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Music reviews
Psytrance reviews
Review by PKS
Alchemy Records is out with a new compilation...
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Alchemy Records based in the UK is out with a new full on compilation. Quite unusual cover art and a pretty interesting track list made me curious about this release, compiled by dj Simo.
Fairy Tales (Alchemy Records) 2004 (ALCD0012)
1. Pixel – Smart Planet (Rinkadink Rmx)
2. Triptych – Fifty
3. Orion – Freaky Tweaky
4. Cimi Vs. Sharigrama – Muddy Dancing
5. Dark Soho – Light In The Dark
6. Broken Toy – What It Is
7. Pleiadians – Photonik Part 2
8. M-Klome – Secret Plants
9. Pop Stream – Rip Stringer
As you see on the track list, there are well known experienced artists and a few upcoming acts, all making trance of the full on kind. First out is a track originally made by Pixel (Eli Biton Tal), but here we get a remixed version of the track done by Rinkadink (Vana) from South-Africa. This track has the usual Israeli trance vibe, with pumping, heavy beats. Rinkadink also adds some tiny, weird sounds, but this track doesn’t stand out as something very special. Track 2 is by Triptych (Charles Michaud) from France. He has released quite a lot of music on Turbo Trance Records, like his debut album Lost Paradises last year. This guy produces full on too, but in a different way than most other full on artists. His music has often more variation than the majority of full on trance music and you can often get a few surprises when listening to his music. However, the track we get here doesn’t sound very nice in my ears. It is quite varied, but in a very clubby almost cheesy way, with some vocal samples and sort of annoying, clubby riffs. But there are a few good ingredients in there too, like the funky guitar break and some of the floating parts. Things get much better in track 3. This is a new track done by one of my favourite full on artists, Orion (Jean Borelli) from Denmark. He sure knows who to make the music much deeper and with a very trippy vibe. The track is no exception from his usual quality. Totally drifting and trippier than ever before. Sort of dark and light at the same time. Definitely my favourite track on this compilation. Track 4 is a collaboration between Cimi and Sharigrama (dj Marchello, Carlos Siliceo and Carlos Gonzales). Cimi is a new name from Italy, while Sharigrama is one of the most famous psytrance groups from Mexico. Here we get a hard pumping beat with some fluffy melodies jumping in now and then. This one doesn’t sound very different from the tons of other full on these days, and I missed some more variation and interesting choices of sounds.
Dark Soho (Sagiv Boxer and Rizo Kadosh) from Israel have released albums on Alchemy Records, and has a big fan base among those who like their full on to be dark with a lot of guitars. Here we get a new track by them, but surprisingly they have put away the guitar this time, and serve us a much lighter track than usual. Quite average track in my ears, so maybe they should keep to the dark stuff… Then we get a track by another one who has been spotted on quite a lot of compilations lately, Broken Toy (James Copeland) from South-Africa. He gives us a quite powerful track, with a heavy, stumping bass line and some weird, screaming sounds. Again I miss some more creativity and variation. Track 7 is the biggest surprise on this compilation. A new track by Pleiadians (Max Lanfranconi and Maurizio Begotti)! People have been begging for more Pleiadians tracks for years after their last Pleiadians album called Family Of Light, released on Dragonfly Records in 1999. But instead they have mostly been doing minimal stuff with their other project Etnica. Many people say that Pleiadians and Etnica has totally lost it after Andrea Rizzo (a third member) left the band. I have to agree on that considering their latest two Etnica albums, but at least the two guys left manages to dig up some interesting stuff now and then. Pleiadians where one of my favourite groups once, so I became very curious when I saw this new Pleiadians track on the track list for this compilation. So how is it? Well, it’s not like the good old times, but it doesn’t sound bad! It has a drifting vibe that builds up slowly. Quite minimal and dark, but some light melodies sneaks in the background now and then. Quite trippy and it reminds me a little bit of some tracks by X-Dream. Track 8 is by a new artist I haven’t heard about before. This is M-Klone (Matteo Mercurio) from Italy. He sure handles the full on style, and gives us a quite massive, intense track. It actually reminds me a little bit of earlier Pleiadians stuff, but in the more full on style that is typical these days. The last track we get on this compilation is a new track by Pop Stream (Inon Ovad) from Israel. It starts relaxing with some guitar alike sounds. Then it builds up, and suddenly we get thrown into the rolling full on bass line. We get some funky sounds and voice samples in there and after a while the track changes to a more floating vibe. You even get some latino influences in there! Pure, happy morning trance for those who like it melodic while watching the sunrise from a dusty dance floor.
Nine full on tracks, mostly going in the melodic direction. I really enjoyed the Orion and the Pleiadians tracks. The Pop Stream track is a pretty funny, uplifting track too. The rest has some good moments, but become easily boring in my ears because it sounds just like tons of other full on. With other words, pretty good compilation compared to most other full on releases these days.
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
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