How does it do it? Simply put, it's all about the subtlety of these four tracks. The leads and sounds used are subdued and ever shifting as the tracks evolve. Pad effects - some gentle, some ominous - keep the songs afloat and whenever a main hook enters the fray (usually two-thirds of the way through), it doesn't smack you across the head for your attention, rather complementing the track as a logical conclusion to the lead up to it. Of course, this isn't to say these four tracks are perfect. Certainly, some of the sounds in Systemic's Systec are odd, and, as mentioned earlier, it's not like there's anything groundbreaking to be heard. You wouldn't be able to tell if these were produced in 2005 or 1995. Indeed, some of the sounds used are a little primitive considering how far trance has moved. Still, within this field, these producers managed to craft tracks that truly do succeed where so much other trance fails despite better production values. 

There you have it. Definitely some interesting material on hand, if staying true to the source materia nearly to a fault. Buckle Up Vol. 2 probably won't win over any folks who still haven't jumped on the psy wagon, nor will it impress those always striving for the latest and greatest. For those of us who wouldn't mind a little harmless full-on action followed up by some good old fashioned hypnotic trance, this is as decent of a compilation as any which I've heard over the last ten years. 

Score: 7/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

Noga - Acceleration 

The Misted Muppet - Snarling Zraw 

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.Com.

Tiësto - UR/A Tear In The Open (Remixes) (Original TC Review)

Nebula: Cat. # NEBT082 

Released September 26, 2005 

Track List: 

A. UR (Junkie XL Air Guitar Mix) (12:34) 

B. A Tear In The Open (Leama & Moor Remix) (9:57) 

(2010 Update: Boy, am I ever glad I waited to have my say of Tiësto. Had I tried to do it here, it probably would have come off like my other 'rants' of the time: poorly emulated of other online ranters. Remember, kids, it's a good idea to first find your own voice before you start taking a megaphone to it. Oh, and I found out 'UR' means, um, 'you are'. Was a cute acronym really necessary?) 

IN BRIEF: Tiësto in Progland 

This being my first review of a Tiësto release here at TranceCritic, I'm sure you're hoping for some spicy commentary on the man himself: dissecting his over-inflated superstardom, or examine an amazing PR machine marketing the Tiësto brand, or analyzing the merits of his musicianship, or even giving the Dutch DJ props where they are deserved. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a little while longer. 

Yes, I have plenty to say regarding Tijs Verwest, probably enough to fill an essay. However, such material would be out of place on a little single such as this. Rather, you'll have to wait until I review a major release, past or future, before I cut into the Tiësto phenomena (don't worry, it's'a comin'). 

The main attraction on this single is Junkie XL's remix of UR from the Just Be album. I've never heard the original, nor am I in much of a hurry to hear it. I'll probably eventually have to but I'd rather wait until I see the album in a used shop or bargain bin (don't laugh - the latter was where I picked up Nyana). Let's just focus on this for now. 

Despite generally lukewarm reactions to In Search Of Sunrise 4 from listeners abroad, many mentioned this remix was a highlight of the compilation. Questions were asked if or when it would be available as a single. Now that it is, I can see what the fuss was about and still be able to hold out on ISOS4 until it too makes its way to the bargain bins (hahaha!). 

I have to admit I still have some difficulties in wrapping my head around the idea of Tom Holkenborg doing prog tunes. I first came into contact with his music by way of his more block rockin' breakbeat tracks and remixes for metal bands like Fear Factory. As such, seeing Junkie XL productions on typical Global Underground-esque compilations over the years looked quite odd to me, but it just goes to show the incredible talent Holkenborg possesses in crossing genres without so much as a misstep. This remix of UR (does anyone know what that title means, by the way?) clocks in at a whopping twelve and a half minutes. You'd think with that kind of length, you'd get a bunch of throwaway lead-ins, outros, and self-indulgent tangents clogging up the works, but amazingly not a single second of this remix goes to waste - there's always something interesting bubbling about. Even the rhythmic intro, which lasts over two minutes, could have enough going on in it to make for an independent track. 

The song goes about its business in typical prog fashion, letting the original lyrics from Matt Hales (a.k.a.: Aqualung) do their thing while Holkenborg adds little sonic flourishes here and there before letting the more musical elements take over. Long periods of rhythmic or melodic stretches come and go, maintaining a steady climb although never quite going for the gusto. This is a song aiming for laid-back moments rather than dancefloor domination, although it'd probably get the job done in that department too in an equally low-key prog set. As for the air guitar from which this remix is titled over, it kind of meanders about in a plucky, acoustic manner with plenty of reverb to give it tonal depth. As with the rest of the elements on hand, it's really just another piece in this Junkie puzzle rather than a feature begging for attention. 

Leama & Moor provide a remix of A Tear In The Open (the original also from Just Be) for the B-Side of this single. The pair seems to have been making some noise lately, especially Andy Moor. And, while I've heard many complaints of twinkly, echoing melodies and simple, thick basslines in music from him these days, these attributes work nicely enough with the original song's ethereal Celtic chants and flutes. Even more laid-back than the remix of UR, it is also far more sparse. Minor pads and reverb effects do fill in some of the sonic gaps, but not nearly to the level that Holkenborg's work on the A-Side did, so this comes off sounding a bit simpler. Still, it's a pleasant little prog number. I'm sure my mum would enjoy it. 

With all the hype centered around the Junkie XL remix, the Leama & Moor remix was kind of unanticipated to go along with it, but it finely serves as another lead-off single to the remix album of Just Be that was recently released. Is this a worthy single to own? Well, prog fans will probably enjoy it. Heck, even the detractors of the Moor sound should enjoy his remix with Leama on the B-Side - I certainly don't find anything wrong with it. 

The only trouble I have with this release is, despite the fine production on hand, I can't help but feel things are on cruise control with these remixes. I'm not saying they should have been earth-shattering, revolutionary remixes - for what they are, they are quite nice. However, quite nice doesn't always cut it when so much music is being released in the world. Unless you've never heard this kind of stuff before (and I'm assuming most of our readers have had at least a few years under their belt), very little will leap out and grab you while either one of these remixes play in the background. As with most prog music, you need to be completely engrossed in the songs playing to get the full benefit of them, otherwise even the twelve and a half minutes of UR will pass you by without much notice. 

Score: 7/10 Written By Sykonee. 

Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

House Of Om Presents: Get Salted, Vol. 1 - Mixed by Miguel Migs (Original TC Review)

OM Records: Cat. # OM 195
Released September 27, 2005

Track List:
1. Chuck Love - Back In My Life (Miguel Migs Un-Released Bump Mix)
2. Kings Of Tomorrow featuring Haze - Thru (Simon Grey Dub Rework)
3. The Little Big Band featuring Simon Green - If You Don't Know Me By Now (Dub)
4. Orange Muse - Keep The Funk Alive (Andy Holder Remix)
5. Shik Stylko - House The Joint? (Original Mix)
6. The Realm And V - One Chance (The Realm House Mix)
7. LiSha Project - Feel (Miguel Migs Salted Dub Deluxe)
8. Chuck Love - Spread The Love (Miguel Migs Salted Bump The Tech Remix)
9. Miguel Migs - Remember (Dub)
10. Special Interest - Like This
11. The Sunburst Band - We Will Turn You On (Joey Negro Mix)
12. The Littlemen - Down With It
13. Only Freak - Tiny Forces
14. Recloose - Dust (Main Mix)
15. Sean Dimitrie featuring Tim Fuller - So Hot (Swag Remix)
16. Ron Basejam - For The People By The People (Schmoov! Remix)


(2010 Update:
Remember when this was the sound folks associated the term 'deep house' with? Compared to the material that passes for it today, this is a downright vibrant, bouncy set. It's still a rather generic release though, as the market continues to be flooded with 'soulful' San-Fran house music of this sort -is that the unofficial tag now?)


IN BRIEF: So much soul to give.

Whenever I'm handed a mixed compilation, I usually have an easy time deciding which angle to approach it from. If the DJs name is bigger than the title of the compilation, chances are he or she is the attention grabber, thus folks will get the release because of them regardless of the music it contains. As such, I tend to rate a mixed compilation more on the DJ's work rather than the music, and vice versa if the title's more prominent than the name.

However, every so often, I'm faced with a problem. If the size of the title is just as big as the DJ's name, which gets more attention: the DJ performance, or the music on hand? Why couldn't Miguel Migs have made my life easier? Why?

Eh, what's that? You've never heard of Miguel Migs? No, you're kidding, right? Well, if you've only followed trancey music for most of your EDM beginnings (and I'd wager a good chunk of TranceCritic's readers have), then I suppose a prominent deep house DJ might pass you by unnoticed. Without getting too detailed about it, Miguel Migs (or Miguel Steward, to his parents) has become a highly respected house DJ and producer out of San Francisco. Probably the easiest comparison would be to Mark Farina, though Migs often brings jazzier elements to his tracks thanks to a musical background in reggae. With the brief background out of the way, let's get back to this compilation.

Salted Music is Miguel Migs' own label but there's hardly any material from it on here. Heck, Salted Music only has about half a dozen releases anyways. Instead, this appears to be a straight-forward deep house mix of songs Migs would like to share for our listening pleasure. Such a nice guy, he is, but I'm here to review, not judge character, so if this compilation isn't up to snuff...

Mind, it's virtually impossible to make a bad deep house set. There's something about the music that connects with all of our psyches, moving and grooving us no matter how we feel. It warms the soul even in the coldest of environments.

Yes, indeed, house with soul is the common thread in Get Salted Vol. 1. Sometimes it's a little funkier, sometimes a little jazzier, and sometimes a little dubbier, but no matter the track, there's bound to be a hint of soul in there. So, if you have no room for soul in yo' soul, you'd best just go, bro'.

Migs opens up with an exclusive mix of Chuck Love's Back In My Life. So exclusive, in fact, this CD is the only place you’re going to find it! (Be sure to rub this fact in house vinyl purists faces every chance you get. Go on, I know you’ve been wanting to) Of course, such bragging rights are useless if the track is no good but it delivers as a nice bit of funky, bumpin' music to get us off on the right foot.

We move into dubby territory after the opener. Bits of soulful funk manage to peak in by way of guitars or lyrics, but the dubbed out atmosphere rules for these next two tracks. They provide a pleasant, laid-back warm-up for the compilation but Migs doesn't dwell on it for long. With a vocal sample declaring "y'all gotta keep the funk alive", Andy Holder's remix of Orange Muse's track does just that. Even during a few dubby interludes, the rhythms are guaranteed to move and groove you. And, while Shik Stylko's House The Joint? isn't quite as much of a mover, it's a perfect follow-up to Keep The Funk Alive, letting the dubby atmosphere suck you in.

However, Migs doesn't seem interested in rocking a party, as we move into the vocal number One Chance. It's undoubtedly more soulful, and there's still some groove to it, but considering where we just were, this track is a step down in the funk department. Mind, it's not too surprising since many of these are Migs’ productions, and he's admitted he prefers producing music for listening rather than dancing despite four-to-the-floor beats.

I wouldn't mind this too much if for one glaring problem. Around mid-way through Miguel Migs' own Remember, my mind tends to wander due to the music just not being interesting enough. The previous couple tracks before it manage to provide a few noticeable lyrics or rhythms but not enough to really excite me for the next track. By the time Remember hits, my mind's starting to drift, and when Special Interest's Like This hits, I can honestly say I have never, ever recalled listening to it. Yes, it only lasts a couple minutes but there isn't a single memorable moment in this song, and without the lead-up to it keeping me attentive, I've always found myself thinking about other things rather than the music on hand. This is not a good sign, as it places such music into muzak territory -music that is there, but does absolutely nothing to spark interest. Is it the lacking rhythms? Or uninspired alto sax licks? Whatever the case, no matter how many times I've forced myself to actually pay attention to the middle of Get Salted, I get distracted by the tiniest random thought, as it's so much more interesting than what's being played.

Thankfully, The Sunburst Band always snaps me out of my daze during Get Salted's play-through thanks to the good ol' disco funk exuberance on hand. Singing divas, funky guitar licks, and energetic house rhythms give me hope this mix can be salvaged from merely okay to incredibly riveting.

Alas, it is not to be. Right afterwards, we are thrust back into interesting but ultimately unexciting deep house with The Littlemen's Down With It. While I do like some of the juicy soul and funk on hand with this next little run of tracks, much like the run of Migs productions earlier there just isn't anything to elevate this beyond 'just fine' music.

It's not until we get into Recloose's Dust that things get interesting again thanks to some unique rhythms. We're delving into pure funk here, with skippy beats that'll get the ladies hips moving no problem. Follow-up So Hot takes it further, bringing this compilation to a down and dirty close, but not before we go out on a bit of disco-y delight in Schmoov!'s remix of For The People By The People.

So all in all, Get Salted Vol. 1 is a tasty little appetizer for deep house fans. There's nothing revolutionary to be had here but the genre has managed to get away with this fact for over a decade now and still produce quality with all the quantity -as mentioned earlier, you'd have to be an incredibly inept producer to mess it up. Yes, there's a bit of a lag in the middle but it doesn't distract from the music on hand for long. With the exception of Like This, even if you aren't paying attention to what's playing the chances of some part of your body moving to the music are good.

As for whether I rate this a mixed compilation or a DJ mix, I'd say this is more of the former. Migs' DJing is as smooth as deep house gets but aside from a substantial tease in the beginning to the contrary, Get Salted seems more interested in showing off a collection of soulful tunes rather than building a set.


Score: 6/10
ACE TRACKS:
Orange Muse - Keep The Funk Alive (Andy Holder Remix)
Sean Dimitrie featuring Tim Fuller - So Hot (Swag Remix)


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

Electro Sun - Pure Blue (Original TC Review)

Trancelucent Productions: Cat: # TP011 

Released 2005 

Track List: 

1. Pure Blue (7:11) 

2. Sundance (7:28) 

3. I've Got The Power (6:54) 

4. Fucking Music (8:05) 

5. Stretch (7:35) 

6. Vanilla (7:26) 

7. In My Dream (Album Edit) (6:44) 

8. Momento (6:48) 

9. Super Nova (6:32) 

(2010 Update: My first taste of contemporary psy trance, where I basically became the go-to guy for that material for much of TranceCritic's run. One thing I'm quite amused to read in this review is my notion that techno didn't have a sell-out sub-genre, when in the following years 'minimal' would go on to become one of the most popular sounds around. Who'd have ever thunk it though? Well, maybe those crafty marketers... Oh, and I'd add In My Dream to the ACE TRACKS list now too. That tune's gone on to be one of my favorite guilty pleasures!) 

IN BRIEF: Psy trance sells out? Perhaps. 

One of the few styles of EDM that seemed to withstand a sell-out sub-genre is psy trance. With the music's stubborn refusal to comply with predictable structures and its willful use of warped sounds, psy trance never had a chance at general acceptance, even within the EDM community at large. The genre's fans were quite fine with this, though. When one is immersed in psychedelia and expanded consciousness (so they say), the last thing you want is to bump into shirtless barstars gooned on ecstasy. It'd crimp your vibe, man. 

However, it seems psy trance's blissful tenure in the underground is coming to an end thanks to a form of it known as full-on, a style many of the old are decrying as too commercial sounding. Of course, it was only a matter of time before it happened - nearly every major genre out there has a sell-out variation the new kids get into while the veterans dismiss as crap: jungle has its jump-up, house has its scouse, breaks has its Florida, traditional trance has its vocal, and even hardcore has its happy. Only techno seems to be immune, mainly due to the fact its purists automatically dismiss anything with a whiff of commercial intent as being anything but techno. 

Anyhow, back to full-on. I'll be the first to admit I'm not as immersed in the psy trance scene as others. I got into the music quite by accident during my initial trance exploration, when I'd buy anything with the word 'trance' on the cover. I stumbled on some great material from the likes of Total Eclipse and Koxbox this way but saw little point in joining the psy masses' scene. I've pretty much only followed one scene: the one I create for myself. That said, having listened to a fair deal of psy trance in the past, the recent commotion over full-on raised my curiosity whether the cries from the old goa guard were warranted. Plus, I felt it might be a good idea for TranceCritic to get a different perspective on the sound, considering our resident goa-head isn't too keen on the idea of reviewing more.  So, here I am reviewing this release from Electro Sun (real name Nadav Elkayam), a foray into full-on with virgin ears. 

I may as well get this out of the way right off the bat. All the complaints about full-on making use of a bassline that doesn't change much in most songs seem warranted. While there certainly are minute differences in notes, patterns, and tempo on Pure Blue, you'll hardly notice it unless you're paying close attention. For the most part, you get familiar wubbila-wubbila-wubbila patterns and the sound used is exactly the same in every song. Even when the intros to the tracks might suggest something otherwise, it will all too soon fall into familiar territory. Immediately, this hurts the album. Without some differences on the rhythm end, you'll swear you're listening to the same song over and over. It doesn't matter how unique each melody is; when your rhythm doesn't do much to distinguish itself from track to track, it's going to get repetitive very soon. 

However, one can still craft a decent album even if the rhythms don't vary much. I've listened to many a release where the hooks, melodies, and effects managed to lift it above mediocre fare despite repetitive rhythms (this is EDM were talking about here, after all) so, although Pure Blue's already been dinged for samey rhythms, let's see if the songs' other attributes help in making this a worthy release for you to own. 

We dive into Pure Blue with Pure Blue, a solid bit of psy if I've heard any. Detailing what goes on during a typical psy track is usually a headache, to write and to read; there's just too much going on to keep it brief so I'll mention the highlights: stuttering effects, arpeggiating hooks, and chunky, acidy climaxes make up the bulk, always growing in intensity as the song progresses. Brief breakdowns and builds are scattered about but finely serve their purpose as the energetic riffs on the other side of them rarely let you down. As mentioned, it may not be groundbreaking, but Pure Blue is an effective bit of psy trance, and a fine opener. 

Sundance follows, and it's here I notice the other complaint of full-on: the use of simple, catchy - even a bit too cheesy - hooks. I'm not sure why this is suddenly a new complaint, as I've heard many a psy trance track that didn't take itself too seriously, but I suppose the full-on movement is littered with them, so it gets the brunt of the blame. Yes, Sundance does contain many sounds, hooks, and effects a psy veteran would deem psy-lite or McPsy, but they are quite fun too. The peak hook most certainly would get a crowd moving, although I wouldn't use it for a peak time track in a set. Like Obie Trice's women, it doesn't quite have the teeth. 

Elkayam calls upon a guy called Bizzare Contact for a little collaboration work on I've Got The Power, and the influence makes for a tasty bit of psychedelia. One thing I really enjoy about the genre in general is the way the producers will mess around with bizzare sounds, crazy effects, and blind alley hooks for over half the track, all the while subtly sprinkling their peak riff about, teasing the listener for what's to come. I've Got The Power makes good use of keeping you distracted with some nifty percussion work (gotta love those random pauses on third beats) and the eventual payoff, while not the most memorable one ever crafted, certainly works within the song itself. It's just a shame the track kind of lost the plot towards the end with a more rhythmic lead-out. 

From here, things start to get suspect. Fucking Music (and no, there's nothing bump 'n' grind worthy here) doesn't make much effort to distinguish itself. Sure, there's a moodier atmosphere to the track containing various odd pad effects, but nothing is really done with it and the end results come off as a bunch of random noise. Stretch descends us even further into "been there - done that" territory and Vanilla sounds just as exciting as its name suggests despite the go at buttrock guitar sounds. Whereas the first three tracks managed to do something different from each other, these last three just follow the Pure Blue model without anything nearly as catchy to offer. 

At this point in the album, you'd be forgiven for writing the rest off. If the samey basslines hadn't aggravated you by now, I'd imagine the lack of any truly exciting hooks or sequences will disheartened even the most hardened psy trance fan. There's been some interesting, even catchy, moments but nothing with the fierce, dynamic intensity this genre's been known for. 

The last third of Pure Blue doesn't do much to correct this but there are a few noteworthy moments. In My Dream stands out for the fun atmosphere and pure audacity of using samples of wailing divas (!) - I can imagine this pissing off a great number of psy trancers who take their music very seriously, which just might make this chipper tune a perfect cross-over contender. Momento, like Fucking Music, is moodier than the rest, but more coherent than the latter, if not as memorable with its sounds. And finally, Super Nova will definitely turn heads with its use of Gollum samples, and even perhaps its different use of bassline if you've actually paid attention to that in these songs (settling for a traditional off-beat throb) but it still treads the same territory as those that came before. 

Now, I'll grant Electro Sun's debut certainly is finely produced - at no point does a lack of technical musicianship become apparent. Mr. Elkayam just needs to work on crafting some more memorable hooks and sequences to make this stand out more. For the most part, Pure Blue sounds serviceable on an individual song basis. All together, though, there's a real Stretch of Vanilla (hohoho!). Halfway through, no matter how a song started, I just kept thinking "Here we go again" no more than a minute into the tracks. There needs to be more spice to go along with the sweetness on hand. 

As for full-on in general, the jury is still out - I'll need to listen to more than just a single album to give the style a verdict. However, if the predictability of Pure Blue is any indication, I may not have to listen to much more to come to a conclusion. 

Score: 6/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

I've Got The Power 

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