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.
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.
