| Author
|
EVP - Harmonic Module (Wild Things Records 2005) CD
|
DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
142
Posts :
547
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 19:21
|
EVP – Harmonic Module
Cover: http://tinyurl.com/d7ghw
Artist: EVP (UK)
Title: Harmonic Module
Format: CD (jewel case)
Label: Wild Things Records (UK)
Cat. #: WILD CD 002
Distribution: Arabesque
Date: 28 November 2005
Track listing:
01. 07’54” Rain Call (Full Power Remix)
02. 06’36” Incoming Signals
03. 06’29” Halloweeny (Wild Dog Mix)
04. 07’06” The Birdy Song
05. 06’33” Salviador
06. 07’26” Psylocin
07. 06’35” Harmonic Module
08. 06’34” The Great Machine
09. 08’09” Tryptamines
10. 08’23” Rain Call
Review:
Electronic… Virtual… Psychedelia!
Following the very nice debut-compilation Wild Rumpus UK-based underground label Wild Things Records is now releasing the long-awaited debut album by EVP… Alex Diplock was involved in five tracks on that compilation… Two tracks as one half of the Reality Grid duo, and three tracks by his solo project EVP… I was really taken by his highly psychedelic take on underground night-trance – and I’ve been looking forward to this album ever since it was announced… Now it’s finally here, so let’s find out if it was worth the wait…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Rain Call (Full Power Remix) [144 BPM]
The opening track is an aptly named full power remix to the last, chilled track… It starts out very chilled – just like the original, but something is lurking under the surface… Tension building – and then BAM, shortly after the one minute mark, the bassline is unleashed… The first couple of minutes are not really interesting – it’s not until after the middle break all hell brakes loose… But when it does, it does it proper… The last half of the track is pure syncopated 303 goa bliss… Psychedelia is coming out the woodwork here! And so the standards have been set for the album… Yummy yummy in my tummy!
#02: Incoming Signals [145 BPM]
The second incoming signal doesn’t waste much time before getting down to the nitty gritty… Energetic, underground night-trance – absolutely soaked in acid-lines and trippy little FX… Reminds me of some of the tracks off the first Rinkadink album – though with the trip-meter cranked up… If you hopped into a pimped-up Delorean and took a trip back to 1997, you’d be rocking out to this tune on the car stereo… Ripe!
#03: Halloweeny (Wild Dog Mix) [144 BPM]
The bells tolls for thee! …‘tis the season to be… scared shitless! Yeah – this is EVP’s take on gloomy, spooky Halloween-trance… And how refreshing it is, to actually have some melodies and real psychedelia thrown into the vast pool of alleged ‘darkpsy’… Eat your heart out Xenomorph – you might be the dark lord of horror-trance, but this here isn’t exactly Sunday School Trance either… This is eerie, haunting night-trance – with more than a pinch of acid thrown in… I like that balance – and I like this track too!
#04: The Birdy Song [147 BPM]
Now this might sound like a pretty harmless track judging by the track-title – but ornithophobiacs be aware! This could be the tranced-up soundtrack to a Hitchcock movie… Rest assured, those birds *will* mess with your head! … Anyway, this is fast-paced underground night-trance – as always the 303’s are tweaked to the max, and we’re left with some seriously high-pitched tunage… We get melodies too in this climactic bouncer of a psytrance tune… Quacktastic!
#05: Salviador [147 BPM]
Survival of the trippest! And now for the diviner's mint … This track seems more focussed, more trance-induced and keener to assist you in trance dance-slash-trip… Very similar to the sound of the recent Derango album though with a more analogue sound… Yeah, this is fast-paced, hypnotic, psychedelic full-on night-trance… Relentless and absolutely smashing… Best track so far!
#06: Psylocin [147 BPM]
Psilocin and psilocybin are the main psychoactive compounds in magic mushrooms, so you can all guess where this track is going… That’s right; this is shroom-friendly psytrance… Über-weird at times, but instantly trip-friendly… Again, we’re somewhere in between Derango and psychedelic Parvati Records – add some ancient Hux Flux, stir well, and you’ve pretty much got the idea… Yeah, this is definitely one of the trippiest tracks on the album – perfect for a late night forest session…
#07: Harmonic Module [147 BPM]
The title track shifts the focus from mind expansion towards dancefloor antics… Yeah, this is full-power, inexorable trance-floor fodder… Packed to the rim with all kinds of psychedelic FX: Twists, turns, digital farts + analogue burps – and enough acid-lines to appeal to the old-school crowd… In which I belong! The last run-down seems maybe a little uninspired, but I’m not complaining… This is a nice track!
#08: The Great Machine [146 BPM]
“Oh great machine we beseech thee. What if life were more like a video game?” And the analogue mayhem continues… From the deepest recesses of the underground, comes this acid-soaked track… I’m not too sure how much I like that demented melody-lead in the beginning though… And that’s a shame really coz otherwise, this track is brand spanking sweet! Syncopated acid-lines comprise twirling melodies – and everything is fine and dandy… Though I feel like maybe the novelty is starting to wear off…
#09: Tryptamines [146 BPM]
But wait – there is more! It’s a monoamine compound - and it’s something for the feet AND mind… Oh yes, just when I was getting a little fed up, EVP manages to complete sweep me off my feet again with this flaring acid-bombshell… Powerful as a steam-engine and trippy enough to satisfy even the weekend Hindus… Equally melodic and dark – the perfect underground hybrid… Great track!
#10: Rain Call [72 BPM]
As legend prescribes, the last track is a chilled downtempo tune… We heard the full-on version of it in the first track, and now here’s the original in all its glory! This is deep, dark, ritual ambient… Not very pleasant at all – in the good sense! Tribal drums, haunting breezes and melancholy flutes… Illbient? Whatever it is, it’s pretty cool… And ties up the album nicely!
Great debut album here with an influx of trippy, magical, acid-ridden tracks… There are no bad tracks here, and my only gripe would be that a few of the tracks sound a little too similar… But, when it’s as good as this, I really don’t have any major complaints… I was entertained throughout the album, and I really like the unique, old-school feeling this album possesses… A nice mix of trippy and danceable night-time tracks… There’s no fluffy full-on here – and it’s bereft of the most obvious darkpsy pitfalls… A mature, yet easily accessible album – of high quality!
Alex Diplock is one of the last hippies standing – and with stuff this good I hope he’ll be standing for many years to come… He designed the cover-art to this himself, and I like it! It has that distinct old-school feel to it that I liked so much back then… The abstract text in the booklet is also a good read and the included DJ slip will come in handy to the Case Logic disciples… Well done EVP and Wild Things Records! A label on the rise that I’ll certainly monitor in the future…
If you haven’t guessed it by now, lemme just recap and tell you that this is a sweet album… Among the best “melodic” artist albums of the year… Recommended to all acid-heads and old-school connoisseurs… Underground hyper-trance when it’s best! Enjoy!
Favourites: 2, 3, 4, 5(!), 6, 9(!)
DeathPosture
External links:
Electronic Virtual Psychedelia: http://www.evp.resourcez.com
Wild Things Records: http://www.wildthingsrecords.co.uk
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/573323
Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/aln5q
TranceShop: http://tinyurl.com/a73o9
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/bp5pj
Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/e3mex
Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/bhtyr
Cisco: http://tinyurl.com/da7qt
  On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
|
|
|
Dai
IsraTrance Junior Member
Dai aka Amatti
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
553
Posted : Dec 2, 2005 05:02
|
Thanks for the review as always, DP!
I cannot wait to get it!
First wildthings compilation was very nice and EVP is one of my favorite from that comp.
Gotta make my order! Tell me what you listen, and I'll tell you what you are.
http://www.brainbusters.info
http://www.psytribe.com |
|
|
|
Leptit
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
111
Posted : Dec 6, 2005 19:57
|
wicked album !!!
very good job from alex 
his live act was a blast last saturday in London !!! kicking !!
boom !
www.hadra.net |
|
|
|
dirty 1
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
141
Posted : Dec 12, 2005 16:05
|
great grooving basslines,mixing very well.cutting percussion and good acid.nice clean production, a digital delight.
great stuff |
|
|
|
tron
Plug/Tron
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
49
Posted : Dec 15, 2005 10:21
|
|
beardedwildthing
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
131
Posted : Dec 20, 2005 14:07
|
thanks death posture for another honest review...its a great help to have a descriptive explanation for the people,for them to get at written taste of the sounds of a soon to become top artist.
thanks again.
buy the album,support the underground!
www.wildthingsrecords.co.uk |
|
|
|
the mind
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
41
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 20:17
|
This album looks mighty interesting!
Made in the true spirit of psy
|
|
|
|
dirty 1
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
141
Posted : Jan 28, 2006 22:18
|
i see EVP is playing at the solar eclpise on turkey..is he going to be previewing any new music?
don't care either way cos the albums great,just interested. |
|
|
|
evp
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
14
Posts :
50
Posted : Feb 2, 2006 03:07
|
Thanks for the good feedback everybody, I been really busy with finishing the RealityGrid album, but yes I got a few new corkers up my sleeve.. 
cant wait for turkey, going to be great. c u there!! |
|
|
|
Pavel
Moderator
Started Topics :
313
Posts :
8649
Posted : Feb 17, 2006 21:41
|
|
Not a perfect album but definetly has some great moments. Psylocin, Harmonic Module and The Great Machine are totally smashing. Proper full-on like full-on should be imo.
Everyone in the world is doing something without me |
|
|
|
gaspard
Yab Yum
Started Topics :
50
Posts :
641
Posted : Apr 5, 2006 10:58
|
great album! so glad i ve finally got my hands n ears around this!! very original work Alex! i think that as far as your idea of creating something unusual and fresh in this scene goes, you ve definitely achived it! well done! i hope we ll get to colaborate together in the future!
personal favourites: 7(harmonic module), 8(the great machine) and 9(tryptamines). i love the intro in 1 (rain call)!
i m really looking forward to hearing the Reality Grid stuff, which i unfortunately missed in tukey!
all the best
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Terry Pratchett |
|
|
|
beardedwildthing
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
131
Posted : Apr 13, 2006 18:38
|
|
|
