Solstice Music Europe: 2007
I hated this when I first heard it, so much that I exiled it from my “To Review” list at TranceCritic, allowing it to collect dust on an MP3 disc off in a corner. I couldn't bring myself to slam one of the most unique psy acts I'd enjoyed, and perhaps a part of me couldn’t believe their career had come to this. I didn't even care about the music, it was how it all sounded! That... that... plastic production that so much psy of the mid-00s came out with, and now an elder statesman of that scene, the ever awesome Eat Static, had succumbed to it. And to top it all off, a full-on track! Now they're bandwagon jumpers too? No, this just won't do. I deny De-Classified's existence!
Of course, I was a moronic douche-nob. There were tracks I recall liking on that initial playthrough, but because I stubbornly dismissed the album outright, I never gave it a second chance until recently, where I discovered there's a lot of kick-ass music to be had here.
Not that this is Eat Static's best work. The production does come off plastic and fresh ideas are few, the duo having explored most of all they can the decade prior. That don't matter though, as Eat Static going through the motions outclasses nearly any other psy act into touch.
I may not enjoy the sheen this album comes in, but I cannot deny the space it provides all these fun, quirky sounds Eat Static throws into their tunes. Everything comes in crystal clear, and those soaring space melodies have seldom sounded more brilliant than they do in Trantaloid, Brassneck, and Tractor Beam. Oh, speaking of Tractor Beam, holy shit, does this song rock! Eat Static's dabbled in jungle before with great results, but this cut stands tall and proud with anything they’ve ever done. Why the hell did I overlook this before? God, was I an idiot.
Even within De-Classified's limited ‘for the party’ scope, their alien mojo is in as fine of form as ever. Strong hooks courtesy of Visitors and Trantaloid; fun downtempo funk in Invaders and Panchama; groove-heavy psy freakouts in Deadly Amphibian and Brassneck; even that full-on track (Sin-Quest) is good. I'd still put albums like Abduction and Science Of The Gods as better overall CDs, but De-Classified has enough going for it that any casual fan of latter-day psy should give it a shot.
One problem though: this thing's hard to come by, at least at reasonable prices. It’s rare to find used copies under the $20 mark, much less a brand new one. There’s MP3 versions, but something tells me the old Eat Static mark’s gonna want his physical copy. To that end, unless you happen upon a deal, De-Classified isn’t worth that much investment. Seeing as how this remains their last proper full-length though, it’d be unfortunate if it goes disregarded due to scarcity (rather than stupid ignorance in my case).
Showing posts with label psy trance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psy trance. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Various - Cosmic Trance 02
Substance: 1997
You know what astounds me about this release? The fact that, should you go to its Discogs page, the image I submitted way back for its cover art is still there. I submitted plenty of cover images in those days, and it heavily contributed to my decent Discogs Rank Score of 367, a Top 500 placing for a brief while (now, I’m not even Top 5,000!), so that’s not out of the ordinary. I am surprised, however, no one’s replaced that image, as it was a poor scan to begin with. Just look at it (to the left …yes, it’s the same one).What’s with those lines? None of the other scans I did were that bad. It’s embarrassing I’m responsible for this CD’s sad visual Discogs legacy.
The reason for this utterly pointless musing is there’s not much to talk about regarding Cosmic Trance 02. It’s a solid trance DJ mix from 1997 that’s mostly on a psy trip, released by a sub-label of Distance, known for the popular Distance To Goa series. Now that I think about it, ‘97 was a curious year for trance as a whole. Everyone could tell that scene was going to go big at any point, but no one really knew which sub-genres would dominate. The classic German sound was pretty much dead, yet the Dutch hadn’t made their mark either. Club trance - which fed off the carcass of a wayward euro dance scene - seemed likely, but those British progressive house DJs were injecting trancey songs into their sets, lending the music proper credibility. And what was the deal with goa? That Oakenfold guy seemed fond of it, so maybe that’s the hot new sound.
It’s the odd meeting ground between tough hard trance and psy that we find this CD. Structurally, it’s about as typical as you’d find for the genre: big opener (Moka DJ’s For Europe’s a lot of fun), chunky goa-psy for a while with plenty of acid to spare, a couple well-placed anthems along the way to keep your attention (De Niro’s Mind Of Man being the biggest one), and mellower tracks to ease out at the end. Oh, and rough mixing, but unless it was a Pro Tools set, that was the norm for these things back then, so it’s fine so long as the momentum is never lost, which it isn’t.
There aren’t a lot of well-known tracks here (fourteen in all), but most of them come from well-known labels: Transient, Tunnel, Superstition, Flying Rhino, Trans’pact, and Blue Room to name the most prominent. If you’re looking for a primer, I suppose Cosmic Trance 02 is reasonable, as it’s affordable either as a download or CD (at least according to that Discogs page). Sure is much cheaper than the near $30 I paid when it was new. Hey, don’t judge me, man. Owning imported trance CDs from Europe was a status symbol for West Coast Canadians in ye’ olde mid-90s, yo’ (not really).
You know what astounds me about this release? The fact that, should you go to its Discogs page, the image I submitted way back for its cover art is still there. I submitted plenty of cover images in those days, and it heavily contributed to my decent Discogs Rank Score of 367, a Top 500 placing for a brief while (now, I’m not even Top 5,000!), so that’s not out of the ordinary. I am surprised, however, no one’s replaced that image, as it was a poor scan to begin with. Just look at it (to the left …yes, it’s the same one).What’s with those lines? None of the other scans I did were that bad. It’s embarrassing I’m responsible for this CD’s sad visual Discogs legacy.
The reason for this utterly pointless musing is there’s not much to talk about regarding Cosmic Trance 02. It’s a solid trance DJ mix from 1997 that’s mostly on a psy trip, released by a sub-label of Distance, known for the popular Distance To Goa series. Now that I think about it, ‘97 was a curious year for trance as a whole. Everyone could tell that scene was going to go big at any point, but no one really knew which sub-genres would dominate. The classic German sound was pretty much dead, yet the Dutch hadn’t made their mark either. Club trance - which fed off the carcass of a wayward euro dance scene - seemed likely, but those British progressive house DJs were injecting trancey songs into their sets, lending the music proper credibility. And what was the deal with goa? That Oakenfold guy seemed fond of it, so maybe that’s the hot new sound.
It’s the odd meeting ground between tough hard trance and psy that we find this CD. Structurally, it’s about as typical as you’d find for the genre: big opener (Moka DJ’s For Europe’s a lot of fun), chunky goa-psy for a while with plenty of acid to spare, a couple well-placed anthems along the way to keep your attention (De Niro’s Mind Of Man being the biggest one), and mellower tracks to ease out at the end. Oh, and rough mixing, but unless it was a Pro Tools set, that was the norm for these things back then, so it’s fine so long as the momentum is never lost, which it isn’t.
There aren’t a lot of well-known tracks here (fourteen in all), but most of them come from well-known labels: Transient, Tunnel, Superstition, Flying Rhino, Trans’pact, and Blue Room to name the most prominent. If you’re looking for a primer, I suppose Cosmic Trance 02 is reasonable, as it’s affordable either as a download or CD (at least according to that Discogs page). Sure is much cheaper than the near $30 I paid when it was new. Hey, don’t judge me, man. Owning imported trance CDs from Europe was a status symbol for West Coast Canadians in ye’ olde mid-90s, yo’ (not really).
Monday, May 10, 2010
5 Song Weekly Mini-Review #6
Maybe I should have mentioned I was taking a little vacation last week, huh. Well, it was still unconfirmed just how long I’d have off, but now that I’m back, let’s see what random songs cropped up for this Mini-Review.
1. Guru - When You’re Near
From the album Jazzmatazz: Volume 1.
Timely, this. Backing vocals are by N'Dea Davenport, with music doing the acid jazz thing well before acid jazz really caught on with Ninja Tune. It’s really more of an evolution of thoughtful hip-hop that was quite popular in the early 90s (the fabled Golden Age for many): in this case, Guru took the idea of sampling jazz records one step further, creating his own jazz beats and including several session musicians. This tune’s more stripped down than much of what appeared on the album, but classy just the same.
2. P.M. Dawn - Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine
From the album Of The Heart, Of The Soul And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience.
Whoa, another Golden Age song? P.M. Dawn seems to have gone down as something of a joke lately regarding hip-hop white people like, which has some merit - the group’s always been one of the cleaner acts of the genre with their spiritual themes. This one’s about relationships or something’r other; very pleasant mood and groovy beat. Check it out if you like your rap, erm, hook friendly and unaggressive.
3. Banco de Gaia - Glove Puppet (Dreadzone Remix)
From the album 10 Years: Remixed.
I was wondering how long it’d take for Marks to make his way here. Aside from Neil Young, I have more BdG albums than any other artist. Heh, funny that it’d be a remix that finally does make it here though. It’s probably one of the better remixes of a Banco tune, with Dreadzone doing some kind of shuffling salsa to complement Folkner’s plaintive vocals. God, but does she ever sound tragic here. I love it!
4. Nordreform Sound System - Schlabberdance
From the DJ Mix Cosmic Trance 02 by DJ Heyoka.
There isn’t much to say here, as less than four minutes of the track was used in this mix. The shortlived duo was comprised of Ben Wierzoch and Sven Dohse (according to Discogs anyway). Dedicated psy heads undoubtedly know Ben from his Planet B.E.N. project, which has been around forever. As with a lot of mid-90s psy, this is really hard to describe, especially with so little amount here. There’s a weird, wet noise that’s quite cool though.
DJ Brace - Shades Of Red
From the compilation Northern Faction 3.
Meh. This sounds like it’s trying to do the IDM-hop thing, and coming off very stilted in the process. The beats are just too programmed to be interesting. I can imagine him sitting at the studio and meticulously pointing and clicking every little fill and hi-hat, making sure it’s all perfectly quantized. I’m probably wrong on that, mind, but that’s what this sounds like to me. No blame.
Well, that was an odd assortment of songs, and really short at that. I almost thought we’d get that “all hip-hop” Mini-Review finally. Maybe some other time. Until next week then, where the randomness of chance will bring us yet another unexpected bunch of tunes (except probably Young; it’s an odd week).
Written by Sykonee, 2010. © All rights reserved.
1. Guru - When You’re Near
From the album Jazzmatazz: Volume 1.
Timely, this. Backing vocals are by N'Dea Davenport, with music doing the acid jazz thing well before acid jazz really caught on with Ninja Tune. It’s really more of an evolution of thoughtful hip-hop that was quite popular in the early 90s (the fabled Golden Age for many): in this case, Guru took the idea of sampling jazz records one step further, creating his own jazz beats and including several session musicians. This tune’s more stripped down than much of what appeared on the album, but classy just the same.
2. P.M. Dawn - Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine
From the album Of The Heart, Of The Soul And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience.
Whoa, another Golden Age song? P.M. Dawn seems to have gone down as something of a joke lately regarding hip-hop white people like, which has some merit - the group’s always been one of the cleaner acts of the genre with their spiritual themes. This one’s about relationships or something’r other; very pleasant mood and groovy beat. Check it out if you like your rap, erm, hook friendly and unaggressive.
3. Banco de Gaia - Glove Puppet (Dreadzone Remix)
From the album 10 Years: Remixed.
I was wondering how long it’d take for Marks to make his way here. Aside from Neil Young, I have more BdG albums than any other artist. Heh, funny that it’d be a remix that finally does make it here though. It’s probably one of the better remixes of a Banco tune, with Dreadzone doing some kind of shuffling salsa to complement Folkner’s plaintive vocals. God, but does she ever sound tragic here. I love it!
4. Nordreform Sound System - Schlabberdance
From the DJ Mix Cosmic Trance 02 by DJ Heyoka.
There isn’t much to say here, as less than four minutes of the track was used in this mix. The shortlived duo was comprised of Ben Wierzoch and Sven Dohse (according to Discogs anyway). Dedicated psy heads undoubtedly know Ben from his Planet B.E.N. project, which has been around forever. As with a lot of mid-90s psy, this is really hard to describe, especially with so little amount here. There’s a weird, wet noise that’s quite cool though.
DJ Brace - Shades Of Red
From the compilation Northern Faction 3.
Meh. This sounds like it’s trying to do the IDM-hop thing, and coming off very stilted in the process. The beats are just too programmed to be interesting. I can imagine him sitting at the studio and meticulously pointing and clicking every little fill and hi-hat, making sure it’s all perfectly quantized. I’m probably wrong on that, mind, but that’s what this sounds like to me. No blame.
Well, that was an odd assortment of songs, and really short at that. I almost thought we’d get that “all hip-hop” Mini-Review finally. Maybe some other time. Until next week then, where the randomness of chance will bring us yet another unexpected bunch of tunes (except probably Young; it’s an odd week).
Written by Sykonee, 2010. © All rights reserved.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
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.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Eat Static - Abduction (Original TC Review)
Mammoth Records: Cat. # MR 118-2
Released 1995 (1993 in the UK)
Track List:
1. Prana (7:24)
2. Gulf Breeze (6:33)
3. Kalika (6:50)
4. Splitting World (8:44)
5. Kinetic Flow (6:44)
6. Forgotten Rites (8:13)
7. Abduction (8:00)
8. Intruder (6:11)
9. Xenomorph (6:32)
10. Inner Peace (6:08)
(2010 Update:
Another thing I wanted to do for TranceCritic to differentiate the website from all the other trance sites of the time was ample coverage of older releases, specifically from the genre's infancy. Browsing through several forums of the time, I was quite dismayed by the utter lack of knowledge regarding the genre's history. It seems things have managed to turn around in recent years, as there's more looking back going on now than there ever was in 2004. Not that I'm saying TC was responsible for the shift, but hey, at least I can claim to be ahead of the curve, right? Er, maybe if I'd written a better review for this.)
IN BRIEF: It's Eat Static... before the aliens abducted them.
Longtime mainstays in the psy trance scene, Eat Static (Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler of Ozric Tentacles) may have become associated with all things alien but their music wasn't always so. In fact, some of their earliest work was more in vein with what much of the initial goa tunes thematically tried to capture, namely the vibe of outdoor dance parties and tribal gatherings. It wasn't long before the extra-terrestrial soundscapes of trance music had an influence, though, and Abduction seems like as fitting a title for this debut as it gets.
How so? Let's dive into this release and I'll show you.
Granted, the opener on this release, Prana, has its fair share of sci-fi bleeps, samples, and effects. However, for most of its duration the emphasis is placed more on the rhythm as acid and subtle electronic sounds meander throughout. Don't go looking for any clear-cut leads in this song; you won't find them. Instead, just let the rhythm take hold and bob your head or feet along.
Gulf Breeze may have gained fame more due to Sasha's remix of the track but the original here is worth a look as well. Starting quite deep with thick, grumbling bass and pulsing electronic effects, various melodies come and go throughout. Some, like arpeggiating sounds and mechanical pads, come off quite interesting. Others, like chanting samples, come across as a bit redundant. Still, the good outweigh the bad here.
Keeping things still on Earth is Kalika, a track which easily exemplifies goa trance. Plenty of Indian sounds, both percussive and melodic, are used throughout and easily conjure up images of beach parties held in Goa under the stars. Compared to the last two tracks, this one is quite mellow. Sure, there is still some speed to it but the rhythm doesn't dominate quite as much, allowing the sounds of India to let the mind wander.
With Splitting World, we get to hear Eat Static's real strength at work. Always more of a live act, Joie and Merv have a tendency to embellish with numerous patches throughout their songs. The former tracks already presented on this release used this to some degree but with fewer patches so you'd hear familiar sounds coming and going. Splitting World has all sorts running through it, keeping things shifting and unpredictable.
For instance, after four minutes of leisurely rhythms and stuttering native chants, the song changes gears into a breakbeat with mechanical sounds and synths. Former and latter patches switch up and intermesh for the rest of the track as even more elements come and go. Much like jazz or prog rock, this embellishing is amazingly coherent. Great stuff.
However, throughout this whole album, the alien influences that Eat Static is known for still have yet to surface. Kinetic Flow gets a little more spacey with bright electronic sounds and effects fluttering about in a rather light-hearted track but it remains somewhat insubstantial. What follows, however, is dripping with imagery.
Oh, not aliens. Forgotten Rites instead takes us back to the beginning -that is, the beginning of humanity's association with dance. This is overflowing with primal energy. Starting with eerie effects as organic percussion is progressively added, the tension is gradually built for three minutes before the main kick hits. For the next two minutes we are treated to some fierce tribal rhythms as dark sounds weave about, conjuring up shaman bonfires at twilight.
But all this is just building us to the heart and glory of this track: a bright, sputtering synth that tickles at your consciousness as your feet keep moving to the heavy rhythms. You want to know how trance got its name? This track is a perfect example. Once everything comes together for a rousing finish, you are absolutely enraptured by the sounds on display here.
Forgotten Rites is probably the most human sounding track on this release, so it makes a great deal of sense to follow it up with the aptly titled Abduction. It is here that the aliens of Eat Static finally make their presence felt. After a lengthy intro of creepy starship sounds, we are treated to a bit of a mellow excursion of bizarre noises and peculiar effects. There are some melodic moments thrown in for good measure as well but this is mostly a chance for Joie and Merv to musically indulge with quirky sounds.
Having let the aliens snatch them from Earth, Eat Static take us into the cosmos with Intruder. Spacey synth pads soar in a minute long intro, eventually fading back as arpeggiating electronic effects and acidy, tribal rhythms take over. During a brief pause in the momentum of this track, we are treated to some mechanical sounds and spoken samples -one repeatedly utters, "Consciousness expanding." When the synth pads return to the fray, I'm inclined to agree.
Xenomorph is quite a bizarre sounding track, much in line with Eat Static's later works as they experimented with futuristic noises to make stomping dance music. Letting their alien influences completely dominate here, there is nothing human to this track at all. It can come off very disconcerting after so many tracks of ground based rhythms and melodies. That's not to say this is a bad track; in fact, it's quite a remarkable piece of work to behold considering all the unusual patches in effect here. Just be prepared for something very different than what you've heard thus far on Abduction.
To finish off the album, Inner Peace brings us back to the more familiar tribal gatherings that we bore witness to in the first half of this album. For the most part, this is a very straightforward track, with ethnic samples alternating between benign electronic sounds and string pads. While decent enough, compared to much of what's come on this album already, Inner Peace comes off as very simplistic; perhaps not the best way to end an album on as it kind of leaves you wanting for a bit more.
But for that, you'll have to seek out Eat Static's subsequent releases, as we've come to the end of Abduction. Overall, it is an enjoyable listen provided you don't come looking for aliens aplenty. While making brief appearances here and there, they tend to be lurking in the shadows of this album, lightly influencing the sounds while we mere humans have fun dancing under the stars to our own tribal sounds.
What a chilling thought.
Score: 8/10
ACE TRACKS:
Splitting World
Forgotten Rites
Intruder
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
Released 1995 (1993 in the UK)
Track List:
1. Prana (7:24)
2. Gulf Breeze (6:33)
3. Kalika (6:50)
4. Splitting World (8:44)
5. Kinetic Flow (6:44)
6. Forgotten Rites (8:13)
7. Abduction (8:00)
8. Intruder (6:11)
9. Xenomorph (6:32)
10. Inner Peace (6:08)
(2010 Update:
Another thing I wanted to do for TranceCritic to differentiate the website from all the other trance sites of the time was ample coverage of older releases, specifically from the genre's infancy. Browsing through several forums of the time, I was quite dismayed by the utter lack of knowledge regarding the genre's history. It seems things have managed to turn around in recent years, as there's more looking back going on now than there ever was in 2004. Not that I'm saying TC was responsible for the shift, but hey, at least I can claim to be ahead of the curve, right? Er, maybe if I'd written a better review for this.)
IN BRIEF: It's Eat Static... before the aliens abducted them.
Longtime mainstays in the psy trance scene, Eat Static (Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler of Ozric Tentacles) may have become associated with all things alien but their music wasn't always so. In fact, some of their earliest work was more in vein with what much of the initial goa tunes thematically tried to capture, namely the vibe of outdoor dance parties and tribal gatherings. It wasn't long before the extra-terrestrial soundscapes of trance music had an influence, though, and Abduction seems like as fitting a title for this debut as it gets.
How so? Let's dive into this release and I'll show you.
Granted, the opener on this release, Prana, has its fair share of sci-fi bleeps, samples, and effects. However, for most of its duration the emphasis is placed more on the rhythm as acid and subtle electronic sounds meander throughout. Don't go looking for any clear-cut leads in this song; you won't find them. Instead, just let the rhythm take hold and bob your head or feet along.
Gulf Breeze may have gained fame more due to Sasha's remix of the track but the original here is worth a look as well. Starting quite deep with thick, grumbling bass and pulsing electronic effects, various melodies come and go throughout. Some, like arpeggiating sounds and mechanical pads, come off quite interesting. Others, like chanting samples, come across as a bit redundant. Still, the good outweigh the bad here.
Keeping things still on Earth is Kalika, a track which easily exemplifies goa trance. Plenty of Indian sounds, both percussive and melodic, are used throughout and easily conjure up images of beach parties held in Goa under the stars. Compared to the last two tracks, this one is quite mellow. Sure, there is still some speed to it but the rhythm doesn't dominate quite as much, allowing the sounds of India to let the mind wander.
With Splitting World, we get to hear Eat Static's real strength at work. Always more of a live act, Joie and Merv have a tendency to embellish with numerous patches throughout their songs. The former tracks already presented on this release used this to some degree but with fewer patches so you'd hear familiar sounds coming and going. Splitting World has all sorts running through it, keeping things shifting and unpredictable.
For instance, after four minutes of leisurely rhythms and stuttering native chants, the song changes gears into a breakbeat with mechanical sounds and synths. Former and latter patches switch up and intermesh for the rest of the track as even more elements come and go. Much like jazz or prog rock, this embellishing is amazingly coherent. Great stuff.
However, throughout this whole album, the alien influences that Eat Static is known for still have yet to surface. Kinetic Flow gets a little more spacey with bright electronic sounds and effects fluttering about in a rather light-hearted track but it remains somewhat insubstantial. What follows, however, is dripping with imagery.
Oh, not aliens. Forgotten Rites instead takes us back to the beginning -that is, the beginning of humanity's association with dance. This is overflowing with primal energy. Starting with eerie effects as organic percussion is progressively added, the tension is gradually built for three minutes before the main kick hits. For the next two minutes we are treated to some fierce tribal rhythms as dark sounds weave about, conjuring up shaman bonfires at twilight.
But all this is just building us to the heart and glory of this track: a bright, sputtering synth that tickles at your consciousness as your feet keep moving to the heavy rhythms. You want to know how trance got its name? This track is a perfect example. Once everything comes together for a rousing finish, you are absolutely enraptured by the sounds on display here.
Forgotten Rites is probably the most human sounding track on this release, so it makes a great deal of sense to follow it up with the aptly titled Abduction. It is here that the aliens of Eat Static finally make their presence felt. After a lengthy intro of creepy starship sounds, we are treated to a bit of a mellow excursion of bizarre noises and peculiar effects. There are some melodic moments thrown in for good measure as well but this is mostly a chance for Joie and Merv to musically indulge with quirky sounds.
Having let the aliens snatch them from Earth, Eat Static take us into the cosmos with Intruder. Spacey synth pads soar in a minute long intro, eventually fading back as arpeggiating electronic effects and acidy, tribal rhythms take over. During a brief pause in the momentum of this track, we are treated to some mechanical sounds and spoken samples -one repeatedly utters, "Consciousness expanding." When the synth pads return to the fray, I'm inclined to agree.
Xenomorph is quite a bizarre sounding track, much in line with Eat Static's later works as they experimented with futuristic noises to make stomping dance music. Letting their alien influences completely dominate here, there is nothing human to this track at all. It can come off very disconcerting after so many tracks of ground based rhythms and melodies. That's not to say this is a bad track; in fact, it's quite a remarkable piece of work to behold considering all the unusual patches in effect here. Just be prepared for something very different than what you've heard thus far on Abduction.
To finish off the album, Inner Peace brings us back to the more familiar tribal gatherings that we bore witness to in the first half of this album. For the most part, this is a very straightforward track, with ethnic samples alternating between benign electronic sounds and string pads. While decent enough, compared to much of what's come on this album already, Inner Peace comes off as very simplistic; perhaps not the best way to end an album on as it kind of leaves you wanting for a bit more.
But for that, you'll have to seek out Eat Static's subsequent releases, as we've come to the end of Abduction. Overall, it is an enjoyable listen provided you don't come looking for aliens aplenty. While making brief appearances here and there, they tend to be lurking in the shadows of this album, lightly influencing the sounds while we mere humans have fun dancing under the stars to our own tribal sounds.
What a chilling thought.
Score: 8/10
ACE TRACKS:
Splitting World
Forgotten Rites
Intruder
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Various - Trans'Pact Productions: Chap. 2 (Original TC Review)
Trans'pact Productions: Cat. # 96-01
Released 1995
Track List: 1. Asia 2001 - Guarana Cupana (9:24)
2. Koma Club - Migro G (6:43)
3. Koma Club - Palpitating (6:01)
4. Tribute - Acid Intermed (6:24)
5. Koma Club - Power In Your Mind (6:28)
6. Dan Ovan - Initial Osc (6:11)
7. Platinium - Digital Deck (5:42)
8. Loren.X - Love Tribu (6:49)
9. Progressive Transe - Eternal Tribulation(5:47)
10. Asia 2001 - Arkology (8:15)
(2010 Update:
So, a couple years later, I discovered that pretty much all of these are by the same guy, Martin Cooper -and then the dude's real name is Gilbert Thévenet. Only Dan Ovan seems to be unique, at least according to Discogs. I guess that explains why the rhythms sound nearly identical from track to track. Synths are still wicked-crazy sounding though.)
IN BRIEF: Experimental trance as a genre? It should be.
Every so often during my music browsing, a little gem of an obscure release will catch my eye in the racks of a shop. Nothing on it will be familiar to me, most of the artists quite possibly having only made a couple singles before returning to their day jobs. Quite often, a mere handful of dedicated discographers will have ever heard of the label. Yet, what is contained on the release may be a long lost buried treasure just waiting to be re-discovered by accident.
And while this one in particular may not be such a release, it certainly does not deserve to be overlooked a decade later.
Most acid trance in the mid-90s was in a more experimental stage as artists were testing the boundaries of what would and wouldn't work for sounds in their songs, and this somewhat enigmatic label out of France founded by Martin Cooper (also known as Loren X) was no exception. For the most part on this compilation of releases from Trans'Pact, experimentation does work, though it sometimes seems tracks were built just for these sounds' sake.
But before we even delve into those types of tracks, we have Guarana Cupana by Asia 2001, a pairing of Martin Cooper and Florian Seriot that released many albums through Trans'Pact. Hey, it's your own label, so why not?
There's quite a lengthy intro to Guarana Cupana, using many percussion sounds to give it a tribal feel. Effects mesh about and a light synth pad adds some texture towards the end of this intro. Once it's over, the percussion picks up in intensity. Trance hi-hats, bass kicks, claps, and multiple acid lines -some bassy, some squelchy- are progressively added for a couple of minutes worth. Eventually, we are treated to the main riff, a rather typical psy sound that subtly varies in pitch. In a minor breakdown that follows a minute later, the synth pad helps accentuate this riff quite nicely. Percussion returns to the fray and a wobbly bit of acid is given prominence, lending this track to an old school vibe. Finally, everything comes together for quite the rousing climax that lasts a good three minutes long, never losing momentum as elements weave themselves in and out expertly.
At times Guarana Cupana can come across as a little too busy (especially when a few effects that really don't add much come into play) but, for the most part, creates a nice textured song that, unfortunately, does take its time in getting somewhere. The next couple of tracks by Koma Club are far more direct in their approach.
A bizarre sounding intro starts Migro G off. In fact, it sounds like Koma Club were just messing around on a synth here. Don't let this turn you off of this track, though. The intro only lasts half a minute and you'd be missing a fun, floor-stompin' excursion into acid trance. Koma Club doesn't try to trick you with anything fancy -it's purely meant to get your feet moving. A great, driving riff that doesn't get too repetitive due to its fun nature balances out with a warbling acid line all over this track. Good effects and minor pauses in pacing (gotta catch our breath, after all) keep things interesting throughout.
Palpitating is a little darker than the previous track but still has high energy thanks to some great sounding electronic lines that benefit from reverb quite a bit. By a minute and a half in, more of the focus seems to be put on crazier synth sounds accentuated with an eerie pad that slowly emerges from the background. There isn't really a riff in this song, as it is carried by pure atmospherics over the rhythm. Those of you who are more weaned on immediate riffs are likely to be turned off of this track but I rather enjoy it. This is trance music that really allows you to become lost within its hypnotizing effects.
Followed up is Acid Intermed by Tribute. This is one of those rare tracks where every element comes together to create such an enjoyable listening experience. Right from the start we are greeted with a stuttering acid line that never becomes repetitive thanks to some ever-so-subtle pitch effects expertly weaved through the sound spectrum. Trancey riffs and sinister, sweeping synth pads balance things out with just the right amount of percussion (with some of it benefiting from a little reverb as well) to not make things sound too busy as each element comes and goes throughout. One quibble, though: more punch in the bass kick would have been nice. Ah, well. Such was most acid trance from this time, I guess.
Koma Club returns with Power In Your Minds, another song where the effects and atmosphere of this song really hold it together. So much, in fact, that without it we'd have a high paced but relatively boring excursion into acid trance. It's seems a shame that nothing was able to develop much further without it. These effects are so incredibly dark and menacing the only way I can describe it is akin to some evil machine breathing (again, probably thanks to Koma Club's apparent love of crazy synth sounds). A little whistling riff to offset this menace contrasts very nicely as a bassy acid line benefiting from gradual pitch changes builds from there. The main acid line that joins some two minutes in is alright for what it's worth (trippy and energetic) but sometimes ventures too high in frequency which can be quite piercing on the ears. When the atmospherics are in play, this track works wonders. Without, though, it's just tedious. Some better balancing of the elements would have been welcome.
The next track on this compilation, Initial Osc by Dan Ovan has the same problem. There's a great sounding pad here that comes in a minute and half into this song. In contrast, everything else seems to be a little forgettable. That's not to say the quick pace, reverb percussion, or acid lines benefiting from pitch effects aren't good as well -it's quite enjoyable, especially from a dance floor standpoint. However, this spacey pad is just so sweet sounding, I wish it was used more often throughout instead of just three sections. Oh well. Full prominence of it is given at the end of the song so it's worth it.
After such a steady stream of solid tracks, this next one, Digital Deck by Platinium, doesn't really have enough going for it to make it all that compelling. For the most part, it's just various acid blurbs and squelches fed through pitch effects accompanied by rather tinny percussion. I was willing to overlook such percussion in Acid Intermed because the rest of the song was so good but without anything to raise the level of Digital Deck above standard fare, it's glaringly evident. There's a point some three and a half minutes in where a bit of synth punches through the acid but it doesn't have enough to carry this track out of mediocrity. Considering how good this compilation has been thus far, this is quite a letdown in contrast.
If anything though, a definite pattern to most of these tracks should be apparent. Quick pace? Check. Acid bass and riffs? Check. Pitch effects galore? Check. So, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Martin Cooper's offering as Loren X in the form of Love Tribu has these elements as well. What stands out rather well here, however, is a sweeping, spacey synth pad that sounds quite nice. And, unlike Initial Osc, this pad is utilized throughout, allowing the listener to become quite entranced within its sound. But even the stuttering acid bass sounds great enough to carry this song on its own. With both elements together, Love Tribu really does stand out from the pack of similar structured hypnotic numbers.
Eternal Tribulation by Progressive Transe brings things down again, though. It's not an entirely bad song, as some distorted, high-pitched pad work that comes into the song some two minutes after fairly standard percussion lead-in does give the song some soul. However, the tinny nature of the percussion on here tends to sound too busy at points and effectively detracts from the meatier parts, sometimes even burying it. This could have been easily in league with Love Tribu had things been more refined but, as it is, Eternal Tribulation just barely makes it as a transitional track.
Bookending this compilation is another track by Asia 2001: Arkology. Compared to the rest of the tracks, this one is relatively slower. Much like Guarana Cupana, there is a fair amount of lead-in using darker acid effect here. Coming off the heels of the last few songs that were using much higher frequency pitches for their acid lines, this track sounds quite fresh. For the most part, there aren't any clear-cut riffs or main acid lines. Elements ranging from spacey bleeps to reverb acid stabs to stuttering arpeggios weave themselves in and out with typical psy trance fashion. It's a great song to end the album on, really.
Despite the scarcity of anything from Trans'Pact these days, I'd still give this the thumbs up for psy fans. Sure, the tinny percussion on a number of these tracks does make this sound somewhat dated but you've just got to love the experimental nature of some of these, especially from Koma Club. There's an aura of innocent curiosity to this compilation as these sounds were being created and utilized for the first time. You just don't hear much of it anymore to the degree being offered here from trance these days. If you can locate this rare album, snatch it up.
Score: 8/10
ACE TRACKS:
Koma Club Palpitating
Loren X Love Tribu
Acid Intermed - Tribute
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
Released 1995
Track List: 1. Asia 2001 - Guarana Cupana (9:24)
2. Koma Club - Migro G (6:43)
3. Koma Club - Palpitating (6:01)
4. Tribute - Acid Intermed (6:24)
5. Koma Club - Power In Your Mind (6:28)
6. Dan Ovan - Initial Osc (6:11)
7. Platinium - Digital Deck (5:42)
8. Loren.X - Love Tribu (6:49)
9. Progressive Transe - Eternal Tribulation(5:47)
10. Asia 2001 - Arkology (8:15)
(2010 Update:
So, a couple years later, I discovered that pretty much all of these are by the same guy, Martin Cooper -and then the dude's real name is Gilbert Thévenet. Only Dan Ovan seems to be unique, at least according to Discogs. I guess that explains why the rhythms sound nearly identical from track to track. Synths are still wicked-crazy sounding though.)
IN BRIEF: Experimental trance as a genre? It should be.
Every so often during my music browsing, a little gem of an obscure release will catch my eye in the racks of a shop. Nothing on it will be familiar to me, most of the artists quite possibly having only made a couple singles before returning to their day jobs. Quite often, a mere handful of dedicated discographers will have ever heard of the label. Yet, what is contained on the release may be a long lost buried treasure just waiting to be re-discovered by accident.
And while this one in particular may not be such a release, it certainly does not deserve to be overlooked a decade later.
Most acid trance in the mid-90s was in a more experimental stage as artists were testing the boundaries of what would and wouldn't work for sounds in their songs, and this somewhat enigmatic label out of France founded by Martin Cooper (also known as Loren X) was no exception. For the most part on this compilation of releases from Trans'Pact, experimentation does work, though it sometimes seems tracks were built just for these sounds' sake.
But before we even delve into those types of tracks, we have Guarana Cupana by Asia 2001, a pairing of Martin Cooper and Florian Seriot that released many albums through Trans'Pact. Hey, it's your own label, so why not?
There's quite a lengthy intro to Guarana Cupana, using many percussion sounds to give it a tribal feel. Effects mesh about and a light synth pad adds some texture towards the end of this intro. Once it's over, the percussion picks up in intensity. Trance hi-hats, bass kicks, claps, and multiple acid lines -some bassy, some squelchy- are progressively added for a couple of minutes worth. Eventually, we are treated to the main riff, a rather typical psy sound that subtly varies in pitch. In a minor breakdown that follows a minute later, the synth pad helps accentuate this riff quite nicely. Percussion returns to the fray and a wobbly bit of acid is given prominence, lending this track to an old school vibe. Finally, everything comes together for quite the rousing climax that lasts a good three minutes long, never losing momentum as elements weave themselves in and out expertly.
At times Guarana Cupana can come across as a little too busy (especially when a few effects that really don't add much come into play) but, for the most part, creates a nice textured song that, unfortunately, does take its time in getting somewhere. The next couple of tracks by Koma Club are far more direct in their approach.
A bizarre sounding intro starts Migro G off. In fact, it sounds like Koma Club were just messing around on a synth here. Don't let this turn you off of this track, though. The intro only lasts half a minute and you'd be missing a fun, floor-stompin' excursion into acid trance. Koma Club doesn't try to trick you with anything fancy -it's purely meant to get your feet moving. A great, driving riff that doesn't get too repetitive due to its fun nature balances out with a warbling acid line all over this track. Good effects and minor pauses in pacing (gotta catch our breath, after all) keep things interesting throughout.
Palpitating is a little darker than the previous track but still has high energy thanks to some great sounding electronic lines that benefit from reverb quite a bit. By a minute and a half in, more of the focus seems to be put on crazier synth sounds accentuated with an eerie pad that slowly emerges from the background. There isn't really a riff in this song, as it is carried by pure atmospherics over the rhythm. Those of you who are more weaned on immediate riffs are likely to be turned off of this track but I rather enjoy it. This is trance music that really allows you to become lost within its hypnotizing effects.
Followed up is Acid Intermed by Tribute. This is one of those rare tracks where every element comes together to create such an enjoyable listening experience. Right from the start we are greeted with a stuttering acid line that never becomes repetitive thanks to some ever-so-subtle pitch effects expertly weaved through the sound spectrum. Trancey riffs and sinister, sweeping synth pads balance things out with just the right amount of percussion (with some of it benefiting from a little reverb as well) to not make things sound too busy as each element comes and goes throughout. One quibble, though: more punch in the bass kick would have been nice. Ah, well. Such was most acid trance from this time, I guess.
Koma Club returns with Power In Your Minds, another song where the effects and atmosphere of this song really hold it together. So much, in fact, that without it we'd have a high paced but relatively boring excursion into acid trance. It's seems a shame that nothing was able to develop much further without it. These effects are so incredibly dark and menacing the only way I can describe it is akin to some evil machine breathing (again, probably thanks to Koma Club's apparent love of crazy synth sounds). A little whistling riff to offset this menace contrasts very nicely as a bassy acid line benefiting from gradual pitch changes builds from there. The main acid line that joins some two minutes in is alright for what it's worth (trippy and energetic) but sometimes ventures too high in frequency which can be quite piercing on the ears. When the atmospherics are in play, this track works wonders. Without, though, it's just tedious. Some better balancing of the elements would have been welcome.
The next track on this compilation, Initial Osc by Dan Ovan has the same problem. There's a great sounding pad here that comes in a minute and half into this song. In contrast, everything else seems to be a little forgettable. That's not to say the quick pace, reverb percussion, or acid lines benefiting from pitch effects aren't good as well -it's quite enjoyable, especially from a dance floor standpoint. However, this spacey pad is just so sweet sounding, I wish it was used more often throughout instead of just three sections. Oh well. Full prominence of it is given at the end of the song so it's worth it.
After such a steady stream of solid tracks, this next one, Digital Deck by Platinium, doesn't really have enough going for it to make it all that compelling. For the most part, it's just various acid blurbs and squelches fed through pitch effects accompanied by rather tinny percussion. I was willing to overlook such percussion in Acid Intermed because the rest of the song was so good but without anything to raise the level of Digital Deck above standard fare, it's glaringly evident. There's a point some three and a half minutes in where a bit of synth punches through the acid but it doesn't have enough to carry this track out of mediocrity. Considering how good this compilation has been thus far, this is quite a letdown in contrast.
If anything though, a definite pattern to most of these tracks should be apparent. Quick pace? Check. Acid bass and riffs? Check. Pitch effects galore? Check. So, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Martin Cooper's offering as Loren X in the form of Love Tribu has these elements as well. What stands out rather well here, however, is a sweeping, spacey synth pad that sounds quite nice. And, unlike Initial Osc, this pad is utilized throughout, allowing the listener to become quite entranced within its sound. But even the stuttering acid bass sounds great enough to carry this song on its own. With both elements together, Love Tribu really does stand out from the pack of similar structured hypnotic numbers.
Eternal Tribulation by Progressive Transe brings things down again, though. It's not an entirely bad song, as some distorted, high-pitched pad work that comes into the song some two minutes after fairly standard percussion lead-in does give the song some soul. However, the tinny nature of the percussion on here tends to sound too busy at points and effectively detracts from the meatier parts, sometimes even burying it. This could have been easily in league with Love Tribu had things been more refined but, as it is, Eternal Tribulation just barely makes it as a transitional track.
Bookending this compilation is another track by Asia 2001: Arkology. Compared to the rest of the tracks, this one is relatively slower. Much like Guarana Cupana, there is a fair amount of lead-in using darker acid effect here. Coming off the heels of the last few songs that were using much higher frequency pitches for their acid lines, this track sounds quite fresh. For the most part, there aren't any clear-cut riffs or main acid lines. Elements ranging from spacey bleeps to reverb acid stabs to stuttering arpeggios weave themselves in and out with typical psy trance fashion. It's a great song to end the album on, really.
Despite the scarcity of anything from Trans'Pact these days, I'd still give this the thumbs up for psy fans. Sure, the tinny percussion on a number of these tracks does make this sound somewhat dated but you've just got to love the experimental nature of some of these, especially from Koma Club. There's an aura of innocent curiosity to this compilation as these sounds were being created and utilized for the first time. You just don't hear much of it anymore to the degree being offered here from trance these days. If you can locate this rare album, snatch it up.
Score: 8/10
ACE TRACKS:
Koma Club Palpitating
Loren X Love Tribu
Acid Intermed - Tribute
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.
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