Bill Laswell - Sacred System: Chapter One - Book Of Entrance (Original TC Review)

Reachout International: Cat. # RUSCD8225
Released 1996

Track List:
1. Babylon Ghost (6:00)
2. Dread Iternal (9:19)
3. Cyborg Assault (5:37)
4. Galactic Zone (9:31)
5. Sub Terrain (16:12)


(2010 Update:
I stand corrected. Bill Laswell did have a major hit, as he co-wrote Herbie Hancock's Rockit. Oh, and when I refer to this release as 'minimal dub', I'm talking about traditional Jamaican dub played in a very minimal way, not minimal dub-techno. Really, you should know that -it's Laswell, after all.)


IN BRIEF: Blink, and it may be gone.

I love dub, really I do. The way it takes a standard sound and layers it over and over, creating these amazingly cavernous effects, is absolute bliss to a guy who tends to have headphones plastered to his ears most of the time. The resonance in the air of dub music has a way of sucking you in as you become lost drifting on the waves of sonic delights.

Ambient dub is often the more creative domain of dub music. With less attention paid to the immediate rhythms and melodies, producers use the sparseness of ambient music to toy around with resonance, admittedly sometimes with patience sapping, self-indulgent results.

One of the mainstays since the earliest days of this style is bassist Bill Laswell. Through dozens of collaborations and hundreds of releases, he may be one of the biggest names in electronic music you've never heard of, and for good reason. Because of his fairly loose approach to musicianship, he's never really had anything close to a hit in all this time. Much like jazz music, repeating melodies may come and go but are tinkered and toyed with as the song progresses. The idea of repeating the same melody in a traditional verse/chorus method is normally thrown completely out the window, allowing Laswell to feel his way through a song's duration and concluding it when he sees fit.

I came across Laswell via his Divination alias, a dark, minimal ambient side project that I quite liked. When I discovered he'd done a bunch of ambient dub as well, I eagerly began looking for some. Trouble is, because of his huge discography, I was stumped as to where to begin. Due to his ability to leap across musical genres almost at will, recommendations were all over the place. In the end, I did what was probably best anyways: take a gamble and grab whatever caught my eye. As a result, I'm here reviewing Sacred System: Chapter One - Book Of Entrance, the first in a series of dubby releases done for Reachout.

One thing I noticed right away is this is very bass driven music. While there is percussion and keyboards about, they are mostly there to complement Laswell's playing. As a result, I can see a potential audience being quite limited.

This isn't meant as a knock on bass players in general, but fact of the matter is not many people can get into this form of music. A bass guitar's frequency range is so low that, even if you have adequate speakers to do it justice, the human ear is far more responsive to higher range notes when they are played. This is why bass is almost always relegated to accompanying the rhythm or harmonizing with the melody to give it added tonal depth. You have to really pay attention when the bass is carrying the musical weight of a song, as things as simple as a single piano key easily stick out from many of the low tones.

That all said, does Sacred System have enough chops to keep an acute listener paying attention? It's a mixed bag, I have to say.

Opening track Babylon Ghost starts out with some bubbly sound effects (alright, it’s a bong. Don’t ask me how I know) setting up a light-hearted tone. The rhythm and Laswell's bass playing is quite bouncy and repetitive throughout, allowing all of the dubby effects to spice things as the song moves along. No two bars sound identical, but unless you're paying attention to such slight details like a stutter echo or delay effect, you probably won't notice much variation throughout. At points a couple piano chords with a lot of echo and delay effects join, creating an almost strumming sound, but the chords played are mostly the same as well, relying on dub tricks for diversity.

These techniques are played out in the next two tracks as well, offering different styles to utilize them in. As the name suggests, Dread Iternal is slower and darker, making use of sparse percussion and spacey pads that Laswell uses quite nicely. However, the bass does most of the work here, and with an over-nine minute duration, it can be a bit of a tedious excursion. Cyborg Assault is much quicker, leaping into jungle's territory as Laswell's speedy bass tears along. Even the strumming pianos, while sounding a bit muted due to the very brief echo effects, get a chance to play with more than just the two basic chords at times. In fact, Cyborg Assault may just be the most accessible track to casual listeners on here, provided they don't mind speedy rhythms.

Galactic Zone moves into different territory from the previous three. While a slower track like Dread Iternal, it doesn't fall into the repetitive, noodly style the former did. As a clumpity-clump-clump rhythm plays out with plenty of dub tricks, a gentle keyboard serenely moves throughout, improvising along the way to never fall into repetitive staleness the way the pianos did. Laswell's bass playing complements the keyboard nicely, alternating turns at carrying the song for its nine-plus duration.

And, before you know it, we're already at the last track on this release. Wait a moment! How did that happen? I could have sworn I just put this thing on. Sure, this isn't a long album in general (forty-six minutes total) but even old rock albums of shorter length don't go by this quickly. I suppose because the songs sound so similar, it almost feels like you are listening to just one big song, with brief pauses to change the tempo. Is this a good thing? I don't know, but despite the pleasantness of what's been played, I still kind of feel I'm not getting my money's worth if half an hour of music can pass me by without noticing much (and this is when I'm actually paying attention to the bass leads; I'd imagine most other folks wouldn't even notice that).

Speaking of one long song, the last one here, Sub Terrain, inconspicuously breaches the sixteen minute mark. Much like everything else on here, the pleasant keyboard tones, caa-lumpity clump rhythm, benign pads, and groovy bass are nice to listen to as they are playing, but they don't grab your attention for long either as the structureless approach to them has a tendency to let your mind wander. I'll be listening to it, go do something else for a couple minutes, and come back without feeling like I missed anything important. Fortunately, the sounds and melodies are catchy enough to keep Sub Terrain from crossing into dreaded muzak territory, but only just.

So, yeah, I guess this is a nice little album to throw on and sit back to. If you pay attention diligently to the subtle little production tricks, there's some interest to be had. However, knowing the attention span of most folks these days, I can't see them getting into Sacred System all that much. Perhaps it's their loss but minimal dub of this sort does tend to appeal to only a small portion of the EDM community.


Score: 6/10

ACE TRACKS:
Galactic Zone


Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.

DuMonde vs Lange - Memory (Original TC Review)

Superstar Recordings: Cat. # 015 602-2 

Released 2002 

Track List: 

1. Memory (Radio Cut) (3:19) 

2. Memory (Original Mix) (7:46) 

3. Memory (Lange Mix) (7:56) 

4. Memory (Megara vs DJ Lee Remix) (7:05) 

5. Memory (JamX & De Leon Mix) (6:34) 

6. Memory (Original Dub) (7:07) 

(2010 Update: Alright, so I just wanted to namedrop a little DS9. Can you blame a Niner? Came up with a fairly decent review in the process though.) 

 IN BRIEF: Vile. Insidious. Just like the Federation 

Before I dive into this review, allow me to get my geek on here. Oh, don't look so surprised. Every guy in Western society has an inner geek. Some just use it pursuing things more normally accepted by the populace (like cars, weight lifting, politics… er, music). 

Anyhow, back in the 90s there was a little show called Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a spin-off from the ultra-popular Star Trek: The Next Generation (yeah, I know. Hard to believe anything called Star Trek was considered hip). A bit unconventional for a Trek show, it often showed points of view from non-Federation (re: alien) perspectives, and not always in the most human-flattering ways either. 

Take the following discussion from two alien characters, Quark and Garak, a pair that often had self-serving interests for good or ill: 

Quark: I want you to try something for me. 

Garak: What is it? 

Quark: A human drink. It's called root beer. 

Garak: I don't know. 

Quark: Come on. Aren't you just a little bit curious? 

Garak: *Hesitantly takes a sip, then recoils in disgust* It's vile! 

Quark: I know. It's so bubbly and cloying and happy. 

Garak: *Smiling* Just like the Federation.

Quark: But you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it.

Garak: It's insidious. 

Quark: Just like the Federation. 

Really, I can't think of a better comparison to Memory by the collaborative efforts of DuMonde and Lange (with Alexis Strum singing). Everything that I've come to despise in Dutch trance is in full effect here: the gargantuan supersaw synths, useless vocals, momentum killing breakdowns, and production techniques that use tons of effects to cover a lack of good song-writing; all style over substance. Yet I just can't hate this song. 

 How? How could such a seemingly vile song bring a silly smile to my face without a trace of irony or cynicism? Well, I'll give a large amount of credit to the rhythm. Sure, it's fairly uncomplicated stuff but there's so much resonance in it that it fills in those little sonic gaps with energy. The bass rolls along instead of just bobbing offbeat, making this an incredibly invigorating track. 

It's more than that, though. While I've often said I have a dislike of supersaw synths, it isn't so much the synth themselves but the way they are used. Since this type of synth fills out such a wide range of sound, you can often have a serious lack of musical talent and still get away with making a monstrous track. Far too many songs have been produced with nothing more than random notes struck that sound cool, the odd time with an auto-arpeggiator thrown in for variety. 

Fortunately, DuMonde and Lange had been at the game long enough to had learned how to write a decent melody when they made Memory, and between the three of them, they managed to create something a little more special than your standard Dutch fare. It's epic without being pompous; it's cheerful without being saccharine; it reminds me of many a euro dance melody. 

In fact, Memory further supports my theory that vocal trance is just the new euro dance. Instead of choruses, though, we get the main hook on its own. And where raps used to be, we get a breakdown/build. For that this nu-euro (Whoa! New genre alert!) isn't nearly as good as its decade old predecessor, as I'd rather sing along to a rap than just stand around waiting for something danceable to start up again. It's still fun in a pinch, though, when I'm feeling in the mood for something lighthearted. 

But perhaps you don't want that and desire a more straightforward trancer. Lange's mix of Memory should help you out with that, as the bass is more standard, off-beat fare with synth pads slowly building in intensity as Ms. Strum sings. It's a shame he decides to absolutely kill that momentum with a halting breakdown some three minutes in. The ensuing payoff nearly a minute later is okay given the strength of the melody itself (this time a little more subdued), and some of the lost energy is regained once the vocals return in a distorted fashion, but I have to ask whether it was necessary to take us to absolute zero in the first place? The song was doing fine before that dead stop a third of the way through. I mean, could you imagine how intense this song would have been if the rhythm was steadily building throughout as the first bit seemed to indicate it could? It boggles the mind! 

But perhaps you'd just rather have something with more bounce. Then Megara and DJ Lee's remix will be the answer for you. Rather than synthy pads, we are treated to punchy Corsten-chords thrusting forth brazenly, making this mix far more exuberant. Oddly enough, without as much emphasis on big melodies, the lyrics stand out better, even to the point they actually begin to make a bit of sense. It seems this song's about a gal who can tap into the hidden secrets of the cosmos via the memories stored in her very DNA! Then again, it could just as easily be about past love as well. 

Perhaps the breakdowns in these mixes haven't been long enough for you, though. Then DuMonde's own mix (as their JamX and De Leon selves) should be right up your alley, as you get to wait a whole ninety seconds for the payoff. Alright, the payoff is bordering on garishly theatrical, but it is insidiously catchy, taking the bounciness of the Megara/DJ Lee remix and cranking the effects to overdrive. Good stupid fun to be had with this mix, if you can just ignore the useless intro rhythm leading to the breakdown. Really, this would have been a better track if they got rid of it and made the breakdown a, *gasp* intro. Hey, it's a radical idea, but it could work. It's not like you'd be caught stealing techniques from old school trance since hardly anyone who'd enjoy this probably wouldn't give the stuff ten plus years old a glance. 

Oh, and there's a radio cut at the beginning and an instrumental at the end of this release, but since they're basically the same song as the original, you can figure out how they go for yourself (hint: one's short, the other's got no vocals). 

In the end, Memory is a fine enough bit of non-consequential fluff. I'd have liked to have seen a little more variation on the remixes, as they all basically follow the exact same structure while injecting the featured remixer's trademark sounds, but they are all serviceable without detracting from what makes Memory better than standard euro fare: energetic rhythms, and a vile, bubbly, cloying, happy, insidious melody that you can't help liking no matter how much you detest everything it stands for. 

Score: 7/10 

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.

Miss Kittin & The Hacker - First Album (Original TC Review)

Emperor Norton: Cat. # ENR 7052-2
Released 2004

Track List:
1. Life On MTV (4:22)
2. Frank Sinatra (3:54)
3. Walk On By (5:04)
4. 1982 (5:17)
5. Stock Exchange (5:22)
6. You And Us (4:25)
7. Flexibility (6:25)
8. L'Homme Dans L'Ombre (4:15)
9. Slow Track (2:55)
10. Nurse (5:13)
11. Stripper (4:58)
12. DJ Song (3:03)
13. Walking In The Sunshine (5:14)
14. Frank Sinatra (2001) (4:55)
15. Stock Exchange (Adamsky Remix) (6:32)


(2010 Update:
I never did strike up a conversation with the sexy business women...)


IN BRIEF: Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

What is it about seemingly unproduced EDM that instantly conjures up the 80s? Simply put, because such sounds were created, and thus heavily used, in that era, the images associated with the decade have a tendency of springing to mind. In addition, because electronic production has improved by leaps and bounds since those early, innocent years, the notion of making any music with such dated technology seems absurd unless you are deliberately making music in tribute to the era.

Such seemed to be the main draw of the emergence of electroclash and disco punk at the turn of the century. With its raw, tinny, primitive soundscapes, one could not help but draw comparisons to 80's music, allowing trendy hipsters to enjoy it, in the very least, on an ironic level. But one can only push their tongue in their cheek for so long before it pokes right through. The whole scene died a quick death, with indie rockers picking up the pieces to create a new wave of, er, new wave bands.

That electroclash sputtered out isn't all that surprising; most EDM micro-scenes normally have a lifespan of two to three years, depending on how quickly talentless hacks flood the market with piss-poor knock-offs. However, looking back on it, what's quite surprising is that a great number of these acts that spearheaded the whole movement managed to create such catchy music with the barest of musical production, an almost knee-jerk punkish reaction to the over-the-top theatrics of the most popular EDM of the time, trance (specifically of the Dutch variety).

Take Miss Kittin & The Hacker. The music on their first album is EDM stripped down to its most raw elements of 808 rhythms, analogue synths, and bubbly acid bass. Meanwhile, Miss Kittin's lyrics are delivered in a rather emotionless monotone of the barest substance. At the time of its initial release in 2001 (and even earlier with a few singles off here), First Album was the perfect antidote to all the pretentious bombast causing several EDM scenes to suffocate on their own self-importance. Four years on, however, music scenes seemed to have clued in and a wave of tighter song writing with less emphasis on over-production has taken over. Has Miss Kittin & The Hacker's collaborative debut managed to hold its own and remain relevant in a sea of copycats? Let's take a listen and see.

The album doesn't waste any time with pleasantries. Life On MTV jumps right into raw, simple percussion and ugly synths playing a simple, bleak melody. When this isn't going on, Miss Kittin (real name Caroline Herve) takes over with robotic spoken words regarding, well, life on America's music station I guess. This is an incredibly sparse track but The Hacker (real name Michael Amato) manages to fill in the gaps with just enough resonance to suck you in, if only briefly. However, Life On MTV is as good a gauge for this album, as nearly the rest of the songs follow this production technique. If you don't get much out of this opener, chances are you won't get much later either.

Not with Frank Sinatra, though. Even if you despise the musical aspect of it (which is rather minimal, really), you can't help but laugh at the lyrics, "Suck my dick/Lick my ass." I mean, c'mon! The fact it's delivered by a woman is enough to incite giggles by itself, but when said in such a sincere method, you're going to get instant sing-a-long satisfaction from a crowd. And the fact it appeals to whom can relate to this song's theme of decadent celebrity behavior, and those who like to mock such people, you have a guaranteed hit on your hands. Shame it took nearly four years for people to catch on.

Walk On By continues the thread of living the fa-beau-lussM life as an ode to catwalk modeling. While Miss Kittin's heavily distorted lyrics aren't much to get excited about (they sound about as enthused as the expressions on some of those model's faces, which is the point I suppose), this is definitely a cool sounding track despite its repetitiveness. Those synthetic tinging hi-hats never fail to please ardent techno fans.

As one of the first singles the duo produced, 1982 still holds up remarkably well thanks to some funky rhythms but I'm just not feeling it quite as much as these last two tracks. I guess the electro vibes and kitschy lyrics are already starting to sound too same-y despite the fun themes present. There are some nice synth sounds on this track but compared to what's to follow, they really don't stand out all that much.

Especially compared to the ones on the next track, Stock Exchange. Do they sound old? Sure, but that's the absolute beauty of these synth chords. It's amazing despite their rather cold sound that they can contain such a rich range of warmth. They wonderfully complement the song's tale of an escort's sad life pleasing businessmen (one interpretation, anyways). The rhythm's quite perky as well with offbeat bass quite typical in trance music. In fact, Stock Exchange is something I'd be more willing to call "electro trance", far more than what normally gets branded as such.

Alright, time for a slight tangent here as I tell a little story relating to this song. While Stock Exchange may be about an escort, sometimes I can't help but think of it in a more literal sense, as about an actual woman working on Wall Street, and sick of the rat-race it involves. Why? On the bus I take home from work, sometimes I see this one particular woman who fits the description of the character from Miss Kittins lyrics, including a pink business suit! When I first heard Stock Exchange, this woman was sitting beside me on the bus, which I could not help but think it was strangely coincidental. Sure, you see familiar faces all the time when you take the same bus routes almost daily, and I'd seen this businesswoman countless times before. But to have her sit down beside me as Stock Exchange is playing? Strange. Oh, and to answer the obvious questions: yes, this woman is rather lovely; no, she's probably ten to twenty years my senior; and no, despite sharing the same bus on occasion, I've never actually talked to her before as I'm usually worn out from work anyways. Hmm maybe I should change that one day...

Oh, yeah. This review. Um, let's get back to it, shall we?

The duo take a bit of a departure from the style that opened the album up with the next couple of tracks. Instead of aloof observations about pop culture, Miss Kittin takes the opportunity to talk about the pair themselves while Amato's synth chords get darker and de-tuned. You And Us and Flexibility are very similar in this regard, as they are strictly dancefloor material without much emphasis on lyrical content. The same could be said about L'Homme Dans L'Ombre, although my French is pathetic, so I really haven't a clue what Kittin's going on about for half this breakbeat-ish song. Despite the similarity to these songs, I quite enjoy the synths. Yeah, I'm a sucker for analogue synths. Sue me.

The three song run of murky dance beats ends with Slow Track, as much of a filler track as I've ever heard since nothing much of interest happens here. Even Kittin can't seem to think of anything interesting to say to complement this one. Perhaps it's workable for a downtempo set in a pinch but there's plenty of better material to be had out there. I guess Amato wanted to show he could do more than just dancey songs?

Enough with the gloom, you say? How about some tracks with a little more zest then? Nurse and Stripper certainly are more playful to listen to and Miss Kittin gets more involved than simple droning. Nurse especially should please those looking for more of a return to the subject matter in the earlier portions of the album.

On this 2004 edition, one of three bonus tracks is featured next in DJ Song. Something of a B-Side, I guess Emperor Norton figured they might as well include it on the re-issues. It's not too bad of a song, baring similarities to Life On MTV (but then, don't most of these anyway?) but doesn't add much to the plate either. I'd imagine it's to the DJ culture what Frank Sinatra is to the celebrity culture.

Walking In The Sunshine is as pleasant a song as this album is going to have, providing an optimistic outlook on life after all the self-loathing (intentional or acted) filled to the rim with all the desolate soundscapes. On the original release of First Album, it was a nice capper to end on but we get a couple more bonus tracks on the 2004 edition, both remixes of the top hits.

Frank Sinatra (2001) is basically a revamping of the original to make it more club friendly when this music was blowing up big. Miss Kittin also cranks up the snootiness of her dialogue, making it even more fun to sing along to than before. The Adamsky (also known as Adamski to the old-schoolers) remix of Stock Exchange is wonderful. Taking the heartrending theme of the original and running with it, the song sounds even more tragic than ever before. Little guitar strums harmonize with a frailer sounding Miss Kittin (who re-sung the lyrics and by sung, I do mean she actually sings this time) while the fills in between get funkier and dirtier. In particular, this track stands out from the rest because it's so much more different.

Yeah, that's the thing about this whole First Album. Aside from a few standout poppy hits, the similarities of all these tracks will please fans of this style of music, and bore the rest. Since I like it, the ranking here goes up a little. If you don't, it'll go down a little more for you. More variety would have been nice but it's solid enough for what we get.

As for whether Miss Kittin & The Hacker's debut has dated four years later, I'd give my answer as a definite no. After all, the sound on First Album was dated to begin with. It isn't going to date any more but considering the current trend of infusing dated sounds in EDM to give them more grit, it may just be one of the most modern sounding releases around.


Score: 7/10

ACE TRACKS:
Stock Exchange
Frank Sinatra (2001)


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

L.S.G. - Volume 2 (Original TC Review)

Superstition Records: Cat. # 2069 CDM 

Released 1996 

Track List: 

1. Can U Hear Me? (3:54) 

2. Hear My Voice (3:40) 

3. Novastorm (7:48) 

4. Get Out (5:48) 

5. Lectrolyte (8:20) 

6. Microfish (2:46) 

7. Netherworld (11:00) 

8. Freakme (6:36)

 9. Firefly (12:17) 

10. Centurion (11:01) 

 (2010 Update: Nothing much to update here. The grammar's still a little clunky but a huge improvement over my early reviews nonetheless. Hey, I'd had over half a year to get the hang of it by now!) 

IN BRIEF: Starring Netherworld! Co-starring a bunch of really good songs you've probably overlooked. 

This is the one. From this album on, the face of trance music would never be the same and the man behind it, Oliver Lieb, for so long hidden in obscurity behind various guises, would be propelled into the club spotlight whether he wanted it or not. And the song that would accomplish this was dubbed Netherworld. 

I'm sure it may be difficult for some of the newer fans of trance to realize this but, before Netherworld became the anthem it did, the structure of trance wasn't quite as set in stone as it is today. The concept of dropping all rhythm to allow the main melody to be presented after some lead-in, while done at times, was hardly indicative of where trance stood during those years. For the most part the genre was quite content to remain the more hypnotic, melodic, or acidy offshoot of techno. 

A funny thing started to happen around this time, though. A number of prolific DJs who had been making a name for themselves playing various forms of house music for so long (though mostly progressive) started to catch ear of some of these other-worldly songs and began to incorporate them into their sets. Thanks to heavy hitters such as Netherworld, very soon these forms of trance (dubbed progressive trance, probably because the songs fit best in prog house sets; why bother creating a whole new adjective when a previous redundant one will do) would dominate clubland, making gods of guys who play records. 

Of course, things took a turn for the worse in small part when attention-seeking DJs overplayed it in hopes of deity-like worship, but in large part from hundreds of imitators flooding the market with cheap knock-offs, perhaps striking upon the winning formula that spearheaded the initial wave once out of every five hundred attempts (they're still trying, too). Okay, maybe that's unfair. The fact remains, though, there hasn't been many songs that have managed to emulate the stormer that Netherworld is, and for good reason. There simply are very few producers out there that are as talented as Oliver Lieb when it comes to trance. The recent re-release with new remixes of the track guarantees its legacy will continue for the new generation of trance lovers. 

So what does one of the defining prog trance anthems sound like? Structurally about the same as nearly any prog trance: a couple minutes of lead-in, followed by a breakdown featuring the main melody on its own before percussion is brought back with renewed intensity; some embellishing of either rhythm or secondary melodies for a bit, then right back into the main course before finishing out. Yeah, sounds familiar, doesn't it? 

What makes Netherworld stand out from the pack, though, is Lieb's unique synth patches. Most of the percussion is abrasive and mechanical, something that wouldn't sound too out of place in an industrial track. If it weren't for the main melody, this song would have probably remained on the fringes of trance music. 

And what a melody it is. Hitting all the right emotional notes to sweep you off your feet, a stuttering synth with plenty of trailing echo contrasts wonderfully with the hard-hitting rhythm. Throw in sweet supplementary bits like ethereal voices (the same ones sampled by The Orb in their song Blue Room, although I have no idea what the original source is), secondary melodies that would have been strong songs in themselves, and electro bridges, and you have yourself a track that hasn't diminished nearly a decade since its creation. I've yet to come across a fan of trance that doesn't enjoy Netherworld to some extent. Whether you like the rhythmic or melodic aspects of the genre (or better yet, both), you'll find something to sink your teeth into here. 

But wait, my good friends! Don't hit that back button just yet. While Netherworld may be regarded as the main attraction on Volume 2, there is still a whole album's worth of material to enjoy. However, if you are expecting more Netherworlds or even just a continuation of the L.S.G. debut Rendezvous In Outer Space, you will be in for a bit of a shock. This may just be a rumor but some believe Lieb was a bit pressed to release this album due to the initial buzz over the main single. 

While I cannot confirm this, I certainly can believe it, as the facts pointing towards a slightly rushed release seem evident. A weak album title notwithstanding, for one thing Volume 2 comes just a mere year after the first L.S.G. album. You might have thought Lieb would want to focus on a different project for a while. Well, perhaps he had been, because for two things, a number of these tracks bear a striking semblance to Lieb's more experimental alias, Spicelab, than the simpler L.S.G. works. Indeed, the credits state this album was "mixed and mastered by O. Lieb & Spicelab." Who does he think he's kidding? One may be led to think this album was padded out by Spicelab material sitting in the reserves. Still, I can't think of a better source for padding. 

Mind, the opening two tracks Can U Hear Me? and Hear My Voice (really, they could be called Hear Me: Parts 1 And 2, as they have much in common) don't contain many Spicelab sounds, but then they really are nothing more than intro tracks to the album: the former being more ambient and grand sounding, the latter setting up the pace with shuffling rhythms and echoing synth stabs, amongst other tidbits of effects. No, it's with Novastorm where L.S.G. meets Spicelab. 

Right off the bat, you can tell Novastorm is unabashedly old school trance. The rhythm is simple so as not to distract you from all the hypnotic loops in effect. Layers of strings stabs, spacey pads, and eerie effects that have been heard in many a Spicelab track come and go throughout this song, none of which attempts to make itself more pronounced than the rest. Without any major melodies at work here, this track is trance music that one can easily get lost in. As the loops are gradually stripped away towards the end, a little electronic arpeggio emerges alongside the pads, fading away. 

Don't let this calming ending lull you into a false sense of security, though. Futuristic soundscapes start to drone ominously at the beginning of Get Out, growing in intensity as bits of percussion are gradually added. Finally, some two minutes in, fierce breakbeats suddenly pummel you as added, bassy effects energize you. This promises to be something special but, sadly, the payoff doesn't quite live up to the lead-in. Sure, there are some wonderfully menacing moments to be had in the second half of Get Out, but this track seems to almost serve as more of a lead-in to the next track, Lectrolyte, than an individual song of itself. 

As for Lectrolyte, this is another wonderfully simple, loopy little trancer, and the most melodic number yet on Volume 2 as it features those splendid stuttering synth chords Lieb's a master of. However, the middle portion of this track is mostly used up with embellishing sound effects and, because the rhythm is unwaveringly repetitive throughout, casual trance fans may overlook the nice parts of this track if they are impatient. The bubbly bass of Lectrolyte repeats itself on its own for a minute towards the end of its run as the ambient track Microfish starts out, an interesting little excursion of synthetic sounds slowly mimicking the songs of orca (at least, that's what it sounds like to me). However, it's more of an intermission of a track before we get back into the heavier hitters, and the heaviest hitter of the lot on Volume 2, Netherworld, follows. 

As I've already gone on about this song, let me just mention it in the context of this album. Considering how loopy, hypnotic, and relatively unmelodic this album's been thus far, Netherworld really leaps out at you. In fact, it's a stark contrast compared to what's come before. Lieb was quite correct in placing the more ambient Microfish before it, as I don't think Netherworld would have been able to fit within the context of this album otherwise. Likewise, following it up with the rhythm-heavy Freakme is just as clever, as Netherworld is a tough act to follow as well. With the main melody of Netherworld trailing off for a minute or so, the grumbling bass of Freakme that emerges from it can be quite startling, but it fits perfectly. We are entering more Spicelab-y territory, though, so don't expect anything that sounds immediate. You're going to have to do some serious paying attention to hear anything beyond random, bubbly sounds and bottom heavy rhythms. 

The rest of this album carries on with the Spicelab influences, sucking you into a deep, deep trance with the floaty Firefly and the even more experimentally rhythmic Centurion. To try and describe these songs would be a challenge in itself, one I doubt I know enough adjectives to utilize. I will say, however, those looking for big melodies to cap off Volume 2 will be severely disappointed. Aside from some very catchy mechanical percussion sounds in Centurion, everything on this final stretch is built around subtlety and hypnotic soundscapes; trance in its purest form. 

Now, I'd be lying if I said this was a perfect album. Despite the strong collection of individual tracks on hand, that sense of album flow that is common in nearly every other L.S.G. full length is missing. Rather, it feels as though Volume 2 goes from section to section, with hardly any relation to previous ones. In one sense, this isn't too bad of an idea as it can help take the listener on different journeys through the course of the CD instead of dwelling on the same theme throughout. In fact, it plays quite wonderfully for those keener on individual tracks. However, if you are looking for individual tracks, that’s what singles are for. 

When I - and I'm certain many others - go into an L.S.G. album, there is a tendency to expect the whole to encompass a specific theme -why else would you bother to have all the tracks mixed together? Volume 2 just doesn't have that, and it is a bit of a letdown when songs at the end of the album bare no semblance to songs at the beginning without a logical bridge between them. I still highly recommend this album, of course, if anything because the individual tracks are quite enjoyable for fans of nearly any kind of trance. Just be prepared for a bit of a disjointed listen if you play this release through.

Score: 8/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

Netherworld 

Firefly

Novastorm 

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

Electrovoya - Days Like These/ICO (Original TC Review)

Fundamental: Cat. # FUN 521 

Released July 4, 2005 

Track List: 

A: Days Like These (7:38) 

B: ICO (7:45) 

(2010 Update: Holy anecdote, Batman, but hey, it's a breezy read, right? While the group seemed to disappear shortly after this, we definitely would be hearing more about that 'minimal click house' stuff I quipped about in the review.) 

IN BRIEF: Days often forgotten. 

So, I'm just relaxing in my palatial Marpole apartment (can't beat the sound of heavy traffic right out your patio!) on a fine Vancouver summer afternoon when something occurs to me. This fine Vancouver summer afternoon really isn't all that fine at all. You see, us here in the North American northwest have been spoiled rotten these last couple years by unusually great weather. Sure, we've had to deal with forest fires in some areas and drought warnings, almost unheard-of events in a rainforest climate such as ours, but we took it in stride in favor of the sun. 

It couldn't last, though, as it seems our typical weather has returned at the most inappropriate time. We've had spurts of sunshine and heat but for the most part, us poor Vancouverites have had to deal with drizzly rain, overcast skies, and muggy temperatures - or, as we've come to call it, "a typical Vancouver day." Those of us who've lived on the Canadian west coast for long periods of time are quite aware of having sunny days, and we can even recall enjoying having those intense rays of sunlight beating down on us while we lounge around on a beachfront or outdoor park. Yet, once that good weather retreats and we are back into our typical climate, and the exact notion of it fades from our memory.

It's a strange feeling, to say the least, but not unlike listening to Days Like These. Electrovoya seem to be quite new on the block, combining the talents of Greg Murray and Andy Hagerty. I've never heard any of their works prior to this one but they definitely know how to make a good trance record. Days Like These is a pleasant little ditty of bliss, as it really isn't too concerned about slamming you about with over-the-top theatrics. Instead, a simple melody loops throughout, subtly manipulated with effects to gently raise the atmosphere without ever peaking into absurdity. Synth washes complement the track to give it that added feeling of ecstasy washing over you (no, not the drug... well, maybe). 

Damned if I can remember how it sounds seconds after the song ends, though. Days Like These is one of those odd-ball tunes that you enjoy listening to, you remember you enjoyed listening to it, and you know if you ever hear it again, you'll enjoy it just as much, but how did that melody go again? Part of this problem probably has to do with Electrovoya's subtle production. Despite being played throughout without much interruption for breakdowns, builds, bridges, and other bric-a-brac (aside from your standard DJ-friendly intro and outro), the main melody doesn't really leap out at you in any significant way. Of course, this isn't really a bad thing, as it serves as a nice little interlude from whatever ails you during the day. However, unless Days Like These is placed in a minimal click house set (or something similarly unmelodic), chances are the song isn't going to light trance sets on fire anytime soon. 

ICO on the flip has some of the same problems but has an easier time sticking in my mind for one big reason: it surprised me. More old school in sound, this b-side makes good use of acid squelches, galloping string synths, and tough rhythms. The use of a more modern sounding synth for the main hook should appeal to the newer fans of trance, and it fits nicely with all the older sounds, but it doesn't really stick in the mind all that well either. 

Also, there's a halting breakdown used to introduce it but to be honest, this breakdown isn't all that bad. It sounds quite characteristic of most builds at first with layering synths and percussion, but Electrovoya pull a nifty little trick with the big kick build. While it may start as you'd expect, just when you figure it'll peak out, the kick begins to fade instead along with the rest of the building layers, lulling you into a false sense of security before everything, all at once, blasts forth with renewed intensity. I've listened to this a number of times and it still catches me off guard, probably because it so effectively plays against the conventional trance build template I've grown accustomed to. 

So in the end, I enjoyed both these cuts, probably ICO a little more since it appeals to those classic trance sounds I fell in love with early on, but there isn't anything amazingly remarkable about them either. Functional is the best way to describe them, which is what it seems Electrovoya set out to do anyways. Best enjoyed on a typical Vancouver summer day. 

Score: 7/10 

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

Various - Techno Nights - Ambient Dawn (Original TC Review)

EMI Recordings: Cat. # 724383598229
Released 1995

TRACK LIST:
Disc 1
1. The Shamen - Destination Eschaton (Hardfloor Vocal Mix)
2. David Holmes - Minus 61 In Detroit
3. The Chemical Brothers - Leave Home
4. Dave Clarke - Winter (Armani Mix)
5. Red Snapper - Hot Flush
6. The Sabres Of Paradise - Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix)
7. DJ Hell - Sprung Aus Den Wolken
8. Plastikman - FUK
9. Moby - Go (Woodtick Mix)
10. 808 State - Pacific 707
11. N-Joi - Papillon
12. EON - Spice
13. Bizarre Inc. - Playing With Knives (Quadrant Mix)
14. Inner City - Big Fun
15. The Grid - Texas Cowboy
16. Adamski - NRG
17. The Prodigy - Weather Experience
18. Yello - S.A.X.

Disc 2
1. Orbital -Lush
2. Enigma - Age Of Loneliness (Carly’s Song)
3. William Orbit - Water From A Vine Leaf
4. Sven Väth - L'Esperanza
5. Phillip Glass - Labyrinth
6. Jam & Spoon - Hispanos In Space
7. The Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Remix)
8. The Black Dog - Raxmus
9. Carl Craig - Landcruising
10. Aphex Twin - Donkey Rhubarb
11. Scanner - Mass Observation (Crackdown Mix)
12. Apollo 440 - Film Me And Finish Me Off
13. Björk - One Day (Sabres Of Paradise Mix)
14. The Orb - Oxbow Lakes
15. A Man Called Adam - Barefoot In The Head
16. The Beloved - The Sun Rising
17. Coldcut - Autumn Leaves
18. Vangelis - Love Theme From Bladerunner
19. Brian Eno - An Ending (Ascent)


(2010 Update:
That long break I took in 2005 must have did some good, as my writing had definitely gotten better, at least in the preamble and conclusion portions. Even the track-by-track stuff isn't too bad, kept quite brief considering how many tunes there are here. I also recall I felt we were selling TranceCritic's opportunities short if we didn't get as many major names into the archives as soon as possible, hence reviewing this particular release. It seemed like a quick and easy way to get some potential web search results. Heh, it didn't quite work out that way though.)


IN BRIEF: As diverse a compilation as I've ever heard.

The term 'electronica' never sat well with a large number of electronic music fans. The fact the music had been around since the 70s begged the question why, after two decades of distancing itself from all things entirely electronically produced, the rock media suddenly felt the need to join the pack in the mid-90s by creating an entirely new term.

There are probably a number of reasons I could detail here but I'll just address the one that pertains to this release. Fact of the matter is electronic music is hardly the simple 'ndds ndds ndds' cliché most rock circles would have you believe. While the more mainstream forms certainly do this, there are several forms that do not. So many, in fact, that their respective followings were growing far larger than isolated raves and clubnights could contain. Electronic music was diversifying, and the mainstream was catching on.

So what was the rock media to do? Their last big movement, grunge, had sputtered out from overexposure. Nothing seemed ready to take its place and all these other forms of music were making inroads. They did the only thing they could: bite the bullet and finally accept EDM as a legitimate form of music, only calling it a name they made themselves in the hopes of still being a trendsetter. 'Electronica' caught on briefly with the press, but not enough with the public to stick and was more or less forgotten as folks still used the old 'techno' tag instead (which is fine by me, as at least it's usually 20% accurate when talking about EDM). It's quite amusing to still see the rock media cling to the 'electronica' name when talking about new electronic music releases, as though they just couldn't accept the fact their term didn't catch on; they, the trendsetters of music culture!

Anyhow, electronic music was now finally being accepted as something legitimate for the music crowd (despite the fact 2 Unlimited alone had number one hits in several countries already) thanks to the boundaries being pushed by several eclectic producers and acts within the field. No longer regulated to dirty warehouses and gay clubs, music makers were realizing the potential of sequencers and synthesizers.

This compilation reads almost like a who's who of the electronic music world of 1995, and is easily a testament to the music's only limit being one's imagination. Separated into two discs -one featuring more rhythmic tracks, the other more melodic- Techno Nights - Ambient Dawn makes a strong case against all the naysayers that claim all EDM sounds the same.

Okay, so maybe The Shamen's Destination Eschaton isn't the best example to show how diverse it can be. All the elements that get mocked seem to be present: fey vocals, limp 4/4 rhythms, and fruity melodies. Hey, I'm not gay bashing here, just telling it as it sounds. Sadly, even Hardfloor's chunky acid build can't eliminate the glaring stereotypes present. I suspect it may be a clever ploy on the compilers' part though, as the next song showcases that other techno cliché: repetition. However, David Holmes' Minus 61 In Detroit shows off just how effective gradual builds through repeating riffs and layering percussion can be once everything peaks out.

Having gotten the main stereotypes out of the way, we start to get into some of the more interesting tracks. The Chemical Brothers' Leave Home is an excellent example of why they became the rock media's darlings, as their distorted guitar samplings from early in their career would be a natural bridge. But why follow it up with perhaps one of the poorer examples of hard techno in Dave Clarke's Winter? The beats are fine but, man, are those bird noises ever hokey. Couldn't they find a better track? I enjoy a good ol' bosh session as much as the next guy but not when the sounds are this bad.

If Winter showed off how fake electronic music can sound, Red Snapper's Hot Flush does just the opposite. Okay, so Red Snapper actually uses real instruments since they are more of a jam band than your typical one or two man techno crew buried behind racks of gear -the fact they use any gear gets them lumped into the EDM camp though. However, you wouldn't know it from this track, especially with a saxophone wailing along.

Taking a break from the danceable tunes is the childlike bliss of Smokebelch II by The Sabres Of Paradise. Content to hang out on cloud nine, this little slice of heaven has probably served as a pleasant comedown favorite for many clubbers. As such, it's with wonderful irony to have DJ Hell's Sprung Aus Den Wolken come next on this compilation, dragging you back to the depths of the underground with a no-holds barred pummeling hardcore track. The riff is unapologetically grimy, the beats fiercely distorted, and the hellish sounds are in full effect. Bwahahaha! Oh, pardon me...

Keeping things down and dirty is Plastikman's funky FUK and Moby's Go. Huh? Moby down and dirty? When it's the rarer Woodtick Mix, you bet. The only thing retained of his seminal original is the vocal samples. The rest is taken up by thumping rhythms and distorted synths.

Okay, time for another break from the intense tracks and 808 State's lush, jazzy Pacific 707 is a suitable respite. Unlike Hot Flush, who's jazz elements overwhelmed it and made it stick out like a black sheep, Pacific 707 makes good use of its jazz influence to meld it with electronics so nothing seems out of place. When that saxophone croons over sweeping pads and funky bass lines, it takes you floating over an ocean-washed beach as the sun rises over the horizon in the morning.

N-Joi's Papillon is fairly typical of most techno from the mid-90s in that the sounds and arrangements are interesting but eventually go nowhere in particular. It isn't that it's a bad song but considering just how unique every other song has been on this compilation thus far, you'd be pretty hard pressed to remember exactly how it went later on. Fortunately, EON's Spice comes correct by making use of the tried and true tradition of pilfering old sci-fi flicks for samples (Peter Hyam's Dune, just in case the title wasn't a dead giveaway) and creating a thumping bit of sound-effect drenched techno. Mind, the hoover riff that alternates with a trancey riff sounds horribly dated now but don't let that turn you off from the rest.

Not to be outdone by all the techno on hand, house gets a moment to shine with the next pair of tracks. While Bizarre Inc.'s Playing With Knives is best described as a collage of various house tracks, Inner City's Big Fun stands out with an irresistible bassline, catchy vocals, and an embellishing piano to finish off.

Now things start to delve into more quirky territory on this disc. The Grid's Texas Cowboy is hardly what I'd call conventional techno with its country influenced melodies. Fortunately, it doesn't get bogged down in novelty (like, er, nearly every other EDM song that tried it) so it works fine enough. Adamski's NRG, though, is so filled with goofy sounds and samples, the fun, funky house track underneath tends to either get buried or overlooked. And then we have Experience-era Prodigy, which would have been unique in itself (no one else managed to emulate the hyper-fast breakbeat sound Howlett spearheaded) but Weather Experience was an odd track even for The Prodigy; it wasn't very often you'd hear ambient intros or hip hop rhythms from them in those days. And finally, we have a track from Yello (more commonly known as the Oh Yeah guys), a group that, despite making electronic music, never felt constrained by standards as evidenced by the salsa influenced S.A.X. Truly, an odd, if eclectic, quartet of songs to finish the first disc off.

However, just in case you are still feeling a bit of groove in your system, the Ambient Dawn disc opens with Orbital's Lush, a fairly dancey track that's main feature is a flute melody played throughout. The rest is more or less Orbital styled techno.

Enigma, William Orbit, and of all people, Sven Väth, bring us a run of the more meditative aspects of EDM. The latter two are quite indicative of where BT-styled trance would be headed in the years to come. As such, these offerings are far simpler in their delivery than the overblown varieties to be had lately.

Moving on to the more noodly aspects of ambient music, classical composer Phillip Glass makes use of minimal synth arrangements in the avant-garde Labyrinth. While it sounds interesting for a while, the song meanders far too much. The rare ambient track Hispanos In Space from Jam & Spoon fares better, even if the EQing on it seems odd. The only element that really jumps out is a Spanish guitar periodically strumming throughout. The rest of the song, from singing conquistadors to spacey pads, is heavily subdued and distant sounding, as though Jam & Spoon only allowed the reverb past the mixdown. It's an interesting experiment but I can't see anyone other than dedicated fans of ambient getting into this.

Just in case the last two tracks had you dozing a bit, the energetic Age Of Love will snap you back to attention. A radio edit of the original Jam & Spoon remix (so no drawn out lead-in or grating acid noises), the song leaps right into the sweeping vocal build and climax that still has ravers reaching for the lasers once it peaks out.

Still, this is supposed to be the chill out disc between the two so we dive right back into slower BPM territory with The Black Dog's Raxmus. After a THC-drenched intro, trip-hop rhythms dominate this dubby affair. Not to be outdone, electro gets a chance to show off how mellow it can be as well in Carl Craig's Landcruising. While there is some tempo to this track, the blissy pad work keeps things on a gentle cruise control.

Diving headfirst into more experimental territory is Aphex Twin's Donkey Rhubarb, an incredibly odd track that has a decent song lurking somewhere underneath all the glitchy noises and faux-steel drum sounds. James' music is often praised, and for good reason, but if you are new to the Twin, this isn't the song to start with.

A ho-hum track with Scanner passes by without much notice but segues quite nicely into Apollo 440's Film Me And Finish Me Off. The bass is instantly catchy and various elements such as flutes and high-note guitar strums harmonize wonderfully to create a vivid portrait of the disposable nature of Hollywood. Think Depeche Mode with more bump to it.

The Sabres Of Paradise give Björk a little re-rub on her song One Day, essentially stripping away all musical elements to allow the Icelandic singer to carry the song on the strength of her voice alone, with a thick, meandering beat providing a little tempo. It's still more experimental territory though, so some folks may be thrown for a loop. The Orb keeps us in this region with Oxbow Lakes, a track that starts out ordinary enough with a little piano melody but soon descends into dubby, submerged electronics bubbling to the surface from the depths of soundwaves.

Okay, you say, enough with the experimental tracks. How about some nice songs that you can easily get into? The next pair of tracks should be right up your alley then, as A Man Called Adam and The Beloved provide some dreamy examples of after-hours house. Oh, and in case you are wondering why the vocal sample in The Sun Rising sounds so familiar, it's because it's the same one Orbital would go on to use in their track Belfast (the original being from Hildegard Of Bingen of Hyperion Records).

R&B and jazz influences dominate in Coldcut's Autumn Leaves as organic sounds and samples are used to give this track a Hollywood production quality. Different percussion elements are used as needed, drawing from both hip hop and jazz roots, as soulful lyrics are sung with subdued passion. Although sampling is evident, it is woven with such skill that the song sounds as though it was performed with live instruments inside a smoky jazz hall. Perhaps the only drawback is the lack of any electronic elements (although some of the percussion uses a few, minor filters) but then that's kind of the point of this track.

And, just as with the first disc, we come to the end of the second disc with a pair of musicians that aren't normally associated with your typical electronic music producers. It's a bit sad that many kids these days don't even know who Vangelis or Brian Eno are but these guys are some of the pioneers of ambient music (heck, Eno was the one who coined the term) and, as such, are deserved to be put on this compilation with the more well known artists. After all, Eno's An Ending (Ascent) is probably one of the most perfect pieces of music to end any collection of songs with.

Looking at the track list on this release ten years since it was first released, it's amazing to see how many of the acts on here turned out. It reads as a veritable who's who of the EDM world these days but, for its time, a great number of these acts were either brand spanking new or even obscure. Who in their right mind could predict Moby, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, or William Orbit (with Madonna) going on to dominate the music charts the way they did just from judging their material here? Who could have foreseen DJ Hell going on to spearhead an 80s revival just from listening to his gabber offering here? Who'd have thought dynamic producers such as Red Snapper, Adamski, Apollo 440, and The Grid would fall off the way they did shortly after?

Still, for as dynamic a line-up this compilation contains, there are some glaring problems to be had.

First and foremost, while I applaud the desire to make a compilation showcasing the wide range EDM encompasses, there is simply way too much covered here without much logical flow between tracks. As a result, things tend to sound disjointed when playing through. It can be quite jarring to be listening to one style of music for a couple songs only to be thrust into something completely different with the next few.

Second and middlemost, these are not all well-known songs from these acts. While some of them wouldn't make their more memorable music until later, some of the track selections still seem odd for the time this compilation was made. Weather Experience for The Prodigy instead of their Jilted material? FUK instead of Spastik for Plastikman? Oxbow Lakes from the more experimental Orbus Terrarum Orb album? I'll grant it's quite wonderful to see some real rarities like Jam & Spoon's Hispanos In Space get attention but if you're making a compilation of EDM showing off as many artists as possible, wouldn't you want to include stronger material than some of the tracks selected?

Third and rearmost, a number of these songs are cut short. Some aren't as bad as others, of course, but hearing only a couple minutes of, say, Orbital's Lush or The Orb's Oxbow Lakes begs the question why bother including these songs at all. I understand in order to cram thirty-seven tracks onto two discs some editing on the length of tracks would need to be made. However, if one is already familiar with a track, to hear it end sooner than normally expected can leave a souring effect on the rest of the release. I sometimes get the impression this is more of a sampler release than a commercial one.

And really, perhaps that's all one should treat this compilation as: a sampler of the wider world of electronic music. Chances are if you have already immersed yourself into EDM, you won't find much more here than what you'd already own in one form or another. However, if you are just starting to branch out by all means give Techno Nights - Ambient Dawn a go. It's best treated as a crash course in electronic music as the variety present here is immense. While there are still stereotypes to be had, they are by no means to rule.


Score: 6/10

ACE TRACKS:
David Holmes - Minus 61 In Detroit
Apollo 440 - Film Me And Finish Me Off
Coldcut - Autumn Leaves


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

Loop Guru - Amrita (...All These And The Japanese Soup Warriors) (Original TC Review)

North South: Cat. # GURU 200CD
Released 1995

Track List:
1. Sheikh (3:58)
2. Yayli (7:29)
3. Diwana (5:38)
4. Soulus (4:48)
5. Papasus (6:04)
6. Often Again (5:07)
7. Sun (5:01)
8. Epic Song (4:47)
9. Gianyar (7:45)
10. Fumi (13:32)
11. Plane Shift (6:10)


(2010 Update:
Track-by-track is still a chore to read, but at least the preamble to these reviews was getting better. I was a bit surprised by the resurgence of ethnic sampling in hip techno circles in recent years, though very little of what they did was as vibrant as what we have here. Mind, they are very different scenes.)


IN BRIEF: World samplings from the gurus of loops.

Truth be told, I wasn't a one-genre whore from the get-go. While I may say a great deal of the early 90s euro wave initially sparking my enthusiasm for EDM, there was yet another style I was enjoying along side it, though I didn't make as big of a deal about it -which is kind of strange, really, considering this style is probably one of the most commercially successful worldwide. I guess as a young, rebellious teenager, I almost felt guilty for enjoying the same music my mother did.

Dabbled with as far back as Peter Gabriel, and perhaps even The Beatles, it wasn't until the emergence of such acts like Enigma and Deep Forest that the genre loosely termed 'world beat' gained mainstream notice. The idea of throwing ethnic influences over techno rhythms sparked an amazing wave of producers attempting to cross cultural boundaries with music, a most novel idea considering our enjoyment of rhythms and melodies is one of the few things all of humanity seems to have in common.

However, because of the cultural diversity on this planet, fusing disparate music styles can be trickier than it seems. What may make sense in one part of the world will not necessarily meld fluently with another region. It isn't enough to just take a chanting pygmy sample and stick it with a sitar sample -there needs to be some cohesion between the two. Often the best producers in this field (Delerium, Banco de Gaia, etc.) will take such samples and create rhythms and melodies around them. The bad producers (too many goa trance artists to name) just lump samples on top of each other and hope for the best.

Of course, ask almost any world beat producer what kind of music they make, and they'll immediately claim they produce anything but world beat. I suppose they have a just reason for it. The term world beat (or even worse, world music) is even more ambiguously useless than 'electronica'. What exactly makes a song fall under that category? Certain sounds may be ethnic to one region but not to another. Maybe it's referring to music that isn't region specific, but there are several forms of music like that that don't fall under the umbrella of world beat. Ah, well. Humanity has never been all that good at giving names to music.

Anyhow, as I was saying, world beat held just as much interest to me as nearly any other style of EDM and, over the years, I'd come across some incredible acts in the process. One group that eluded me, though, was Loop Guru.

As a huge fan of Banco de Gaia, I'd often heard of Loop Guru mentioned in conversations of similar artists, sometimes even seeing them appearing together on compilations. I'd been curious, of course, but never really gave it much thought to seek out any of their albums until just recently. Having heard a few offerings of their work on compilations, a part of me feared they'd turn out to be nothing more than a Banco de Gaia-lite. However, after time and time again hearing the praises of the group, I decided to give in and check them out.

Starting out this particular album called Amrita is Sheikh. First thing I notice is this is very sample heavy music, looping over and over and over throughout this song. Mostly utilizing Indian sitars, woodwinds, and chants, not much really happens on this song as things more or less loop for four minutes without much variation. And, unfortunately, the samples used don't mesh all that well either. It doesn't inspire much but the rhythm is fairly energetic, if unwaveringly loop-refic, so I get the impression Loop Guru made this track merely as an opener to the album. At least, I hope this is the case. I'd hate to have to sit through an album of stuff like this. If I wanted that, I'd purchase some bad goa trance.

Yayli brings things more into focus, opening with chants and wails as rhythms gradually build for some two minutes. Once we get settled into alternating looping samples that feed off the tribal energy established, we are treated to quite an infectious track. While most of the guitar and woodwind samples are established early on, there is a great deal of mixing them up throughout so they never get redundantly repetitive as it did in the opener. Strangely, though, once the song ends, a little interlude plays out which sounds like something you might have heard on an old Super Nintendo RPG. At least, it does to me -damned youthful nostalgia.

Diwana does the same trick as heard in Yayli but the samples used are even better! The chant is quite nice, the rhythm more funky, and a haunting flute plays off of Indian pipes wonderfully. There are a bunch of other samples floating about providing texture and gives this track much needed depth that wasn't quite as prevalent as in the first two. Of note, I might add, is aside from some of the rhythms, I've yet to hear much in the way of actual electronic sounds in these tracks. It seems Loop Guru are more interested in using the samples they've come across to do the music for them rather than augmenting them with other hardware. It's ballsy, I have to admit, but Sheikh notwithstanding, it's worked so far. Hopefully it doesn't catch up to them later, though.

We get treated to a bit more of a Western feel rather than the Far East in Soulus, as the samples used here consist mostly of Gregorian chants and orchestral bits. Not too much else gets thrown in, though, as this is a fairly simple, loopy track like Sheikh. Fortunately, the elements in use are more cohesive and Soulus doesn't run out of steam before it's over.

Loop Guru slows things down now with Papasus, a wonderful little grooving number of dubbed out rhythms and simple, subdued melodies (including a sampled voice of Sussan Seihim). I'll admit I have a real weakness for music of this sort (most commonly referred to as ambient dub) but a number of others will find this a bit too noodly for their tastes.

Often Again is a rather mellow excursion of shuffling rhythms, chants of both folksy and Gregorian in nature, and lo-fi flutes that wouldn't sound all that out of place in a Boards Of Canada release. Beyond that, this is still a mostly loopy affair, although the flutes do sound more natural thanks to the longer length of those loops. Also, has anyone noticed those tweeting birds hiding throughout this album so far? I thought it was coming from outside at first but then I remembered that birds don't tweet in the middle of the night.

Loop Guru has managed to lull me into a blissful sense of serenity with these last two tracks but Sun opens up with something a little more paranoid sounding. Then, quite suddenly, brisk, crisp percussion leaps out at you, startling you into alertness again. Good thing too, as Sun is a fun track you wouldn't want to sleep through. Plenty of samples get thrown about here, mostly of an energetic nature to rile you up for a good ol' hippie dance. If I was in a flower field listening to this, or even just an outdoor festival, I could definitely see myself leaving a hacky-sack, drum, or bong circle to get my shake on to this track.
And this next one as well! Epic Song really doesn't have much to offer melodically with all the folksy singing and flutes, but I quite like the rhythm to this one. Much more tribal and less loopy than what else has been on offer with Amrita.

Of course, by this point I'm getting a little cocky about figuring out Loop Guru's tricks, namely making use of a wide assortment of ethnic samples arranged into interesting, even enjoyable songs. And Gianyar starts out just as expected with some peppy rhythms and lo-fi flutes samples. Less than a minute, though, I'm thrown for a 'loop' (hohoho!) when an orchestral sample starts to play, but in reverse! Playing tape loops backwards can be musically disastrous in many instances but it works here. Even better, though, is an additional melancholy eastern flute melody that follows it, and a rousing orchestral sample at peaks. This is some great stuff to listen to, even if the rhythm section barely changes at all from beginning to end.

Fumi is more noodly ambient dub but, unlike Papasus, this one goes for more jazz influences than anything else. At over thirteen minutes long, it does meander at great length between bass guitar, low Eastern woodwinds, and Gregorian chants (always good in a pinch) while sparse percussion bobbles along. It is nice to listen to for a while but, really, it does go on for an almost tedious amount of time if you pay too much attention to it. Best to just zone out while it is playing. Smoke a bowl if that's your game, too.

And, finishing off, we have Plane Shift, a mellow outro of a track that makes use of those always reliable Gregorian chants while Arabian flutes and percussion loop along at a steady pace. Yeah, it doesn't really go anywhere but it's pleasant enough to listen to in any event.

And really, that kind of sums up the whole experience of listening to Amrita; aside from a couple of tracks that create some much needed depth, most of what's on here is more about what Loop Guru can do with their samples rather than creating songs around them. Yet, for all the lack of diversity in each of these tracks, there is an undeniable enjoyment to listening to their music as many of the samples do stick to your mind. This being an earlier example of their work, I'd have to hear some of their more recent work to see if they refined this template more to make their more energetic tracks not quite as, well, loopy.

Incidentally, if you are wondering if they give sample credits here, I believe they do but write them out in such cryptic ways ('astoral music', 'mythical mellowflutes', 'the sound of one hand clapping', 'heavy metal guitar with so many effects that it doesn’t sound heavy, metallic or guitar-like or anything else from our realm of understanding the nature of multidimensional matter transfer', 'a very big fish'), you'd have a hell of a time figuring them all out. Probably how they like it, too.


Score: 7/10

ACE TRACKS:
Diwana
Papasus


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

Deejay Goldfinger - Can't Stop Me (Original TC Review)

Atticus Musikvertrieb: Cat. # AT65024 

Released March 25, 2005 

Track List: 

1. Can't Stop Me (C.I.A. Mix)

2. Can't Stop Me (Club Mix)
3. Can't Stop Me (Deepforces Remix)
4. Can't Stop Me (DJ Goldfinger N-R-G Factor)
5. Can't Stop Me (Doug Laurent Mix)
6. Can't Stop Me (Pop Radio Edit)
7. Can't Stop Me (Dance Radio Edit)


(2010 Update: I was grumpy and depressed when I wrote this, the initial enthusiasm over writing for TranceCritic having waned -reviewing a lot of mediocre euro dance can do that to a guy. In fact, it was the last review I'd write for at least a month and a half. Oddly enough, Deejay Goldfinger liked this write-up enough to send me a promo for his follow-up single. Heh, maybe I should have wrote like a miser more often.)


IN BRIEF: Is there an original idea left in euro?

It's been a while since I could get excited over anything in the euro camp. Most of the attributes of the genre -catchy riffs, fun raps, and innovative sound patches- seem to be all but a distant memory. Most of it went by the wayside towards the end of the 90s, almost disappearing altogether as the anthem trance machine dominated the club scene. Anthem trance had its moment in the spotlight though, and euro's been on a small rise again by making use of trance's successful attributes and applying it to making fun dance music.

And while there have been a few interesting tracks here and there, I've yet to hear anything of the magnitude that made songs from old heavyweights like 2 Unlimited, Snap!, Maxx, and Corona such classics. It's no small wonder labels keep returning to those tracks for updated remixes when most modern acts are lacking in anything creative.

So, I dive into Deejay Goldfinger's Can't Stop Me without high expectations. This opening mix certainly has some decent sounds but once the main vocals starts -more or less repeating the same thing throughout- its similarities to the Michael Jackson-sung chorus of Rockwell’s Somebody’s Watchin’ Me are more than just a little evident.

However, I am absolutely shocked to hear a rap by a male rapper! And by rap, I mean an actual full verse along with typical "can't stop; won't stop" MCing. Aside from Brooklyn Bounce, I haven't heard euro dance music make use of a male rapper in years, which is a shame because the raps were often one of the most fun aspects of that music. Why it was ever taken out, I haven't a clue but I suspect it was partially due to euro's increasing borrowing of ideas from trance that led to it. Trance and rap have never really been all that comfy in each other's presence (although it'd be interesting to see someone attempt it).

Anyhow, despite the surprise raps, this C.I.A. Remix doesn't really have much to offer. Sure, the chorus is catchy but that's more thanks to the original Rockwell hit than anything Goldfinger created.

The Club Mix slows things down a little to lay the rhythm on thicker, with added vocal effects and crowd noises during a few pad bridges; the vibe in the track is more conducive to club atmosphere. Still, the only real strength is the chorus thanks to its catchiness, but do we credit Goldfinger for using it, or Rockwell for creating it? Okay, okay, so it isn't one hundred percent identical to Somebody's Watchin' Me, but only by a note or two. I guess someone's been reading The KLF's The Manual.

The Deepforces Remix gives Can't Stop Me the hardstyle treatment, so expect plenty of throbbing percussion, screaming synths, and false builds that'll milk a moment for as much as they can. Really, it's not that bad of a mix but very functional as far as hardstyle is concerned. The only thing that will let it stand out from the pack is, you guessed it, the Rockwell inspired chorus (usually sung during the breakdowns).

Compared to the other mixes, Goldfinger's own NRG remix is kind of redundant. Sure, he plays with a number of fine effects throughout but nothing interesting is done with the big payoff riffs. It's just standard march-along screeching synths that we've heard plenty of times before; nothing new to see here.

Infusing a little funk into the song is Doug Laurent, thanks to a dirty bassline and breakbeats. It seems he's quite aware of Can't Stop Me's major influence and makes good use of drawing upon it for this mix. But, er, what's with the sound of kids in the background? Is Laurent making a subtle joke here?

The two radio mixes are quite similar, with the dance version making use of the club mix's sound patches, and the pop version attempting to instead sound organic with guitar strums. Both are serviceable but I prefer the dance version, as there's a great deal of variety of sounds happening there to keep things interesting. The pop version relies mostly on weak sounding synthesized acoustic guitars to carry the melody.

However, I wouldn't be surprised to see this song become a minor hit. Somebody's Watchin' Me is a track ingrained in most of the population thanks to the massive radio play it still gets to this day, and hearing a euro song inspired by it will instantly have folks humming along. But because Can't Stop Me doesn't do enough to distinguish itself from Rockwell's original chorus, I can't see this being more than a nostalgic novelty to those who hear it at first, and forgotten less than a year later.

Ah, well. At least the rapper might be making a return to euro. That's worth an extra star alone.

Score: 6/10

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

CJ Stone - Satisfy My Love (Original TC Review)

Bump!: Cat: # BUM03 (12" single)
Released June 9, 2004

Track List: 1. Satisfy My Love (Vocal Edit) (3:32)
2. Satisfy My Love (Radio Mix) (7:08)
3. Satisfy My Love (Original Mix) (3:18)
4. Satisfy My Love (Massimo Nocito Remix) (7:44)
5. Satisfy My Love (DJ Shog Remix) (7:47)
6. Satisfy My Love (Club Mix) (7:20)
7. Satisfy My Love (CJ Stone vs. Shy Bros. Club Mix) (6:26)

(2010 Update:
Definitely the first case of me grinding an ax over a producer, though somewhat tame compared to later reviews. I think it's because my distaste for euro trance hadn't quite reached its breaking point yet, though that definitely wasn't going to last.)

IN BRIEF: Stick to Euro house and leave trance alone, Stone. You just aren't good at it.

I've mentioned before how sometimes I'll hear a track from a producer for the first time and may become an instant fan of that person's work due to the strength of such a track. However, this is a two-way street and there have also been a number of producers I came to thoroughly despise after hearing an offering of their work for the first time.

One such man was CJ Stone. For the reason, let me take you back a couple years.

It was the turn of the millennium and anthem trance was beginning to fade from popular taste. Unfortunately, many producers hadn't seemed to catch on to the trend so the breakdowns, builds, and supersaws kept getting bigger and, of course, more redundant (unless you were new to the scene, of course). This wouldn't have been so bad in my eyes since I could easily ignore it while enjoying the 80s revival but a bit of trouble started when the major labels began to notice sagging sales.

Oh, what to do? I'm sure they cried. Why, the same thing all major labels do when struck dumb with new ideas: rehash old ones.

No matter what anyone says, aside from big beat and hip-hop, the most commercially successful form of EDM was euro house circa 1990-95. The combination of catchy pop melodies, sing-a-long choruses, and infectious energy still resonates to this day, and probably will for many more years to come. Obviously, this was the source to tap into to help rebound sagging sales in the dance arena.

While some acts saw commercial success (Lasgo, Alice Deejay, etc.), it wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. Instead, to commemorate the ten year anniversary of some of their biggest singles of the euro house era (and all time, really), the major labels re-released them with updated remixes.

I was intrigued, to say the least. Euro house was the first EDM genre I dove into completely and utterly. Ask me who some of the acts were and I could list off a dozen without a second's thought. While I moved onto other things eventually, the music still holds a special little place with me.

So, when I heard that the power group Snap! was going to have an update on their smash single Rhythm Is A Dancer (a wonderful little semi-trancer itself), I eagerly checked out who would get the duty for it. Many excellent trance producers had done Snap! remixes in the past (Oliver Lieb, Resistance D, Dance 2 Trance, Rollo & Sister Bliss) so surely they'd get someone just as excellent, right? Right!?

Alright, maybe I shouldn't have expected much from a then unknown to me CJ Stone but I did expect at least a little creativity. Instead, we got a paint-by-numbers supersaw trance anthem with the original's vocals just dumped on top. Maybe it would have been creative when that template was still fresh (like 125 years ago) but it was an utterly lackluster affair and a horrible update on a classic track. I swore off anything to do with CJ Stone from there on out.

Until today.

While as a reviewer I have a large selection to choose from what I'd like to cover, it would be highly unprofessional to only review what I like. It would turn TranceCritic.com into nothing more than a gusher's site, a very boring proposition. So, even if it may not be up my alley, I will give material from producers I'm not particularly fond of a shot. Just as unprofessional of me would be to let personal bias pre-judge what is on this single. While I'm not expecting much (I mean, c'mon; it's euro trance -if anything, it's gotten even more cliché ridden), I'll give anything a fair shake.

Most of the time the first mix on a single is a radio cut (called the Vocal Edit here), often cramming all of the major elements into a serviceable three-to-four minute sound bite. No exception here as we dive right into the meat of Satisfy My Love. There are quite a number of elements to work with here: driving rhythms; melodramatic synth washes; vocodered vocals lodged quite firmly between the realms of Dirty Vegas and Eiffel 65 in their effectiveness; little guitar strums; a rather interesting high-pitched synth lead; and superfluous sputtering supersaws. Oh, and yes there is a breakdown and build but, in a mix this short, it's almost inconsequential. In fact, this whole mix is, really. There's just way too much going on for such short periods of time that nothing gets a chance to settle. Undoubtedly most of these elements will be given more attention in the longer mixes so this one is pretty much ignorable.

The Radio Mix is mainly an instrumental and makes good use of that rather eerie synth lead, introducing it after some standard lead-in and a mild breakdown. Following it up with synth washes and harmonizing, driving rhythms is an effective momentum builder but it is sadly squandered by going back into an even longer breakdown, re-introducing the synth lead again for some reason at an incredibly tedious pace. While the song bumbles along for a bit, that other overused trance cliché -the Corsten synth- bubbles up a bit as a new element and, while it tries to get more intense a little later on, there's just no energy left to this song, almost all of it having dissipated after a rather promising start. Ah, well, it could have been worse; those annoying supersaws could have made an appearance instead (note: this is foreshadow).

Now this Original Mix is much better. Relying on house rhythms, the vocals flow with the song much better. Bouncy synth chords punch through the chorus and the eerie lead is relegated to a supporting role where it actually sounds much more effective. The vocals, really insubstantial fluff in the trancier versions, actually carry a little more weight here. Sure, the content is still kind of silly, but in the more light-hearted rhythms of this mix, their sing-a-long vibe fits quite nicely. The Massimo Nocito Remix mainly retains the same vibe as the original and expands upon it with a few longer stretches focusing on the synth chords, pianos, and mild breakdowns (blissfully none of which completely halt the song dead in its tracks).

DJ Shog gives us a remix that bares hardly any resemblance to either version of Satisfy My Love. In fact, this sounds like a completely different song altogether. A stormer of a hard trancer, the only thing retained is the synth lead, and that just sparingly in a rather useless breakdown midway through the song. Why is it useless? Well, nothing in it really relates back to the rest of the track. As soon as the breakdown finishes a minute and a half later, we're right back into the thick of chunky, guttural acid lines like we'd never left. What's the point in introducing a new melody in a breakdown if you aren't going to make use of it later on? Might as well just skip the breakdown all together and keep the momentum going strong throughout. In all, I get the impression DJ Shog just had this track lying around unreleased and used it for the remix, tagging the synth lead in the breakdown just to tie it into the original somehow. Hey, it's not an uncommon thing to happen in the industry, friends.

The next two mixes -returning to the elements heard in the opening mix- are essentially the same as well, the first retaining the vocals and the second taking them out and adding a little more bump to it. However, they are both ruined by, you guessed it, superfluous supersaws at the peak of builds. Of course, you have to get through two breakdowns and builds to even reach them but, by that point, who'd even be interested in hearing these clichés? For one, the Club Mix's use of them completely overshadows the need for the vocals as you can tell the whole purpose of the track is for that big moment when the supersaws break out at the peak of a second climax. Second, even when you don't have to concern yourself with vocals in the CJ Stone vs. Shy Bros. Club Mix, they come on with such force, pompousness, and arrogance, everyone who's heard such techniques run into the ground in the past (essentially anyone who's been listening to this brand of trance for more than two CDs) will laugh their asses off at how ridiculous their delivery is. Mind, they could be going for over-the-top theatrics but, given how serious the rest of these two mixes present themselves, I highly doubt it. I do like the breakdown three and a half minutes into the second of these two mixes, though -some nice, old trance sounds used there.

In the end, Satisfy My Love works when it's not trying so hard to be a serious trance track and instead opts for pleasant euro pop fluff. Almost all vocal trance tracks should take that hint in the future.

As for CJ Stone, well, I'll give him some due with the housey Original Mix and a somewhat unique synth lead but those supersaws are just trash. I doubted my opinion of him would change much with this release and, considering the same clichés are still here, it's going to remain the same for now. Better luck next time, fella’.

Score: 4/10

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