Peter Benisch - Soundtrack Saga (Original TC Review)

Turbo Recordings: Cat. # MARCD00152
Year Released: 2001

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

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

IN BRIEF: Criminally overlooked gorgeous music.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCORE: 9/10

ACE TRACKS
The Wireframe Fields
Love Theme
The Desert White

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

Sasha - Xpander (Original TC Review)

Ultra Records: Cat.# UL1049-2
Released 1999

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


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

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

Besides, it was all Discogs' fault.)



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


SCORE: 10/10

ACE TRACKS:
Xpander
Rabbitweed


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

Paul van Dyk - The Politics Of Dancing (Original TC Review)

Ministry Of Sound Recordings: Cat.# MOSCD24
Year of Release: 2001

Track List:
(Disc 1)
1. Ashtrax - Digital Reason (4:48)
2. Joker Jam - Innocence (Paul van Dyk Rework) (4:17)
3. Private Taste - First (1:40)
4. Jimpy - Feeling Good (Original Version) (2:53)
5. Paul van Dyk - Vega (5:31)
5.b Filmpalast - I Want
6. Southern Comforter - Another Late Thursday (1:41)
7. iio - Rapture (6:14)
8. Sipping Soma - Superconcious (So Alive) (3:51)
9. Timo Maas - Killin Me (4:05)
10. Maji Na Damu - B.W.Y. (Remix by DJ 19 & H. Garden) (3:45)
11. U2 - Elevation (Paul van Dyk Remix) (8:04)
12. Paul van Dyk - Autumn (5:53)
13. Viframa - Cristalle (5:30)
14. Solicitous - Furthermost (4:14)
15. Subsky - Four Days (5:30)
16. Second Sun - Empire (6:10)
17. Paul van Dyk - Out There (3:25)

(Disc 2)
1. Sagitaire - Shout, C'mon (Coast To Coast Remix) (7:51)
2. Micro de Govia - Epic Monolith (7:36)
3. Ralphie B - Massive (5:06)
4. David Forbes - Questions Must Be Asked (2:47)
5. Way Out West - Activity (3:35)
6. Connector - Interface (6:40)
7. Blank & Jones - Secrets & Lies (Solid Session Remix) (2:58)
8. Lexicon 4 - Reach Me (4:35)
9. Jamnesia - Reset (0:54)
10. 4 Strings - Into The Night (5:32)
11. Active X - Let's Go (4:55)
12. Signum - In Progress (2:58)
13. Walter & Gelder - Section O (4:34)
14. Solid Sleep - Club Attack (Paul van Dyk Remix) (6:26)
15. Guardians Of The Earth - Starchildren (5:32)
16. Nu NRG - Dreamland (5:41)


(2010 Update:
God. 4000 words. What was I thinking? Um, well, my intent was to try to capture exactly what it was like to listen to these two CDs -every nuance, change, and feeling. The thing is, I believe I actually succeeded in doing so. If you can get past the daunting word count and simply read the review, it does a good job of detailing what goes on, if rather dryly. It still wasn't a good idea though, and thankfully I stopped writing reviews to this lengthy extent, although there were still a few cumbersome ones awaiting.

For those who want the short gist of the CD, this was a solid effort on Dyk's part. I'd argue he was never as good as this again, and the tunes hold up remarkably well. Still a highly recommended release for any casual fan of melodic, energetic trance.)


In his liner notes, Paul van Dyk writes, "For me, DJing is more than just mixing records together -it is about the vibe in the club, the interaction with the crowd through the music. Obviously, when you are in the studio actually mixing the CD, there is no one there to give you feedback and that was why, before this CD, it didn't really appeal to me. I needed the crowd there. I needed to work with them."

I completely agree.

The main thing I always find lacking in most DJ mix album is the spontaneity that comes with the profession itself. In order for the DJ to take the listener at home on the proverbial journey, songs have to be carefully selected and arranged (many times also cleared with labels as well) in order to fit it into the eighty minutes a CD can ultimately hold. I guess it's the tradeoff of mixing for the home rather than the club, where random tracks played out are just fine.

There've been plenty of mix albums that attempt to capture the vibe of a club or rave and while there have been some outstanding efforts, ultimately I am still just sitting at home listening to it. The most I can hope for is the music to transport my consciousness out of my surroundings into a setting far more ideal (quite doable with a little psychotropic assistance, I might add).

So, does Paul van Dyk manage to accomplish this? For the most part, he does an admirable job of things, even if he had to tinker with a number of songs in the studio to accommodate his particular style of music to do so. I won't hold it against him, though. I only rate what I hear, not its relation to other material out there.

Starting with disc one, the warm-up disc as van Dyk calls it, things get going quite nicely with Digital Reason by Ashtrax. Hitting all the right notes with a bass heavy rhythm to get your feet moving and sonic washes that let your mind drift, this track will quickly draw you onto the dance floor. Two minutes in, a trancey lead and some synthetic lyrics ups the ante, building momentum into a quick transition into Innocence by Joker Jam, pretty much only retaining a similar bassline that is part of van Dyk's reworking. The harsh thumpiness of Digital Reason soon makes a departure, leading us into more driving territory that is a van Dyk trademark. Eventually, the song breaks down into floaty synth and voice pads, accentuated by electronic pulses and minimal percussion. I've never been adverse to a mild breakdown of this sort, as it keeps the momentum going just enough to still allow you to catch your breath. Even one this early on in a mix isn't distracting in that it stands as a nice prelude to bigger and better things later on.

Once the breakdown plays out, another quick mix into First by Private Taste picks the pace up again, a techy little number with plenty of electronic blips and pulses to tickle at the mind. However, with only a minute-thirty used, this is merely a transitional piece to lead into Feeling Good by Jimpy through a mild breakdown. Once given the reigns, Feeling Good drives hard and direct for over a minute, eventually breaking down into trippy vocals and synth washes. I'm actually a bit surprised that I'm still enjoying this despite so many breakdowns in the last few minutes. There's just enough momentum during and between them that I can keep grooving; more like brief pauses rather than grotesque interludes.

Soon enough, rhythm that's a little less punchy starts up for the next track, Paul van Dyk's Vega as the voices and washes carry on. Gradually these sonic textures fade back to give way to Vega's own ambience and, once the transition is complete, we're chugging right along with sonic splashes and electronic riffs that never really overtake the rhythm in prominence. A brief sample of Filmpalast's I Want peaks its head for half a minute some two minutes in but this is Vega's time to shine for the most part. Warm synth pads sweep over at four minutes into this track, allowing for effects to flutter around as they play out in another brief breakdown for a good thirty seconds. Nice enough but these continuous breakdowns are starting to get a bit drawn out now. Hopefully the momentum will get turned up a notch soon.

Ask, of course, and thou shall receive.

Once the rhythm gets going again, a new element is added to Vega: the choppy, clickity-clack percussion of Southern Comforter's Another Late Thursday. Damn, but does this ever get the feet moving. As Vega comes to an end, Another Late Thursday carries on for a bit with minimal electronic synths and washes, merely serving as a transition to iio's mega-hit, Rapture. Letting the percussion carry on through Rapture really adds a lot to this song, keeping the feet moving as only good tech house can. Because of its prominence, this percussion completely dominates your psyche, drawing you in as the subliminal melodies and lyrics of Rapture tickle you along the way with rolling smoothness. I could dance to this all night.

Unfortunately, the momentum takes a dive with Superconcious (So Alive) by Sipping Soma. Coming from such techy goodness as we've had for the last eight or so minutes, to be thrust into fairly standard thumping percussion is quite a contrast. Additionally, the mood of this song is far more bouncy compared to what we've been served up thus far, throwing it so far out of place I'm left to wonder what exactly just happened here. It does gets a bit more driving some three minutes in but by that time were almost into Timo Maas' Killin Me. Transitional breather track as van Dyk shifts gears, perhaps? It's about the only reason I'd see to include Superconcious at that point.

In any event, Killin Me manages to regain some of this lost momentum with its floor-stomping rhythms. Despite a couple brief breakdowns throughout, it doesn't really go for big moments, instead only concerned about moving feet with punchy bass and acidy electronics. Besides, the bigger moments seem to be reserved for the next track, B.W.Y. by Maji Na Damu. Given a reworking by DJ 19 and H. Garden, this track builds upon the techy mood of Killin Me with escalating synth leads and vocoder voices. It soon breaks down into some playful organic percussion for half a minute, then begins to build back up to its original intensity. Once everything comes together, the vocoder voices get tweaked about a bit as well. If any momentum was lost with Superconcious, it's easily been regained here, and even taken up a notch.

Building upon that thrust in intensity is an incredibly funky remix of U2's Elevation by Paul van Dyk himself. With a growling bassline to carry things along, we get little snippets of Bono, piano washes, and synthy stabs for a good three and a half minutes. A breakdown with spacey pads, stuttering synths and more of the song's original lyrics is played out to give us a breather, but this is still a rhythm heavy song, so it doesn't dwell on this downtime for too long before layers are built up again to pummel floors with its heavy bass and punchy leads. Granted, it is a bit gimmicky but Elevation sure is a lot of fun, too.

But I guess van Dyk is getting tired of all this techy stuff as he mixes into quite a different song in his own Autumn. This is Paul van Dyk trance at its most basic: simple driving rhythms, melodic synth pads and washes, and pleasant sounding electronic riffs. It sounds nice and all but it sure is another stark contrast to what's come before. It's another shifting of the gears, unfortunately losing the momentum built upon previous tracks. Still, where he goes from this is quite good.

Mixing nicely into Cristalle by Viframa (thanks due to very similar rhythms), this next song has a wonderful, subdued lead that gets a huge boost in intensity thanks to accompanying synth pad washes. Nearly three minutes in, there's a breakdown that pulls the ol' 'start out low, then build into a supersaw-snareroll combo' trick that plagues a lot of trance, but it doesn't come across as redundant here, probably because there hasn't been any of it heard yet on this mix. It's a fine element to pull once or twice a set, so long as the payoff is good; not just in the following climax within the song but also in the following song.

While Furthermost by Solicitous may not take it to the next level, momentum isn't lost either with another similar breakdown either. Instead, it keeps things on an even keel with more of the same style of rhythm. A subdued little electronic riff that flutters and stutters along gets most of the attention, with synthy pads and chunky low leads joining the fray in a brief breakdown a minute in before coming all together for the lead out. Again, it sounds quite nice but I'm beginning to get a bit anxious to be taken to the next level.

As the mix into Four Days by Subsky (Gilbert van Haasen providing a remix) starts, it seems I'll get my wish, as a bit more of a driving bassline is present here. Once the transition is complete, sinister space pads and effects ominously weave about as a simple electronic lead plays and percussion picks up in intensity at regular intervals. In a mild breakdown a minute and a half into Four Days, a new element is added that picks the intensity up. This little stuttering electronic lead gets plenty of effects added to it with ethereal pads washing about in the background. Once the rhythm comes back, you're swept away in a sea of sonic washes. Great stuff.

As these sonic textures fade off, some punchier rhythm is introduced as van Dyk mixes into Second Sun's Empire. Punchier they may be, however, this song doesn't really seem to up the rhythm, keeping us right where we were with Four Days in terms of momentum. Which is fine, I guess, until this song breaks down some two minutes in to allow a stuttering synth to play. Extra stuttering elements are progressively added as things build for two minutes (!) but not in any exuberant way. Once the rhythm kicks back in, it seems to hardly make a difference. Kind of odd but the transition into Paul van Dyk's Out There helps to get feet moving again with fiercer rhythm than anything heard yet on this mix. It's quite straight forward really, but effective nonetheless. It's a suitable way of ending a warm-up disc to get you excited for the second.

As a CD to start a night off with, this is pretty good. Clever enough not to overindulge with big moments that could drain an audience early, there's just enough energy here to get you excited for things to come anyways. A few commercial hits thrown in for good measure are always shrewd methods of turning heads and drawing feet to the dance floor and they are tweaked around enough to even give trainspotters something to grin about. As a set itself, I get the impression I am listening to almost three different ideas assembled into one. While I enjoy variety in a set, the fact it loses some vigor after some of the mixes tends to draw you out of the moment. Still, these weaker elements are infrequent and easily outshone by what goes right in this mix.

So, having been properly primed by Paul with the first disc of The Politics Of Dancing, let us take a dive into the second disc, which is described as the cap on a night in the club.

Starting out with the benign voice pads of Coast 2 Coast's remix of Shout, C'mon by Sagitaire, we're instantly drawn into tranced out bliss. Layers of percussion are progressively added as the pads fade back for the time being, allowing us to get our groove on. By two minutes in, we're thumping along quite nicely along with little electronic bits and the voice pads emerge again. A breakdown a minute later allows some simple synth stabs to emerge and, once the rhythm returns, they combine to get our pulse pumping a little more. A little later, most of the elements retreat to allow for some harder electronic rhythms to take over. Eventually, though, the original elements return to take us into the next song, where the real focus of this set lies.

Starting out Epic Monolith by Micro de Govia is some mild breakbeats but once the main rhythm kicks in less than half a minute later, the intensity is kicked up a notch with some chunky acid squelches that slowly pitch bends for another good minute. Once at its peak, the song breaks down into spacey effects and a piano melody. It doesn't dwell on this for long, however, faded back briefly before echoing synth stabs build back into the initial driving rhythm initially established. Once the piano melody returns to join the fray, we're treated to some enjoyable melodic trance. Elements alternate with each other for the rest of this song as effects wash about, accentuating points throughout and never loosing energy in the process.

A brief transition of simple, driving rhythm takes us immediately into Ralphie B's Massive, where the big, stabbing synth chords of this track are fed into some reverb and given a chance to shine brilliantly. A quick buildup sends us rising into extra percussion, driving the chords harder. A techy interlude plays some two and a half minutes in but the synth chords return soon enough, and why not? These are great for building up energy at the beginning of a set.

As Massive plays out, David Forbes' Questions Must Be Asked mixes in, treating us to some more techy fun before giving way to some supersaw stabs in a breakdown. Keeping the momentum going just enough with some tinkling electronic arpeggios as the stabs play out, once the rhythm comes back in full force less than a minute later, the song drives headlong for a good minute before quickly mixing into Way Out West's Activity.

Picking right up on the techy nature of Questions Must be Asked's rhythm, Activity splices in some subtle electronics alternating across the stereo spectrum. The rhythm mildly withdraws to allow some low synth leads and spacey pads to join the fray but once it returns, extra percussion snapping in alternating speakers gets the feet moving even harder. Chants fed through effects are added and we're really falling into quite the bit of psychedelia. Over two minutes in, most of the elements leave for the time being to allow the percussion to drive things forward and it makes good use of its time with effects and synthy arpeggiations accentuating song throughout.

As the pads bring the rhythm of Activity to a close, Interface by Connector picks things up with a simpler set of percussion. A more driving bassline, however, keeps the momentum going for a good minute and a half as subdued, simple synths play in the background. By two minutes in, things start to slow down a bit as the rhythms elements are gradually withdrawn and a high-end synth pad permeates the setting; this actually gets down to almost a crawl in momentum. While the rhythm eventually returns in full force, it feels as though some of that initial force given to us over the first six tracks has been lost.

It doesn't get much better during the course of Interface as nearly four minutes in, the song breaks down, allowing for the synths to take over for half a minute. A little breakbeat interlude plays out for a bit and things build back up for a driving run towards the end but the rhythm here is just so simplistic in nature (not good for a rhythm heavy track and especially not good coming off of the busy rhythm of Activity) that whatever momentum that was lost in the first breakdown hasn't been regained.

Still, Interface segues wonderfully into the synth stabs of Solid Session's remix of Blank & Jones Secrets & Lies, driving this next track quite nicely and managing to recapture some of that lost momentum. Once the main body of Secrets & Lies hits a minute later, there's quite a euphoric feeling as melodic synth pads wash over with a female vocal sample of the songs title.

It's somewhat short-lived, however, as one quick transition not even two minutes later into Reach Me by Lexicon 4 quickly shifts focus from euphoria to a mellower atmosphere. Granted, the rhythm is still quite driving but with tranquil pads, subdued melodic synth leads, and effects mostly conjuring up images of seaside serenity, there definitely is a change in tone. I wouldn't go so far as to say the momentum is lost, though, as Reach Me certainly keeps you tuned in. I guess a peaceful interlude is just what the doctor ordered here.

Wise not to let us daydream for too long though, van Dyk switches scenery yet again with Reset by Jamnesia. After a bit of set-up rhythm for half a minute, a most excellent bit of sweeping trancey arpeggiations absolutely tickles at the synapses! This is just the introduction, however, to lead us to Into The Night by 4 Strings, a track that takes us higher than we've been yet on this disc. With fairly standard rhythm setting us up for a good minute and a half, the song vigorously pushes forward to a breakdown where a wonderfully melodic synth chord echoes for a bit, then comes on full force with solid kicks and a driving bassline. As the song repeats this again, the percussion comes on harder with extra hi-hats and snare snaps, eventually allowing the synth chords to fade back and take us to the next level.

Or at least, that's what I was anticipating.

Let's Go by Active X isn't bad, per se, but coming off the energy of Into The Night, the simple driving rhythm isn't given much to work with as punchy sounds and effects pummel their way about. It really could have used a great sounding riff or techy percussion following up on the great sounds of the previous track. A fierce build accentuated with a synth wash helps regain some of that lost energy but I feel as though I've been taken on a completely unexpected tangent here. Signum's In Progress continues us down this harder road, building intensity with a stuttering synth chord that gradually gets doubled up in delay effects before getting the rhythm driving once again for a minute or so.

Walter & Gelder takes us into a slightly techier side of trance as Section O starts out a quick mix later. An absolutely fierce sounding electronic effect joins the rhythms fray but things get a fair bit calmer a minute and a half later into this track as all but a simple kick, hi-hat, and snap are left. Half a minute later, some boisterous synth chords emerge and are given a chance to bloom with imperious intensity. It's short lived though, as the song returns to a more simple nature as a chunky bit of acid plays with the rhythm. The initial fierce effect comes and goes at points, normally at little pitch drops in the bass, but things play out in a fairly standard fashion into the next track.

Solid Sleep's Club Attack is a nice little melodic number with simple driving rhythm (how many times have I said that now?) and benign string pads. Straightforward synth chords carry the main leads of this song and, um, well, there isn't too much more to it than that. There aren't any big builds or huge riffs present. Club Attack just kind of grooves along inconspicuously and I'm not so sure if this was an appropriate place for such a track. The anticipation for something bigger is still kind of lingering after Into The Night and, despite a few teases here and there, van Dyk seems quite content to leave things on cruise control.

Starchildren by Guardians Of The Earth, on the other hand, storms out of the gate with a punchier kick and sweeping synth pads perhaps hinting at that long overdue payoff. However, it quickly settles into a very similar rhythm to the last few tracks. Less than a minute in, a simple little electronic lead joins the fray, adding a bit more jump to the track, but not enough to really take it to the next level. At around three minutes in, the song breaks down to allow for a little manipulation of the synth pad to be fed through effects but for the most part what we hear in the opening minute permeates the duration. Fine enough, I guess, but between this, the latter half of Section O, and Club Attack we've been on an even keel for nearly fourteen minutes now. When are you going to take it up a notch, Paul?

Nu NRG's Dreamland starts out promising enough with busy rhythms and a rolling bassline. Electronic leads establish a bit of energetic thrust as we dive into a breakdown with synthy pads a minute and a half in. Things play out for while, letting the lead join as well as things build quite nicely. However, a minute later most of everything fades back to allow a stuttering supersaw to take the reigns of the build. Another minute later of this building, thumping bass kicks finally get things going again in the rhythm department. Everything finally comes together and plays out with some great passion, but unfortunately it's missing the allusion needed by previous tracks leading up to Dreamland to truly make this special. Oh well.

I have to say disc two started out promising enough but somewhere along the way it feels as though the plot was lost. The final stretch of songs after Into The Night (bits of Section O and Dreamland notwithstanding) never seem to take off the way the lead up to it tends to hint it potentially could. van Dyk mentions in his liner notes that this is a representation of what he would play at the end of a club night but although many DJs do tend to play less energetic tracks towards the end of a night compared to peak hours (the first half of this disc, I'd imagine) as a means to bring the crowds down, it still seems disappointing to do so.

As a whole, The Politics Of Dancing is a solid enough affair, with plenty of great moments outweighing the weaker ones. Mixing is smooth, with most transitions between tracks restrained in their length; of course, I'd expect nothing less from a studio mix. Some tracks seem to contrast each other oddly, and does cause for a loss in momentum in spots, but for the most part it is regained in subsequent tracks.

The biggest gripe I have though, is that so many of these tracks have such similar, simple driving rhythm (a few care of van Dyk's studio reworkings, others of their own admission), causing long stretches of these mixes to coast along unvaryingly and rendering them almost non-descript. It doesn't come as much surprise to me that some of the most standout moments on these two discs are areas where the rhythm was allowed to diverge from this formula, thus giving these tracks more prominence from the others. However, this is merely the van Dyk style and chances are if you've come looking for this release, you know to expect it, perhaps even anticipate it.

If you enjoy the lighter side of trance music, there are some great moments to be had on this release.


SCORE: 8/10

ACE MIXES/TRACKS:
Another Late Thursday/Rapture mash-up.
Subsky - Four Days
Reset into Into The Night.


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

Special D. - Nothing I Won't Do (Original TC Review)

Mental Madness Cat. # MMR-028
Released March 2004

Track List:
A. Nothing I Won't Do (Extended Mix) (6:38)
B. Dust To Dust (6:35)

Note: This is a review of the vinyl release of the EP. The CD single is essentially the same with two extra airplay edits.

(2010 Update:
I was handed this one to review, so you can stop looking at me like that. Besides, I felt it would be a good idea to give the cheesy commercial side of EDM an occasional nod, and having something like this in the early archives definitely gave TranceCritic the impression we were following through in our 'diversity' claim. But man, was I ever being extra objective here -barely any cynicism or quips to be had. It wouldn't take long for that attitude to change when it came to contemporary euro dance.)

Special D. seems to be gaining some ground as of late thanks to his popularity in the euro dance scene, an area that has typically been dominated by the likes of Brooklyn Bounce and Scooter. This single delivers that same style of hard dance with throbbing beats and big synths that has become the latter's identifiable sound.

Nothing I Won't Do opens up with some breakbeats, using rather odd percussion samples at points like cuckoo clocks and wobbly triangles, quickly lending this song to a silly atmosphere. As the bass kicks in less than a minute in -a pounding, throbbing sucker- this cacophony of silly sound effects continues, building up to the main hook. Before long, as a female MC urges the crowd on, the main synth hits us, a rather simple, punchy sound as canned crowd noise joins the fray of this lead in.

Over two minutes now of lead in, and the song breaks down to pleasant pads as the MC sings and crowd noise builds in intensity. Former elements are brought back in a build, letting the synth hook take the forefront for the most part. This is quite a good build actually, as the intensity never really falters thanks to this riff. In fact, I hardly even noticed when the beat came back in. That's a great mark of a good build, in my opinion: something that doesn't make you long for the percussion to carry you forward again.

Once everything is brought in, this song really bounces along; nothing but spastic, exuberant fun thanks to the synth. Momentum is never lost as the bass remains fairly constant, every so often allowing breakbeat bridges or just the synth to take the lead. About six minutes into this song, layers are progressively taken away, making for a nice lead out that should service DJs quite nicely.

Nothing I Won't Do really doesn't take itself too seriously but that's its strongest asset. Sometimes it's just good to enthusiastically let yourself go to music that's light-hearted.

The B-side to this single is Dust To Dust, a track that definitely showcases some interesting percussion but tends to lack in its ability to carry momentum for long with a few too many pauses.

After a minute of standard opening with a bunch of tech-y beats, a time stretched voice ominously tells us, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in this music, we lay our trust." Throbbing beats kick in as a low, paranoid bleep plays, echoing off the walls with a distorted hoover effect. Intensity picks up as percussion is progressively added, building energy terrifically until...

Nothing.

What? You mean that last minute was still just lead in? Geez.

After a few seconds of pause, a benign little piano melody plays. The vocal sample returns, this time to the accompaniment of ominous synth pads. Percussion builds up again, and I'm thinking, "Alright. Here comes the payoff!" Who am I kidding? Percussion builds to a crescendo to cap off with another three seconds pause. Wow, what a way to kill momentum twice now, although I'm sure this will cause a number of dancers to take the Leap Of Shame; always good for a laugh.

Big synths play now, with rolling, pounding percussion, followed by percussion. It might be danceable but it still sounds like buildup to me, since I can't see anyone anticipating it.

Finally, now three and a half minutes into Dust To Dust, we get the big payoff to all this lead in, and it is good. Throbbing beats, big synths, and ominous bleeps in the background create some fierce intensity, and it only builds as the piano melody and pads join the fray. Former elements come and go for the rest of this track, eventually ending on the same sort of percussion used in the opening.

I can see Dust To Dust being a floor filler, but only if you take out the first three minutes worth, as it meanders far too much in the early going to build any amount of momentum.

Still, both tracks are fun when they deliver.

Score: 5/10

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

Delerium - Karma (Original TC Review)

Nettwerk Records: Cat. # 067003311426 

Released 1997 

 Note: Limited edition two disc release (15, 000 copies). 

 Second disc also includes CD-ROM material. 

 Track List: 

DISC 1 

1. Enchanted (8:30) 

2. Duende (5:22) 

3. Twilight (6:07) 

4. Silence (6:33) 

5. Forgotten Worlds (7:32)

6. Lamentation (8:33) 

7. Euphoria (Firefly) (5:27) 

8. Remembrance (7:28)

9. Wisdom (4:48) 

10. Koran (10:05) 

11. Till The End Of Time (4:36) 

 

DISC 2 

1. Heaven's Earth (8:18) 

2. Window To Your Soul (10:18) 

(2010 Update: Probably one of my better early attempts, though obviously still stuck in "ridiculously detailed" mode. I was quite eager to do this one because I felt I got lucky in owning the early special edition, and wanted to show it off. Still a great album too. Oh, and apparently Koran was removed due to an uncleared sample issue. So now we know.) 

Despite critical acclaim as both Delerium and Front Line Assembly, Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber were never able to break through to the mainstream. Signing with Nettwerk seemed to help them gain some ground, as the Canadian based label would put forth a strong PR campaign for their follow-up to the seminal Semantic Spaces. Living in their base of operations at the time, I was hard pressed to not notice promotion for Karma. Quite often the morning radio would be playing one of the first two singles. 

In which tends to be a Delerium trademark, plenty of background textures and elements to keep the acute listener busy starts out most of Enchanted. Trotting horse-drawn carriages, African chants, harps, and dark atmospherics create an ominous intro. However, once the meat of the song starts, it feels a little lacking. Accompanied by a simple bit of rhythm, Kristy Thirsk's singing seems to have been put through so many different effects and filters that many of the lyrics are lost and indiscernible (thankfully, the album comes complete with printed lyrics). Some extra electronics, Gregorian chants, flutes that weave about, and a bouncy bass line encompass the rest but aren't given much prominence beyond a few bridges. 

Duende grabs our attention immediately though, with an intro that builds quite nicely using an organ melody, string pads, Pygmy chants, and percussion. Soon enough, things settle into a nice, heavy breakbeat. Carried by the vocals of Camille Henderson (a backup singer for Sarah McLachlan) Duende really soars along, including a chorus that is incredibly catchy, even if you can't quite make out what's being said again. Yes, like Enchanted, this song also seems to suffer a little from singing put through a few too many effects to render them almost unintelligible to the casual listener. However, they are sung with far more passion and energy than Enchanted so it doesn't really matter. It flows just as well with this up-beat track as the sampled singing of Pygmies. With rich, sweeping pads to accentuate Camille Henderson's singing and a nice arrangement of background textures to fill in any sonic gaps, Duende could easily be the front-runner for best track on Karma. 

That is, until Twilight starts. What a rich sounding song! Every element used fits so perfectly together that it makes Twilight an incredible aural excursion. Subtle electronic keys and stabs weave in and out of reverb percussion while ethereal voice pads float over tribal chants. Solo use of pianos and synths add to the diversity throughout, never allowing the song to fall into repetitiveness. Why this song never became a single is just bizarre; I guess the lack of singing hurt it in that regard, as lyric-less music rarely hits the mainstream. 

And speaking of mainstream, here is the song that changed more than one career: Silence. A collaboration between label-mates Sarah McLachlan and Delerium probably sounded good on paper: get your label's biggest star to feature on a track and you just may end up attracting her fans as well, pushing a few extra copies in the process. Okay, cynicism aside, the Delerium boys were anxious to collaborate with her regardless. Oddly enough, by having no featuring credits on the track titles, her contribution only became evident later on, after two hit singles had already established Karma a success. Listening to it at the time of its release, Silence didn't seem as important as, say, Duende. 

Oh, the song itself? A solid enough affair, as Sarah McLachlan’s voice does suit the Delerium fold. Gregorian chants over acoustic guitar start things off. These chants sound so good in themselves that I wish they could have been used a little more often during the song. However, once Sarah picks up the reigns, her voice carries the rest (thankfully, free of any major effects so her full vocal talents can be utilized) and the Gregorians are regulated to the background afterwards. Musically, everything from electronic pulses to piano arpeggios keep things on pace but never overtakes Sarah's singing in prominence. Good emotional stuff here, although I have to admit I don't find Silence as riveting as the previous two tracks, probably because this song is more about McLachlan than Delerium, and, as such, the music is there merely to service her and just doesn't stand out as much. 

Returning to instrumentals is Forgotten Worlds, where a somber string pad plays as bells chime in the distance. Worldly elements such as ethnic percussion, flutes, and sitars play about for a minute of lead-in before tinkling and eerie electronic pulses and pads take us onward with a chunky rhythm that'll get your head bobbing. When these organic and electronic devices are put together, the song is full of life, even when given a solo. However, a vocal of operatic influence throughout Forgotten Worlds (a cleared sample from Dead Can Dance, I believe) also makes this track sound more dreary than it would have without it. 

The next song, Lamentation, has a lot in common with Forgotten Worlds, especially the somber, dreary atmosphere. However, considering this track's title, that's probably the point. As a dark pad permeates, flutes, tribal chants, and acoustic strums are used sparingly along with organic percussion for the first three minutes, creating quite a saddening atmosphere. Eventually, though, things pick up a bit with some electronic pulses and simple percussion; just enough to make it sound more interesting but also takes away from the somber atmosphere initially established. Lamentation still sounds rather depressing but a little more intuitive than Forgotten Worlds as elements come and go. 

A dark, dreary, ambient beginning starts Euphoria (Firefly) off, becoming a somewhat repetitive theme in the album now considering the previous two tracks used it as well. However, it quickly gives way to a more upbeat percussion and a bassline that is about as funky as this album will get. Many of the elements sound similar to Silence, including lyrics sung by Jaqui Hunt (of Single Gun Theory fame) taking center stage. But where Silence sounded organic, Euphoria sounds quite synthetic with its use of more electronic instrumentation to carry the song along. A nice variation on a similar theme already utilized on the same album. 

Remembrance is now the fourth song in a row to use a dark ambient intro, this time with more natural instrumentation. A minute and a half later, things kick into epic proportions with fantastic use of ethnic wind instruments, Gregorian chants, electronic pulses, and simple but direct percussion. Sweeping string pads carry things along, linking all these unique elements with graceful subtlety. What it has in great instrumentation, however, the song seems to lack a little in overall direction. It isn't a major concern though, as Remembrance sounds great on its own merits. 

Taking a step away from the dreary intros is Wisdom. Rather, we are introduced to a slow arpeggio that becomes the main musical element that carries this song, switching from electronic to organic instruments throughout in a typical verse/chorus structure.  Kristy Thirsk returns to the vocal duties, this time free of overbearing effects. For the most part though, Wisdom bounces along quite nicely, standing out enough to save it from being a transitional track. 

With Koran, the dark, dreary intro returns, this time using some very spacey pads before settling into more organic elements such as sitars, Islamic chants, and various wind instruments. Everything builds along progressively, never letting anything gain much notice until a solo of some rather emphatic Islamic chants take full front for a chorus of sorts, repeating this structure twice more. Considering how subdued everything else comes across as a whole (think a darker Twilight), this chorus can come across as a little obtrusive, despite enough lead into it that you'll expect it. I guess depending on how much you like this sort of thing will determine how much the chorus feels right or not. 

Finishing out this disc is Till The End Of Time, a track that seems to realize it's at the end of an album. Not too concerned about big moments, it kind of meanders along with lyrics by Thirsk and little sonic samples fluttering about. Probably the most dynamic element to this song is percussion that sounds quite unique compared to the rest of the album. It sounds more mechanical and choppy, despite all of its organic instrumentation use. Aside from that, nothing much else new here that hasn't already been heard on the album in one form or another (well, aside from a dreary intro). 

Now that I've covered the original album, allow me to delve into the bonus disc that was limited to fifteen thousand copies (one of which I own, heh). For a B-Side, Heaven's Earth sounds amazing! Delerium's love of wind instruments, acoustic guitars, and ethnic chants continues with a two and a half minutes long lead in. Slow, punchy rhythm kicks in with spacey synth pads as Kristy Thirsk starts to sing, somewhat unintelligibly again (like Enchanted), but quite frankly it doesn't matter this time around; the chorus absolutely soars! Melding of organic and synthetic is once again flawless in execution, creating a sonic delicacy. How did this not end up on the original release of Karma? As a track, it is a bit stand-alone, in that it would have been a tough song on an album to follow while maintaining a consistent flow. Heaven's Earth could still have made for an excellent opener, though; much better than the rather mediocre Enchanted. 

The second of the two bonus tracks here is Window To Your Soul, a song that actually ended up replacing Koran on many subsequent copies of Karma after the album's initial release. I'm not sure why this was done, though. With an album filled with dark, ambient intros, this track probably has the darkest of them all. Moody atmospherics permeate a foreboding background while melding of organic and electronic instrumentation continues to flow effortlessly together. Four minutes later, things become much lighter. Pleasant electronics pulse about as benign Gregorian chants weave in and out of mellow, spacey pads. Window To Your Soul is very much a yin/yang track. 

The CD-ROM material on the bonus disc includes videos of earlier Delerium singles, information on the contributing vocalists, and audio clips of interviews with Leeb and Fulber, detailing their musical influences and ideas when approaching Karma (I found one such clip about how they took a boom-box with some pre-recorded music to a church to record an authentic Gregorian choir quite amusing). 

The debate's been done to death whether Karma marked the beginning of the end (“those lyrics ruined their sound!”) or the end of the beginning (“those lyrics enhanced their sound!”) for Delerium. The way I see it, you get the best of both worlds with this release. The vocal tracks here are arguably some of the best ever done under the Delerium banner and the instrumentals are catching Leeb and Fulber in their studio prime. Those getting this album for the big singles may be turned off by some of the instrumentals though, especially when many of the intros sounds quite similar (patience has never been a virtue for track skippers). If you can find it, I recommend getting this version of Karma, as not only do you get the excellent Heaven's Earth, but also the now relatively rare Koran as well, a track that really didn't deserve to be shunted. 

Score: 9/10 

ACE TRACKS:

Duende 

Twilight 

Heavens Earth 

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

Various - Trance To Planet X: Influence 3.3 (Original TC Review)

Hypnotic: Cat# CLP 9674-2 

Year Of Release: 1996 

Track List: 

1. Phasis - Visitations (6:33) 

2. Wave Shaping Age - World In Trouble (6:45) 

3. Omnicron - The Bushmen (6:12) 

4. The Dermatologist - Jupiter (Omm To The Stars) (8:56) 

5. Analog Communications - Wave Generator (7:40) 

6. Morten - Hypnotizing (7:20) 

7. Judge S. - Brainstorm (Scatanic Gap) (7:00) 

8. Audio Science - Sunstroke (11:39) 

9. Cyberjam - Alphaflight (6:46) 

10. Artificial Flavor - Deep Noizer (4:56) 

 (2010 Update: Endlessly detailed and a drag to read. Why would I go to such excruciating lengths to microscopically recount how each track sounds? Well, this was actually the first sample review I wrote for TranceCritic, mainly as one to show other writers exactly what kind of format we were shooting for -specifically of an average 6/10 release. Plus, we were actually wanting to go this heavily detailed method, which was just stupid in hindsight; live and learn. Kudos to you if you can make it through all 2500 words of this -Lord knows I can't anymore.) 

IN BRIEF: Hypnotic Records on the decline. 

This third volume of music from Music Research's sub-label, Influence, brought to us by Hypnotic (a sub-label of Cleopatra), is something of a mixed bag. Influence's early releases were quite distinct in tone and atmosphere, drawing themes from industrial music quite liberally at times, all the while maintaining trance and hard acid elements. And while the latter is present in this compilation (at times in spades), the former is not. I suppose some of trance's early association with industrial had been all but wiped out by the time these tracks were released but it's a shame to see that distinctiveness in Influence's sound go by the wayside. 

But enough about the past. Does this compilation do the label justice? Well, yes and no. There is some quality stuff here but at times on this album it seems like Hypnotic was scraping the bottom of the barrel of Influence's library. 

Like the two previous Influence compilations Hypnotic gave us, this one starts out with a track by Norman Feller's alias, Phasis. Visitations is a solid sounding affair, once it finally gets going that is. As a low acid warble starts this track off, subtly playing with some pitch effects. Bits of percussion progressively are added, making for a decent, if somewhat long, lead in. In fact, it isn't until two and a half minutes into this track that Visitations gains any real momentum. Finally, at around three minutes into this track, a minor breakdown gives the main riff, a filtered little stuttering trancey sound, some prominence. It plays around with a few reverb tricks, adding ominous filtered pads into the background before everything comes together again for a sinister sounding little number. Around five minutes in, the song goes into another breakdown, and the initial low acid line gets to play around again before building up into a great moment where the pads are given prominence, accentuated with simple, driving bass punches. The riff joins the fray again as the song plays out to its end, which is quite abrupt, especially considering how much lead in this song had to start with. 

Fortunately, World In Trouble by Wave Shaping Age picks up the pace right where Visitations left off. After a hollow, metallic banging sound plays for a bit, a quite creative and unassuming sample from The Terminator (I'll leave it to you to guess where in the movie it's from) leaps out at you, rousing you from whatever inert state you might have been in. As the sample loops, a chunky bit of low acid joins at an urgent pace. The sample fades back and a simple, beeping riff becomes the focus, a rather paranoid sounding little thing. Driving bass kicks and other percussion are progressively added as things settle into quite the hypnotic number here. The riff fades back for a bit around two minutes in as some stuttering sounds and acid effects play out for a minute and a half, never loosing momentum. A brief breakdown comes about eventually, giving the riff full prominence. The song builds back up to its original driving momentum, where the riff is then treated to some echo effects, adding even more urgency to its already paranoid sound. As the Terminator sample loops out at the end, the riff is given full prominence once again to take us out. Great trancey stuff. 

Unfortunately, it's with the next track things start to become a bit suspect with this compilation: a return of the rather mediocre The Bushmen by Omnicron. Why put this track on the third of this series when its already been featured on the previous one? And if you absolutely had to put a previous track on, why not something better? "The Bushmen trance or curing dance..." Get ready to hear this sample a lot in this song, more than I'd really care to hear. I'm not entirely adverse to the idea of repeating samples throughout a song but very rarely does it ever come across as creative; more like tedious, especially if it doesn't add much to the track in general. 

The song itself is quite driving thanks to some brisk percussion, an energetic bass line, and stuttering voice pads. The main riff, however, is kind of lacking in this same intensity, sounding rather muddy. A few bridges with acid bleeps and a trancey ping that echoes across the stereo spectrum add a bit of diversity around three minutes in but, for the most part, it doesn't deviate from its main riff, which just doesn't have enough meat in it to carry this song. Even the stuttering voice pads, always a guilty pleasure of mine, can't help in making this track more interesting than a decent transitional track. 

If The Bushmen is an example of how to use a repeating sample wrong, the next track, Jupiter (Omm To The Stars) by The Dermatologist, is an example of how to use a repeating sample right. Of course, it helps that this spoken sample is the word omm, which has an almost Zen-like quality to it when heard or said. Strange, that. There's quite a bit of subtle stuff going on with this track. The opening, crisp acid line is quite low in pitch to start but it will be given a great workout throughout this song's duration, peaking and subsiding in frequency with great embellishment. Sinister and spacey effects come and go, playing off of percussion elements that never overtake the main acid line in prominence... and here is where a problem lies. The bass kick is rather flat. Were it punchier, this could have been a great track that could pummel dance floors. As such, it merely functions to serve the pace, which is a shame. At around six and a half minutes, the song stops and an ominous voice utters "Jupiter." Interesting, but nothing is done with it afterwards besides just pick up right where the song left off. It kind of takes you out of the trance this song puts you into while listening to it quite abruptly. What's the point of this? If something new were added afterwards, I could see some logic behind it. As it stands, Jupiter is a fine enough excursion into acid but leaves the listener wanting. 

Sadly, Analog Communications doesn't seem to be up to the task of upping the ante, further dragging this compilation into mediocrity after its solid start. The opening of Wave Generator is something of a mess. A chunky bit of stuttering acid starts out, which is fine, but a flat sounding bass, hi-hats, and cymbals that are progressively added just don't mesh well, making this sounding quite cluttered. It isn't until two minutes in that things kind of settle down into something resembling a song, thanks largely in part to a kick drum and snappy, shuffling claps that gets things organized. The acid line carries on throughout this track, given a bit of a pitch workout after the five-minute mark. Trouble here is this line is so abrasive and prominent that it drowns out so much of the rest of the track; you need a very good set of speakers or headphones to make out any of the other details. Even an eerie little warbling riff that joins the fray three minutes in can't get its head over the acid. Might make for an alright transitional track if an acid techno DJ played the middle four minutes worth but other than that, this song is just too cluttered sounding to be any good. After three straight tracks now that haven't been too hot, it wouldn't be at all uncommon for a casual listener to dismiss the rest of this compilation. 

Fortunately, Morten's Hypnotizing manages to rescue it from sinking altogether. After about a minute's worth of fairly standard lead-in percussion (although there is a bit of playfulness in the use of stereo effects), a wobbly bit of acid bass joins in. Half a minute later, some trancey beeps begin to float about before the main riff, a rather simple, stuttering synth stab, rises up in a minor breakdown. Things play out for a while as extra effects adding a sense of urgency to the riff build tension. At about the four-minute mark, the song breaks down into a lovely little bit where string pads float along with the trancey beeps, all the while a female sample says, appropriately enough, "Hypnotizing away." As the song builds up again, a chunky bit of acid grows from the background, given full prominence once the rhythm sets in again. As the trancey beeps and strings pads are added, it gives a sense of soothing calm over the song's initial anxiety. Even when the main riff returns, the two polar elements play quite nicely off of each other. On its own, Hypnotizing is fairly standard sounding trance from this era. Coming off of two straight hard acid tracks though, this one is like a breath of fresh air after sitting in a suffocating room. 

Now that our attention is brought back, it's time for Judge S. to increase the intensity with Brainstorm (Scatanic Gab). A menacing sound effect weaves about as percussion slowly fades in from the background. In less than a minute, a booming gabber bass kick rears its intimidating head, fortunately at a brisk enough pace as to not loose this track's integrity. The sound effect switches up a bit, turning into actual notes instead of background noise. All this is very subtle, mind; like the calm before the storm. By the three-minute mark, an incredibly catchy riff plays out; very epic sounding despite the low-key sounds used. A minute later, a quick percussive bridge ups the ante as effects and extra hi-hats accentuate this riff. As the song builds down its layers of elements, an acidy synth gets fed through a pitch bend, repeating towards a minimal outro. Killer stuff, and not an easy act to follow up. 

Fortunately, the always intriguing Audio Science is up to the challenge. Sunstroke starts out very low key due to a pulsing synth sound fed through a low pitch; things don't really pick up until over a minute in where a subdued synth pad weaves about as a very unique sounding bass kick pattern (going something like 'thump thump-thump-thump-thump-thump thump thump-thump-thump thump') is introduced. Extra hi-hats and claps in separate stereo channels are progressively added, setting up a very quick pace. As the synth pad leave, the original wobbling synth sound picks up in intensity, getting doubled up and peaking briefly every so often at higher pitches but remaining low for the most part. By the five-minute mark, the percussion briefly leaves, giving some eerie stuttering voice pads a bit of prominence before rejoining the fray. This carries on for a couple of minutes but never sounds repetitive thanks to the ever-so-subtle pitch tweaks to the pulsing synth line. Once we're in about seven and a half minutes, the song gives a new element, a good ol' bit of tweaking acid, a bit of prominence. Finally, every element comes together for a frenetic climax where the original pulsing synth gets fed into quite a bit of echo effects. This is quite a long song compared to the rest, clocking in over eleven and a half minutes, but it never gets tedious to listen to. There are so many elements subtly lurking about that an acute listener can have quite a bit of fun with it. The only real trouble with it is there is no real defining riff, just a series of trancey movements. As such, this is trance music in its most raw form: subtle, minimal, and hypnotic. Me likes. 

Attempting to outdo Audio Science at their game is not something recommended for a follow-up track, and this compilation wisely follows this advice by delving into something a little bit different than anything heard yet here. A moody pad intro starts Cyberjam's Alphaflight out. Before long a couple different twerping acid lines emerge, building in intensity. Soon enough this intensity is released as percussion charges in with a bit of low, reverbing acid throbbing in the background. Acid lines and effects weave about, creating what is actually something rather funky sounding, a bit of a surprise given how this song started out (at least, as funky as acid trance can get). Three minutes into the song, the opening pads return in a breakdown, this time more intense as low-key acid and sound effects play off of them for a minute. Once the rhythm returns, its more driving than before and various acid effects play all about, sometimes retaining a bit of the opening's theme, but for the most part doing their own thing in a rather fun way. The song kind of pitters out at the end from a lack of focus, though, seemingly having run out of ideas. This wouldn't be so bad if the next track picked up nicely after this steady run of quality tracks. 

Ouch! What is this? Did someone record this track too loudly onto this album? Or is it the song itself? Deep Noizer by Artificial Flavor does have a danceable rhythm to it, I guess, but the sounds used here to make up its main riff (which plays through the songs entirety) and various effects are so overbearing and abrasive, I can't imagine anyone making heads or tails of it. Everything is just so distorted. Granted, it's not a very long track, but I can't see anyone using this for anything more than a joke. It certainly isn't an enjoyable listen at home. What a lousy way to end an album. Since it's the last track, this is pretty much a throwaway song. I've never been fond of the idea; wouldn't you want to go out firing on all cylinders instead of leaving a bad taste in the mouth? 

Still, there is some great stuff to be had here; tracks like World In Trouble, Brainstorm (Scatanic Gap), and Sunstroke are worthy additions to any trance collection. But when a compilation contains such weak contenders like Wave Generator and Deep Noizer, it's hard to recommend an album in good conscious. However, the former group of tracks are worth having, and given the rarity of Influence material on CD (or MP3 for that matter), for the most part the rest on here would be welcome accompaniments for a trance library. It's just a shame the lesser tracks drag the overall impression here.

Score: 6/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

Wave Shaping Age - World In Trouble 

Judge S. - Brainstorm (Scatanic Gap) 

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

Drexciya - Harnessed The Storm (Original TC Review)

Tresor Records: Cat.# TRESOR 181 CD

Released 2002

Track List:

1. Under Sea Disturbances (8:07)

2. Digital Tsunami (6:22)

3. Soul Of The Sea (4:31)

4. Song Of The Green Whale (4:59)

5. Dr. Blowfin's Black Storm Stabilizing Spheres (6:12)

6. The Plankton Organization (6:08)

7. Mission To Ociya Syndor And Back (5:13)

8. Aquatic Cataclysm (5:19)

9. Lake Haze (5:17)

10. Birth Of New Life (6:22)

(2010 Update:
So this was the first review I managed to upload to TranceCritic (after God-knows how many trial-n-error attempts). Clearly my writing wasn't anywhere near polished yet, but at least it was a start. It definitely is a better review than the early attempts of some other websites. As for why I wanted TC's first review to be of the Detroit-based underground darlings Drexciya, I loved the irony of a site called TRANCECritic starting with techno as the first submission. Not sure many appreciated it at the time though.)

Ah, Drexciya. Fans of techno swear by them while everyone else, at best, have only heard of them in passing.

And that, my friends, is a shame. Their sound, while at times delving a bit far into experimentation, is quite unlike anything I've heard before. The running theme in their work - an underwater civilization arisen from former African slaves whom cast themselves into the ocean while on transport to the New World - gives Drexciya's songs a unique quality that can only be described as the sounds one may hear penetrating the murky depths of the ocean.

Nowhere is this more apparent than with the opening track of this album, Under Sea Disturbances. Thick, booming bass kicks and hi-hats that sound more like electronic splashes than anything natural get going quite soon as some atmospherics fade in and out of the beginning of this song. The remaining elements that come together, such as tinkling electronic keys, submerged synth notes, and a deep, wobbly bassline, are few but have a jazz element to them so they never become needlessly repetitive. Each of these elements are given their chance to shine or play off one another during the song's eight minute duration. Granted, the lack of several elements may turn away some listeners seeking diversity but for just lying back and immersing oneself into a sea of sonic excursions, this is not a bad offering.

The next track, Digital Tsunami, retains the same form of percussion as Under Sea Disturbances but comes on fiercer with a stuttering bass synth. The main riff line is a fairly simple little sound, quite subdued as it speeds along. Again like Under Sea Disturbances, things never quite settle into standard loops as the bassline gets tweaked about with effects throughout, especially when the riff is taken out at four and a half minutes in. An odd sounding effect, like some sort of marine mammal, also adds to the song's texture as it plays through. Digital Tsunami may have simple elements but the way Drexciya keeps things interesting with embellishment makes this track a league in its own.

Unfortunately, these techniques aren't as prevalent in Soul Of The Sea. Tinkling electronic riffs and chord stabs are overtaken by more booming bass, although at a much slower pace. By having these elements come and go during the song, things don't tend to come across as monotonous loops but when the only thing new added to the mix for the duration are burbling tones here and there, having the same sounds used can get tiresome without more variation (pitch bends or effects, for instance), especially coming off a song like Digital Tsunami where it was far more predominant.

Song Of The Green Whale gets back to this technique with an interesting excursion in minimal techno. Electronic chords play overtop a minimal breakbeat as squelchy synth stabs add variety for the duration. These synth stabs are continuously being fed through effects, never sounding the same in any given eight measures. The use of a very dark mellow pad, which does sound like a whale song penetrating the murky deep of the ocean, is a nice touch, although difficult to hear when everything else is in effect. One might complain there isn't enough going on with just four different sounds playing with effects switching them up every so often. Well, that's kind of the point with minimal techno; the listener is meant to just focus on these subtle changes. Of course, it isn't for everyone but I don't mind it. Such music can get quite trancey in a hypnotic way.

On Dr. Blowfin's Black Storm Stabilizing Spheres though, it just doesn't quite work. This track suffers from the same thing Soul Of The Sea does: not enough manipulation of the core elements to keep it from sounding repetitive. Although there are some imaginative sounds at work here an ever-present growling bassline, dark effects, and a glitchy electronic line- by three minutes in, you've pretty much heard all there is to hear on this track. For a song that's twice that long, there really needs to be more to keep our attention.

The Plankton Organization is another song that suffers from too much minimalism. Granted, the main riff, a glitchy, squelchy thing, gets some very subtle tweaking in effects, but a very simple electro breakbeat and a couple pinging and shuffling effects thrown in here and there don't add much and, in less than three minutes of this six minute track, you've heard all there really is to hear. The acute listener will undoubtedly find things to enjoy through The Plankton Organization but, in my experience, only techno purists tend to have the patience for it.

Things start to look up a bit with Mission To Ociya Syndor And Back (boy, do Drexciya come up with some long names!). While the beats remain quite minimal, various odd-sounding electronic quips, blips, and skips brings enough diversity to the plate to keep the listener interested, if not entertained. Two and a half minutes in, the sounds switch up into something more growling and squelchy. There's really only one thing holding Mission back from being in league with a track like Digital Tsunami, and it's a major one: pacing. Quite often Mission will just allow the bass kick, a rather flat sounding noise with a bit of wobbly delay, to play on its own in a rather uneven pattern. Whenever you feel like you're getting somewhere with this track, it just comes to a halt. Ugh.

Aquatic Cataclysm fixes this up though, by keeping the pacing consistent; albeit still with minimal electro percussion. While some of the previous tracks relied on loops fed through effects to keep things interesting, this track manages to accomplish this by using drops and cuts on its main electronic line, a wobbly, low metallic sound accentuated with a growling bassline. Various added sounds like electronic twerps, pings, and murky atmospherics keep this intriguing the whole time.

After so many tracks featuring glitchy experimentalism, it's quite a refreshing feeling to hear a track that relies on mellow synth chords, trancey electronic lines, and bass that's actually rather funky in the form of Lake Haze. Like the rest of the tracks thus far, these elements come and go, sometimes given prominence, other times playing off each other. Unlike most of the tracks, however, this song is more immediate, relying on simple melody rather than acute attention to details for the listener to enjoy.

Keeping with the tranquil atmosphere of Lake Haze is Birth Of New Life, a mellow track which is held together by somber pads in a way that only pads can hold a track together. For the most part the track is quite nice, featuring tinkling keyboard playing that embellishes a fair amount, though gets perhaps a little too fancy with pitch effects towards the end. In all, however, the song does have an innocent charm about it, especially when so many other tracks on this album are so menacing.

Now, this isn't an immediate album by any means. Indeed, it took me a few listens through just to figure out the nuances of many of these tracks. While Digital Tsunami and Lake Haze do stand out from the pack on this album, most of them demand your undivided attention if you are to get anything out these songs. As such, I can see many individuals dismissing a good chunk of them as nothing better than filler.

But give it time. It may take three, five, seven, maybe even a dozen listens before you really get what's going on. And once you do, you'll undoubtedly end up saying what many fans of techno have been saying all along:

Drexciya really are in a class of their own.

Score: 8/10

ACE TRACKS:

Digital Tsunami

Lake Haze

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