Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event - The Final World Front

Elektra: 1998

You could not go through the '90s and miss one of Busta Rhymes’ videos, they of many a fish-eyed lens as he donned eccentric costumes and wardrobe, always perfectly synced with his eccentric raps and word play; also, dreadlocks. Thanks to such promotion, his star grew, somehow taking the idea of 'wacky-doo hip-hop personality' and thriving on it whilst other off-the-wall types were almost unanimously relegated as posse mainstays but little else. Flava Flav needed Public Enemy, Ol' Dirty Bastard needed Wu-Tang Clan, but Busta Rhymes was just fine without Flipmode Squad (much less his original crew). Though he doesn't command the same attention as before (does any '90s hip-hop star?), his followers maintain he's yet to lose his touch, at least when focusing on his own material rather than guest-versing on other cuts.

I can see why he'd garner such a dedicated following, as Mr. Rhymes had an incredible run of albums leading up to Y2K, his third one - Extinction Level Event - capping off a sorta-thematic apocalypse trilogy. Nor did he let such millennia paranoia overwhelm his work, mixing it up with regular club bangers, somber stories, and even occasional chick music.

Speaking of which, one of the big singles off here was the Janet Jackson duet, What’s It Gonna Be!? Eh, perhaps because I've a pair o' nads, this tune's never done it for me. That said, the video’s great, in a totally '90s sort of way. Gotta love that old school CGI!

Oh well, girls gotta have their R&B. For those after the bangin' side of hip-hop, the album has plenty of cuts to sate your needs, including a strong opening salvo to warm you up. After an intro that details what the end-times will bring (with a nifty effect dropping the narrator's voice deeper and robotic as his speech goes on), Busta keeps bringing the fire with beats that match his eccentric style, a mini-climax going down with the titular cut (of course). Nottz, a burgeoning talent at the time, was tasked with most of the production here, but a few of the heavy hitters of the late '90s – including Rockwilder, DJ Scratch, and Swizz Beatz – also contribute.

And what rap album is complete without guests? Flipmode Squad do their posse cut, but the show stealer is Mystikal on Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Getting Rowdy Wit Us, Busta and him trading back rapid-fire lyrics (seriously, that guy was too good for No Limit Records – shame about his career). Oh, and Ozzy crops up at the end with a cover of Ironman called This Means War!! - Busta’s means it too, dropping two exclamation marks.

Extinction Level Event's a solid, varied album, one of the stronger choices for someone unfamiliar with Busta Rhyme’s work to dive into. The only gripe could be his apocalypse theme didn't get enough attention in favour of club “hits” clogging up the back end, but if I wanted that, I'd just throw on Deltron 3030 again.

The Prodigy - Experience (Original TC Review)

XL Recordings: 1992

(2013 Update:
This review feels dated now, even though, technically, The Prodigy have yet to make any sort of proper reclaim to fame. An interesting thing happened a few years after I wrote this, though: old school hardcore started receiving props again, with acts making one-off throwbacks, and even occasional 'concept' albums; all the while, an American (re)fascination with raving undoubtedly has the group getting name-checked far more often than any point during the decade prior.

I should mention the writing here reflects my transitional phase from track-by-track detailing. It's not as cumbersome as my earliest reviews, but there are still clunky chunks of grammar. Rough around the edges, much like Experience!)


IN BRIEF: It’s got the beat; that’s all we need.

When I randomly pulled this from my collection of music to review, the first thought that came to me was, “Why should I review this? It’s a decade and a half old; everything that could be said regarding Experience has been said and then some. Besides, with The Prodigy’s relevance inconsequential these days, it’s not like-”

And then I was struck dumb for a moment. Could it really be true? The Prodigy were no longer relevant? I’m not just talking about fading from popular musical taste, but that, for all the groundbreaking material that was released under the Prodigy banner, almost none of it has the slightest bearing on modern tastes. For anyone associated with electronic music throughout the previous decade, this comes as a bit of a shock.

Hands up if you grew up during the ‘90s. Remember just how big the Prodge were? Even with three albums that bore scant resemblance to one another, their impact was undeniable. Numerous hit singles. Multiple sub-genres spawned. Dynamic live show. Take-no-prisoners attitude. Hell, they even managed to break typical ‘dance sux’ mainstream America! Every young EDM fan had that moment when they paused and, much like Led Zepplin for rock fans, declared The Prodigy the best ever (even if that opinion changed within a day).

But Liam Howlett’s musical dry spell hurt, and a new batch of partiers emerged without a Prodigy experience (having to settle for superstar trance DJs instead, poor bastards). In a scene where trends take little time to change, Howlett was left to play catch-up rather than lead the charge as he always had. The new generation of ravers saw little interest in looking back to the past when they had their own scene. The Prodigy, once an unbeatable force no one could stop, became a token footnote regarding ‘90s trivia and ‘funny hairstyles in music’.

If the Prodigy material was firmly stuck in the ‘90s, this would be understandable. Like any Height-Ashbury folk rock act, they’d retain a level of respect but would still be unable to escape the era that spawned it. However, Howlett’s productions aren’t stuck in the ‘90s. Sure, they may conjure up ravey-raves or ‘electronica’ promos, but many tracks remain just as effective today as they were a decade ago, even without nostalgic blinders.

For all its old school hardcore trappings, Experience can still pummel a party fourteen years on. The opening four-track stanza - Jericho, Music Reach, Wind It Up, and Your Love - is as much an endurance test as it is a collection of songs. Howlett’s rhythms are super-fast and utterly relentless, yet always fascinating to hear, mixing up a dynamic blend of innovative breakbeats with stadium-sized resonance. Even Hyperspeed, despite a lengthier intro than the tracks prior to it, gives no respite, unleashing some of the most devastating beats on Experience. And Charly, though stripped down compared to the others, still packs a punch. Whatever Howlett did to create such powerful drums and basslines has endured far better than numerous copycats could ever have hoped.

But enough talk of the rhythms, you say. What about melodies and hooks? Unfortunately, this has always been where Experience stumbles. To be frank, most of them merely serve the rhythms: synth stabs giving extra punch to a kick; strings providing atmosphere; etc. Take out most of Liam’s beats, and you’d get very generic old school rave hooks that could fit into any number of producers’ discography.

This isn’t to say they aren’t catchy or even enduring. The uplifting pianos of Wind It Up or hoover fun of Charly still work today, and little things in the other tracks have moments of charm as well. However, you get the impression it didn’t matter what Howlett did to complement his rhythms - they were so good that anything could work, so he just grabbed a few proven techniques of the era rather than make his own styles.

Hell, maybe Liam himself realized this all too well. How else can one explain the absurd Out Of Space. Is there anything more loony than a boing sound? (well, maybe a kazoo) This track could very well be a piss-take on the very sound he popularized, showing no matter how corny the surrounding hooks, samples, effects, and even accompanying video got, the beats would still carry the track to awesomeness. Amazingly (and perhaps ironically), it went on to be one of their fans’ all-time favorite tracks.

The strength of Howlett’s breakbeats is further exemplified by Everybody In The Place, because this is the one track on Experience they are missing! Making use of a standard four-to-the-floor rhythm at a heightened BPM, this track comes off quite bland amongst the surrounding company, and unfortunately shows just how weak many of the hooks are without the dynamite breaks.

Still, Howlett was determined to show he had skill in other facets of music, so despite being stuck making mostly hyperfast breakbeats around this time, he managed to squeeze in an ‘epic’ track called Weather Experience, where two-thirds of the song are spent on sweeping string synths and chunky hip-hop beats. It’s a welcome respite from all the manic energy to be had on this album, and its slow build towards bubbling acid and a chaotic climax is quite cinematic in musically re-creating a sudden storm.

It might have been a mistake to include it though, because it leaves the follow-up tracks sounding incredibly lackluster in comparison. Fire and Jungle Bizness, while having some energy to them (you just can’t deny them riddims), aren’t nearly as interesting as the tracks that came in the first half of Experience. They sound more like tag-ons than killer tracks to finish an album off strong.

No matter. Experience does finish strong in spite of this with Death Of The Prodigy Dancers. You’d think a live track would sound completely out of place here, yet it’s a perfect capper. The Prodigy were always at their best performing live, and this track is as much meant for live gigs as anything. A complete acid thrash-fest, it was simply designed to put dancers Leeroy and Keith through their paces for the audience to witness. As Maxim’s MCing encourages them on while super-charging the crowd, you can only imagine what dazzling footwork Leeroy was displaying or what manic theatrics Keith was parading. And with your imagination doing the work, Death Of The Prodigy Dancers easily gets you pumped even if the sound quality isn’t as sharp as all the other tracks.

And that’s why, even if The Prodigy aren’t as relevant in today’s scene, they can still hook in new fans with ease when given the chance. Howlett may have gone on from Experience to become a better songwriter but there’s still an exuberant innocence on display here. The energy was overflowing at this early stage, and its infectiousness has become timeless. “Check it out!”and “Let it rock you!”

The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust

Virgin Music Canada: 1995

Astute readers probably noticed a missing Dig Your Own Hole as I went through the 'D's. This wasn't on account of disliking The Chemical Brothers or anything - heck, I was down with their sound when they were still known as The Dust Brothers (amazing the acts one can find on early '90s 'ambient' compilations). Unfortunately for Dig, I was already sick of hearing its lead singles before the album proper hit the shelves, and even though I can find it for less than a dollar online, I'm still not inclined to snag a copy. If I can go a whole year without hearing Block Rocking Beats again, maybe then I'll finally give the album another chance.

Exit Planet Dust, however, I can play forever and not get tired of it ...most of the time. The final few tracks are a bit fillerish for my taste, but considering how hard and awesome this album hits you from the start, a drop in momentum is to be expected.

Still, the idea of big beats influenced by hip-hop breaks had already been explored by acts like Meat Beat Manifesto and Renegade Soundwave. The ChemBros, however, threw a new twist into the mix by adding liberal amounts of funk-rock and starry-eyed psychedelia, suggesting Summer Of Love vibes and knowing winks to music festivals in wide-open fields.

Leave Home's the opener, and right out the gate one can see why Simons and Rowlands became darlings of rock publications trying to get a handle on that 'electronica' music. Blending thrashy acid lines, funky guitar licks, and a cacophony of breakbeats and effects, it's a strong start to the album. In Dust We Trust goes one better, with a snarling hook that coils around your head as only an acid-drenched serpent could. Ah, help, I’m getting buried in hyperbole!

Those weaned on latter era Brothers Of The Chemical will undoubtedly be surprised by how rough and raw Exit Planet Dust sounds, far less attention paid to songcraft and simply laying out the beats as though catching the duo at a live gig. The whole middle section of the album plays out like such a set, especially so of the 'Beats Trilogy' following Song To The Siren. Fuck Up Beats in particular is a filthy beast of a track, and a shame it's so short. As if anticipating a necessary breather after the bedlam, Chico's Groove and One Too Many Mornings provides proper downtime.

Those two cuts could have been the perfect way to end the album on, but that would run quite short of runtime. So, we get glimpses of where The Chevy Bohemians would take their career at the end: Life Is Sweet pairs them up with an indie Brit-warbler, and Alive Alone sees the first of many Beth Orton collaborations. I guess if those are the sort of songs you prefer these Brothers to work out, that's your prerogative. Myself, I'm gonna go back to those fucked up big beats! UHH!

Various - Excursions In Ambience

Caroline Records: 1993

Excursions In Ambience was put together by Caroline Record, an American label that grew in prominence during the '80s as an outlet for indie-leaning rock of the punk, new wave, and industrial persuasion. Though they occasionally released groups that dabbled in electronic music, there was nothing to suggest they'd go full-bore with the genre; except, that is, Steve Hillage was signed to the label. Thus, when he released his System 7 material, Caroline handled his distribution (as 777 due to a legal hiccup in the States). Someone must have noticed Hillage getting chummy with several 'ambient-house' acts overseas and, sensing the trend, started up this series. With acts like Suicidal Tendencies and Alien Sex Fiend more to the Caroline faithful’s tastes, I can’t see them reacting positively to such a CD. Just as well, then, the series migrated over to the new Astralwerks after the first volume (both labels are owned by EMI/Virgin/Universal/Illuminati/etc.).

Well, that was a fun bit of history. Is the music worth that backstory? You bet! Interest in ambient house/techno/dub/hardcore still had momentum in '93, and the roster reflects the eclecticism the genre was capable of.

Many of the heavy hitters of that scene are present. Obviously, System 7 shows up, care of a remix of Miracle by The Orb, though re-titled Mia (The Fisherman Mix). Weird, and so is the track, but then it's The Orb, starting on the experimental stage of their career. Less 'out there' is The Future Sound Of London’s bleep-house cut Calcium and the rare, spacey Black Hole Mix of The Higher Intelligence Agency’s Solid Motion, itself about as bleepy as you’d expect of Bobby Bird.

Still, the weird, psychedelic stuff tends to dominate this CD. Tranquility Bass’ Mya Yadana seems a mish-mash of world beat and bubbly acid-dub, but we’ll go even deeper into the acid-bubble with Tarenah from Psychedelic Reasearch Lab (an oldie side-project pair-up of John Selway and Scott Richmond). More subdued is Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia’s Obsidian, almost meditative the way it quietly adds layers of acid, percussion, and vocal samples to a gentle bell hook.

Speaking of gaias, Banco de Gaia’s on here too, with an exclusive mix of his tune Desert Wind. It’s far more upbeat than other versions, almost house really, but aside from some mint bass drops at the end, not all that memorable. And while we’re speaking of exclusives, Ultramarine provides an Upbeat Mix (yes, that’s the name) of its own for Saratoga. Kinda hard to pin this one down though, as there’s acid, funky licks... it’s almost deep house, of that early ‘90s European style. Y’know, almost Balearic. And if we’re to end off on a Balearic vibe, what perfect way than Sub Sub’s Past?

If the point hasn’t been made clear enough, Excursions In Ambience is a gem of a little compilation, providing ample variety while maintaining its theme. These may not all be classics on here, but they deserve the attention of your ears.

Various - Evolution Of New Sounds

Large Records: 2004

Large Records is a house label based out of Chicago. Welp, you know right there this compilation’s gonna be class. It’s also been in operation since the mid-‘90s, when they lured in talent such as Kerri Chandler, DJ Sneak, Roy Davis Jr., and 95 South, some of whom still release occasional singles through Large. In fact, several prominent house producers have singles on this label, though Large doesn’t seem to have cultivated many exclusive artists. For a while during the ‘00s, Jeff Craven - Large’s director - compiled a clutch of releases for CD, with such titles as Rhythm Lounge and Electro Jazz. Oh yeah, we’re getting deep into the deep house vibes with this label.

Evolution Of New Sounds has a little more in mind than your standard ‘deeper-than-thou’ house music. Maybe it was due to the electro revival being in full swing when this came out, but there is a futuristic bent to some of these tracks. Shame the concept never went anywhere, this being the only entry Large released while Rhythm Lounge got a whole four volumes. I guess the label figured it wiser to pursue DJ mixes instead with their Get Large series.

Anyhow, this CD features many of Large’s regulars. Kerri Chandler’s here! Jay-J’s here! Roy Davis, Jr.’s here, twice! Recent signee Glenn Underground’s here! Home-grown Solar House is here! Peter Hecher, who never released anything on Large beyond Evolution Of New Sounds, is here, twice! A couple one-offs from Natural Rhythm and Pete Moss round out the rest, so a solid roster. On here!

For those fearing this will be too ‘electro-y’ for your deep house palette, fear not as things are kept mostly on an boogie-dub flavor. Jay-J and Macari’s Hold Onto You bumps wonderfully, while Hecher’s Funkdafied blends up-front production sounds with vintage funky house vibes. Elsewhere, Roy Davis, Jr.’s Soul Music works in some guitar licks, Chandler’s Fix Is U features saxophone solos and spoken dialog, and Natural Rhythm’s Nu-Bionics has your trumpets and Moogs. Much of this probably sounds like your stock deep house tropes, but each producer work these elements into deep grooves with skill and finesse. D’es guys, d’ey know d’ere deep house. Spicing things up further are scattered stabs at dubbed-out broken-beat and jazz-proper, Glenn Underground, Pete Moss, and Solar House doing the leg-work on these cuts.

Unfortunately, the idea of ‘evolution’ doesn’t really stick out on many tracks, except for the second Hecher tune, Respect 2 Giorgio. As you’ve probably assumed from that title, it’s very retro-sounding, making use of classic synths and driving rhythms that make sense while cruising late-night Neo-Tokyo. There’s still a deep element to it, but compared to most of the other cuts on this CD, far more futuristic than the funk and soul in play throughout. Evolution Of New Sounds could have used a few more like this to really stand out from the pack. Instead, it’s just another solid collection of deep house.

Underworld - Everything, Everything

Junior Boy's Own: 2000

As far as some folk are concerned, Underworld’s career ended here. That’s just stupid, as the group carried on fine following Darren Emerson’s departure. True, they never generated the same kind of buzz as their ‘90s heyday, but it’s not their fault if tastes, fashions, and populist opinion change with time. Still, I can’t help but wonder if they’re enjoying the retreat from the limelight, having the freedom to explore whatever music they so choose (though it’s funny hearing some synth-pop creeping into their recent work again, considering that was where Underworld started at).

At the turn of the century though, the group was still riding their peak, and this live album is about as perfect a captured snap-shot of their star-status as one can get. Released concurrently with a DVD, the music was cobbled from various performances of a worldwide tour. The movie's awesome as well, splicing in footage of several concerts along with videos that were produced by the firm Tomato. The full show's currently up on YouTube, if you're so inclined to watch.

A number of live CDs featuring electronic acts had existed by 2000, but Underworld upped the ante on theirs, setting the bar on audio quality higher than it'd ever been before. It recreates an exquisite blend of punchy, in-your-face music, open-air resonance, and crowd ambiance, such that it's easy to feel you've got a front row spot near the stage. The beats pound with authority, Karl Hyde’s vocals are never drowned out, and the mixdown wisely raises the hollers and cheers in and out whenever an epic moment erupts from the music, yet never removes them altogether. About the only quibble one could have is that this is not a one-hundred percent live experience, with an obvious break between tracks mid-set probably done for time constraints - might it have been stage banter that we missed out there? Plus, the final track on the DVD, Moaner, is missing, but considering the title of this release, Cowgirl seems the more appropriate way to end on.

Right, the songs. This coming out shortly after Beaucoup Fish, there's obvious favoritism towards that album: King Of Snake, Jumbo, Push Upstairs, and Cups all get repped. The serpent song aside, I'm not a huge fan of these cuts, but they get a good showing here, especially the latter two coming early in the set as strong, energetic follow-ups to the soaring Kiteless. Speaking of Second Toughest In The Infants, crazycrazycrazycrazy Pearls Girl and, of course, the anthem Born Slippy NUXX also make their way into the show.

And that’s all. Yep, just a mere nine tracks on Everything, Everything. It may seem like a gyp, but most of them get a lengthy run-through, satisfying even the most jaded Underworld follower (well, maybe not so much those upset by the lack of dubthatboomonmybedboy material). In the end, this CD is as best an encapsulation of the Emerson years as you'll ever find.

Moby - Everything Is Wrong

Mute: 1995

The only Moby album you’re supposed to have, even if you aren’t much of a Moby fan. At least, that used to be the case, before Play hit the streets - even then, it took a bit for that quanti-popular album to get going (re: heard in every commercial or soundtrack ever), so Everything Is Wrong still held onto its title for a little longer. The funny thing is it’s not like Play was the first of Moby’s releases to do this - tracks off here and even his first album cropped up on various soundtracks - but it was the most ubiquitous of the bunch, thus the one that stuck in the public’s mind.

As for Everything Is Wrong, this was the one that raised his star beyond underground darling, thanks to the marketing muscle his new label Elektra provided. No longer tied to his rave roots, he could explore sonic avenues as never before! Then why does half this album sound like he had trouble letting go of those rave roots?

Feeling So Real, Bring Back My Happiness, and Everytime You Touch Me are all throwback rave anthems, which is weird to type nearly twenty years on. Truth is though, by 1995, almost all aspects of old school hardcore had been snuffed out by the march of musical progress: jungle adopted the breaks and bass, happy hardcore pilfered the piano lines and giddiness, and the riffs went to... oh, let's say gabber. But these tunes by Moby, they sound exactly as you'd expect classic rave to sound in that year had the genre kept plugging on. Fun these days, but kind of odd back then.

What really got folks' attention though, were the lush, cinematic piano-chill tracks. God Moving Over The Face Of The Water's the classic of the bunch, featured at the end of the movie Heat as Al Pacino holds the hand of a dying Robert de Niro (aw, they could'a had a bromance). Personally, Hymn's the track for me, playing to the haunting, melodic strengths many a Moby tune has carried over the years. Elsewhere, the gospel influences and pop-potential hinted in prior releases get more focus this time out with tracks like Into The Blue and Cool First Hive (a dead ringer of a precursor to Play).

So some lovely moments, but ol' Richard also shows his burgeoning musical schizophrenic behavior. I don't recall if The Prodigy made it the in-thing to do, but Moby's first forays into dance-punk fusion appear too. The two cuts, they're... um, punk, that's for sure; heck, What Love? sounds like it could have been an Atari Teenage Riot track.

With so much genre dabbling, Everything Is Wrong doesn't come off like a cohesive album. Instead, it's a snapshot of where Moby was in the mid-'90s, figuring out what to do next with his music as one chapter of it was coming to an end. Despite the lack of any narrative or flow, it's still a fascinating listen.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Reprise Records: 1969

Considering I have more Neil Young releases than any other artist, it’s remarkable that it took four and a half months before encountering an album of his in my alphabetical listening. Fanboyish of me, you say, owning so much of his music? Pft, truthfully I’ve gathered perhaps a mere third of his output, as the guy’s been ridiculously prolific since the ‘60s. Still, I’m an admitted Rustie, and Young’s one of those musicians that’s hard to explain why you become a follower. For most, he’s just some guy that’ll make a song or three with a catchy hook, or some pleasant folksy harmonies, or a proper rock-out session, and that’s all. Then, without warning, something snags you, drawing you into Shakey’s world. It can be any number of his releases that does this - a man as eclectic as him has undoubtedly recorded a genre or two that you’ll fancy - but when it does, there’s no going back.

Personally, it was the album Ragged Glory, recorded with Young’s long-time back-up band Crazy Horse. This here album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere was the first one they did together, apparently recorded a short while after enjoying a couple jams together when the band was still known as The Rockets. I know I’m just repeating the chorus of what everyone’s said since its release in 1969, but the synergy between the two was remarkable. With barely any prep time, Young wrote a few new tunes, and they got their asses in the studio, pretty much recording the whole thing on the fly. The result is definitely raw and under-produced, which only added to the charm of it, and became a staple for not only their subsequent releases, but almost Young’s entire musical career.

The big hit off here was Cinnamon Girl, which was quite a heavy rocker for its day. Chances are you’ve heard some version of it, and if not, go listen to it, and have it forever stuck in your head. Other tunes skewed more folksy, though the titular cut’s a fun little country-rock stomp (that bassline!), while Running Dry’s forlorn and rather psychedelic (hey, ’69, man!).

Two songs truly captured what Young and the Horse were capable of: Down By The River and Cowgirl In The Sand, primarily extended jams, the former more southern and the latter straightforward rock. If your idea of jam music only goes so far as The Grateful Dead or Phish, you’re missing out. These guys lock into a groove and just go, the Horse providing the rhythmic backbone while Young coerces whatever wonderful sonic mess he can out of his “Old Black” ’53 Gibson Les Paul. Throw in lovely, harmonic choruses every so often, and you've got a pair of classic guitar epics for your ears.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere is a solid introduction to Young and his Horse, but some of their best runs of these songs came at the live shows. Guess I’ll talk about that whenever I reach the 'L's.

Various - An Evening Of Trance: Mixed By DJ Grover

Topaz: 2000

You'd be forgiven in thinking this CD's hopelessly corny and not worth your while were you to judge it by its cover. Hell, you'd even be forgiven thinking along those lines after listening to the first track. You'd be doing yourself a disservice in thinking such thoughts though, for if you are thinking them, then you don't know anything about the label from which these tracks were gathered from. Go on, admit it, how many of you have heard of Eve Records? Maybe some of you Cult Of Schulz folks out there, but not many others I wager.

To be fair, I barely know anything about Eve Records either, and I own this CD. God bless Discogs, so here’s what I’ve gleaned from its profile there. Launched in the mid-'90s, it primarily was an outlet for Pablo Gargano's material. By the turn of the century, they'd gained enough momentum to bring in other talent, including such names as Atmos, Steve Gibbs, and yes, Markus Schulz. Eve Records even managed a few spin-off labels and has held strong to this day, though general consensus tends to favour their pre-2000 output.

Hopefully they’re not talking of the first track, Atlantis Shores by Sourmash. It sucks. Bad. Think your most inane, cliché epic trance of the late ‘90s coupled with poor production quality, and there’s your tune. Skip it, and never speak of it again.

After that, it’s pretty much the Pablo Gargano Show, as all but one other track is by him. Considering the poor opening, I wasn’t expecting much, but ol’ Pabs, he knows his trance. If you were following the genre during the late ‘90s, you were bound to have bumped into a couple of his cuts on compilations and mixes. Probably his biggest exposure came at the end of two Global Underground sets (Oakenfold’s Oslo and Digweed’s Sydney, specifically), but by and large he appeared on relatively underground releases. And I can hear why, as his sound is tough, energetic, and properly trance; essentially the kind of music that makes better sense at a warehouse rave than in a superclub.

He’s diverse too! There’s dark, brooding beasts like My Noise, acid leanings with Trance In Saigon and Niquest Limit, straight-up space-out moments like Illogical Trance and Peace & Love, and classy anthems like The Secret Spice. Shame this DJ Grover chap doesn’t appear up to the task of giving all his tunes a solid mix to stand on - may have been better to make this a regular, unmixed compilation instead.

I suppose one could complain An Evening Of Trance sells Eve Records short by making this almost all about Pablo Gargano (David Craig gets an acid trance cut in too), but the Italian native was Eve Records in those early years. There are likely more comprehensive releases of the label out there, but if you find this on the cheap, it’s a sound purchase if you have an ear for this sound.

Pryda - Europa / Odyssey (Original TC Review)

Pryda Recordings: 2007

(2013 Update:
This was written back when the term 'Swedish House Mafia' was nothing but a pet name web forum users tagged to producers making electro house from the Scandinavian country, which is why Eric Prydz was considered a 'member'. Go figure Angello, Ingrosso, and Axwell would go on to use it as a proper performance name. But yes, Prydz most definitely is not a real member of the group, having stuck to his own path for much of his career. Ironically, he was predicted to be the biggest star of that clutch of producers, but his lack of memorable hits following Pjanoo and refusal (fear?) of touring overseas left a significant gap in his career, the real SHM all too eager to take in his place.)


IN BRIEF: Equivalent of filler.

The general consensus within clubland is if you want to get into Eric Prydz, stay away from the material released under his own name (Call On Me, Proper Education), for despite such singles’ instant catchiness, they will quickly irritate after having to hear it on the radio for the three-hundred fourty-seventh time; let the commercial populace, whom fancy buying a Ministry Of Sound Annual compilation as digging deep into the underground, have their novelty dance tunes. Rather, if you really want hear what the successful Swedish House Mafia member is capable of, his aliases are where you should be directing your attention.

Although all of his work tends to retain that nu-electro tech-house feel, the material released under the Pryda banner gains the most notice, and for good reason. Tracks like Aftermath and Frankfurt are classic class, with much of the Pryda discography all equal to the highlight task. However, no success goes without its vocal detractors, and Eric has seen his fair share of them when it comes to this alias. In a nutshell, he’s been accused of never quite reaching to the higher pastures his music hints him capable of, often settling for the tried and tested formulae that’s won him over again and again. Fair complaints, and unfortunately with this new single Europa, he’s given such negative folk more ammunition.

As is often the case with Prydz, the base elements will win you right over. Along with a pleasing backing synth that gently grows in prominence when it plays, a simple looping trancey hook gets plenty of washing effects thrown on it at the peaks, which makes for a decent climax. And that’s about it, really. Everything else is sparse in sound, limp in rhythmic energy, and lacking in ingenuity. Europa’s arrangement is the kind of thing most up-and-coming producers learn in House Music 101, and were it not for Prydz’ layers of effects propping it up, this would be a very, very mediocre tune. You’d think he used John Dahlbäck’s Seal Of Adequacy and called it a day. It’s like Chinese food: satisfying upon consumption, but leaves you feeling empty shortly after.

The complete opposite is to be said with B-Side, Odyssey. For the opening minute or so, you’ll probably dismiss this as Just Another ‘Minimal’ Track, and might even wonder why Prydz, more known for peak-time tunes, would make something like this. However, as this track builds, additional rhythmic layers work a fine groove while basslines and backing synths craft a surprisingly strong production. Unlike Europa’s immediate appeal that evaporates soon after, Odyssey’s subtle sonic depth works in its favor, as the climax comes off like an anticipated reveal rather than run-of-the-mill pandering. That being said, Odyssey is still a rather simple tune as well; more satisfying than the A-Side, certainly, but rudimentary in execution nonetheless.

I’ve a feeling this single is going to garner many split opinions, none the least amongst Prydz’ fanbase. For some, he can do no wrong, and the basic ideas he presents definitely are good. However, even for a producer who’s been guilty of holding back on potential, these tracks sound as though they were made without much thought. Maybe he needed some Christmas bills quickly paid off, so he knocked these out, posted them on Beatport for purchasable download, and sat back as folks eagerly snatched up New Pryda without bothering to listen beforehand. Maybe.