Hypnotic: 1995
(Click here to have your eyes glaze over attempting to read my stupid long original review.)
No, really, what in God’s green and blue Earth was I thinking in writing such a ridiculously bloated review for Influence 2.2? I spend over 200 words detailing some tracks, and Argon-X’s Little Gamma’s Adventure gets a whopping 300 words. While some of them do hold up as good examples of classic mid-‘90s hard trance, they were by no means super-ultra-mega classics or anything. And Hell, it sure wasn’t like I wasn’t cutting a few corners with other reviews at the time, seeking brevity on some of the more repetitive CDs I’d be handed.
Right, right. I’m a big sucker for most things Music Research related. And, I suppose in my enthusiasm to share my thoughts on more music from the label, I went totally and utterly overboard on this one. Thing to remember is, in 2005, there weren’t many handy options for sharing audio, at least by any grey-legal means. TranceCritic was more than happy to provide Amazon links to these CDs, and if they just happened to have a thirty-second clip of it, all the better. But as we were trying to be something of a legitimate website, hot-linking to file-sharing services was totally out of the question, to say nothing of uploading such tunes ourselves (oh hello, you be shut down now). These days, it’s no th’ang to give a [Spotify] link – in fact, there's [the entire CD] for you down below right now. There, done, no three-hundred bloody words to let you know how it sounds; just my thumbs up required.
[edit: this whole section is clearly no longer valid, after Spotify became available in Canada, but here it is for posterity sake]
[edit2: Deezer as well, but I'm too lazy updating the link here]
This is why I [didn’t] bother uploading any audio to this here blog. Finding music online is ridiculously easy, a simple “_______ YouTube” search inquiry in your little Google bar all that’s required. If folks want to hear music for themselves, it’s not hard. Still, and call me a curmudgeon traditionalist on this, I believe there remains some value in the hunt for music, a certain satisfaction attained when that search turns out results. Don’t want to make things too easy for the kids these days.
So where does this leave us with Influence 2.2? Kind of forgotten and redundant, now that I think about it. The best tracks off here are worth having, for certain, but they’re coupled with some totally forgettable stuff too. Another benefit of modern music gathering compared to years ago is not having to get a whole CD for a few choice cuts, and believe you me Little Gamma’s Adventure, Influid’s We’re Always Behind You, and Phoenixx’s The Mongolian Rider are worth the pennies it takes to buy an MP3 these days. Maybe Retroflex’s Family Nightmare too, for the silliness of it all (woo epic gabber trance!). Of course, if you’re just some sort of crazy CD collector (*cough*), you’re gonna have to settle for Influence 2.2 because, believe it or not, this is one of the only places you’ll find Argon-X's cut (so sayeth The Discogs). Hey, maybe its rarity makes that old ginormous review worth- pft, nah!
Showing posts with label Hypnotic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hypnotic. Show all posts
Monday, October 14, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Various - Goa Box: Trance 4 Motion (Original TC Review)
Hypnotic: 1997
(2013 Update:
Neglected to mention this before, but many of these tracks were licensed from Outloud Records. Even though the label's logo is quite prominent on the back, for some reason I never made that connection. In my mind, Outloud was responsible for dull hard acid techno at the time, and part of the reason Hypnotic kept releasing poorer and poorer CDs. Guess it's not entirely Hypnotic's fault though, as they'd pretty much tapped out Music Research once Talla 2XLC got back in the studio and DJing.
I'm also surprised to see this entire collection uploaded to YouTube - yes, the full three discs for a single playthrough! I know that's become something of a trend, but surely all the music on this compilation wasn't worth it.)
IN BRIEF: Very budget.
The cover is hideous, of that there is no doubt. The tasteless streamers, the ugly computer model, the annoying text - even kiddie rave flyers aren’t this bad. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect from low-budget bargain-bin box sets (often provided by Beechwood Music). Were this from a no-name quick-buck label, it’d be understandable, but this is from Hypnotic Records. Their cover-art could at least be counted on for being spiffy, at least through the mid-90s. And therein lays the key to the puzzle.
This compilation is from 1997, a time when Hypnotic had all but run out of material to import from Europe (mostly via Talla 2XLC’s Music Research label). Many of their releases in the late 90s were dismal, and it could be argued they’ve never recovered beyond a few contractual big names keeping them afloat. With so many new and old labels able to capitalize on the growing interest in the rave scene at the time, Hypnotic appeared tired, under-produced, and unable to keep pace. This ‘goa box’ is quite indicative of the problem.
First off, there are no big names to be found, from the goa scene or otherwise. Possibly Michael Kjeldgaard - aka: Psygone - had the most recognition, mainly due to him being one of Hypnotic’s few original psy acts and thus featured on nearly every psy compilation they made. Kjeldgaard also contributes other tracks here under alternate aliases such as Nature Bug and Biller. Another name some may know of is Claus Larsen, who made a minor impact on the 90s industrial/EBM scene as Leæther Strip. Seeing him here making rudimentary goa tracks as Sunglory (along with Martin Nielsen, whom I’ll get to in a bit) and Phobia is quite surprising given his musical history. And Fuzzy Logic had seen the rounds on a few other labels, with Rumour Records being the most notable. Aside from that, Trance 4 Motion contains a whole bunch of tracks featuring complete unknowns that you’ll find nowhere else, or the same producers working under several aliases.
Chief among these producers is, yes, Martin Nielsen. The man is on about a third of these tracks, and that’s just what is actually listed in the credits (B.F.B Inc., O Zone, Spirit, Evaporator). It’s entirely possible he’s on even more. Chances are he’s an in-house producer for Hypnotic churning out goa trance at a quick clip to fill out their compilations. It would explain why so many of these tracks sound very similar to each other.
And yes, that’s another huge problem with this compilation. While maybe half of these tracks have some charm, the other half are very weak examples of goa, the kind of crap most kids knock out in their early attempts on Fruity Loops or other freeware studio programs. The hooks are hilariously rudimentary, the acid tweaks useless, and the atmosphere uninspired. Mind, this isn’t quite so apparent in the first disc, where the music tends to maintain a level of competence throughout. Beyond there though, many of the tracks have ‘filler’ written all over them, with the odd gem littered about.
Still, if you are a fan of older goa, the tracks that aren’t toss-offs are worth a look. When the spacey synth pads, acid builds, and punchy rhythms work, they do so as fine as any old school trance did. Unsurprisingly, the Psygone and Larsen tracks tend to be of the most interest, and Nielsen does manage a few decent cuts as well. Of the no-namers, I-Conez’ Rasta In My House is a fun enough track that bounces along cheerily, and Solar 5 from Raver’s Fantasy is a gosh-darned fun anthem, even if it is a cliché rave tune.
Ultimately though, for three discs worth, there honestly isn’t much cop. Nothing comes remotely close to a classic, and only a few tracks would be consider good by a casual fan of trance. As for the goa squad, they may get more out of this but there is clearly far better material to be found in the psy scene. Mind, for the price of this, you’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth.
Had Trance 4 Motion been a concise fifteen tracker rather than a bloated thirty, it would have been at least a more agreeable listen. Instead, the decent stuff is lost amongst the useless excess, making this a chore to sit through. Proceed with the utmost caution.
(2013 Update:
Neglected to mention this before, but many of these tracks were licensed from Outloud Records. Even though the label's logo is quite prominent on the back, for some reason I never made that connection. In my mind, Outloud was responsible for dull hard acid techno at the time, and part of the reason Hypnotic kept releasing poorer and poorer CDs. Guess it's not entirely Hypnotic's fault though, as they'd pretty much tapped out Music Research once Talla 2XLC got back in the studio and DJing.
I'm also surprised to see this entire collection uploaded to YouTube - yes, the full three discs for a single playthrough! I know that's become something of a trend, but surely all the music on this compilation wasn't worth it.)
IN BRIEF: Very budget.
The cover is hideous, of that there is no doubt. The tasteless streamers, the ugly computer model, the annoying text - even kiddie rave flyers aren’t this bad. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect from low-budget bargain-bin box sets (often provided by Beechwood Music). Were this from a no-name quick-buck label, it’d be understandable, but this is from Hypnotic Records. Their cover-art could at least be counted on for being spiffy, at least through the mid-90s. And therein lays the key to the puzzle.
This compilation is from 1997, a time when Hypnotic had all but run out of material to import from Europe (mostly via Talla 2XLC’s Music Research label). Many of their releases in the late 90s were dismal, and it could be argued they’ve never recovered beyond a few contractual big names keeping them afloat. With so many new and old labels able to capitalize on the growing interest in the rave scene at the time, Hypnotic appeared tired, under-produced, and unable to keep pace. This ‘goa box’ is quite indicative of the problem.
First off, there are no big names to be found, from the goa scene or otherwise. Possibly Michael Kjeldgaard - aka: Psygone - had the most recognition, mainly due to him being one of Hypnotic’s few original psy acts and thus featured on nearly every psy compilation they made. Kjeldgaard also contributes other tracks here under alternate aliases such as Nature Bug and Biller. Another name some may know of is Claus Larsen, who made a minor impact on the 90s industrial/EBM scene as Leæther Strip. Seeing him here making rudimentary goa tracks as Sunglory (along with Martin Nielsen, whom I’ll get to in a bit) and Phobia is quite surprising given his musical history. And Fuzzy Logic had seen the rounds on a few other labels, with Rumour Records being the most notable. Aside from that, Trance 4 Motion contains a whole bunch of tracks featuring complete unknowns that you’ll find nowhere else, or the same producers working under several aliases.
Chief among these producers is, yes, Martin Nielsen. The man is on about a third of these tracks, and that’s just what is actually listed in the credits (B.F.B Inc., O Zone, Spirit, Evaporator). It’s entirely possible he’s on even more. Chances are he’s an in-house producer for Hypnotic churning out goa trance at a quick clip to fill out their compilations. It would explain why so many of these tracks sound very similar to each other.
And yes, that’s another huge problem with this compilation. While maybe half of these tracks have some charm, the other half are very weak examples of goa, the kind of crap most kids knock out in their early attempts on Fruity Loops or other freeware studio programs. The hooks are hilariously rudimentary, the acid tweaks useless, and the atmosphere uninspired. Mind, this isn’t quite so apparent in the first disc, where the music tends to maintain a level of competence throughout. Beyond there though, many of the tracks have ‘filler’ written all over them, with the odd gem littered about.
Still, if you are a fan of older goa, the tracks that aren’t toss-offs are worth a look. When the spacey synth pads, acid builds, and punchy rhythms work, they do so as fine as any old school trance did. Unsurprisingly, the Psygone and Larsen tracks tend to be of the most interest, and Nielsen does manage a few decent cuts as well. Of the no-namers, I-Conez’ Rasta In My House is a fun enough track that bounces along cheerily, and Solar 5 from Raver’s Fantasy is a gosh-darned fun anthem, even if it is a cliché rave tune.
Ultimately though, for three discs worth, there honestly isn’t much cop. Nothing comes remotely close to a classic, and only a few tracks would be consider good by a casual fan of trance. As for the goa squad, they may get more out of this but there is clearly far better material to be found in the psy scene. Mind, for the price of this, you’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth.
Had Trance 4 Motion been a concise fifteen tracker rather than a bloated thirty, it would have been at least a more agreeable listen. Instead, the decent stuff is lost amongst the useless excess, making this a chore to sit through. Proceed with the utmost caution.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Various - Future Trance Trax: A Time Traveling Experience
Hypnotic: 1995
Not to be confused with the still running (!) Future Trance series released by Polystar, this is Future Trance Trax, as released by Hypnotic in the mid-‘90s. There wasn’t any idea on Hypnotic’s part to suggest this was the future sound of trance, just a simple, silly unique title they’d slap on nearly every release of theirs: Trance In Time, Travelling In Trance, Trance Of The Gods, etc. What this compilation specifically showcases is music from Outloud Records, a sort of Danish version of Suck Me Plasma.
That in mind, it’d be quick to assume the music on hand shares the same hard German trance style that Talla 2XLC’s label enjoyed pushing in those days. This stuff’s a little different though, almost a smoother take on the sound. A… ‘future’ take? Hah, no. Whereas German trance tended to sound epic and spacey, these cuts feel more grounded, a sense of the mysterious lurking within forested shadows; or maybe it’s that damned Will O’ The Wisp track near the end making me feel that.
So some quick particulars. Audio Science is here with their moody acid Monsoon, an interesting track in how it starts as a slow groover before erupting into a brisk pace - just like a monsoon, eh, eh? Beyond Reality is also here with two tracks: Mind Runner and Semi - Analogue. The former was the duo’s biggest hit (okay, only hit), but we’re treated to the calmer Love Mix as the compilation’s closer. Semi - Analogue’s an okay opener, though rather odd seeing as how it was the b-side to Mind Runner. Another act by the name of Giez was a regular contributor to latter-era Hypnotic, but their track here, I'm A Hero, is silly. Mind, that's probably just personal bias disliking actual lyrics on my trance compilations – dammit, that's why I left euro-dance back in the day.
Future Trance Trax also features a few exclusives, though little that I’d figure critical to own unless you’re a classic trance completist. I’m also not sure if they were exclusive to Hypnotic or Outloud, but I’ll assume the latter, if only because Torben Schmidt (yet another multi-alias man, most famous for the duo Aqualite) appears to be the chap behind most of them, and he ain’t an L.A. boy. Anyhow, most of these one-offs are okay, invoking that ‘mystical trance’ vibe I mentioned earlier. Like… ‘fairy and unicorn’ trance? Good God, no, though few are hilariously under produced and come off as euro-dance instrumentals.
And that's all for this one. Hypnotic released better compilations in its heyday, but quite a few weak-ass ones afterward too (many licensed from Outloud no less, when they went down a drab hard acid road). Future Trance Trax is about as middle-of-the-road as Hypnotic trance compilations could get. Which means, of course, that is was a classic back in the day! Oh yes, many a drunken house party was spent flailing to Challenge’s In The Shock with a single strobe light. It’s all we had.
Not to be confused with the still running (!) Future Trance series released by Polystar, this is Future Trance Trax, as released by Hypnotic in the mid-‘90s. There wasn’t any idea on Hypnotic’s part to suggest this was the future sound of trance, just a simple, silly unique title they’d slap on nearly every release of theirs: Trance In Time, Travelling In Trance, Trance Of The Gods, etc. What this compilation specifically showcases is music from Outloud Records, a sort of Danish version of Suck Me Plasma.
That in mind, it’d be quick to assume the music on hand shares the same hard German trance style that Talla 2XLC’s label enjoyed pushing in those days. This stuff’s a little different though, almost a smoother take on the sound. A… ‘future’ take? Hah, no. Whereas German trance tended to sound epic and spacey, these cuts feel more grounded, a sense of the mysterious lurking within forested shadows; or maybe it’s that damned Will O’ The Wisp track near the end making me feel that.
So some quick particulars. Audio Science is here with their moody acid Monsoon, an interesting track in how it starts as a slow groover before erupting into a brisk pace - just like a monsoon, eh, eh? Beyond Reality is also here with two tracks: Mind Runner and Semi - Analogue. The former was the duo’s biggest hit (okay, only hit), but we’re treated to the calmer Love Mix as the compilation’s closer. Semi - Analogue’s an okay opener, though rather odd seeing as how it was the b-side to Mind Runner. Another act by the name of Giez was a regular contributor to latter-era Hypnotic, but their track here, I'm A Hero, is silly. Mind, that's probably just personal bias disliking actual lyrics on my trance compilations – dammit, that's why I left euro-dance back in the day.
Future Trance Trax also features a few exclusives, though little that I’d figure critical to own unless you’re a classic trance completist. I’m also not sure if they were exclusive to Hypnotic or Outloud, but I’ll assume the latter, if only because Torben Schmidt (yet another multi-alias man, most famous for the duo Aqualite) appears to be the chap behind most of them, and he ain’t an L.A. boy. Anyhow, most of these one-offs are okay, invoking that ‘mystical trance’ vibe I mentioned earlier. Like… ‘fairy and unicorn’ trance? Good God, no, though few are hilariously under produced and come off as euro-dance instrumentals.
And that's all for this one. Hypnotic released better compilations in its heyday, but quite a few weak-ass ones afterward too (many licensed from Outloud no less, when they went down a drab hard acid road). Future Trance Trax is about as middle-of-the-road as Hypnotic trance compilations could get. Which means, of course, that is was a classic back in the day! Oh yes, many a drunken house party was spent flailing to Challenge’s In The Shock with a single strobe light. It’s all we had.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Komakino - Energy Trancemission
Hypnotic: 1996
During my first year of following ‘techno’, I was at least aware of trance. The second CD I ever owned had that Jam & Spoon remix of Age Of Love on it, and the occasional euro-dance disc I picked up in following years would have a crossover hit like Dance 2 Trance’s Take A Freefall. It took a while before I realized the genre was something entirely separate though, and even when I did, my allegiance seldom strayed from my initial passion. Yet, euro was growing stale, and I started hearing sounds from fellow dance-enthusiasts that was similar but rawer - more underground, the only thing linking them together a Music Research seal on the jewel cases.
When I went on a shopping expedition to Vancouver, I searched for CDs with that seal. The first one I spotted had a bizarre cover of a woman in face paint, her tongue sticking out with a cap of (presumably) ecstasy on the tip. I bought the CD blind, threw it on at another shop while demoing high-end headphones (I had a lot of money at the time), and within the first minute of the first track, came to a startling conclusion: euro-dance was dead to me; Komakino had killed it.
Outface was my first proper exposure to hard German trance, and you couldn’t ask for a better example of the genre: blistering beats, stuttering voice-pads, piano hooks, and even “motherfucking breakbeats!” Under various aliases, Ralph Fritch and Detlef Hastik were highly instrumental in the development of the sound, but none more so than their live gig name of Komakino. It’s almost a shame the only full-length they released under the guise, Energy Trancemission, is little more than a collection of their prior work, but they’d amassed enough choice material to warrant a retrospective even in ’96.
Suitably, it kicks off with Outface, but then takes a backtrack to their hard-techno rave roots with Law & Order, Dark Zone, and the trancier Frogs In Space. Even in the latter two you can hear the tropes that would come to define the hard trance of the mid-90s.
It was with the driving melodies that got Komakino the most attention though, and the middle of the album features the biggest hits of that era: Feel The Melodee, Beyond Your Dreams, and Controlling Transmission, which they released as Final Fantasy. They are, without a doubt, hard German trance at its best. Energetic rhythms, acid, and memorable melodies that either send you floating on ecstasy or take you on epic adventures (no, not High Adventure, that was Sunbeam… which, erm, Komakino co-produced). The back end to the album features a few B-Sides to those tunes, solid cuts as well but not a touch on them.
I’ve no doubt Energy Trancemission will come off dated and silly to ravers weaned on post-2000 hard dance, but back in the day, this was hot shit! Snigger all you like, I don my Nostalgia Headphones for Komakino with no shame.
During my first year of following ‘techno’, I was at least aware of trance. The second CD I ever owned had that Jam & Spoon remix of Age Of Love on it, and the occasional euro-dance disc I picked up in following years would have a crossover hit like Dance 2 Trance’s Take A Freefall. It took a while before I realized the genre was something entirely separate though, and even when I did, my allegiance seldom strayed from my initial passion. Yet, euro was growing stale, and I started hearing sounds from fellow dance-enthusiasts that was similar but rawer - more underground, the only thing linking them together a Music Research seal on the jewel cases.
When I went on a shopping expedition to Vancouver, I searched for CDs with that seal. The first one I spotted had a bizarre cover of a woman in face paint, her tongue sticking out with a cap of (presumably) ecstasy on the tip. I bought the CD blind, threw it on at another shop while demoing high-end headphones (I had a lot of money at the time), and within the first minute of the first track, came to a startling conclusion: euro-dance was dead to me; Komakino had killed it.
Outface was my first proper exposure to hard German trance, and you couldn’t ask for a better example of the genre: blistering beats, stuttering voice-pads, piano hooks, and even “motherfucking breakbeats!” Under various aliases, Ralph Fritch and Detlef Hastik were highly instrumental in the development of the sound, but none more so than their live gig name of Komakino. It’s almost a shame the only full-length they released under the guise, Energy Trancemission, is little more than a collection of their prior work, but they’d amassed enough choice material to warrant a retrospective even in ’96.
Suitably, it kicks off with Outface, but then takes a backtrack to their hard-techno rave roots with Law & Order, Dark Zone, and the trancier Frogs In Space. Even in the latter two you can hear the tropes that would come to define the hard trance of the mid-90s.
It was with the driving melodies that got Komakino the most attention though, and the middle of the album features the biggest hits of that era: Feel The Melodee, Beyond Your Dreams, and Controlling Transmission, which they released as Final Fantasy. They are, without a doubt, hard German trance at its best. Energetic rhythms, acid, and memorable melodies that either send you floating on ecstasy or take you on epic adventures (no, not High Adventure, that was Sunbeam… which, erm, Komakino co-produced). The back end to the album features a few B-Sides to those tunes, solid cuts as well but not a touch on them.
I’ve no doubt Energy Trancemission will come off dated and silly to ravers weaned on post-2000 hard dance, but back in the day, this was hot shit! Snigger all you like, I don my Nostalgia Headphones for Komakino with no shame.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Kraftwelt - Deranged In Space
Hypnotic: 1996
If you got through some of my earliest shit reviews, you may have noticed a minor gush over the name Audio Science. A four-piece group from Germany, they were one of the better hard trance acts of the early 90s, and seeing their name crop up on a Hypnotic Records release suggested at least some quality would be found within. They had another project too; an electro act named Kraftwelt that very much was inspired by that other ‘kraft’ German group that made it big in the 70s.
Electro was going through some lean times in the middle of the 90s. Though a few acts like Jedi Knights and Aux 88 kept it afloat, it’d take until the latter end of that decade before a proper revival occured. I can see Kraftwelt treating their project as nothing more than a fun tribute side-project but, for some reason, Hypnotic Records got behind it to an almost unprecedented level. Maybe they just really, really loved their covers on the Tribute To Kraftwerk CD?
So a whole album of fresh material was commissioned, and to promote it Hypnotic released this disc as the lead single. Fair enough, but were a dozen remixes necessary? Good lord, even the classics of dance music take years to acquire that many to their name, and here’s Hypnotic tossing out twelve in the first shot.
As you can imagine, Deranged In Space isn’t a great package. Hypnotic relies on artists signed to them (or parent label Cleopatra), and few were major names, even within the niche genres they covered. Kinder Atom, Zero Gravity, Surface 10, Coercion, and Space Ship Eyes mostly stick to spacey electro, while Leæther Strip and Virex take the EBM road. The remixes are fine for the most part, but it does grow tedious repeatedly hearing the same samples and pieces culled from the original Deranged.
Three cuts do stand out though. First, The Path is a totally different track, sounding like a proper nu-Kraftwerk track that suites the whole project. At the other end of the spectrum is the Controlled Bleeding remix, a glorious mess of a cut that befits the noisy bastards they are - it’s like hearing Deranged fed through a number cruncher, then expunged back into your face as digital vomit. Awesome! Finally, Überzone provides a rub, doing his chemical breaks thing, though rather subdued for his style (the Interfaith Super 8 Remix is probably closer to what folks would expect). ‘zone’s done better, but it did get featured on the old MTV show Amp, so there’s that. Man, Hypnotic must have pushed the hell out of this single.
If you’re curious about this project, you’re likely better off picking up one of the two Kraftwelt albums instead of picking up Deranged In Space. It could have been a respectable EP with half the content, but trying to milk a full remix album out of one relatively unknown song is bonkers. Oh, Hypnotic, always doing more than you should.
If you got through some of my earliest shit reviews, you may have noticed a minor gush over the name Audio Science. A four-piece group from Germany, they were one of the better hard trance acts of the early 90s, and seeing their name crop up on a Hypnotic Records release suggested at least some quality would be found within. They had another project too; an electro act named Kraftwelt that very much was inspired by that other ‘kraft’ German group that made it big in the 70s.
Electro was going through some lean times in the middle of the 90s. Though a few acts like Jedi Knights and Aux 88 kept it afloat, it’d take until the latter end of that decade before a proper revival occured. I can see Kraftwelt treating their project as nothing more than a fun tribute side-project but, for some reason, Hypnotic Records got behind it to an almost unprecedented level. Maybe they just really, really loved their covers on the Tribute To Kraftwerk CD?
So a whole album of fresh material was commissioned, and to promote it Hypnotic released this disc as the lead single. Fair enough, but were a dozen remixes necessary? Good lord, even the classics of dance music take years to acquire that many to their name, and here’s Hypnotic tossing out twelve in the first shot.
As you can imagine, Deranged In Space isn’t a great package. Hypnotic relies on artists signed to them (or parent label Cleopatra), and few were major names, even within the niche genres they covered. Kinder Atom, Zero Gravity, Surface 10, Coercion, and Space Ship Eyes mostly stick to spacey electro, while Leæther Strip and Virex take the EBM road. The remixes are fine for the most part, but it does grow tedious repeatedly hearing the same samples and pieces culled from the original Deranged.
Three cuts do stand out though. First, The Path is a totally different track, sounding like a proper nu-Kraftwerk track that suites the whole project. At the other end of the spectrum is the Controlled Bleeding remix, a glorious mess of a cut that befits the noisy bastards they are - it’s like hearing Deranged fed through a number cruncher, then expunged back into your face as digital vomit. Awesome! Finally, Überzone provides a rub, doing his chemical breaks thing, though rather subdued for his style (the Interfaith Super 8 Remix is probably closer to what folks would expect). ‘zone’s done better, but it did get featured on the old MTV show Amp, so there’s that. Man, Hypnotic must have pushed the hell out of this single.
If you’re curious about this project, you’re likely better off picking up one of the two Kraftwelt albums instead of picking up Deranged In Space. It could have been a respectable EP with half the content, but trying to milk a full remix album out of one relatively unknown song is bonkers. Oh, Hypnotic, always doing more than you should.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Various - Influence 2.2: A Hardtrance Experience (Original TC Review)
Hypnotic Records: Cat. # 95452
Released 1995
Track List:
1. Phasis - Welcome (5:52)
2. Phoenixx - The Mongolian Rider (7:48)
3. Analog Communications - Atmospheric Forces
4. Unknown Control - Heaven (6:22)
5. Bionic Crew - Final Entrance (4:35)
6. Retroflex - Family Nightmare (6:26)
7. Monks - Monks Too (6:44)
8. Omnicron - The Bushmen (6:10)
9. Argon X - Little Gamma's Adventure (6:45)
10. Influid - We're Always Behind You (5:40)
11. Influence Megamix V2.0 (8:45)
(2010 Update: Ugly review. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned away a few folks with this one. To save you the trouble of reading it ever again (even if it's for the first time), check out tracks 2,5,6,9, and 10. They're the good ones.)
IN BRIEF: Hard trance cleans up its act a bit.
Influence Recordings started out quite raw and dark in their releases, which actually helped them gain an edge over the blossoming hard trance and techno sound of the early 90s. By drawing upon industrial themes, many of the Influence artists created some true gems that time still hasn't managed to dilute, if anything because many hard trance acts these days don't delve into the sinister side of music as often anymore (unless they think using the Menacing Voice makes their tracks sinister enough -as if), preferring to let the realm of hardcore handle those themes.
While Influence had a raw beginning, even the artists on the label made use of more refined production equipment as the years went by. This second compilation of Influence tracks brought to us by Hypnotic (bless their hearts for bringing it over to us poor North Americans at a domestic price) gives us an inclining of the changing tides. The first Influence compilation from Cleopatra (Hypnotic had yet to be established as the EDM sub-label of Cleopatra when it was released) was quite gritty and menacing. This one has a little more polish on the production side but that distinctive, menacing Influence sound is still lingering.
Opening track Welcome is brought to us by Norman Feller under his Phasis guise. I've enjoyed many of Feller's works but I have to admit this one doesn't quite measure up to his other releases. The foundation is strong, of course, as the use of energetic rhythms and crisp, quick synth melodies does create a good source of punch. And the use of spacey pads midway through to complement the main leads is a welcome addition. So what's the problem here? Hearing the Menacing Voice intoning "Welcome!" way more than is necessary, especially towards the end when you hear it every eight bars, gets pretty redundant soon. Also, to be honest, the leads used aren't really the best I've heard from Feller. Sure, I can't expect the guy to come up with gold every time but it just sounds like he's going through the motions here. Still, Welcome is a serviceable track to begin the compilation with despite the fact it probably won't turn many heads either.
Fortunately, The Mongolian Rider by Phoenixx brings things up to speed. Starting out rather mellow with pads, bubbly effects and a brief vocal chant that will serve as the basis for most of the melody to follow, the song shifts into high gear a minute later with brisk, driving rhythms and a simple, punchy, fuzzy synth. Layers of percussion are gradually added, eventually bringing the opening themes into the fray. One more added melodic bit to harmonize with the pads and vocal is introduced some three minutes later and this track is well under way. Patches get shuffled around, allowing them to alternate between rhythmic and melodic sections as the pace tends to dictate. Really, the arrangement is quite simple, but that was one of the defining trademarks of these early trance tunes coming out of Germany at the time: infectious melodies using a variety of sound sources looping repeatedly to suck you into your mind. It may be simple but it's still highly effective.
The moody, acidy Atmospheric Forces by Analog Communications is a nice follow-up for about three minutes. After that, you start to realize most of the good ideas were used up in the opening of this track. This turn into mediocrity is mainly chalked up to the weak rhythms. Granted, the kick is effective but the rest of the percussion is quite bland. A shame, considering the moody promise hinted at by the start of the track.
Still, at least some of the elements worked. With Unknown Control's Heaven, almost all of the sounds used really don't mix well. The arrangement of them is fine but limp rhythms, weak leads (that sound very under-produced, I might add) and a silly vocal sample fail to grab your attention and hold it. I suppose this could just be a case of a lack of better equipment, as you can hear some decent ideas lurking in the patterns. It's a shame these guys weren't producing in the Cracked Studio Software era, eh?
If Heaven was an example of good arrangements with weak sounds, then Bionic Crew's Final Entrance is just the opposite. With warbly acid lines, spacey pads, and a simple, effective lead, this track starts out quite promising. Unfortunately, not much is really done with it. This isn't so much a problem of meandering too much (like Atmospheric Forces did) but ending a bit short. Okay, perhaps I've been spoiled by a number of trance tracks of various styles averaging the seven minutes mark and am being a bit selfish. After hearing a pair of weaker tracks, though, I wouldn't mind something that hooks me in instantly to go on for a little longer than just four and a half minutes. Ah, well moving on.
We're halfway through this disc now and that trademark sinister Influence sound has only cropped up sparingly. Family Nightmare by Retroflex aims to fix that with a rude awakening of throbbing gabber beats. I know a number of folk out there can't stand these, so you might as well skip past these next two paragraphs.
Okay, the brave (or foolish, depending on whom you ask) still with me? Good. Now, I'm sure you're wondering what a gabber track is doing on a compilation that clearly claims this is a "hardtrance [sic] experience" on the cover. Fact of the matter is when this was released, folks weren't as nitpicky about genres. Especially since trance was still a relatively new kid on the block, the criteria for what was and wasn't trance was considered quite broad. In general, so long as there was an element of entrancing sounds, you could get away with some very diverse compilations.
Family Nightmare makes use of those spacey voice notes that was quite dominate in a lot of early German trance. With a brisk, ominous melody striking in time to the fast, throbbing beats, this track is quite fun actually. A sped-up vocal sample gets thrown in at various points; although I can't quite figure out what it says (animation chips?) it certainly fits the tone of this track. Other fun items of note: a harpsichord-like sound replaces the spacey voice notes at one point, giving the track a tongue-in-cheek epic feeling; as was a common gabber cliché, the song pitches down right to a crawl towards the end before pitching back up to even faster speeds to climax out; the additional "Let's go!" vocal samples are nice little bursts of nitro at the end of rhythmic pauses. Really, the only glaring problem with this track is the use of some sort of low Atari bleeping sound that doesn't always sync up with the rhythm; it can really throw one's attention off and wasn't really needed in my opinion. And, I suppose, this being gabber it isn't going to become a classic track anytime soon, plus I highly doubt this particular track will change the mind of gabber's detractors. Still, it's a rollicking good time so their loss.
If you’re just joining us now after skipping past the last track (sorry if you missed the fun) this track by Monks may put you off yet again. Monks Too is hardly trancey at all. In fact, this is pretty much a fast techno track, and a rather boring one at that. Aside from a fun bit of bass and a tiny bit of experimental sounds that don't get nearly intuitive enough, there's nothing of real interest here. The feeble attempt at any kind of melody with laughable bell tones is just pathetic. Sorry if I just sound harsh here but this track is barely worthy of a being filler. I suppose it is a respite from the intensity of Family Nightmare but surely there was something better in the Influence back catalog that Hypnotic could have used.
I've already covered what goes on with Omnicron's The Bushmen in a previous review so I'll just mention it still fails to raise above the role of filler even after following a track that doesn't even accomplish that. Moving on.
I suppose you're wondering if there is anything worth keeping on this disc by this point now. Aside from a couple decent tracks, there hasn't been much that has really catapulted this compilation to the rating I gave, has there? Well, it seems Hypnotic saved the best for the last.
Little Gamma's Adventure by Argon X is one of those old trance tracks that I absolutely adore. Using a little whispering, echoing effect to start out, it begins dropping in pitch every few bars, bringing out some actual melody. As rhythms are progressively added, you start to realize this is actual the main lead and, once it settles into a much lower pitch, the guttural sounds are quite menacing. It's an ingenious method of introducing a hook but things get better.
As soon as the track seems well under way, a brief breakdown gives way to some paranoid bells and benign synth pads, completely changing the dynamic of this song. Once the main lead is brought back in, it creates a perfect contrast of yin and yang. The aggressive lead taps into your primal senses while the gentle pads tingle those warm emotions nestled inside. If I may be so bold to say it, Little Gamma's Adventure tells an effective little good vs. evil story, with the malignant beginning, leading to the benign second stanza before the two clash midway through. And, while the aggressive lead gets more intense following this confrontation, it is eventually pushed aside by the melodic elements to finish the song off as a pleasant little piano melody plays to finish off, hinting that good does triumph over evil. Not to be outdone, however, a brief return of that menacing riff pokes its head at the very end, leaving an air of uncertainty as the song finishes.
If Little Gamma's Adventure was a clashing of good and evil, Influid's We're Always Behind You dispenses with any notion of hope right off the bat. Produced by one of the early trance powerhouse teams of Ralph Fritsch and Detlef Hastik (best known for their work as Komakino), it sounds like they rip the ominous voices that was in the soundtrack to the Demi Moore movie The Seventh Sign and utilized them to great effect. This creates an incredibly gothic atmosphere as you can picture the thick beats bouncing off the cold granite of giant, cavernous cathedral halls. A creepy vocal sample whispers, "He's here; A finger-touch away. He's always behind you." as brief, intense drum rolls (one thousand bpm, methinks) grind in the background. Not really too interested in being too danceable, We're Always Behind You is quite content to take many pauses to envelope you within its sinister environment. You can literally feel yourself being consumed in murkiness with a good sound system. Adding to the menace is a creepy little melody introduced midway through, something that can have one nervously looking over their shoulder should they let their imagination drift to this foreboding track. It's certain to be a hit with every graver (gothic raver) who comes across it. The last track here is a megamix of assorted Influence hits. Of course, a megamix tends to only be as good as the tracks you are familiar with, relying more on trainspotting moments than anything else. Fortunately, I'm familiar with a large number of these so I quite enjoy it. To give this megamix an extra edge, however, producer Vernon Baur (whom was a partner with Talla 2XLC for a while, actually) throws in a huge assortment of battle tool samples and frenetic beats to keep this sucker in high gear. At some points the kicks are flying everywhere with mayhem as the backing song grooves along. It can get quite hectic but it's fun nonetheless. As for what's included on this megamix, let's see if I can put my trainspotter abilities to their test: Marble Cybos' I'd Rather Get Fucked By A Vibrator, Influid's We're Always Behind You (a bit funny hearing it again so soon, but it's such a good track I don't mind), Vene's Pain, The Postman's Elysium, two I'm not sure of, Phasis' Moonwalk, Reel X's Feels Good, and The Abeyance's Unit 99. Hmm seven out of nine isn't bad.
All in all, this release as a whole seems to be quite typical of most Hypnotic compilations: some great tracks, some decent tracks, and a few forgettable fillers. Of course, the ones worth having do make up for some of the drudge you have to sift through in this case so, if you are interested in some older trance, give it a go. I just wish Hypnotic could have trimmed the fat a little better when compiling this. I'm sure there had to be more in the Influence catalogue that could have made this an excellent compilation.
Score: 7/10
ACE TRACKS:
Argon X - Little Gamma's Adventure
Influid - We're Always Behind You
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
Released 1995
Track List:
1. Phasis - Welcome (5:52)
2. Phoenixx - The Mongolian Rider (7:48)
3. Analog Communications - Atmospheric Forces
4. Unknown Control - Heaven (6:22)
5. Bionic Crew - Final Entrance (4:35)
6. Retroflex - Family Nightmare (6:26)
7. Monks - Monks Too (6:44)
8. Omnicron - The Bushmen (6:10)
9. Argon X - Little Gamma's Adventure (6:45)
10. Influid - We're Always Behind You (5:40)
11. Influence Megamix V2.0 (8:45)
(2010 Update: Ugly review. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned away a few folks with this one. To save you the trouble of reading it ever again (even if it's for the first time), check out tracks 2,5,6,9, and 10. They're the good ones.)
IN BRIEF: Hard trance cleans up its act a bit.
Influence Recordings started out quite raw and dark in their releases, which actually helped them gain an edge over the blossoming hard trance and techno sound of the early 90s. By drawing upon industrial themes, many of the Influence artists created some true gems that time still hasn't managed to dilute, if anything because many hard trance acts these days don't delve into the sinister side of music as often anymore (unless they think using the Menacing Voice makes their tracks sinister enough -as if), preferring to let the realm of hardcore handle those themes.
While Influence had a raw beginning, even the artists on the label made use of more refined production equipment as the years went by. This second compilation of Influence tracks brought to us by Hypnotic (bless their hearts for bringing it over to us poor North Americans at a domestic price) gives us an inclining of the changing tides. The first Influence compilation from Cleopatra (Hypnotic had yet to be established as the EDM sub-label of Cleopatra when it was released) was quite gritty and menacing. This one has a little more polish on the production side but that distinctive, menacing Influence sound is still lingering.
Opening track Welcome is brought to us by Norman Feller under his Phasis guise. I've enjoyed many of Feller's works but I have to admit this one doesn't quite measure up to his other releases. The foundation is strong, of course, as the use of energetic rhythms and crisp, quick synth melodies does create a good source of punch. And the use of spacey pads midway through to complement the main leads is a welcome addition. So what's the problem here? Hearing the Menacing Voice intoning "Welcome!" way more than is necessary, especially towards the end when you hear it every eight bars, gets pretty redundant soon. Also, to be honest, the leads used aren't really the best I've heard from Feller. Sure, I can't expect the guy to come up with gold every time but it just sounds like he's going through the motions here. Still, Welcome is a serviceable track to begin the compilation with despite the fact it probably won't turn many heads either.
Fortunately, The Mongolian Rider by Phoenixx brings things up to speed. Starting out rather mellow with pads, bubbly effects and a brief vocal chant that will serve as the basis for most of the melody to follow, the song shifts into high gear a minute later with brisk, driving rhythms and a simple, punchy, fuzzy synth. Layers of percussion are gradually added, eventually bringing the opening themes into the fray. One more added melodic bit to harmonize with the pads and vocal is introduced some three minutes later and this track is well under way. Patches get shuffled around, allowing them to alternate between rhythmic and melodic sections as the pace tends to dictate. Really, the arrangement is quite simple, but that was one of the defining trademarks of these early trance tunes coming out of Germany at the time: infectious melodies using a variety of sound sources looping repeatedly to suck you into your mind. It may be simple but it's still highly effective.
The moody, acidy Atmospheric Forces by Analog Communications is a nice follow-up for about three minutes. After that, you start to realize most of the good ideas were used up in the opening of this track. This turn into mediocrity is mainly chalked up to the weak rhythms. Granted, the kick is effective but the rest of the percussion is quite bland. A shame, considering the moody promise hinted at by the start of the track.
Still, at least some of the elements worked. With Unknown Control's Heaven, almost all of the sounds used really don't mix well. The arrangement of them is fine but limp rhythms, weak leads (that sound very under-produced, I might add) and a silly vocal sample fail to grab your attention and hold it. I suppose this could just be a case of a lack of better equipment, as you can hear some decent ideas lurking in the patterns. It's a shame these guys weren't producing in the Cracked Studio Software era, eh?
If Heaven was an example of good arrangements with weak sounds, then Bionic Crew's Final Entrance is just the opposite. With warbly acid lines, spacey pads, and a simple, effective lead, this track starts out quite promising. Unfortunately, not much is really done with it. This isn't so much a problem of meandering too much (like Atmospheric Forces did) but ending a bit short. Okay, perhaps I've been spoiled by a number of trance tracks of various styles averaging the seven minutes mark and am being a bit selfish. After hearing a pair of weaker tracks, though, I wouldn't mind something that hooks me in instantly to go on for a little longer than just four and a half minutes. Ah, well moving on.
We're halfway through this disc now and that trademark sinister Influence sound has only cropped up sparingly. Family Nightmare by Retroflex aims to fix that with a rude awakening of throbbing gabber beats. I know a number of folk out there can't stand these, so you might as well skip past these next two paragraphs.
Okay, the brave (or foolish, depending on whom you ask) still with me? Good. Now, I'm sure you're wondering what a gabber track is doing on a compilation that clearly claims this is a "hardtrance [sic] experience" on the cover. Fact of the matter is when this was released, folks weren't as nitpicky about genres. Especially since trance was still a relatively new kid on the block, the criteria for what was and wasn't trance was considered quite broad. In general, so long as there was an element of entrancing sounds, you could get away with some very diverse compilations.
Family Nightmare makes use of those spacey voice notes that was quite dominate in a lot of early German trance. With a brisk, ominous melody striking in time to the fast, throbbing beats, this track is quite fun actually. A sped-up vocal sample gets thrown in at various points; although I can't quite figure out what it says (animation chips?) it certainly fits the tone of this track. Other fun items of note: a harpsichord-like sound replaces the spacey voice notes at one point, giving the track a tongue-in-cheek epic feeling; as was a common gabber cliché, the song pitches down right to a crawl towards the end before pitching back up to even faster speeds to climax out; the additional "Let's go!" vocal samples are nice little bursts of nitro at the end of rhythmic pauses. Really, the only glaring problem with this track is the use of some sort of low Atari bleeping sound that doesn't always sync up with the rhythm; it can really throw one's attention off and wasn't really needed in my opinion. And, I suppose, this being gabber it isn't going to become a classic track anytime soon, plus I highly doubt this particular track will change the mind of gabber's detractors. Still, it's a rollicking good time so their loss.
If you’re just joining us now after skipping past the last track (sorry if you missed the fun) this track by Monks may put you off yet again. Monks Too is hardly trancey at all. In fact, this is pretty much a fast techno track, and a rather boring one at that. Aside from a fun bit of bass and a tiny bit of experimental sounds that don't get nearly intuitive enough, there's nothing of real interest here. The feeble attempt at any kind of melody with laughable bell tones is just pathetic. Sorry if I just sound harsh here but this track is barely worthy of a being filler. I suppose it is a respite from the intensity of Family Nightmare but surely there was something better in the Influence back catalog that Hypnotic could have used.
I've already covered what goes on with Omnicron's The Bushmen in a previous review so I'll just mention it still fails to raise above the role of filler even after following a track that doesn't even accomplish that. Moving on.
I suppose you're wondering if there is anything worth keeping on this disc by this point now. Aside from a couple decent tracks, there hasn't been much that has really catapulted this compilation to the rating I gave, has there? Well, it seems Hypnotic saved the best for the last.
Little Gamma's Adventure by Argon X is one of those old trance tracks that I absolutely adore. Using a little whispering, echoing effect to start out, it begins dropping in pitch every few bars, bringing out some actual melody. As rhythms are progressively added, you start to realize this is actual the main lead and, once it settles into a much lower pitch, the guttural sounds are quite menacing. It's an ingenious method of introducing a hook but things get better.
As soon as the track seems well under way, a brief breakdown gives way to some paranoid bells and benign synth pads, completely changing the dynamic of this song. Once the main lead is brought back in, it creates a perfect contrast of yin and yang. The aggressive lead taps into your primal senses while the gentle pads tingle those warm emotions nestled inside. If I may be so bold to say it, Little Gamma's Adventure tells an effective little good vs. evil story, with the malignant beginning, leading to the benign second stanza before the two clash midway through. And, while the aggressive lead gets more intense following this confrontation, it is eventually pushed aside by the melodic elements to finish the song off as a pleasant little piano melody plays to finish off, hinting that good does triumph over evil. Not to be outdone, however, a brief return of that menacing riff pokes its head at the very end, leaving an air of uncertainty as the song finishes.
If Little Gamma's Adventure was a clashing of good and evil, Influid's We're Always Behind You dispenses with any notion of hope right off the bat. Produced by one of the early trance powerhouse teams of Ralph Fritsch and Detlef Hastik (best known for their work as Komakino), it sounds like they rip the ominous voices that was in the soundtrack to the Demi Moore movie The Seventh Sign and utilized them to great effect. This creates an incredibly gothic atmosphere as you can picture the thick beats bouncing off the cold granite of giant, cavernous cathedral halls. A creepy vocal sample whispers, "He's here; A finger-touch away. He's always behind you." as brief, intense drum rolls (one thousand bpm, methinks) grind in the background. Not really too interested in being too danceable, We're Always Behind You is quite content to take many pauses to envelope you within its sinister environment. You can literally feel yourself being consumed in murkiness with a good sound system. Adding to the menace is a creepy little melody introduced midway through, something that can have one nervously looking over their shoulder should they let their imagination drift to this foreboding track. It's certain to be a hit with every graver (gothic raver) who comes across it. The last track here is a megamix of assorted Influence hits. Of course, a megamix tends to only be as good as the tracks you are familiar with, relying more on trainspotting moments than anything else. Fortunately, I'm familiar with a large number of these so I quite enjoy it. To give this megamix an extra edge, however, producer Vernon Baur (whom was a partner with Talla 2XLC for a while, actually) throws in a huge assortment of battle tool samples and frenetic beats to keep this sucker in high gear. At some points the kicks are flying everywhere with mayhem as the backing song grooves along. It can get quite hectic but it's fun nonetheless. As for what's included on this megamix, let's see if I can put my trainspotter abilities to their test: Marble Cybos' I'd Rather Get Fucked By A Vibrator, Influid's We're Always Behind You (a bit funny hearing it again so soon, but it's such a good track I don't mind), Vene's Pain, The Postman's Elysium, two I'm not sure of, Phasis' Moonwalk, Reel X's Feels Good, and The Abeyance's Unit 99. Hmm seven out of nine isn't bad.
All in all, this release as a whole seems to be quite typical of most Hypnotic compilations: some great tracks, some decent tracks, and a few forgettable fillers. Of course, the ones worth having do make up for some of the drudge you have to sift through in this case so, if you are interested in some older trance, give it a go. I just wish Hypnotic could have trimmed the fat a little better when compiling this. I'm sure there had to be more in the Influence catalogue that could have made this an excellent compilation.
Score: 7/10
ACE TRACKS:
Argon X - Little Gamma's Adventure
Influid - We're Always Behind You
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Various - Trance To Planet X: Influence 3.3 (Original TC Review)
Hypnotic: Cat# CLP 9674-2
Year Of Release: 1996
Track List:
1. Phasis -
Visitations (6:33)
2. Wave Shaping Age -
World In Trouble (6:45)
3. Omnicron - The Bushmen (6:12)
4.
The Dermatologist - Jupiter (Omm To The Stars) (8:56)
5.
Analog Communications - Wave Generator (7:40)
6. Morten -
Hypnotizing (7:20)
7. Judge S. -
Brainstorm (Scatanic Gap) (7:00)
8. Audio Science -
Sunstroke (11:39)
9. Cyberjam - Alphaflight (6:46)
10.
Artificial Flavor - Deep Noizer (4:56)
(2010 Update: Endlessly detailed and a drag to read. Why would I go to
such excruciating lengths to microscopically recount how each track sounds?
Well, this was actually the first sample review I wrote for TranceCritic,
mainly as one to show other writers exactly what kind of format we were
shooting for -specifically of an average 6/10 release. Plus, we were actually
wanting to go this heavily detailed method, which was just stupid in
hindsight; live and learn. Kudos to you if you can make it through all 2500
words of this -Lord knows I can't anymore.)
IN BRIEF: Hypnotic Records on the decline.
This third volume of music from Music Research's sub-label, Influence, brought
to us by Hypnotic (a sub-label of Cleopatra), is something of a mixed bag.
Influence's early releases were quite distinct in tone and atmosphere, drawing
themes from industrial music quite liberally at times, all the while maintaining
trance and hard acid elements. And while the latter is present in this
compilation (at times in spades), the former is not. I suppose some of trance's
early association with industrial had been all but wiped out by the time these
tracks were released but it's a shame to see that distinctiveness in Influence's
sound go by the wayside.
But enough about the past. Does this compilation do the
label justice? Well, yes and no. There is some quality stuff here but at times
on this album it seems like Hypnotic was scraping the bottom of the barrel of
Influence's library.
Like the two previous Influence compilations Hypnotic gave
us, this one starts out with a track by Norman Feller's alias, Phasis.
Visitations is a solid sounding affair, once it finally gets going that
is. As a low acid warble starts this track off, subtly playing with some pitch
effects. Bits of percussion progressively are added, making for a decent, if
somewhat long, lead in. In fact, it isn't until two and a half minutes into this
track that Visitations gains any real momentum. Finally, at around three
minutes into this track, a minor breakdown gives the main riff, a filtered
little stuttering trancey sound, some prominence. It plays around with a few
reverb tricks, adding ominous filtered pads into the background before
everything comes together again for a sinister sounding little number. Around
five minutes in, the song goes into another breakdown, and the initial low acid
line gets to play around again before building up into a great moment where the
pads are given prominence, accentuated with simple, driving bass punches. The
riff joins the fray again as the song plays out to its end, which is quite
abrupt, especially considering how much lead in this song had to start with.
Fortunately, World In Trouble by Wave Shaping Age picks up the pace right
where Visitations left off. After a hollow, metallic banging sound plays
for a bit, a quite creative and unassuming sample from
The Terminator (I'll leave it to you to guess where in the movie it's
from) leaps out at you, rousing you from whatever inert state you might have
been in. As the sample loops, a chunky bit of low acid joins at an urgent pace.
The sample fades back and a simple, beeping riff becomes the focus, a rather
paranoid sounding little thing. Driving bass kicks and other percussion are
progressively added as things settle into quite the hypnotic number here. The
riff fades back for a bit around two minutes in as some stuttering sounds and
acid effects play out for a minute and a half, never loosing momentum. A brief
breakdown comes about eventually, giving the riff full prominence. The song
builds back up to its original driving momentum, where the riff is then treated
to some echo effects, adding even more urgency to its already paranoid sound. As
the Terminator sample loops out at the end, the riff is given full prominence
once again to take us out. Great trancey stuff.
Unfortunately, it's with the
next track things start to become a bit suspect with this compilation: a return
of the rather mediocre The Bushmen by Omnicron. Why put this track on the
third of this series when its already been featured on
the previous one? And if you absolutely had to put a previous track on, why not
something better? "The Bushmen trance or curing dance..." Get ready to hear this
sample a lot in this song, more than I'd really care to hear. I'm not entirely
adverse to the idea of repeating samples throughout a song but very rarely does
it ever come across as creative; more like tedious, especially if it doesn't add
much to the track in general.
The song itself is quite driving thanks to some
brisk percussion, an energetic bass line, and stuttering voice pads. The main
riff, however, is kind of lacking in this same intensity, sounding rather muddy.
A few bridges with acid bleeps and a trancey ping that echoes across the stereo
spectrum add a bit of diversity around three minutes in but, for the most part,
it doesn't deviate from its main riff, which just doesn't have enough meat in it
to carry this song. Even the stuttering voice pads, always a guilty pleasure of
mine, can't help in making this track more interesting than a decent
transitional track.
If The Bushmen is an example of how to use a
repeating sample wrong, the next track, Jupiter (Omm To The Stars) by The
Dermatologist, is an example of how to use a repeating sample right. Of course,
it helps that this spoken sample is the word omm, which has an almost Zen-like
quality to it when heard or said. Strange, that. There's quite a bit of subtle
stuff going on with this track. The opening, crisp acid line is quite low in
pitch to start but it will be given a great workout throughout this song's
duration, peaking and subsiding in frequency with great embellishment. Sinister
and spacey effects come and go, playing off of percussion elements that never
overtake the main acid line in prominence... and here is where a problem lies.
The bass kick is rather flat. Were it punchier, this could have been a great
track that could pummel dance floors. As such, it merely functions to serve the
pace, which is a shame. At around six and a half minutes, the song stops and an
ominous voice utters "Jupiter." Interesting, but nothing is done with it
afterwards besides just pick up right where the song left off. It kind of takes
you out of the trance this song puts you into while listening to it quite
abruptly. What's the point of this? If something new were added afterwards, I
could see some logic behind it. As it stands, Jupiter is a fine enough
excursion into acid but leaves the listener wanting.
Sadly, Analog
Communications doesn't seem to be up to the task of upping the ante, further
dragging this compilation into mediocrity after its solid start. The opening of
Wave Generator is something of a mess. A chunky bit of stuttering acid
starts out, which is fine, but a flat sounding bass, hi-hats, and cymbals that
are progressively added just don't mesh well, making this sounding quite
cluttered. It isn't until two minutes in that things kind of settle down into
something resembling a song, thanks largely in part to a kick drum and snappy,
shuffling claps that gets things organized. The acid line carries on throughout
this track, given a bit of a pitch workout after the five-minute mark. Trouble
here is this line is so abrasive and prominent that it drowns out so much of the
rest of the track; you need a very good set of speakers or headphones to make
out any of the other details. Even an eerie little warbling riff that joins the
fray three minutes in can't get its head over the acid. Might make for an
alright transitional track if an acid techno DJ played the middle four minutes
worth but other than that, this song is just too cluttered sounding to be any
good. After three straight tracks now that haven't been too hot, it wouldn't be
at all uncommon for a casual listener to dismiss the rest of this compilation.
Fortunately, Morten's Hypnotizing manages to rescue it from sinking
altogether. After about a minute's worth of fairly standard lead-in percussion
(although there is a bit of playfulness in the use of stereo effects), a wobbly
bit of acid bass joins in. Half a minute later, some trancey beeps begin to
float about before the main riff, a rather simple, stuttering synth stab, rises
up in a minor breakdown. Things play out for a while as extra effects adding a
sense of urgency to the riff build tension. At about the four-minute mark, the
song breaks down into a lovely little bit where string pads float along with the
trancey beeps, all the while a female sample says, appropriately enough,
"Hypnotizing away." As the song builds up again, a chunky bit of acid grows from
the background, given full prominence once the rhythm sets in again. As the
trancey beeps and strings pads are added, it gives a sense of soothing calm over
the song's initial anxiety. Even when the main riff returns, the two polar
elements play quite nicely off of each other. On its own, Hypnotizing is
fairly standard sounding trance from this era. Coming off of two straight hard
acid tracks though, this one is like a breath of fresh air after sitting in a
suffocating room.
Now that our attention is brought back, it's time for Judge S.
to increase the intensity with Brainstorm (Scatanic Gab). A menacing
sound effect weaves about as percussion slowly fades in from the background. In
less than a minute, a booming gabber bass kick rears its intimidating head,
fortunately at a brisk enough pace as to not loose this track's integrity. The
sound effect switches up a bit, turning into actual notes instead of background
noise. All this is very subtle, mind; like the calm before the storm. By the
three-minute mark, an incredibly catchy riff plays out; very epic sounding
despite the low-key sounds used. A minute later, a quick percussive bridge ups
the ante as effects and extra hi-hats accentuate this riff. As the song builds
down its layers of elements, an acidy synth gets fed through a pitch bend,
repeating towards a minimal outro. Killer stuff, and not an easy act to follow
up.
Fortunately, the always intriguing Audio Science is up to the challenge.
Sunstroke starts out very low key due to a pulsing synth sound fed
through a low pitch; things don't really pick up until over a minute in where a
subdued synth pad weaves about as a very unique sounding bass kick pattern
(going something like 'thump thump-thump-thump-thump-thump thump
thump-thump-thump thump') is introduced. Extra hi-hats and claps in separate
stereo channels are progressively added, setting up a very quick pace. As the
synth pad leave, the original wobbling synth sound picks up in intensity,
getting doubled up and peaking briefly every so often at higher pitches but
remaining low for the most part. By the five-minute mark, the percussion briefly
leaves, giving some eerie stuttering voice pads a bit of prominence before
rejoining the fray. This carries on for a couple of minutes but never sounds
repetitive thanks to the ever-so-subtle pitch tweaks to the pulsing synth line.
Once we're in about seven and a half minutes, the song gives a new element, a
good ol' bit of tweaking acid, a bit of prominence. Finally, every element comes
together for a frenetic climax where the original pulsing synth gets fed into
quite a bit of echo effects. This is quite a long song compared to the rest,
clocking in over eleven and a half minutes, but it never gets tedious to listen
to. There are so many elements subtly lurking about that an acute listener can
have quite a bit of fun with it. The only real trouble with it is there is no
real defining riff, just a series of trancey movements. As such, this is trance
music in its most raw form: subtle, minimal, and hypnotic. Me likes.
Attempting
to outdo Audio Science at their game is not something recommended for a
follow-up track, and this compilation wisely follows this advice by delving into
something a little bit different than anything heard yet here. A moody pad intro
starts Cyberjam's Alphaflight out. Before long a couple different
twerping acid lines emerge, building in intensity. Soon enough this intensity is
released as percussion charges in with a bit of low, reverbing acid throbbing in
the background. Acid lines and effects weave about, creating what is actually
something rather funky sounding, a bit of a surprise given how this song started
out (at least, as funky as acid trance can get). Three minutes into the song,
the opening pads return in a breakdown, this time more intense as low-key acid
and sound effects play off of them for a minute. Once the rhythm returns, its
more driving than before and various acid effects play all about, sometimes
retaining a bit of the opening's theme, but for the most part doing their own
thing in a rather fun way. The song kind of pitters out at the end from a lack
of focus, though, seemingly having run out of ideas. This wouldn't be so bad if
the next track picked up nicely after this steady run of quality tracks.
Ouch!
What is this? Did someone record this track too loudly onto this album? Or is it
the song itself? Deep Noizer by Artificial Flavor does have a danceable
rhythm to it, I guess, but the sounds used here to make up its main riff (which
plays through the songs entirety) and various effects are so overbearing and
abrasive, I can't imagine anyone making heads or tails of it. Everything is just
so distorted. Granted, it's not a very long track, but I can't see anyone using
this for anything more than a joke. It certainly isn't an enjoyable listen at
home. What a lousy way to end an album. Since it's the last track, this is
pretty much a throwaway song. I've never been fond of the idea; wouldn't you
want to go out firing on all cylinders instead of leaving a bad taste in the
mouth?
Still, there is some great stuff to be had here; tracks like
World In Trouble, Brainstorm (Scatanic Gap), and
Sunstroke are worthy additions to any trance collection. But when a
compilation contains such weak contenders like Wave Generator and
Deep Noizer, it's hard to recommend an album in good conscious. However,
the former group of tracks are worth having, and given the rarity of
Influence material on CD (or MP3 for that matter), for the most part the rest on
here would be welcome accompaniments for a trance library. It's just a shame the
lesser tracks drag the overall impression here.
Score: 6/10
ACE TRACKS:
Wave Shaping Age - World In Trouble
Judge S. -
Brainstorm (Scatanic Gap)
Written by Sykonee. Originally published in 2004 for
TranceCritic.com.© All rights
reserved.
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