Neil Young - Harvest Moon

Reprise Records: 1992

Two decades after delivering an album everyone loved, Neil Young finally released a pseudo sequel to Harvest, this here CD titled Harvest Moon. Everyone loved that one too, though aside from the titular song, it didn't quite reach the same level of commercial success. There were undoubtedly many reasons for it – chief among them Harvest Moon's very laid-back country vibes not exactly jiving with mainstream interests in the year 1992 (who cares about that old hippie crooner when we got Michael Bolton serenading the airwaves!) - but like so many albums in Young's discography, it's endured as a proper classic, spawning memorable tunes you're likely to still hear in concert during his acoustic moments.

Funny thing is, though the idea behind Harvest Moon sounds like a shoo-in, it likely wouldn't have happened had circumstances nearly forced him into making the album. Consider: Young had had twenty years to round up The Stray Gators again, take a trip to Nashville, and deliver an album full of charming, radio-friendly country-rock folk. Yet he never did, his occasional trips to the mid-west finding him exploring proper-country instead; only a few of the original session musicians were brought in for those albums. So what convinced him to finally do what his fans wanted for years upon years?

Hearing damage, mostly. Following the raucous Weld tour with Crazy Horse, Young’d developed a bad case of tinnitus, forcing him to tone his music down for a while. Okay, and a two decade anniversary wasn't such a bad incentive either.

That said, he couldn't exactly repeat Harvest. Aside from generally better production (such lush echo and reverb here!), the lyrics and themes Young was exploring as he neared his fifties were quite different compared to topics of 1972. Condemnations of southern States attitudes? That's small time stuff compared to global issues like war (War Of Man) and environmentalism (Natural Beauty). Also, how could he write songs about forlorn love when he’d been happily married for years? Just won’t work anymore, so instead we have music reflecting on the friendships he’s had (From Hand To Hendrix, One Of These Days, and, um, his dog in Old King), the relationship he’s in (Harvest Moon and Such A Woman), and perhaps even where he may end up (You And Me). Fairly broad topics, all said, but Young has a way of making them feel intimate, as either a window into his own feelings, or as a message for those who can relate to his lyrics.

In the Harvest review, I quipped that many Boomers likely turned to that album as post-partying comfort music. I’ll freely admit that Harvest Moon has served a similar purpose for myself on occasion, a nostalgic calm even for things I’ve yet to experience. That, in a nutshell, is why Young’s endured for so long: writing music that isn’t bound by specific generations, but by earnest, human feelings, and he’s at his best here. No matter the age, someone will find something relatable in Harvest Moon.

Neil Young - Harvest

Reprise Records: 1972

The only Neil Young album you’re supposed to have, even if you’re not much of a Neil Young fan. Or at least, that was the assumed case waaaayyy back in the ‘70s, when all his Boomer fans would turn to Harvest’s charming, laid-back good ol’ country rock vibes to ease themselves from whatever bad trip they might be suffering from (citation needed). I can’t even think of what album could be considered “the only Neil Young album you’re supposed to have” now, as the man’s musical career’s all over the place. True, there are releases that are good representations of what he’s capable of (After The Goldrush, Rust Never Sleeps, Sleeps With Angels, any live album), but you’re almost always missing out on some aspect of his career. Even Archives, Vol. 1 only reached as far as Harvest, which capped off the first ten years of ol’ Neil making music. Holy shit, he’s been doing this for a freakin’ half-century now, hasn’t he!

Anyhow, what Harvest definitely became was Mr. Young’s most popular album, likely because it was also one of his best selling ones, especially in ’merica, where they love those home-grown country-rock tunes. Just, sshhh, don’t remind them he’s actually Canadian.

The big hits off here were Heart Of Gold, Old Man, and The Needle And The Damage Done. That last one isn’t even two-minutes long, a brief, somber reflection dedicated to those he saw losing their lives to drug addictions. The first two though, hoo boy, were they ever major tunes at the time. You’ll still hear them on the radio, though whether a rock or country one, I’m not sure – that banjo bit in Old Man definitely would sound out of place along all that Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones. And Heart Of Gold, you’ve heard it. No, really, I can guarantee you’ve heard a version of it at some point. Heck, I heard it long before I even knew who Neil Young was, when Boney M covered it on their Nightflight To Venus album I frequently played as a child. Hey, maybe that’s where this Young obsession stems from!

As for Harvest, the album, it’s definitely one of Young’s odder collection of songs. The old-timey country bits (and hits) were put together at Nashville with ridiculously talented session musicians he dubbed The Stray Gators (seriously, Ben Keith’s pedal steel guitar work almost steals the whole album). A short while later, Young brought the group out to a barn at the ranch he’d recently purchased, and recorded one-take rockier tunes on the fly. In between, he got to record a couple songs with the London Symphony Orchestra, lending almost ridiculous bombast to an album that typically comes off down to earth.

Predictably, Harvest ends up quite a slap-dash listening experience, even for a Young album. It may have been his most popular effort, but as you can find most of these tunes elsewhere now (and in stronger renditions), it’s not the most essential purchase anymore.

Drexciya - Harnessed The Storm (2013 Update)

Tresor: 2002

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review.)

Drexciya was the first review I ever published, a very important moment in the world of techno. Well, no, it wasn’t – heck, it wasn’t even a blip in the grand scheme of things, and techno fans sure as hell weren’t checking out some funny new website called TranceCritic, even if Harnessed The Storm was the first review there. Still, if anyone expecting trance came away from that one with a better appreciation of the deep sea dwellers from Detroit, all the better. It’s not the best review, but without that first step, we’d never have gotten to where we are today, whatever ‘here’ currently is.

Actually, let’s find out. Instead of just an ‘update’, here’s a newish review of the same release. Ahem…

Despite being mainstays of Detroit techno’s second generation, the duo Drexciya stood well apart from their contemporaries. Part of it was their enigmatic origins (pro tip: cultivating hardcore fanbases works best when your work remains mysterious), but whereas many in the Motor City (or foreigners drawing influence from it) started exploring minimal, dub, or jazz-fusion during the ‘90s, Drexciya looked more to the past for inspiration, taking their cues from electro when most had moved on from it (too ‘80s, man). And in fully immersing their mythos with underwater sonics, it created a sound unlike any other, Drexciya singles turning into hot commodities whenever they’d sprinkle forth.

EPs were all well and good, and many a classic cut appeared on those records. Yet surely a concept like Drexciya deserved the full-length treatment, and nearly a decade after their debut, there finally came Neptune’s Lair. As far as I can tell from online gushers, it met expectations, so the natural follow-up was eagerly anticipated. Harnessed The Storm arrived three years later, and while many a fan enjoyed it too, their concept seemed a bit tired now. Electro had resurged in popularity, while techno was drifting from Detroit’s heritage, various European takes on it the new hotness of the 2000s. But hey, what’s it matter? Drexciya were such a unique duo, that even if their concept and productions were coming off old-hat in the new millennium, they could carry on by name recognition alone, with no pressure to change with the times. Folks came to Drexciya records to hear their aquatic electro, and damn it, that’s what they’ll get.

Only they no longer did. The unfortunate passing of member James Stinson in late 2002 shocked everyone within techno’s world and, as a point of respect to his partner and friend, Gerald Donald (other half of Drexciya) put an end to the project. Harnessed The Storm would be the last music they released. Truly a shame, but in some ways a blessing too, ending them on a high with legacy intact. I mean, can you imagine if they’d jumped on the minimal bandwagon too?

Eh? I didn’t describe any of the music on Harnessed The Storm? Silly, there’s a link at the top with over one-thousand words doing so.

Sven Väth - Harlequin - The Beauty And The Beast

Warner Bros. Records: 1994

Sven Väth is Sven Väth, a very important- wait, I did that joke for him already. Then let’s get right to it for this mega-maxi CD of Harlequin – The Beauty And The Beast. As the lead single to his sophomore effort, The Harlequin, The Robot And The Ballet-Dancer, there was quite the bit of expectation going in. An Accident In Paradise was hailed as a early classic of the emerging German take on techno (trance!), even with some of the odder sonic doodles hampering the album’s overall flow. Could Sven capture the same magic he and Hildenbeutel crafted with Ritual Of Life, Caravan Of Emotions, and L’Esperanza?

Not with a convoluted title like Harlequin – The Beauty And The Beast. What is that even supposed to mean? I realize The Harlequin, The Robot, And The Ballet-Dancer had something of concept going on, but the title is horribly clumsy. Not to mention just glancing at it along with the so-very ‘90s CGI cover art undoubtedly had some wondering if Sven had gone all prog rock on them. The music may be perfectly fine, but man does the presentation do it no favors.

In the end, the track with the longest title was picked for the lead single, annoying any scribes setting out to review it. It’s a decent enough tune, in that early Teutonic techno sort of way. Skitchy backing synths, a lead that’s easy enough to get hooked on, and some nods to goa trance that was catching on elsewheres in clubland (although the Club Mix is about where you’ll hear most of it, what with over ten minutes to work with).

Remixes then. Since this was intended to be Sven’s hot new single, there’s a pile of them. Underworld’s take on Harlequin – The blahblahblah works the group’s classic cool groove into a twelve minute excursion that plays to all of progressive house’s ‘back-in-the-day’ strengths, never feeling as long as it actually is. And as the original owed some sonic nods to psy, Total Eclipse offers a proper goa spin on the tune. C.J. Bolland’s also here, beefing up the beats if you like your techno hard and bangin’. And finally, Pascal F.E.O.S. gives us a remix that’s a little more bare and acidy.

No, wait, that’s not ‘finally’, if you got this American version of the single. All those other remixes, they’re just too Euro, man. What this tune needs is some proper, deep, funky garage-house from the likes of Murk. In fact, forget whatever the original sounded like, let’s get Marck Michel on the microphone, giving Harlequin – DamnitI’mnottypingitanymore more soul than those Germans could hope to craft. And you know what? This ‘remix’ is so good on its own, let’s have four versions of the same bumping, muscular vibes. ‘Cause that’s the ’merica way of doin’ things, boy.

Quite a diverse collection of remixes then, but unfortunately overstuffed, leaving the finished product a middling affair. Too many utterances of “the beauty and the beast” methinks.

DJ Brian - Hardesertrance3 - Son Of The Moon

Moonshine Music: 1999

And so he did. Erm, keep the hard-hitting tech-trance vibes going for the duration, I mean. DJ Brian, that is. For the follow-up, Hardesertrance3? Goodness, didn’t you read the previous review? What do you mean you’re in the future and stumbled upon this review by accident? Reading this blog in reverse chronological order, I can understand, as Blogger’s layout isn’t exactly conducive to continuity attempts. But from the literal future? That’s far out, man. Far out of space and time!

Okay, enough of that. Someone must have mentioned those plusses and minuses I brought up on Hardesertrance2, as DJ Brian’s jettisoned almost all progressive trance for this instalment. There’s Salt Tank’s Rezmorize near the end, getting you two progressive names for the price of one (if you don’t know why, please hand in your ‘progressive card’ to the lady at the exit), and that’s about it. For Hardesertrance3, Mr. Brian Golub starts out hard and trancey, and barely lets up.

As before, you get a goa-leaning opener, this time care of Human Movement’s Traveller’s Theme, and for a whopping ten minutes at that. Yeah, it’s one of those ‘journey’ tracks, but pretty cool nonetheless. Shortly after, it’s back to our good ol’ friend Oliver Lieb again, but this time under the one-off Snakeman guise, which he used to indulge himself with some proper tribal beats, and Medicine don’t disappoint, son.

And the hard techno keeps coming. Geezer’s Tickling The Trout is here, its raw, thumping acid goodness almost out of place for a set supposedly meant for the desert (harsh my vibe, yo). Even deeper into the tribal techno is Electronic Home Entertainment’s Traffic EP (yes, it’s called that), which mixes wonderfully into another vicious Lieb tech-trance beast, Quantensprung as S.O.L. – if you ever wanted more in The Black Album style, there’s your cut, my friends.

DJ Brian can’t help himself from pulling out an anthem though, but for once he’s ahead of the curve. Joshua Ryan’s bleepy, fist-pumper Pistolwhip was yet another inescapable trance hit, featured on tons of obvious track lists and compilations throughout 2000 and especially 2001 when the single was re-released on NuLife Recordings. This here Hardesertrance3 CD’s a ’99 offering though, the same year the original Pistolwhip came out on Fragrant Music. And according to Lord Discogs, this was the tune’s first major release. What I’m getting at in this long-about way is, even though Mr. Ryan’s hit was quickly played out by the end of 2001, I’m quite content hearing it on this CD due to these conditions. Okay, and the surrounding tracks are kick-ass as well.

So Hardesertrance3, an overall better set than the previous one, if you like your hard desert trance (techno) with a proper kick to it rather than all psychedelic and wibbly. Surely this is the direction of sound that will take this series to the next level, establishing it as a string of classic DJ mixes. Wait, this was the last one? Well, f-

DJ Brian - Hardesertrance2

Moonshine Music: 1998

I'll have more opportunity to talk about the Moontribe parties that Moonshine loved promoting in short order, so let's get right into this here DJ Brian figure. A founding member of the California-based desert rave promotion, he soon established himself as 'the late-night trance guy'. And since we're dealing with whole bunch of West-American hippies (probably), that means he played psy. Well, yes and no. It was undoubtedly a part of his tracklists for some of those dusty all-nighters under the desert stars, but the music he compiled for his series titled Hardesertrance started out with more commercial intent (probably).

Since we're skipping straight to Hardesertrance2, it's clear I don't have the first one. I did hear it back in the day though, and thought it good, in that acidy, outdoor, tribal trance sort of way. The formula was simple enough: start off bangin' with a touch of psy, then unleash a few recognizable anthems towards the end (Netherworld!). DJ Brian follows a similar style on this one, and for the first few tracks, it looks like we have another winner in Moonshine's catalogue.

Right, so having L.S.G.’s kick-ass Train Of Thought at the fourth position is such an easy way to tickle my earlobes, but the surrounding tracks are strong company. Opener Emotions from Sonic Fusion sets a suitable 3am desert vibe, and tracks from System 7 and Rotortype round out a solid first lap of this disc. Huh, funny seeing Rotortype’s Be Yourself here, in that it was quite an older track by ’98, having already appeared on a few other notable CDs (an early DJ-Kicks from C.J. Bolland, for instance). And this, unfortunately, sets a trend that hampers Hardestertrance2.

The next track is India from E-Razor (yet another collaborative project between Martin Eyerer and Oliver Lieb). Cool, but I’ve already heard this one on a Nick Warren Global Underground. A little further down, we find our good friend Air from Ferry Corsten’s Albion guise (holy cow, was this track ever canned). I’ll give DJ Brian some props for choosing the storming Palefield Mountain remix, but it’s still an obvious anthem. Oh, and Slacker’s here too, with the track Psychout, which one could have heard off that same Nick Warren Global Underground. Finally, throwing in Amoeba Assassin’s Rollercoaster as your closer, and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’ve somehow stumbled upon a ’98 progressive trance DJ mix instead of something advertised as more on a psychedelic tip.

Mind you, there’s no real fault on DJ Brian’s part in how this CD’s put together, and for all I know, it’s a faithful recreation of one of his Moontribe sets. As a commercial disc, however, the track selection’s over-familiar for those well-versed in what progressive trance had to offer in ’98. The opening of Hardesertrance2 does help it stand out, but DJ Brian would only emerge from the glut by keeping the hard-hitting tech-trance vibes going for the duration. Ain’t no one else playing that sound on Moonshine.

Fatboy Slim - Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars (Clean Version)

Astralwerks: 2000

In some ways, I'm more embarrassed to have this CD than even ICP. Why should I, a grown adult, have a “Kiddies' Clean Version”? Well, it was a gift, but the tongue-in-cheek label on the cover strikes me as deliberately insulting on the manufacturer's part. This isn't just the 'Clean Version', like many hip-hop pop albums offer, oh no. This is for the children, for we at Astralwerks, we thought about the children, oh how we thought about the children. We even moved the image over a little, so the sun no longer peeks through the woman's cooch – hell, you can't even tell it's a woman anymore, much less the sun creating those rays of light. Isn't that better than our usual antics of totally replacing the cover image for stateside distribution?

Norman Cook's Fatboy project was incredibly popular when he released Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars, his prior album offering two or three ultra-mega hits that we still hear today. So that there would be a 'Clean' option for his follow-up doesn't surprise me. It's still baffling why it'd been thought of only for the kids though (what kind of teenager wouldn't get the one with crude language?).

And what major changes can we expect on this “Kiddies' Clean Version”? Star 69's been cut. Yeah, no surprise on that one. Not a big deal losing it though, as beyond the lyrical gimmick, it was a mediocre tune. There's also a slight edit of “what the fuck” in Song For Shelter, which makes- wait! Why didn't they just edit the 'fuck's out of Star 69 too, keeping the track?

Frankly, that's all I can tell's been 'cleaned up'. It's been well over a decade since I've heard the original version, so if some naughty language from Macy Gray or Bootsy Collins was edited out, I don't know anymore. Come to think of it, I don't think it matters where this album's concerned, as Halfway... is a surprisingly mature sounding effort on Cook's part compared to the rest of his discography.

Yeah, he's had his classy moments, but folks were buying up his albums by the boatloads for the big beat party anthems. Halfway... has a couple offerings as such, like Ya Mama and Drop The Hate, yet Cook sounds bored with these cuts, just going through the big beat motions. Far more intriguing (and re-playable because they aren't so dated to late '90s music) are the blues, gospel, funk, and soul offerings. And even with all the crafty beats and samples Cook throws into his tunes, the guest vocalists (including the memorable husky voice of then-soul-queen Macy Gray) help excel what could have been little more than homage to some of ol' Norman's musical upbringing.

Put simply, Halfway... is easily Fatboy Slim's most consistent album, and maybe even his best. Unlike his other albums, which have big hits and forgettable filler, these are all songs I have no problem returning to and keeping lodged in my head.

Gorillaz - Demon Days

Parlaphone: 2005

It could have simply ended with the first album. Albarn and Hewitt had made their 'anti-pop' pop statement, had their fun. But, pondered ol' Damon, what if they could do it again, only better? Could a cartoon band be just as popular a second time? After all, that Prozzak duo utterly failed to recapture the 'glory' they achieved. Surely the Gorillaz couldn't succeed where others had failed, especially when their music was generally so esoteric.

Yet, something happened to the group that was absolutely brilliant in hindsight, something that seldom happens to cartoon characters, if at all. They aged. And with age came a growing history of their world, most of which could only be gleaned from online content or music videos. The Gorillaz were developing continuity, and for music geeks who were already intrigued by their quirky sounds and designs, this was like catnip. There were ongoing changes with this band (or phases, as it's come to be known), and if you wanted to keep up to date on all the going-ons of their world, you'd have to pay attention to all the little details that'd be sprinkled forth. How could any fan resist this ongoing story, especially considering the oddball setup that was presented in the first album?

So Noodles became a teenager (a super-soldier experiment one at that!), Murdoch turned more demonic (what's up with that?), Russell’s morose after losing his ghosts (no, Del!), and 2D... well, he's kinda the same. The plan worked, and by establishing the story of how Noodles wrote the majority of Demon Days, it gave Albarn an opportunity at a proper concept album, or at least one that was far more unified in tone than the previous Gorillaz effort.

Guiding the whole enterprise was Danger Mouse, his popularity on the rise following The Grey Album. Emulating Dan The Automator’s eclectic sound from Gorillaz could never be easy, so it’s just as well that the Mouse scales back the genre jumping. There’s still plenty of it – tracks ten through fourteen runs the gamut of grime, dance punk, folk (!), and piano-pop that would make even Brian Wilson weak in the knees – but in maintaining a lo-fi, dubby Casio aesthetic to the proceedings, Demon Days is a far more consistent listen than the first album. No matter how weird things may get, you seldom feel the need to skip anything, as it all plays into the Gorillaz’ bizarre anything-goes style. Only a cartoon band could get away with such catchy anthems like Dirty Harry that features a child’s choir.

Oh yeah, there be anthems here. Feel Good Inc. and DARE were the big ones, but O Green World and All Alone are awesome examples too - no mere filler here, my friends. Plus melancholy moments like El Mañana and Every Planet We Reach Is Dead round things out. Demon Days is a great album, all said. Only quibble is none of the guest rappers top Del’s work, but then few could anyway.

Kruder & Dorfmeister - G-Stoned (Original TC Review)

Quango Records: 1993/1995

(2013 Update:
Dear Lord, how did I go through a downtempo review without bringing up the acid jazz influences as well? Ah right, I still wasn't exactly sure what acid jazz properly sounded like, even as late as 2006. Come to think of it, does anyone? Beyond what was released on the Acid Jazz label, that is.

Not much else to add to this EP. I did clean up the paragraph layouts from its original version though, as this was written during my track-by-track years, and so many tiny paragraphs were unsightly for such a short review as this.)


IN BRIEF: More than remixers.

Considering just how big a profile Kruder & Dorfmeister have amassed over the years, it can come as a surprise that their discography as a duo is rather small. Plenty of remixes, for sure, but when it comes to original material, the selection is limited. However, like other acts with huge profiles but few releases (eg: Leftfield), what does get released is usually quality.

Even in the beginning, Kruder & Dorfmeister pulled no punches in their objectives. This debut mini-album, released to kick off their G-Stone label, had all the head-nodders of the mid-90s abuzz, intrigued by the prospect of a smoother, jazzier alternative to Ninja Tune’s trip-hop eclecticism. Small surprise downtempo label Quango felt it was a good idea to pad out their early catalogue with K&D’s sound. G-Stoned may not have been the most unique EP, but it certainly had a maturity present that was more-or-less lacking in much of electronic music.

The first track, Definition, is about as loungey as lounge gets. The rhythms are laid back, gentle keyboards and xylophones fill out a smokey ambience, and a flute improvises along the way. Revolutionary? Hardly, but still a nice bit of downtempo vibe. Deep Shit moves us into, well, deeper territory. The mood is far more dubby as trip-hop beats and echoy trumpets noodle about. Some tribal chants penetrate the murk at times, but aren’t interested in leading. This track’s about pure atmosphere, and little else. Wonderfully chill, though.

Combining the mood of Deep Shit with the pace of Definition is High Noon. Probably the most prominent feature here is a little harmonica playing mid-way through. Although it doesn’t take you out of the lounges, it does briefly lend a bit of country feel to the track. And to take us out is Original Bedroom Rockers. As the slowest groover out of a mini-album of slow jams, the easy-going, cool-sexy vibes and samples are definitely fit for sensual delights; dubby vibraphone pulses throughout the track wrap you up like a tender embrace. Most smooth indeed.

As nice as these tracks are though, I do have a complaint about this release in general: it’s over too fast! Yes, yes, I know G-Stoned isn’t meant to be a full album, but, man, does it ever leave you wishing for it to keep going.

With that in mind, this release probably isn’t the best starting point for folks just getting acquainted with Kruder & Dorfmeister’s material; their remix album The K&D Sessions™ is the one in that category. However, if you are a casual fan looking for something more to tide you over until the duo make another full studio release together (if ever), this will suite you fine. Since the market price for G-Stoned is nice and cheap, it’s a safe purchase either way.

Various - Groovetechnology v1.3: Swayzak

Studio !K7: 2002

It wasn't always so bad. In fact, minimal dub deep-tech micro-whatever was thrilling stuff, in its own understated way. That’s a fresh style of music for you though: plenty of room for experimentation and innovation, nothing stuck in tropes and clichés; kept just far enough in the underground that, should you lean your ears its way, it’s easy to discover, yet remains cultivated by only a small group of enthusiasts (“I see that bandwagon you arrived on, Club Land. Maybe come back in a few years.”).

Among the early proponents of the sounds was British (former) duo Swayzak, often lending a dubby, spliff-bliss vibe to their tunes which helped set them apart from other, like-minded micro-house chaps like Akufen and Herbert. Studio !K7, already a credible hip label at the turn of the century, saw the unique musical potential of this scene, and tapped Swayzak to offer their DJ talents in compiling this here Groovetechnology v1.3 as a showcase of deep-minimal-tech. Or wait... was it the short-lived UK label Groovetech Records that initially put these out, and Studio !K7 merely handled the German (and global) distribution? That makes better sense as v1.0 and v1.2 show up on Groovetech (not to mention the title of the series itself). Or maybe Studio !K7 bought out Groovetech, liking the cut of their musical jib? Who knows a decade on (the record execs, most likely).

Anyhow, if the idea of a Swayzak commercial DJ mix sounds odd, it's because they’ve barely done them (along with this, also a Fabric entry). I... don't think they're interested in the format, if Groovetechnology's anything to go by. This is pure mixtape action here, friends, and honestly, for this style of music, I much prefer it this way. Screw trying to hold a steady groove with monotonous minimal momentum, let's just enjoy the tunes for what they have to offer.

And oh yeah, the classic names are on display here. Deep, dubby goodness from Akufen’s Architextrue, Basic Channel’s Q1.1, and Convextion’s Crawling & Hungry; icy-cool electro from Ellen Allien’s Funkenflug Der Traume and Bergheim 34's Take My Soul; groovy ambient-tech from Villalobos’ 808 The Bass Queen, Bitstream’s Monolith, and Son.sine’s Upekah. There’s quite a bit to enjoy here, especially if you’ve an inclining towards the dubbed-out chill side of techno.

Plus, you hear that? No, not all that space within these tunes – you’re supposed to hear that. I mean the lack of white noise hiss, that annoying effect that plagued so much minimal-tech in the latter end of the decade. Oh, how wonderful to not hear any. I won’t deny it’s an effective, erm, effect out on the dancefloor, but God does it annoy elsewhere, ad nausem, especially when everyone adopted it; like detuned supersaws in trance, or mid-range wobble in dubstep.

Sorry for that tangent. Don’t let the minimal association deter you from Groovetechnology v1.3, as Swayzak’s brought together as classy a collection of such tunes as you could find in the year 2002. Trust.