Various - Dub Selector

Quango Records: 2001

Okay, regarding the 'out of alphabetical order' conundrum surrounding these Quango compilations, I wasn't entirely truthful in the last review. See, I first realized something awry in my music collection's sorting when I passed by all those dub-titled albums two years ago without this one coming through. After a quick search enquiry, I found Dub Selector and its sequel sitting way down in the 'Q's along with a bunch of other Quango compilations. Not really in a hurry to talk up even more dub music so soon, I let them set fallow until such time I should deal with them again. And that time... is now! Ahem...

Anyhow, the selection of dub on Dub Selector skews less reggae roots and more UK downtempo and chill. This, from an American label based in Los Angeles. I keep thinking there’s some meaning behind that, but damn if I know what it is. The artists that make up Dub Selector range far and wide too. Cottonbelly mostly hails from New York City, whereas G-Corp are strictly English. Then you have Germans Boozoo Bajou sharing CD space with French acts like St Germain, Grant Phabao, and I:Cube; elsewhere, there’s Kieser.Velten and The Lost Skrolls Of Hamaric, whom hail from Austria I think. Ah yes, the ol’ Kruder & Dorfmeister connection. Wait, are there any Jamaican acts on Dub Selector? I spy a Luciano (no, not the tech-doff house DJ), but his Police And Thieves is given the remix treatment by G-Corp. At the other end of Dub Selector, there’s Sizzla’s Rain Showers, but he’s remixed by UK duo Bronx Dogs.

Not that I should be terribly surprised by any of this. ‘Jamaican Dub By Way Of White Europeans’ had existed for many years by the time Dub Selector came out, and will continue to existfor many years to come. Not that any of these acts are the bunk either, like so much ‘cod reggae’ goes - each handle the cavernous reverb and groovy, spliffed-out vibes with as much class as you’d expect of producers well-versed in the style. Heck, some of those East Europeans even add a new wrinkle, Kieser.Velten’s Dubolition and How To Find Royal Jelly from the Skrolls guys more on a jazzy-tech tip than pure roots influenced. It wouldn’t surprise me if the likes of Swayzak play-listed something similar – it’s the sort of sound you’d sooner find in gentrified hang-outs than filling dancehall spots.

Like these other Quango compilations, Dub Selector makes for a handy introduction to the world of downtempo dub, though only one slice of it. I honestly have no idea why Bruno Guez, the mastermind behind Quango, opted for such a Euro-centric exposé. Maybe it was simply a means of reeling in potential listeners with something safe and familiar, fresh-faced followers of chilled-out electronic music not quite ready for the pure roots of reggae-influenced dub. Well played if so, but it leaves the connoisseur wanting for options more bold in their selections.

ACE TRACKS:
Luciano - Police And Thieves (G-Corp Remix)
Grand Phabao - Anoub Head Yudu
The Lost Skrolls Of Hamaric - How To Find Royal Jelly

Various - Cosmic Funk

Quango Records: 2001

And I’m done the ‘Q’s. Yep, in a music collection that’s inching ever closer to four digits worth of EPs, LPs, and miscellaneous peas, I have but one album that starts with this letter. It honestly blows my mind I’ve more options in the letter ‘X’ – hooray for the X-Mix series, I guess. Even my media player tried bumping the ‘Q’ count up in sending a bunch of Quango Records compilations this way, an error I could have corrected months ago but held off on. I wasn’t in a hurry to tackle these, you see, quite content in listening to Cosmic Funk and Dub Selector for later. After all, I alphabetically backtrack enough as it is, and this way I’ve a semi-reasonable excuse in giving ‘Q’ a little extra attention, even if Cosmic Funk has nary a ‘Q’ in sight beyond the label that released it.

Anyhow, when Quango relaunched in the year 2000, they kicked things off by releasing a series of affordable compilations with simple titles and big fonts. As per the label’s manifesto, these CDs focused on far-flung styles of music, serving as handy introductions to the world of electronic beats abroad. Cosmic Funk was the first, but other selections included Mystic Groove, Afrotech, Lush Life Electronica, and Nordic Exposure (wait a minute…). With a solid mix of well-known acts and obscure outliers, Quango provided the ultimate bluffer’s guide in building a more ‘cultured’ collection of electronic music.

One problem with this particular release though: faulty advertising! Oh, there’s funk to be found in these eight tracks, but none of it is particularly ‘cosmic’. There are Latin vibes, Afro grooves, and a touch of the Balearic in there too, but not once did I find myself transplanted to the cosmic fantastic. No groovin’ to Moon tunes, no sailing along Saturn rings, no gettin’ down to Ganymede geysers, no cruisin’ on interstella’ comets, and no gallivanting the galactic core. Nope, we’re stuck on boring ol’ Earth. Oh well, at least this wasn’t as disappointing as getting that ambient dub compilation titled Ambient Dub that had not a trace of ambient on it (seriously).

What we do get with Cosmic Funk are some seriously funky jams drawing influence from disparate corners of the world. Hell, The Funky Lowlives show no fear in fusing them together, their two offerings of Notabossa and Latezz bringing chunky beats, Latin swing, and jazzy guitar licks to the table. The biggest names on here are Miguel Migs and Jay-J, collaborating as Migs & Jelly for a similar styled track (Enter The Soul) as The Funky Lowlives provided, while East Village Headz round out that side of the spectrum in Rude Vibez. The other half of goes more the Afro-funk route, with names like Neon Phusion, Kaidi Tatham, and New Sectors Movements being repped. Yeah, sorry, I know little about these cats.

Since Quango’s folded, you likely won’t find Cosmic Funk anywhere but as a used option. For a fiver though, ‘tis mighty fine.

Jurassic 5 - Quality Control

Interscope Records: 2000

Underground hip-hop, 'backpack' rap... whatever you called it in the late '90s, everyone agreed it was about as non-commercial as the music could get. The MCs involved cared not for bragging about how gangsta' they were or how much bling they made; rather, they were in it for the purist followers of the Four Pillars, outmatching their rapping brethren in verbal wordplay and flaunting their radio unfriendly status on the mixtape circuit. And though a few acts occasionally poked out of obscurity, most casual consumers of hip-hop figured the 'backpack' scene little more than MCs way out of touch with the trends, all too stuck in Golden Age goofiness. Then along came a Jurassic 5.

Right, the J5 crew weren’t the first successful hip-hop act in giving the underground, conscious side of things a needed boost – The Roots had plenty of critical and commercial buzz too. However, The Roots have long been considered a unique entity, what with all those ‘real instruments’ and shit. J5 were strictly old-school, four MCs (Chali 2na, Zaakir, Akil, and Marc 7) and two DJs (Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark) showing off their skills on the courtyards, skate parks, and graffiti spots. Simmering as darlings of Los Angeles backpackers only gets you so far though, and in a move that strangely never derided them as sell-outs, J5 signed a deal with Interscope Records. To that point, the only hip-hop that label ever bothered with was material only associated and approved by Dr. Dre. Okay, Black Eyed Peas too, but almost everyone’s forgotten that act’s old-school cred’, including the Peas themselves. Point being, few could have predicted an underground hip-hop darling would sign to a label who's recent successes included the likes of No Doubt and Limp Bizkit.

The trick worked though, their debut on Interscope (and sophomore LP), Quality Control, gaining J5 greater exposure and the attention of rap fans looking for something of more intellectual substance than bling, bitches, and hyper-violence. These four MCs all play wonderfully off each other, allowing each equal opportunity to shine on verses while perfectly harmonizing on the choruses. Meanwhile, Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark each take turns behind the decks and producer’s console, providing ample amounts of throwback funk for their crew to feed off. Most of the tunes have J5 showing off their lyrical skills, whether as freestyle, ‘keepin’ it real’ brags, or metaphor (gotta’ love a good ol’ basketball rap with The Game). Elsewhere on this album, they tread typical conscious topics like the fallacy of seeking fame (World Of Entertainment (Woe Is Me)) or finding ways of overcoming inner city difficulties with dignity intact (Contribution). For my money though, the turntable showcases are where it’s at, especially Nu-Mark’s Swing Set, where he raids a ton of old-timey jitterbug rug-cutters and mashes them up with funk drum breaks. Top notch material!

Quality Control’s gone down as one of the essentials of throwback Golden Age hip-hop albums. Get it to start your collection if you haven’t already.

Amon Tobin - Piranha Breaks

Ninja Tune: 1997

It’s time for another game of Wild Suppositional Theories! For this episode, your host asks the simple question, “What is Piranha Breaks, exactly?” It’s sure not a lead single for Amon Tobin’s second album, Permutation, as three of the four tracks on here are exclusive to this EP. It kind of has the feel of a stopgap, a hold-over between Bricolage and Permutation, but those typically contain material only hardcore fans would have interest in (live takes, alternate mixes, etc.) – the music on here is anything but half-assed. Are these just left-overs from the Bricolage sessions, then? It wouldn’t surprise me if he made so much awesome music that he simply couldn’t fit on his first LP due to accursed limited space on physical mediums. Yeah, let’s run with that theory.

For a less ‘fanboyish’ idea, Piranha Breaks is a short exploration of Tobin’s frenetic, jazzy jungle sound. If anything, this EP is a nice summation of the music he’s most identified with in his early career, the surrounding albums broader in their stylistic fusions. Take the classy vibe of Roni Size’s jazzstep, the intense rhythms of ragga and IDM breakcore, and add a little inner city menace as only a member of the Ninja Tune squad can create. Voila, Piranha Breaks in a nutshell. Well, okay, third track Sub Tropic’s a bit more trip-hoppy in pace, but that bassline’s all d’n’b feral nastiness.

And… um, that’s about all I have to say about this EP. It’s only four tracks long, each great but not all that stylistically different from each other. Like, what do you expect of me to do, list exactly how each sounds? The titular cut has a saxophone, Fast Eddie some trumpets, Sub Tropic more trumpets and slap cello, and Hot Pursuit focuses more on its rhythm section. As for those rhythms, yeah they’re cool and intricate and absolute catnip for breaks trainspotters and time-signature students. If you want detailed analysis of their attributes though, maybe try an old issue of XLR8R. About as in-depth I can go with this is ‘brain challenged, sounds cool, me like’. Isn’t that enough? Wait, I just lied about not having anything more to say about Piranha Breaks at the start of this paragraph, didn’t I. Hooray for rambly bullshit, eh.

Okay, this review kinda’ sucks. Amon deserves better, but unfortunately this is yet another case of my real life interfering with my writing life. I won’t bring up the issues here - just know that some situations are incredibly distracting at this time. Hopefully things will resolve itself in short order and this blog won’t suffer for it. Can’t let it overwhelm me, remember the Dr. Alban song It’s My Life and not allow others to suck me into their melodrama. Yeah, already this is getting too personal, and not in the musical anecdotal way I’ll indulge in. Ignore this last paragraph. Piranha Breaks, check it out if you crave a little extra Tobin spice in your diet.

Burial - Burial

Hyperdub: 2006

About time I get some Burial up in this here bloggin' bitch. I've made reference to him in a dozen other reviews, so it's only proper that I take the once-enigmatic post-dubsteppy future-garageist darling under the critical scalpel at some point. If only he'd have a higher workrate, chucking out EPs, LPs, and CDs at enough of a clip that I'd have covered at least one release by now. Wait... no, never mind, it wouldn't matter anyway. Lord Discogs tells me almost all his musics are titled in the bottom end of the alphabet – that are available on compacted discual format anyway. Man, when Burial goes low, it be low indeed.

Appropriately enough, I'm beginning this Burial business with his self-titled debut album. Come, let me take you to a bizarre time in electronic music history, when dubstep had barely squirted out of the London City underground. Hyperdub, the ultra-cool, savvy UK bass music label known for critically hailed acts like Kode9, Zomby, and DJ Rashad, had just launched. Many pegged it an upstart in the early dubstep scene, as few looked capable of toppling the mighty Tempa in those days. But they hadn't counted on a secret weapon in the likes of Burial emerging from those grimy South London Burroughs.

Thing about early dubstep is it was still entirely indebted to grime rap for its inspiration, especially so the ‘dub’ instrumentals. Grime, however, had emerged from UK garage, a rugged, aggressive counter to that scene’s glitzy urban attributes. D’em London rude-boys, they want no girly vocals and emotions in their gritty beats. Then Burial said, “Nah, guy, we can bring the garage soul to the warehouse. Watch.” And that’s what he done did, taking in garage samples and overdubbing them so they came out as ethereal whispers of UK clubbing’s past, contorted into something abstract and haunting. And geez, does it ever tug at your nostalgia memory centres. Small surprise everyone was quick in making the Boards Of Canada comparison, and it can’t be a coincidence that the Scotland duo took a long hiatus almost immediately after Burial emerged (yes it can).

But that’s the Burial as we’ve come to know, which broke out of UK obscurity with his sophomore album, Untrue. For this album, we only hear that half the time, and no surprise these are among the best tracks within. Distant Lights, Southern Comfort, U Hurt Me, Gutted, and Pirates all play to a sense desolate inner-city soul, even as the rhythmic shuffle echoes crisp and clear off abandoned buildings recently used for squat parties. There’s gentle rain-soaked ambience too (Night Bus, Forgive), but the rest of Burial is still tied to dubstep’s pure-grime roots, music much too sparse and rhythmically clunky for those uninterested in anything UK bass related.

Ultimately, Burial’s debut sounds like he’s exploring where his music can potentially go rather than being bothered in creating a cohesive LP. Considering how many copy-cats its spawned though, he definitely hit upon something special here.

Wu-Tang Clan - A Better Tomorrow

Asylum Records: 2014

I can't get Miracles out of my head! Is it because that chorus is totally brilliant, or totally daft, or brilliantly daft? It's certainly unlike anything the Wu-Tang Clan has ever done before, sounding both suitable for a corny old-timey musical and a corny EDM festival anthem. The Shaolin crew's appeal is for the rugged and raw feel of their beats and rhymes, yet here's an entry into their discography that's about as squeaky-clean as a Rodgers & Hammerstein production. Are the Wu members offering verses on Miracles even into it? They don't sound embarrassed or out of place – even Raekwon seems earnest about the song's intention (namely, can the world's troubles only be solved with miraculous intervention?). It boggles my brain, confounds my cranium, puzzles my pons.

That’s only one track though. The rest of A Better Tomorrow is, dare I say, not as bad as everyone’s making it out to be? I’m already split on Miracles, which has been every other critic’s big ‘NOPE!’ moment on this album. A few other weak moments aside though, I’m digging much of the Wu’s latest LP, especially such a hot opener like Ruckus In B Minor (ODB lives!) I’m fine there’ll never be another Enter The 36 Chambers or Forever - just provide solid, skill music, and I’m satisfied. And more often than not, I’m gettin’ my vibe on to A Better Tomorrow.

Ol’ RZA, he’s finally figured out how to get some mileage out of all those stockpiled instruments in his studio. After all, isn’t it better to create your own funk and soul loops with actual musicians rather than raid the past? If you have the capability, I say go for it, and RZA’s learned quite a bit from the true masters of the craft (no, not True Master). What I find fascinating about these beats is they’re still arranged in that distinct twitchy style RZA’s known for, but with real instruments complementing hip-hop beats, chop-sockey dialog, and scratched-up samples. Not every track hits the mark (ugh, Hold The Heater’s synths struggle to gain any traction), but for all the complaints I’ve read about RZA losing his way, I just don’t hear it. I want to hear this evolution in Wu-Tang Clan! Wait, does that make me a Wu-Tang apologist, willing to overlook every weird third-tier tangent and mediocre sub-sub affiliate project, all because it comes with that classic emblem? Oh God. U-God, even!

The real trouble with A Better Tomorrow is how inconsequential all these MCs come off. Though there aren’t any wack rhymes, no one really stands out either. It’s like RZA considered each Clan member just another instrument in his arsenal, which makes a bit of sense at this late stage. His fam’s found their own way after twenty years, and aren’t so reliant on him for exposure. It does make this album more of a RZA LP than a full-on Wu joint, which is your leave it or lump it decider in a nutshell.

Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons

Salvation Music: 2014

Finally, after sifting through a bunch of Ghostface Killah's back catalog, I can discuss a new album from the prolific Wu-Tang Clan member. Law of averages dictated my alphabetical stipulation and Tony Starks' ceaseless work rate would coincide with each other eventually. What even is his average, on LP per year now? He could have easily faded with his '00s fame, ready to slow down and rest easy on the rap game - no one would think lesser of him. Yet here he is again, slamming back a Shaolin Powerthirst, spitting out four-hundred fresh verses, each filled with the same fire that's driven him since the earliest days of Wu-Tang's formation. What is he, the Neil Young of hip-hop?

For that matter, what else can he rap about? He’s done the street tales, the sexy come-ons, the conscious rhymes, the battles brags, and the made-man narratives... what’s left? Horrorcore? Nerdcore? Yes! I mean, Mr. Coles already takes on aspects of slasher flicks (the ‘ghostface’ persona) and geek culture (Ironman, obviously), so why not embrace them to their logical extreme? Spin some narratives that aren’t as tied to gritty block dramas and rap jargon either, instead take on fantastical elements as witnessed in the pulpiest of ‘70s exploitation films. It’s never held The RZA back.

I don’t think Ghostface is quite willing to go so far off the macabre end as RZA did with Gravediggaz, but on 36 Seasons, he shows no problem having his own Bobby Digital moment. This is a pure blaxploitation action-thriller, a familiar story told for anyone well versed in the cinematic sub-genre. Come, sit by the fire as I weave the tale. A man comes back from time away, usually while in prison, but sometimes to serve duty overseas, or other ‘mysterious’ reasons. His neighbourhood’s changed though: streets have grown rougher, corrupt cops patrol the roads, and worse of all, his woman’s found another man in her life. Not that he blames her, as nine years is a long time to be gone, but there’s something fishy about this cat. More urgent though, is cleaning up the illicit drug game, and as the cops are on the take, the man takes it upon himself to do the deed. A chemical explosion in one such raid leaves him physically incapacitated though, forcing him to see a ‘mad scientist’ for treatment, thus forced to wear a mask in the form of a ghost. Wait, isn’t this Dr. Doom’s origin story?

Actually, the whole ‘becoming Ghostface’ part only takes up a brief portion of the album’s narrative. Also, I’m kinda’ disappointed the ‘Final Showdown’ of the story only lasts one two-minute track’s worth - it felt like 36 Seasons was building up to something bigger. There’s little else worth complaining about though. Ghostface remains as taught a storyteller as ever, the beats ooze ‘70s funk and soul, and AZ makes for an excellent rap foil throughout. 36 Seasons isn’t an essential album, but it’s enjoyable and skill for a vigilante narrative.

Sykonee Survey's Spotify's (Not So) Senseless Suggestions: Round 5

Welp, time to retire this feature. It was fun while it lasted, but a few factors have contributed to it no longer having much use going forward.

1. Spotify’s senseless suggestions just aren’t senseless anymore. While that’s all well and good in discovering new music that interests me, it defeats the point of having a feature with ‘Senseless Suggestions’ right in the title. I could modify it some more so it serves as a spotlight on cool new discoveries through the streaming service, but in its current incarnation, I feel it's best lay it to rest. Besides...

2. I won't have many new rounds for the next few months. As mentioned, I intended to only update these surveys at mid' or end points of my alphabetical batches. The letters coming up contain some of the biggest bundles of albums out of my entire music collection. This would lead to infrequent updates, not to mention a huge backlog of suggestions from Spotify. That is, if I'd still got emails from them, which leads me to factor number...

3. Spotify's stopped sending me suggestions, senseless or otherwise. I'm not sure why this is. Was it only a short-term service, a means of enticing me to use Spotify after registering? Are the playlists I've been compiling confounding its algorithms to the point it simply 'noped' me? True, the website itself has a suggestion feature available, but man, those email lists were so handy.

Anyhow, let's get into the final batch of musics Spotify decided was ideal for my listening pleasure.

Zombie Nation - Absorber
Since this is the last Survey, I’m breaking a rule and checking out albums suggested based on previous artists played. In this particular case, Spotify figures I’ll enjoy Zombie Nation’s sophomore album because I listened to The Prodigy. I don’t hear the correlation. Super mega ultra popular hit Kernkraft 400 notwithstanding, the Florian Senfter alias has leaned more techno and EBM with his output, and this LP’s no exception - it’s New Order fed through the industrial grinder. Liam Howlett did try getting himself some of that trashy electro action too, but he never sounded like this. Nay, I’m only getting this suggestion because they both had big anthems on the UK charts, and even then at totally different times in clubbing culture’s history. Silly suggestion, but at least it wasn’t the obvious one.

Recommendation Rating: 2/5

Basement Jaxx - Summer Daze EP
Yeah, Spotify’s been on my ass about checking this single out for almost as long as it’s been sending me suggestions. Erm, when it finally clued into my fondness for electronic music at least. First it tied it to Faithless, and here it’s based on The Prodigy. I get it, Spotify, Basement Jaxx are huge on the UK charts. But I’m Canadian, dammit, and my interest in them has been passive at best. That said, why on Earth do you keep recommending this early single? To show me Felix, Nathan, and Simon are more than big dumb club anthems? Yes, I know they have a feel for the Latin sound side of house music, it’s right there on their albums alongside the stupid-fun shit too. And here you’re suggesting it because I played Their Law and Poison? The mind boggles.

Recommendation Rating: 3 shots of Malibu rum.

Hybrid - Forumla Of Fear
This was the lead single to the album Disappear Here. I already covered Can You Hear Me, the second single from that LP. Geez, just recommend me that album-proper already, why don’t ya’? There are fourteen versions available of this song, half of which are redundant – the Überzone mix alone comes in Vocal, Dub, and Radio Edit versions. Grafiti does a dull minimal-tech plod rub (and a dub version!), Steam Punk does a standard electro-trash mix, Longrange goes funkier with the electro in his go, and Glenn Morrison does a weak breaks version. Oh, and Hybrid remixes too, includes an Instrumental Mix, and an Acapella. Now I’m burnt the fuck out on this track, which was only a decent ‘rocktronica’ tune in the first place.

Recommendation Rating: Still sticking with Wider Angle: Live Disc.

Dan McKie vs Orbital - Halycyon (Again)
Just what the world needed, a classic Orbital anthem, now with plodding electro farts! I don’t know much about Mr. McKie, who runs 1980 Recordings, but this ‘remix’ of his isn’t inspiring me to check out anything further from him. Steve Haines remix is better, feeding off the good side of throwback electro house (funk!), while Licious K’s remix goes bump-tech micro-plonk. Guess this single has every trendy house genre of 2008 covered then.

Recommendation Rating: 2 Ons out of 4.

Funk D’Void - Volume Freak
Mr. Sandberg’s third and seemingly final album under the Funk D’Void name. Damn, I’m stunned to discover this. He was one of the rising stars of house music’s new and daring innovations at the turn of the century, finding ways of melding techno and funk into a sound wholly his own. He did continue releasing singles, but it seems his focus has gone towards building a sustainable DJ career. Guess it’s working out for him since he got his hands into the reputable Balance series. This album’s fine, though not terribly surprising as house music goes.

Recommendation Rating: pi tilde omega

Gudrun Gut - Members Of The Ocean Club
There had to be something totally unexpected in this batch of suggestions. There’s always that one, quirky outlier that makes not a lick of sense in contrast to the artists, yet is totally wicked coolio neato! Gudrun Gut’s been around since the early ‘80s, getting her start in influential industrial and new wave bands like Malaria! and Einstürzende Neubauten. In the ‘90s, she started making music on her own as well, though often as duets with various other artists. This album’s quite a mish-mash of ‘90s genres too: trip-hop, EBM, trance, dark ambient, and a second CD features remixes from Paul van Dyk, Klaus Schulze, Ian Pooley, Ellen Allien, and Thomas Fehlmann. It’s a German love-in! Probably best enjoyed in a Berlin S&M dungeon.

Recommendation Rating: Sixty-six spankings out of sixty-nine.

The Grid - Floatation
I already have this song in my library. Negative fifty points for you, Spotify. Oh, wait, this is the 2010 re-re-issue-mix. There’s a Prins Thomas Mix, which doesn’t sound all that dissimilar to the original, beyond a weaker rhythm. Round Table Knights goes full-on Balearic house mode with their rub, and Slof Man does… oh dear. Brostep? Really!? That is so utterly, horribly wrong for a track like this. God damn trendwhoring bastards.

Recommendation Rating: Off the deep end wearing concrete sandals.

And the final tally for Round Five is some arbitrary numerical affixation for my particular listening whims. I really don’t know in this case. How about Moe? Yeah, I’ll rate this Moe. Not a terribly adventurous wade into the Spotify waters this time out, but that’s all on the streaming service’s digital head. It’s abandoned me, no longer leading my hand and foot, leaving to my own whims wherever I may venture. Perhaps I’ll tell you about my Spotify expeditions some time in the future, but for now, I bid adieu to this Senseless Surveys.

Union Jack - Pylon Pigs (Original TC Review)

Platipus: 2009

(2015 Update:
Ugh, I hate it when a review starts with reference to other TranceCritic reviews not written by me. How can readers unfamiliar with that defunct website know what in the blue blazes I'm talking about in the here and now? Sure, I kinda' got my own 'Simon Berry Backstory' out of the way with the Platipus Records Dream Collection, but maybe folks are curious to read what ol' Jack had to say about that Art Of Trance collection too. Perhaps I ought to pester him to upload his old material. Or at least get back in the reviewer's chair at some point, heh.

Good news for Pylon Pigs is the singles still hold up remarkably well. Berry and Not-Claudio tapped into something timeless with Papillon and Funnelweb, though it undoubtedly helps absolutely no one else tried emulating their acid trance in the modern era. Unfortunately, that also means this album never gained enough buzz to stage a massive comeback, neither for Berry or his Platipus/Porcupine print. I'm hoping he's got it in him to release a couple new tunes at some point in the future, but it looks like this album's about the end for his LP efforts.)


IN BRIEF: Fitting in.

Hooray for me, J’[ack Moss] handle most of the lengthy back-info regarding Simon Berry with his recent review of Art Of Trance’s Retrospective. Of course, that’s not the whole story, as there’s also the business of Berry’s other big project from the Platipus glory years. That’s right, none other than Clanger. No, wait… Poltergeist, that’s it! Vicious Circles?

Yes, yes, it’s Union Jack. The project was a collaboration with Claudio Giussani, and though short-lived the two of them undoubtedly produced some of the most famous Platipus records together; Two Full Moons, Red Herring, Lollipop Man, plus several remixes of roster mates. After a well-received album (There Will Be No Armageddon), both went their separate ways pursuing solo careers, and everyone figured the name Union Jack would forever be put to rest.

Lo, such has not been the case. Simon Berry has been feeling the production itch again, and after spending most of this decade out on the fringes of the trance scene’s collective consciousness, has re-emerged with the Union Jack banner, sporting all-new material for our ears to feast on. Only… this isn’t the same Union Jack of old, as Giussani is nowhere to be seen. Instead, former Clanger collaborator Paul Brogden takes his place. And since a reunion of Clanger wouldn’t garner nearly the same amount of buzz as a reunion of Union Jack would… But hey, Claudio had no problem in letting them carry on the name in his absence, so it’s all good.

Only thing, part of what made Union Jack so memorable back in the day was Claudio’s influence. If you compare his and Berry’s solo efforts (as Terra Ferma and Art of Trance, respectively), Claudio tended to be the overall better songwriter, if not the better hit-maker (though admittedly, Berry’s biggest hit was by way of a remix from Ferry Corsten). That may have been in part because he wasn’t nearly as prolific as Berry, so the quality-control ratio was more concise, but there it is. Bottom line is in taking out one-half of a strong tandem and replacing it with another who hasn’t had anywhere near the same sort of success (sorry, Paul), we unfortunately don’t end up with a Union Jack that can't match up to the previous version.

Not to say there aren’t some great cuts to be had on Pylon Pigs - there are. If you haven’t heard lead single Papillion by now, chances are you haven’t been anywhere near prominent trance forums. Of course, this isn’t trance as it’s come to be known, but rather something of a throw-back to the years of acid-yore. Given extra weight by modern production, the acid baseline burbles with power as thick no-nonsense kicks pound away. Then you have spacey, floaty pad work, bright bursts of synthy arpeggios, and rhythmical spoken syllables, staples of many a Union Jack track. It’s as vintage a sound as you’re likely to find but doesn’t sound dated in the slightest. In fact, it has become something of a statement for folks favoring old school trance, a perfect example that the genre can be just as relevant today as it was over a decade ago so long as DJs give it ample exposure. Similar cut Funnelweb (of which aptly bookends the album with Papillon) and deeper cut Longhorn will undoubtedly add ammo for such arguments. Elsewhere, the ‘90s comparisons continue with a cool-groove tune in Vowel that’s reminiscent of Underworld, while Triclops comes across like a long-lost Hooj Tunes single.

All well and good for nostalgia’s sake, and certainly there’s nothing wrong in resurrecting sounds that are thusly proved to be timeless; however, aside from Papillon and Funnelweb, you don’t really get the sense we’re hearing anything creatively fresh either. Most of the melodies are predictable and safe, with execution suggesting Berry and Brogden weren’t all that fussed in pushing the genre anywhere new. They do get a little indulgent in their experimental side with downtempo cuts like Submerge, Mainline, and Lifeblood, but these feel more like tide-over tracks between the clubbier cuts than anything else.

On top of all that, there’s Blink, a track I’m at a loss to figure out why it even exists. Aside from a few bits of those vintage rhythmic syllables, it’s about as generic an ‘mau5 clone’ as you’ll ever come across; there’s nothing about it that makes you say, “Now that’s a Union Jack track.” If you’ve gone out of your way to prove classic acid-trance can work in a contemporary climate, why also go out of your way to include a track that is not only creatively weaker than anything else on the album, but adds nothing to the over-saturated “8th-note trance” glut in the process? Such it goes, though.

Overall, despite the positive things offered by Pylon Pigs, this isn’t the triumphant return of acid trance some have proclaimed it to be. Rather, it’s quite a safe album, as though Berry and Brogden were more concerned about testing the waters with their sound instead of making the kind of definitive statement many hoped. It’s not the most flowing listening experience either - having the blissy ambient Submerge as the second track and lodged between two club bangers just doesn’t make a lick of sense.

I still recommend this as a pick-up - Papillon, Funnelweb, and Triclops easily make it worth the entry fee, and though the rest won’t light the world on fire, they will still entertain for the most part. However, despite what the hype circles have been purporting the last few months, Pylon Pigs is far from a modern classic.

Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2009. © All rights reserved.

Electro Sun - Pure Blue (2015 Update)

Trancelucent Productions: 2005

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review)

Before digging into updates regarding Electro Sun, I need to get this off my chest...

Dear God, has it ever taken forever getting through these last two letters! Right, officially the count's four months, and at least one week was eaten up by a technicality of Western languages. I look at the hard numbers though, and it doesn’t seem like I should only now be wrapping up the ‘P’s, yet here we are, eighty-four albums successfully navigated through and reviewed (sans the alphabetical back-track releases). You know what’s scary though? Eighty-four is still nowhere near the amount of albums I have starting with ‘S’ – that letter may eat up four months of this project alone. I guess I should be thankful that ‘P’ took some of the hit with all those ‘psy-whatever’ CDs. Ooh, can’t pass up a genre segueway like that now!

Yeah, I know, Electro Sun’s debut LP Pure Blue is only psy trance in the most liberal sense of the word. I even pointed that out in my original TranceCritic review, and I was just getting my feet wet with the nascent Israeli full-on movement. With plenty of time checking out more full-on since, I think his tunes fall under the micro-sub genre of Morning Trance, though only 7am will suffice for the track Sundance. Which one was that again? You know, the track with wibbly rhythm, the wubbly melodies, and the bouncy hook that sounds like acid filtered through a tin can. No, the other one that sounds like that. No, the- ah geez, not this snarky shit again.

Make no mistake, that “bland Stretch of Vanilla” doesn’t hold up in the slightest. Mr. Elkayam’s production comes off as plastic and cheap as any generic Israeli trance as you can stereotype, and sounds woefully dated a decade on. And yet, those few good tracks I liked before (I’ve Got The Power, In My Dream ...Super Nova, maybe) are simply irresistible to the cheddar centres sparking the lumps of grey matter inside my skull. There’s something just so cheerfully earnest about these tunes, I can’t hate on them no matter how much critical logic dictates I should. Damn these feels I have for silly, slap-happy psy.

As for ol’ Nadav, he’s kept a steady career since this album, releasing two more full-lengths, the latest of which coming out in 2011. Even more recently he’s gotten his fingers into the digital EP business, though Lord Discogs only lists two such offerings at this point. Whether he’s released more music than that, I haven’t a clue, nor do I care. Pure Blue was average at best, and while Electro Sun may have grown as a producer, he toed the divide between shameless fun and eye-rolling rubbish too closely for my liking. It wouldn’t take much for him to dive fully and completely into either side, but judging by the awful cover of his third album, Higher Than Ever, I can safely guess which way he went.