Erik Vee - Sacred/Iron Eden (Original TC Review)

Dropout: Cat. # DROP 0456-6
Released Nov. 1, 2004

Track List:
A. Sacred (Club Mix) (6:16)
B. Iron Eden (Club Mix) (7:35)

(2010 Update:
So much for really being an 'instant fan'. Granted, Erik didn't release much after this but it's not like I bothered to follow his career either. 'Tis funny how enthusiasm can be so fickle in dance music.)

IN BRIEF: Erik Vee's standing remains firm.

The trouble with becoming an instant fan of an artist's work after hearing just one of their songs is the expectation level on subsequent releases tends to be higher. I'll grant that such expectations are ridiculous but, truthfully, if the artist was good enough to draw you in with just one song, you kind of expect them to be able to produce something of at least equal quality.

This does not mean they have to copy the same formula. In fact, I'd be a bit disappointed if they did. I'd rather hear their musical talent put to use exploring other ideas instead of rehashing the same ones.

So it is with welcome relief to see that Erik Vee continues to keep things interesting on this EP. While no I Am Free, the two tracks on offer here still manage to deliver to some degree.

Sacred is a gimmick-free hard trancer, aiming straight for the floor with punchy percussion. Nothing fancy here -just four-to-the-floor rhythms and crunchy synth riffs for the opening two minutes. A brief breakdown gives us a thirty-seconds breather before the established elements are built back up. Once everything's moving along again, the synth gets a little more melodic as background pads harmonize with it.

It's a solid enough affair but perhaps more could have been done with it. I get this feeling Sacred is lacking that extra touch of ingenuity that would raise it above the level of other hard trance tracks. As such, it remains firmly in the middle of the pack.

Iron Eden is apparently a cover of a song by The Gate done in 1998. I'm not really familiar with the original but the melody does ring a distant bell, perhaps due to a striking similarity to much of the trance melodies that were coming out at the time. It's quite possible I heard it at a party back then. But enough dwelling on the past. How is Erik Vee's rendition, you ask?

Like Sacred, this is fairly straightforward in presentation but the similarities end there. Even though the track does contain some thumping rhythms, they're at a slightly lower BPM and less punchy. Really, it's merely there to service the main meat of Iron Eden, a somewhat distorted synth played on every kick. For the most part, this synth is played throughout the track, casually mixing things up between terse and harmonizing melodic notes as the pacing dictates. It's rather catchy and, thankfully, Vee allows it to carry the song without relying on any big builds or overlong breakdowns (there's a brief one some four and a half minutes in but it's more of a brief pause in momentum than anything obtrusive). By stripping this song to the basics of trance music, we can easily be drawn into the hypnotic nature of it.

Plus, Vee uses that wonderfully nostalgic ting, ting, ting hi-hat that Jam & Spoon quite often used way back in the genre's infancy -kudos for that.

Now, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy these two tracks; like I Am Free, they really are good in their simplicity. Unfortunately, I get the impression these are just tide- overs until Vee produces more material for perhaps a full-length album or, at the very least, another big single. The production talent is still there but here's hoping for a little boundary pushing on the next release, Erik.

Score: 7/10

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

Erik Vee - I Am Free (Original TC Review)

Dropout: Cat. # DROP 0346-6
Released 2003

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

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

IN BRIEF: Italo lives!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 9/10

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

L.S.G. - Rendezvous In Outer Space (Original TC Review)

Superstition: Cat# 2038CD
Released 1995

Track List:
1. Wrong Time - Wrong Place (9:50)
2. Lonely Casseopaya (3:56)
3. My Time Is Yours (5:53)
4. Can You See The Yellow Turtles (5:40)
5. Miss Understanding (2:42)
6. Sweet Gravity (4:43)
7. Sweet G #2 (2:43)
8. The Hidden Sun Of Venus (5:05)
9. Lunar Orbit (2:27)
10. Everything Is (2:18)
11. Enter Paradise (7:02)
12. Fontana (8:17)
13. Reprise (1:43)

(2010 Update:
When I first started writing for TranceCritic, I had a few writing projects in mind, one of which was to review every single L.S.G. album in a monthly series. Er, it's still a work in progress, though I only have a couple left to do. Patience, my friends, patience.)

IN BRIEF: The L.S.G. debut album. Ten years later, it still hasn't lost its shine.

Everyone knows Oliver Lieb, even if they don't realize it. His tracks have appeared on countless trance albums, compilations, and DJ mixes (from the superstars to the not-so-superstars). His contributions to trance as a whole have been felt from the earliest days of the genre's existence, rightfully earning him the title of the Godfather of Trance. Yet, because he has more aliases than a centipede has legs, Lieb has maintained a remarkably low profile, consistently releasing excellent material without much fanfare aside from those in the know. One of his aliases did manage to gain notice though, thanks in large part to prominent DJs playing out Lieb's music: L.S.G.

After a string of singles, Lieb released the first L.S.G. full length album in 1995 with Rendezvous In Outer Space, a rather suitable title considering what's to follow on this album. Yes, my friends, Rendezvous In Outer Space is trance... as in original trance (classic trance, real trance, old timer's trance, 'techno'), the kind of stuff that uses plenty of spacey, hypnotic, electronic sounds to draw the listener into other-worldly soundscapes.

But wait, progressive-anthem-epic trance lovers, don't flee just yet. One of the reasons the L.S.G. releases became so popular was for Lieb's talent of infusing soaring synth melodies into his tracks. Indeed, much of what is heard at even this early stage of L.S.G. productions still sounds amazingly up to date, as though they could have been produced just this past year and fit snuggly into any trance DJ's set at peak time.

Still, Lieb often crafted his albums with certain themes in mind, so not everything on Rendezvous is pure trance.

In fact, the first track, Wrong Time - Wrong Place, really is nothing more than an opener; a teaser of things to come. Sure, it is a nine minute long track with plenty of momentum but half of it is fairly standard lead in, with layers of synths, effects, and percussion progressively being added. By the time the main lead starts up, we're already four minutes into it.

This isn't a bad thing by any means, of course. All too often an album will put all its eggs into the basket with the opener, leaving the listener with not much to look forward to. By letting Wrong Time - Wrong Place just subtly hint at what to expect, the anticipation can only grow.

As the song finishes up, the melancholic, stuttering synth chords of Lonely Casseopaya emerge from the background, eventually given time to just play on their own -and why not? They really are quite lovely to listen to. A bit of simple rhythm is eventually added but it doesn't take away from the main melody, allowing it to carry this song throughout.

My Time Is Yours materializes as Lonely Casseopaya ends, treating us to an ominous contrast to the previous track with a looming sample uttering the track's title. The pace picks up as eerie, raspy synth pads weave about with sputtering electronic lines. In a mild breakdown halfway through, an innocent sounding melody counteracts the menacing atmosphere, creating a wonderful play on contrasts within this track as it rushes towards its end.

So far we've been treated to some great sounding individual songs here but Lieb seems ready to take us further into his trip through the cosmos with tracks that complement the next very well.

Can You See The Yellow Turtles certainly gets us going on the right foot, as it drives with even more energy than My Time Is Yours did. After some three minutes of vigorous rhythms, a distorted, stuttering pad creates an incredibly moving melody, feeding off the heavy percussion to create an unforgettable, sonic treat. Miss Understanding slides quite comfortably in as Yellow Turtles ends on its main pads, matching the former track's atmosphere quite nicely with punchy rhythm that doesn't lose anything during the switch. In fact, they harmonize with each other so well, for a while I thought they were the same track.

However, Miss Understanding doesn't get much of a chance to show off, as it ends almost as soon as it begins. A bit of a shame, I suppose, as there are some interesting effects at play here, but Lieb has relegated this track as a transitional song to lead us into Sweet Gravity.

Now this is what I love to hear in trance: unique sounds creating new melodies. At first, the guttural effect used here certainly doesn't sound like it could be used to make any music out of, but as Lieb adds higher pitches to this sound, notes seem to emerge. The low and high pitches play around about for a minutes worth of lead in but never mingling, merely hinting and teasing at things to come. Thus, when the two octaves merge just as the kick hits, the release of primal energy is potent.

However, Lieb doesn't play this up as much as he potentially could. Instead of coming on even fiercer, he seems quite content to let a flat, muted version of this lead take over for most of the rest of Sweet Gravity, only bringing the original sounds back towards the end. Sour grapes, I guess, but perhaps he wanted to take the energy level down a bit following the previous two tracks as we are beginning to head into the more ethereal part of Rendezvous In Outer Space.

Sweet G (#2) more or less retains the same basic melody as its former compatriot, except relies on spacey synth chords and atmospherics than infectious hooks and driving rhythms (although, it does briefly have some of that, too). As the song fades out, eerie pads emerge as The Hidden Sun Of Venus takes us on an ambient excursion through space. Mechanical effects pulse their way along as these synthy sonic textures meander about, which makes the shift into Lunar Orbit very smooth, the latter's atmosphere even more mechanically ominous than anything else on this album. After this ten-minute sequence of three tracks, one could feel as though they'd taken a brief tour through the inner solar system.

A fairly simple little trancer with Everything Is takes us back down to Earth. Relying more on rhythm and hypnotic effects than anything else to carry it forward, the track merely serves its purpose to segue us nicely into Enter Paradise, a track that flies with fantastic synth chords, stuttering electronic lines, and energetic rhythms. As this song ends, the synth chords are replaced with voice pad chords to end off on a harmonious note. This would have been a perfect cap on an already solid album but Lieb manages to go one better with what follows.

Abandoning all the standard rhythmic structures that have been previously established on Rendezvous, Lieb explores the frenetic percussive elements of breakbeat tracks in Fontana's lead in. The rhythm gets really busy as layers are continuously added for nearly two and a half minutes, yet no solid kicks of any sort surface. Mildly breaking down at this point, a soaring melody emerges, using a similar distorted, stuttering synth pad that was wielded wonderfully in Yellow Turtles. Some two minutes later, the main melody takes a seat to allow Lieb to get creative with the percussion, embellishing with hi-hats, snares, and toms like a kid with his first drum kit. And, while that wonderful melody doesn't exactly return in Fontana, in the aptly named Reprise, it gets the full glory to play out with orchestral strings as a gentle pulse throbs in the background like a heartbeat -now that's a way to cap off an album.

While Rendezvous In Outer Space isn't exactly the greatest album Lieb produced as L.S.G. (although still leagues above many contemporary trance acts), it is undeniably the most comprehensive of them. Touching upon all facets of the alias, it serves as the best primer if you are just getting into the L.S.G. works, as the various themes throughout would be explored in greater detail in later albums. From here, you could leap into the harder sounds of The Black Album from My Time Is Yours, or the otherworldly Into Deep from The Hidden Sun Of Venus, or the trancey favorites of Volume 2 from Lonely Casseopaya and Fontana, depending on your particular taste.

Score: 8/10

ACE TRACKS:
Lonely Casseopaya
My Time Is Yours
Fontana

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

Cosmic Gate - Different Concept, Part 2 (Original TC Review)

E-Cutz: Cat. # EC 2004/2
Released April 2004

TRACK LIST
A. Bilingual (8:37)
B. Monotune (9:02)

(2010 Update:
Wow, who would have thought this was going to be the end of Cosmic Gate's hard trance era. This review is definitely a product of its time, as the duo's whole change of direction isn't even touched upon here.)

IN BRIEF: More quality from the Cosmic Gate crew.

With some good, solid percussion that progressively adds layers driving the first two minutes of Bilingual, Cosmic Gate's most recent EP sets us up for quite the stomper of a track. Things calm down briefly as bass kicks begin to throb from beyond a murky veil, allowing a pulsating saw synth to slowly emerge from the background. Less than a minute later, the percussion kicks back in, the synth becoming more focused and punctual in time to the rhythm as it slides across the stereo spectrum. Soon though, things fade off again to the throbbing bass kick permeating the background. A great little piano melody fed with a bit of reverb plays out, eventually gaining momentum in itself as some synth pads join as well. This breakdown goes on for perhaps a little too long (a minute and a half) considering how driving Bilingual started out but there's enough momentum carried over into the piano melody to keep at least some part of the body moving.

And anyways, once things do get going again, the anticipation built up to the return of the main synth lead and percussion is enough to really get you moving. Things play out quite typically from here, with the main synth lead and piano melody alternating turns in carrying the song to a brief percussion lead-out; however, when the elements used are as good as they are here, this can make for a good set piece.

Monotune on the flip gives us techy percussion to start out, setting up a respectable pace. Over two minutes later things calm down, allowing a crunchy, stuttering saw lead to emerge from the background, eventually gaining enough momentum on its own to allow the percussion to fade away for the time being. As it gains intensity, the synth smoothes itself out, becoming fuller in sound until...

Um, it just dies, actually.

After a second's pause, the synth starts up again, starting from a low tone to build in intensity as it leads into heavy, driving percussion, embellishing from Monotunes opening percussive elements. When these two ingredients feed off each other's energy, we are fed some incredibly vigorous stuff for a good minute. After we are given a chance to catch our breath with some reduced percussion, the song cycles itself over again, adding a bit of a pulsing bass and a few extra effects to mix a little diversity before capping off some eight minutes in with a simple percussion lead-out.

I rather enjoyed these two cuts from Cosmic Gate. Granted, they aren't going to re-define trance anytime soon but neither do they dilute the name either. This is solid, four-to-the-floor material that knows its role as set pieces tailor made for getting the crowd moving. The pauses in momentum are, for the most part, welcome respites from the intensity of these tracks, although I did feel Bilingual's carried on a bit longer than it really needed to. Still, this is a welcome release to any fan of hard trance's collection.

Score: 7/10

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

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

Tunnel Records: Cat. # TR 3078
Released 2003

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 3/10

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

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.

Chris Fortier - Trance America (Original TC Review)

Engine Recordings: Cat.# WIL33673
Released 2000

Track List:
1. Kolo - Pattern Of Sound (7:35)
2. Devol - Rude Spaces (7:05)
3. Hyper-X - Out There (Steve Porter Spacedrum Mix) (5:01)
4. Steve Porter - Innerpulse (5:37)
5. Sugarglider - Let Me In (Cass & Slide Or I'll Blow Your House Down Dub) (5:37)
6. 3 Monkeys - Crazy People (8:33)
7. Mara - Fall From Grace (Alderaanic Dub) (7:49)
8. Tranceiver - RPV (7:05)
9. Max Graham - Yaletown (6:19)
10. Memnon - Desire (2:26)
11. Memnon - Orchis (8:17)


(2010 Update:
I'll be honest. After I wrote this review, I absolutely dreaded ever purposely doing another 10/10 release that I also enthusiastically enjoyed. Although it isn't that bad for an early amateur effort, I felt I overdid the hyperbole here, and feared I wouldn't be able to reign myself in again until I was a better review writer. Though I did write a few more 10/10s over the years, it wasn't until this past year that I actually attempted something like this again. And yes, it was a huge improvement.)


IN BRIEF: For me, this was trance's redemption.

Back in the year 2000, anthem trance was undoubtedly at its peak. Unfortunately, as with anything extremely popular, it was grossly overplayed to the point of redundancy. Trance compilations and DJ mixes began to sound all too similar, with breakdowns and builds continuously overdone to the point of ruining any sense of momentum throughout. Catchy hooks and appealing riffs had replaced the otherworldly soundscapes that had defined the genre in its infancy. I was beginning to wonder if the original sounds of trance that had lured me into the wide world of EDM way back in the early 90s would be nothing more than a distant memory.

Then one day, a rather unassuming mix by a then unknown to me DJ named Chris Fortier appeared in the store. The cover art looked intriguing so I figured I'd give it a shot.

Right from the beginning of Kolo's Pattern Of Sound, I had a feeling I'd stumbled upon something special.

Building up proggy rhythm for a good two minutes, little sci-fi effects and noises flutter about, creating a sonic texture that conjures up futuristic urban settlements. Pulsing bass and simple percussion keep things grooving along quite nicely, looping throughout as dark synth pad washes suck you into a trance. About five minutes into Pattern Of Sound, the song breaks down to allow the pads to weave as the bass continues to pulse. A sample during this breakdown utters, "Drifting through the galaxy"; my thoughts exactly.

The rhythm comes back a minute later, more or less continuing with the loopy grooves earlier established as the song plays out into a mix into Rude Spaces by Devol. The spacey pads of this song suck you in even deeper as percussion keeps the momentum steady. Mechanical grumbles and electronic clicks tickle at the psyche as things play out for some two minutes worth of hypnotic prog. Soon enough, ominous, echoing synth stabs penetrate a murky ambience, embellishing along the way as they lead into a mild breakdown. As more menacing sounds and effects ooze with a guttural growl, little hollowed out chords plink about, letting the percussion rebuild itself in layers. By five minutes in, everything has come back together, leading us through a maze of futuristic soundscapes. As it reaches its peak, things fade back as we are taken into Steve Porter's mix of Hyper-X's Out There. The beats are laid on a bit thicker here, with more eerie pads permeating the background. After a brief, pad breakdown a minute into Out There, solid bass kicks start thumping, offset by mechanical effects throbbing in junction. Percussion is continuously layered as bass lines and subtle stuttering leads build the momentum up. This song is quite loopy, relying on slight changes in cybernetic textures to carry you forward as the groovy tempo keeps your feet moving (or head nodding, if you're sitting back as you listen to this). Out There is quite wonderful in a devious way; this is trance at its most primal, drawing you inward to the most meditative recesses of your consciousness.

And if you still haven't been entranced by these hypnotic textures, then Steve Porter's own Innerpulse will seize you and never let go again. The moment it starts after a brief mix with chugging rhythm and an ominous pad that touches the furthest reaches of your psyche, you are a goner. This is, without a doubt, one of the most hypnotic tracks I have ever heard. I could listen to a loop of the opening minute of this track for days as I explored the darkest corners of my mind.
However, the song gets even better as the pad leaves for a bit to allow stuttering synths stabs to layer up in a build, peaking wonderfully to lead right back to where we began with the pad, this time with a funky bit of bass added to the mix. Playing out for another two minutes of this as the synth stabs slowly build again in the background, finally cresting a minute later. Excellent stuff. With a mere four tracks, Fortier had taken my consciousness on a tranced out tour the likes of which I had not experienced in ages.

As Innerpulse finishes up with a percussive lead-out, Fortier takes us away from the ominous hypnotic tracks into something a little more benign with Let Me In by Sugarglider (with a playfully titled dub done by Cass & Slide). While menacing sounds and effects pulsate throughout, the rhythm keeps steady but gets a bit busier, upping the momentum a bit more. A chopped up female vocal sample begins to interlace itself to the rhythm some two minutes in; a minute later, it is given prominence as mechanical effects flutter about and warm pads accentuate it in a minute long breakdown.

However, more menacing effects, building back into some fierce rhythms and eventually overtaking the vocal itself, interrupt the peaceful interlude. This is merely a build towards a quick mix into Crazy People by 3 Monkeys. Picking up its cue, Crazy People gets right to work with some great lead-in percussion progressively layered as it builds in intensity with futuristic effects accentuating along. By three minutes in, we're introduced to a spoken sample from which this track gains its title from (12 Monkeys being the source, if I may trainspot for a moment) and a little beeping lead joins the fray as well. Four minutes into Crazy People now and things are bumping along with vicious intensity.

Eventually, things fade back for a bit as the sample gets slowed and stretched into a brief breakdown. Once it retreats, a bassy sound emerges, pulsing for a bit as electronic synth note stabs and percussion build. A minute later, we're right back into the thick of things, grooving right along as the song plays out to a stirring climax of dark prog textures.

As a percussion lead-out plays, a murky, throbbing bassline of Fall From Grace by Mara emerges and burbles along, taking us back into a meditative trance. Once Crazy People finishes up, effects weave about as the song slowly begins to build in intensity, layers of synths and hypnotic voices growing. Three minutes later, things retreat for a moment, allowing a stuttering mechanical effect to take the reigns as soundscapes create a futuristic ambience. More sounds and effects are added as the song progresses; string leads, pulsing acid, dubby pads, growing again to another brief breakdown two minutes later. Building upon its momentum, Fall From Grace creates another trancey stuttering effect as it takes us out with echoing vocals weaving in and out.

Building upon the momentum created by the stuttering sounds of the previous track, Fortier's choice of RPV by Tranceiver to follow up Fall From Grace couldn't be more spot on. After taking us down into a bit of a minimal rhythm, a bubbling bit of bass murmurs in the background as some deep synth chords stutter about, getting their pitch subtly bent throughout. Yet another deep trancer, things never really build into anything bigger than initially established, instead allowing us to become lost in rhythmic sounds. By the time Max Graham's Yaletown starts nearly seven minutes later, you'll hardly notice any time has gone by; such is good trance.

Picking up the intensity with heavy rhythm, Yaletown continues the stuttering nature of the last couple tracks, eventually leading into some synth chord stabs with delay effects tickling at the mind. These get some great prominence in a breakdown over three minutes in, never loosing momentum in the process as they get played and tweaked about throughout the breakdown's minute long duration. They fade down briefly, then come roaring back with heavy percussion, a nice little string pad in the background accentuating the moment in a wonderful climax.

Yaletown finishes up with a percussive lead-out, and we're brought into a minimal bit of prog with Desire by Memnon. With mostly mechanical percussion and effects supported by a pulsing bassline, this track really only serves as a prelude to the next track, Orchis (also by Memnon). As Desire plays out, the ethereal vocals of Seroya begin to gradually emerge, weaving with haunting grace as this track throbs along, percussion and acid effects slowly and surely added to increasingly draw us into trance. A brief breakdown three and a half minutes in gives us a breather, then we're right back into it, easily cruising along to simple, pulsing rhythm and spacey voice effects. The bassline embellishes a little towards the end but Orchis isn't about big moments; this track is specifically placed at the end to ease us out of the trance-induced journey Fortier started right from the very beginning with Pattern Of Sound. And, my friends, what a journey it has been.

This mix was like a breath of fresh air from the suffocating sounds of anthem trance when I'd heard it four years ago (as of this writing) and it holds up remarkably well. There is a timeless quality here as most of these tracks create a futuristic atmosphere for your consciousness to explore.

I'll grant that these are not particularly fast tracks and they don't go for large climaxes; those weaned on such types of trance will probably wonder what the big deal is. However, that is kind of the point here. Trance isn't just about moments of euphoria; it should be able to draw you deep within, allowing your awareness to drift from its surroundings and be carried away with your imagination. Fortier has crafted a CD that achieves this in ways rarely matched by typical trance releases.

I highly recommend getting this. You may never look at trance the same way again.


Score: 10/10

ACE MIXES/TRACKS:
Pattern Of Sound through Innerpulse
3 Monkeys - Crazy People
Max Graham - Yaletown

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Various - Dark Hearts Volume 1: A Harthouse Compilation (Original TC Review)

Harthouse (US): Cat. # HH1004-2
Year Released: 1995

Track List:
1. Metal Master - Spectrum (Double J Mix) (8:56)
2. The Ambush - Casablanca (7:18)
3. Barbarella - My Name Is Barbarella (1995 Be Zet Mix) (6:26)
4. Jiri.Ceiver - Short Waves (4:28)
5. Progressive Attack - Hypnoticharmony Parts I + II (9:22)
6. Spicelab - Quicksand (8:06)
7. Pulse - Cariño (Silencio) (7:08)
8. Alter Ego - Tanks Ahead (Black Dog Mix) (7:19)
9. Resistance D - Human (Laurent Garnier Mix) (9:01)
10. Pulsation - Pulsar (4:09)

(2010 Update:
Hm. I can't really think of anything that needs updating to this review. Oh, sure, the grammar's still a bit clunky and overly descriptive, but at least it's manageable in this case. I'm quite pleased that TranceCritic managed to sell a couple copies of these through Amazon. Let's me know that some folks out there trust my opinion on such matters, heh.)

Although this is a trance compilation, don't go into Dark Hearts expecting to hear sounds that have dominated the trance scene for the last five years. The songs on here are very subtle and slight in their compositions. What makes them so captivating, however, are the soundscapes created. Quite often it seems they were crafted on a far, flung planet by an advanced civilization, melding the synthetic and organic into gorgeous sonic textures. This compilation is a testament to Harthouse’s genre defining, and even breaking, style.

The classic track Spectrum by Metal Master (Sven Väth and A.C. Boutsen) is as good as any song to open up such an album. Given a remix here by Mike Edwards (more commonly known as Jesus Jones, hence “Double J”), this mix of Spectrum isn't too concerned about moving feet anytime soon as it gives itself plenty of time to build upon its elements from the start. The primary melody, a low somber piece played with either synthesized pan-flutes or pads at various points, starts the song up after a bit of opening with effects plays out. Stuttering, hollowed out synths, low acid warbles, juicy synth bass, and minimal electro breakbeats progressively add texture. Finally, some four minutes in, everything comes together for a gorgeous number, elements weaving and building upon each other until a rousing climax another four minutes later. This is emotionally stirring stuff, not easy to follow-up. Fortunately, if anyone is up for the task, it would be Oliver Lieb.

As The Ambush, Oliver Lieb has crafted some remarkable compositions and the offering here in Casablanca doesn't disappoint. With a simple bit of tom percussion accompanying it, this song starts out with benign synth chords lightly alternating between left and right, the lower tone on the former and the higher on the latter. After nearly two minutes of lead in with various sonic elements coming and going, the song comes into form as various heavy organic percussion chug along to a gorgeous synth pad playing a lovely melody. A minor breakdown and build using early elements takes over for a minute before giving way back to the main synth pad. Eventually, everything comes together for a climax, then gently retreats, leaving only a single, somber synth pad to play out.

Really, Casablanca isn't a typical trance song, as it's quite similarly paced with Spectrum and doesn't use any overtly synthetic sounding bits of percussion, much less a traditional 4/4 bass kick. Still, it is an amazingly rich song that shouldn't be overlooked for any reason.

The pace picks up a bit with another classic track: My Name Is Barbarella by Barbarella (Väth again, with Ralf Hildenbeutel this time), with a remix done by B-Zet. More benign than emotionally rousing like the previous two tracks, this song still has many great things going for it. The pads are minimal but always present in a synthetically lovely way and gentle, heavenly singing flutters in and out every so often. Simple little electronic riffs carry throughout, playing off of each other or the pads, especially in a breakdown mid-way through. Sonically delightful.

Jiri.Ceiver makes things not quite as emotional with Short Waves. This track is a little mechanically menacing compared to what's been featured here thus far, with plenty of effects sounding fit inside a factory and a bass line that growls along. As a song, it doesn't go anywhere far since Jiri.Ceiver seems more concerned about showing off quirky noises rather than using them to make riffs out of. However, in showcasing some interesting sounds and effects in a traditional techno style, Short Waves is good stuff.

Leaving the grind of factories behind, Progressive Attack (Ralf Hildenbeutel on his own) seems keen on taking us through space with Hypnoticharmony Parts I + II. Using different layers of spacey, trancey pads, this song takes its time in setting mood rather than groove. The pad work really is quite lovely, and a synthetic-sounding female sample weaving in and out adds to a Bladerunner-esque atmosphere. Eventually, a brisk beat is laid out, but for the most part, Hypnoticharmony relies on its use of pad work rather than the minimal electronic riffs utilized. Towards the end, the riffs are given a chance to take the foreground as the percussion picks up but the track has been so mellow up to this point that it doesn't really seem to make much difference. Still, this is yet another sonically rich song on Dark Hearts. I'm beginning to wonder if this consistency will ever be let down here.

If the thought were to occur, Oliver Lieb'll have something to say about it. This time under the alias of Spicelab, we are treated to a creepy, alien excursion into sci-fi ambience with the song Quicksand. To dismiss it as merely that, however, would be doing this song no favors, as there definitely is a groove to it, however minimal. Still, the main focus of Quicksand is for synth pads to weave and work their way around plenty of synthetic samples and effects, and it accomplishes this with remarkable skill and finesse. Of course, I'd expect nothing less from Oliver Lieb.

A trancey, hollow riff starts Cariño (Silencio) by Pulse off, and pretty much dominates this song without much variation throughout. Bits of percussion and little electronic lines slowly emerge from the background at points but they tend to be so subdued behind the main riff that you'd be hard pressed to really notice them. While this riff in itself isn't too bad, the fact that it is so constant throughout can lead Cariño into quite a repetitive state, even if you are concentrating on the few subliminal things this song has to offer. Even a bit of echo subtly added to it towards the end doesn't help much. A perfect enough transitional track, really.

If Cariño seemed too repetative for some, The Black Dog's mix of Tanks Ahead by Alter Ego should be right up your alley. Uniquely dynamic percussion, electronic effects and sounds, subliminal pads, and trancey riffs all combine to form quite the listening experience. Everything continuously weaves about throughout this song that it never becomes repetitive. The unfortunate thing though, is with so much going on, nothing really stands out in the front and center either, rendering this song as filler; albeit incredibly diverse filler, but filler nonetheless.

Returning to the more minimal sound featured earlier on the album is Human by Resistance D, with Laurent Garnier providing a remix. Moving along at a brisk pace, dark, synth pads weave in and out while a deep, subliminal electronic line carries the song along, varying slightly at times through pitch effects and so on. Little acid bleeps and pulses appear every so often as well but are used more as background effect than anything else. It sounds decent enough but without more variance, and percussion that keeps itself simple almost to a fault, Human may have difficulty remaining lodged in your head anytime soon, especially after hearing so many textured songs on this album.

Ending Dark Hearts is Pulsar by Pulsation, a little known alias of Pete Namlook. Strictly an ambient affair, Pulsar is the perfect track to end an album on. Deep, spacey, synth pads cruise about as alien effects and tinkling pianos flutter in and out of this song. Without any percussion to speak of, Pulsar is about as ambient as it gets. It doesn't vary much throughout but is nice to listen to as background music and let your mind drift away.

There isn't much funk or big moments on this album, but really that isn't the point of these tracks. Why enjoy a moment when your emotions and imagination can be taken to such wondrous places as these songs take you to? Your mind will drift with pads and electronic pulses as you marvel at such a delicate craft of manipulation of synthetic sounds. From the serene to the inscrutable (sometimes even from the same producers under different guises), this album has it all.

Score: 9/10

ACE TRACKS:
Metal Master - Spectrum (Double J Mix)
Progressive Attack - Hypnoticharmony Parts I + II

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Peter Benisch - Soundtrack Saga (Original TC Review)

Turbo Recordings: Cat. # MARCD00152
Year Released: 2001

Track List:
1. Skymning (5:37)
2. The Wireframe Fields (8:01)
3. Temple Of Opposites (5:47)
4. Floating Points Of View (4:25)
5. Love Theme (6:49)
6. Precious (5:21)
7. The Desert White (6:02)
8. Interstellar Superstructure (5:38)
9. Trenches Of Time (4:23)
10. Spiralling (3:48)

(2010 Update:
A bit overzealous in this one, I must admit. I hadn't quite gotten the hang of positive hyperbole when describing music. Eh, at least I never succumbed to idiotic fanboyism. By the way, if you still haven't checked this album out, for the love of God, why? It's great! Get it, damn you.)

IN BRIEF: Criminally overlooked gorgeous music.

Those thinking this is a typical Turbo release with plenty of house, techno, or electroclash are in for a bit of a surprise. Indeed, Peter Benisch manages to create a timeless piece of downtempo grooves with lush ambient textures that, like the album's name suggests, demands a major motion picture to accompany it.

Like the opening credits of such a movie, the incredibly lush Skymning is the perfect piece to open an album with. After a bit of industrialized percussion starts out, somber pads gently glide about in the background. Extra elements such as flowing ethereal voices and atmospheric effects weave about as they are introduced until a simple acoustic melody joins as well. Everything mingles throughout the song, creating a stirring piece of sonic rapture.

Ominous mechanical effects and rhythms take us forward into The Wireframe Fields. Before long, hauntingly ethereal voice pads are introduced, setting up for a synthesized flute to play a somber intro. Yes, that's right. All this is just the appetizer for the The Wireframe Fields. Once the main portion washes over this song -gorgeous, sweeping synth pads- you are seemingly enveloped in heaven. While these three elements come and go, even join together at points, deep sub bass accentuate the pads beautifully as little electronic effects flutter in and out throughout. This is an incredibly stirring piece of music and not to be overlooked by anyone.

As its title suggests, Temple of Opposites is divided by two very dissimilar sections. Starting off with synthetic grooves, menacing strings pads, and eerie female vocals, this song creates quite the foreboding atmosphere. Some three minutes later, things shift as the song breaks down into benign bells accompanied by synth pads. Oddly enough, the percussion remains the same, though elements of it are progressively stripped away as the song moves towards its end. Temple Of Opposites is quite a contrast of moods but is held together remarkably well by some great production work.

Floating Points Of View is not quite as focused as the first three tracks on this album. Relying more on little electronic blips and bleeps along with a simple, subdued electro melody that only really plays for half the song, I get the impression Peter Benisch was more interested in making this merely a transition between songs rather than standing tall like the others. Not an entire letdown really, just not as immediate as the rest.

Fortunately, Love Theme makes the transition worthwhile as another hauntingly beautiful number. Ethereal female singing, mellow percussion, and tinkling piano melodies are wrapped together in a blanket of sub bass as airy effects weave about. Following a more traditional chorus/verse structure, Love Theme seems to be able to tell a touching tale without a single word. It is a song that truly deserves to be shared with a loved one's tender embrace.

Picking the pace up a bit is Precious, yet another richly textured song. After an intro with dark synth pads and atmospheric effects, brisk mechanical breakbeats and more ethereal female voices float about. Some simple electronic riffs and bass make their way in a few minutes, providing nice, supporting melody to go with the bulk of this song. Not a song desiring to go for a big moment, Precious rather subtly uses its elements to set mood, and leaves almost as soon as it seems to pick up. A bit of a shame, really. I'd have loved to see Precious go far a climax.

As if heading the call, industrialized percussion and a bassline that makes good use of alternating stereo effects start us out on The Desert White, providing another brisk pace. Synth pads soon escalate into epic proportions as an ominous, indiscernible voice sample flutters in the background at points throughout. Always wise to never overdo their grandeur, these pads provide so many layers of sonic texturing as they overlap one another that it creates ever changing soundscapes; yet another sonic treat on this album.

With big, sweeping synth pads and a tinkling synth arpeggio, there are some good ingredients for more resounding soundscapes in Interstellar Superstructure. However, the percussion element isn't quite as interesting as many tracks before it and the main elements to the song don't really build much further than what we're given from the start. Probably the lack of any focal melody is what renders this song into something more transitional like Floating Points Of View. There are a few other elements like female singing and pad effects but these don't gain enough prominence to make them anything more than just background. Still, this track does create the image of its title quite vividly.

Slow percussion fed through a bunch of reverb starts things out on Trenches Of Time as a mysterious, gentle pad emerges from the background. Slowly, the pad builds upon itself, soon taking on more striking textures with a mellow bass line adding itself to the fray. A simple bit of extra percussion is added and a pad melody joins as well. I'm expecting quite a climax with all these layers being added but, as the song does a breakdown, it fades out. A pleasant enough track but it feels short considering the way elements are progressively added. Hnn... must be too weaned on music of that nature of late.

To close out this saga is the perfect song to end an album on: Spiralling. As menacing mechanical growling starts things off, it soon fades away to make way for soaring, benign pad work and an ethereal female voice gently sings a rousing melody. Just lay back and be swept away.

I have to hand it to Peter Benisch. I'd never heard of the man before this release and was turned into an instant fan when I listened to this. Turbo's track record of releasing quality albums only grows with Soundtrack Saga, this time adding downtempo to their catalogue. However, just lumping this album into a downtempo category would be unfair as tracks like Precious and The Desert White are definitely of danceable pace while keeping with the ambient texturing that dominates this album. It's a bit of a shame the individual songs themselves slid a little in overall brilliance towards the end of the album but it isn't to say they aren't without their own merit nonetheless, as they fit quite nicely into the overall impression of Soundtrack Saga. Fans of music containing lush textures should definitely search this album out for their collection.

SCORE: 9/10

ACE TRACKS
The Wireframe Fields
Love Theme
The Desert White

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Sasha - Xpander (Original TC Review)

Ultra Records: Cat.# UL1049-2
Released 1999

Track List:
1. Xpander (Edit) (3:52)
2. Xpander (11:30)
3. Belfunk (11:08)
4. Rabbitweed (10:23)
5. Baja (12:33)


(2010 Update:
First: this was not Sasha's debut. The Qat Collection was.
Second: Xpander was a remake of Spooky's Little Bullet.

There. Those two glaring factual errors/omissions on my part have dogged me for years. Why, then, didn't I just go and edit the review to correct it? As silly as it sounds, 'journalistic integrity'. I've been a long believer of "what's been published remains as is", as that holds true for anything in printed form. It also thusly forces journalists -professional and amateur- to be factually accurate once they submit something. Call it an honor system. Despite technology giving us cheats to go back and correct, I feel my initial error shouldn't just be easily wiped away. If I did, how could you trust me with anything in the future?

Besides, it was all Discogs' fault.)



I could go on at great length about the importance of this release, and maybe I will in a separate article sometime too. I'm assuming, however, if you are reading this you are either just curious on my thoughts of Sasha's seminal debut, or are genuinely unfamiliar with Xpander and are wondering what the deal with it is.

Well, if the opening synth chords of the first track here, an edit of Xpander, doesn't immediately draw you in with their entrancing reverb, I'll be amazed. Sasha and his producing partner, Charlie May, must have spent hours perfecting its sound. Throw in heavy, punctual percussion and a grumbling bassline that plays off the synth's chords, and you have yourself one heck of an excursion into trancey prog rhythms. An accompanying, glistening electronic riff joins a minute into this edit and synth washes add fuel to the fire. Absolutely marvelous!
Many of these elements retreat for the time being some two minutes into this track to allow for some effects and rhythm to carry us forward for a little while, but once the opening synth chords return in a minor build, they are drenched in effects that creates a sonic wash of fierce intensity. If you do not feel the urge to just explode in energy once everything comes back in full force, then you, my friend, are just not alive.

Still, at not even four minutes in length, the edit isn't really the focus of this release; let's dive into the main attractions here.

The full length of Xpander starts out with some heavy percussion as various paranoid electronic effects flutter and worm their ways about for a good minute or so. Things retreat for a bit, allowing just a pulsating electronic lead to throb away for a good half minute, ever so subtly continuously tweaked so it doesn't get lost in repetitive loops. Eventually, the synth chords that opened up the edit gradually emerge from the background, overtaking the pulsating lead. Once all that remains are the synths, the percussion is progressively added back in, quite content in slowly building momentum as we are lost in the trancey reverb of the synths. The glistening electronic riff and synth washes are progressively added as well, basically stretching the opening two minutes of the edit into four (or the edit pared it down to two, depending on how you look at it).

As with the edit, all these elements retreat for the time being a good six minutes into Xpander, allowing rhythm and embellishing effects to take over for a good two minutes. Soon enough, leads and synth chords are gradually brought back in, leading us to an effects laden build that, just as the edit does, demands a full outburst of energy from the listener. As things play out, elements are gradually withdrawn towards the end, capping off with a bit of delayed reverb fading off.

Which of the two versions of Xpander is better? Well, really they are identical in terms of structure; the full length merely contains more loops and DJ friendly percussive bookends. In that sense, it depends on the listener. If you prefer your songs to be focused and direct, the edit should suffice. However, if you don't mind taking a bit of a meandering excursion along the chosen path, by all means the full length is for you.

Having gone through the main draw of this EP, let's take a look at the extra tracks Sasha was so kind to include here.

Belfunk starts out with some synthetically eerie atmospherics accompanied with light minimal techno percussion. Gradually, extra sounds and effects are added, ambling along for some two and a half minutes worth of moody lead in. At this point, all but the bass kick is withdrawn and a dubby bassline starts out, soon accompanied by techy elements and effects that are progressively brought back for a minute and a half before some subdued, filtered synth leads emerge from the background. Percussive elements come and go as things play out for another minute and a half, drawing us into a subtle yet effective trance.

It comes as no surprise that once the simple, benign chords of this song emerge in a mild breakdown, we are well primed for such tranquility. The rhythm is kept steady as minor percussive elements play in the background, allowing the chords to glow and extra synth pads and effects added at points help accentuate their serenity. Quite lovely.

After two minutes of this downtime, a thick, acidy lead emerges as the chords retreat. Ethereal pads float as the lead grows in intensity, leading back to full rhythmic force over the course of a couple minutes before gradually fading back out into a percussive lead out.

While nowhere near as driving as Xpander was, Belfunk does allow for some groove-worthy moments. Make no mistake, though. This track's main highlight is within its breakdown and, while able to maintain a steady rhythm, isn't meant to fill dancefloors anytime soon. I can definitely bliss out to this, however.

Opening with some stuttering, schizophrenic synth stabs, Rabbitweed doesn't really get going until over a minute and a half in, when ominous effects start to emerge. By two minutes in, punchy kicks settle into a brisk breakbeat, playing off the synth stabs quite effectively. Effects and extra percussion are gradually added, leading to ominous organ and synth pads as even more paranoid effects are added. By four minutes in, we're headlong into quite a menacing excursion of prog breaks, further fueled on by more synth leads a minute later.

After this plays out for a while, we're given a breather with a brief breakdown, but Sasha doesn't let us rest long, building heavy rhythms and fierce synth leads with effects up for a good two minutes. Eventually, things recede for a bit, allowing for some sweeping synth pads to glide along diligently before giving way to even fiercer thick synth leads than we've been offered thus far. Once everything comes together again a minute later, the intensity is so vicious, it feels even more energetic than Xpander did. In fact, I'll be so bold as to say Rabbitweed is even better than Xpander for straight-ahead, infectious rhythms. Similarly, this track also has a slight percussive lead out once the climax finishes up.

Offering up the yin to Rabbitweed's yang is Baja. As floaty, atmospheric pads and effects drift about, crystal electronics, stuttering synths, and bubbling chants weave around each other for a good five minutes, quite content to wrap us in a sonic embrace rather than push forward. After a while, a bit of dub bass is added, eventually leading into a simple, distorted slow breakbeat rhythm. Extra effects punctuate the rhythm as it plays out for a few minutes, building with sonic eruptions until receding a good nine minutes into Baja, leaving only the barest bit of rhythm. Soon enough, Baja adds some dubby effects and ethereal leads, never allowing any element to become prominent as they are all gradually brought back in to put the cap on this track, and EP as well.

I guess the biggest question mark here is does Xpander live up to the hype. In a word, yes.

In more than a word, the title track is worth the price of admission alone. I still recall when this was a brand new song and Xpander seemed to appear in nearly every DJ's set. Yet, it never got old and, half a decade later, it still sounds remarkably fresh. Sasha and May managed to tap into something timeless here.

And that's not even getting into the additional three tracks on this EP. While Belfunk and Baja are pleasant excursions into relaxing rapture, Rabbitweed is easily an overlooked gem of a track that can pummel dancefloors. I cannot recommend it enough.

Get this for complementary tracks that will never date in a set. Get this for relaxing at home as you're swept away in bliss. Get this for a piece of EDM history. Whatever your reasoning, this deserves to be in your music collection.


SCORE: 10/10

ACE TRACKS:
Xpander
Rabbitweed


Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.