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Benza (s/t) on Demon Tea
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sam i am
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
712
Posted : Jun 13, 2003 09:18
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1 of Australia's best loved sons has put an album out & I 4 one have been HANGING 2 get it 4 yonks. So now I've got it, I thought I'd review it 4 ya:
Cardboard Squares - 1
This is a slower funky number, complete with James Brown samples (he gets a mention on the extended list of thank yous) & ol skool organ sounds. U, like me, will enjoy this if u like your 'chedelia with a real 'groove' 2 it
Flinch - 2
This track was prob'ly 1 of my highlights from RSF this year. Epic voyage into soaring melodies & heavy delays. Solid bassline that occasionally stops & steps up 2 add a little 'funk' 2 the bottom end. Small doses of electric guitar. Nice 1
Duality - 3
Starts a little off-kilter, but it all kicks in pretty soon. Nice electro bassline. More great melodies. Not as straight-up thumping as the last track, but the swing (?) with the hats makes it eminently danceable. Tempo change@the end rounds it off well
Bowling for Weirdos - 4
This one's a little more rhythmically complex. An excellent baseline offset by more outstanding melodies. I really like this one. More in the Demon Tea 'style' of old - wacky, groovy, fun
10 Yards - 5
This track is quite simply amazing. 1 of the best morning numbers I have heard in a long time. Interesting, intricate & beautiful, I could listen 2 it on repeat 4 hours. Another awesome bassline, more stupendous melodies
When the Generals Talk (Benza rmx) - 6
If u don't know this 1, what rock have u been hiding under 4 the last 2 years?!! A great Midnight Oil song revamped 4 the electronic era, done so well that the original creators gave it the knod. Great delay on the vocals
Upon Further Inspection - 7
I'm not big on vocoders, but this is pretty tasteful. This album has single-handedly dealt the biggest kick up the arse 2 the trance-must-have-a-monotone-bassline contingent that I have ever seen. However, this track is prob'ly the 1 that has least made me want 2 dance so far on this CD
Square Pyramid - 8
Nice percussion in this 1. Nice atmospheres, almost classical. Really gets going about the 3 minute mark. Prob'ly the straightest track on the CD until a synth takes over the mix with a coupla minutes 2 go
the Wolf - 9
This is the 1 everyone's been waiting 4 right? Well worth it. Great bassline, great percussion, great melodies, great samples (from the "Peter & the Wolf" musical / cassette tape?), great on the dancefloor. If u haven't heard it, buy the album just 4 this track
Idiot Savant - 10
Nice drum break running through this. Nice bassline also.. not too straight, not too crooked, nice & solid. Becomes quite pounding with about 2 and a half minutes to go. There is a full-on melody towards the end that fits nicely into the rhythm that has been built up throughout the track
Wedontneeduaroundherenemore - 11
We've all heard of the "token" chill track@the end of an album right? This is not it. Very far from "token". This is quality downbeat electronica, with feeling & soul. Nice rhythms with some great lead synth-work. I would buy a downbeat album by this guy if he wrote 1, based on this track alone
That's the end. I like the music a lot. The artwork is fairly nice, kinda minimal but cool in a natural kinda way with some tweaked blades of grass by the looks of things. On the whole, I'd say this is prob'ly my favourite release 2 date on 1 of my favourite psychedelic labels. Compared 2 other releases on that label, it is straighter & funkier IMO & I think it should go down quite well
I'm giving it 9 outta 10.
Keep it up Ben |
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MULTI - MAN
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
9
Posted : Jul 1, 2003 06:50
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You review too soon man no body has a copy to reply to you maybe hahahahahahaha but yeah I like this one especially track 5 10 Yeards that one's really nice & the Wolf too tracks 7 and 8 are cool nice groove didn't like them much at first but after a few listens they are REALLY nice not for thumping trance heads but definitely for people who appreciate music with a little SOUL to it. the Generals Talk track is really cool, I like the baseline, but the synths are MAD man, MAD!!!!! |
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psunspot
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
294
Posted : Jan 14, 2004 20:13
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well, this was my favorite album of 2003, and its a shame that it seems to have been really overlooked. i actually just happened to listen to it at the shop when i was looking about for the newies.
total surprise: super funky/super phat bass!! track 1 wasnt even over b4 i knew i had to have this. why had i never heard of Benza b4 this? ignorance is NOT bliss...or rather knowledge is power or somother such shite, but i digress...
as far as my favorite tracks: #9-peter and the wolf; what i wouldnt give to hear this live in the morning outside...'in the big green meadow'...
#6: i actually didnt know it was a midnight oil song, but the funky bass was what did it 4 me
#1: the james brown 1.2.3.4 samples are so perfect.
10/10 stars 
another gem from demon tea! OZ: you are so lucky to have such talent!
btw great review sam-i-am
peace |
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klaxer
Koan / Vacuum Stalkers
Started Topics :
11
Posts :
380
Posted : Jan 15, 2004 01:27
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Benza was always for me BEST australian psy-artist. Amazing job!
10/10 Default... |
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Candy
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
184
Posts :
2273
Posted : Jan 30, 2004 10:48
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Excellent release from Benza.
This funkadelic music is simply the best!
Keep on releasing such interesting music both Benza and Deamon Tea.
 Majority is never right!
"Without music, life is meaningless."
-Friedrich Nietzsche |
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Alek
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
242
Posted : Jan 30, 2004 14:48
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Amazing album! One of my favourite ones in 2003... definitely in the top5!
Best tracks... 2, 3... and of course 9 - The Wolf!
How am I supposed to hallucinate with all these swirling colors distracting me! |
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Candy
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
184
Posts :
2273
Posted : Jul 6, 2004 19:39
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And here I am at home listening to it again...
Joy joy to the mind
Majority is never right!
"Without music, life is meaningless."
-Friedrich Nietzsche |
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----Dawn----
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
19
Posts :
789
Posted : Apr 11, 2005 21:26
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This album totally passed me by when it was first released but i love 'Retrofuturism' so i thought id check out the earlier stuff. All i can say is - you're a funky full-on genius, mate! Reminds me of Haltya (but even better). While i still like 'Retrofuturism' more, this has some brilliant tracks - like '10 Yards' - funky isn't the word (and it's good to see someone sampling Derek and Clive lol). I think this is a good example of why the psy scene is so good - if you like psy, there is so much good stuff to stumble across that you may have missed first time around - and its always great when you do! |
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Pt.
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
236
Posts :
6106
Posted : Feb 9, 2006 13:16
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Just thought it deserved some attention. So I bumped the thread up
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Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
Started Topics :
158
Posts :
5306
Posted : Feb 9, 2006 14:17
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Bodhi 13:20
Bodhisattva 13:20
Started Topics :
38
Posts :
725
Posted : Feb 9, 2006 23:47
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LoveLikeRain
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
75
Posted : Feb 13, 2006 20:47
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My cuppa tea for sure. Thank!! |
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