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Jocid - Sonic Addiction [Manic Dragon]

Rah
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  77
Posts :  498
Posted : Sep 5, 2005 08:43
Artist: Jocid

Album: Sonic Addiction

Label: Manic Dragon Records

Web: http://www.sonic-dragon.com

Year: 2005

Format: CD


Songs:

01. Sweet Thing [140 BPMs on G m]
02. X-Ray Vision [145 on G m]
03. Behind the Mask [145 on A m]
04. To the Body [142 on G m]
05. Jimi The Page [145 on D#m]
06. The Knife [146 on G m]
07. Suckubus [143 on F m]
08. Master Plan [146 on E m]
09. Play Ball (With Duckeraf) [145 on G#m]


What's this about

At some point is always nice to find someone that forces you to redefine the concept of sub-genre's, to blur the idea even more. What is full on? What is progressive? What is in between? The drums, congas and other tribal recurrences define carnivalesque rhythms and splashes of melodies a-la house, with a modern day touch of treated filters, mixing surprising well in the pot. For what is worth, it is a fitting connector to bring your musical directions smoothly into different vibes, remaining ‘psy-gressive' with a melodic intent. Musical coherence comes in between highly distorted arpeggios and melodic artifacts tuned to high heavens, inviting a very complex interaction of grooves that seem familiar and strangely fresh at the same time. It is a resource you will not be ashamed to plaster in the midst of a progressive set.


Per-song break-down

01. Sweet Thing
A deep kick opens the track with the shakers punching the rhythm in strange accompaniment. The Sweet thing here is definitely the stuttering-flute, reminding somewhat of Saint Germaine in the first minutes. The bit that sets Jocid apart from other hybrids is the effects, dripping and squeaking in a structured interaction maintaining a balanced whole. It's a rhythm you could swear you have heard before, but not in this context, it might sound a little bland at times, but those lower ranges are still very much alive.


02. X-Ray Vision *
The voice conversation makes it unclear if someone is taking of in a spaceship or is setting up the sound. But, is damn cool! To bad the mid-breaker sample “I got super powers, I can see through wooden doors, I got x-ray vision.” In my view crumbles as a total waste of great sampling work. It is a personal favorite though. The synth work is minimal compared to the majority of the tracks, merely complementing the groove. What remains though, is a lead washed away in squelching and distorted synthetic notes. Very uplifting in a Zillion Mental Anarchy style that's tough to corner and even tougher not to dance.


03. Behind the Mask *
What is behind the mask? A back-to-roots effort with the congas included and a minute cow bell in between. The mid ranges arrive with an orchestra of jarring synthesizers turning wobbly, metalized with a melody that's tastier than grandma's cookies. It is satisfying to hear harmonies develop with a strong sense the song is moving somewhere.


04. To the Body *
To the body soothes and energizes in one tasty package. It is soaked in flaring modulation goodness and screetches atop palpable techno rhythms, which admittedly work best dancing.


05. Jimi The Page *
Jimi comes fueled with a few riffs in tasty distortion and one hell tune. The sub-melody is so spacey I would love to hear this as I'm taking off in the challenger. The cheeky bass line is deceptively simple and bad-ass for lack of better vocabulary. There is one sample bit that gets recycled from the previous song, adapting quite well to both stories, which mind you, have nothing to do with each other. Again there is organic drumming keeping things progressive as the mid ranges go Israeli in a squeaky kind of way.


06. The Knife
The knife cuts right through the speakers reminding a lot of "Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix)" by New Order, showcased in the Blade Movie. Different octaves sure, but the sultry synth knobbing is questionably similar. That is until the song takes off and we start talking about different subjects altogether. It is still very 303-ish and happy as it could be expected from twisting those melodies in the heavenly distortion.


07. Suckubus *
According the South Park Dictionary of modern English: A Suckubus is a lady friend that enchants you in her female qualities, until you loose yourself in the charms of the opposite sex. The female achieves this act of dumbfounded ness on the male counterpart by playing a melody. What does have to with the song? Not a whole lot to be honest, except the magically dispersed tunage here and there squeaking in full glory. The track is more structured in the break, returning with what seems to be an inverted version of the original synth by the end, which strangely enough sounds really Asian. After all that is how you're supposed to kill a Suckubus... gentlemen, mental note.


08. Master Plan *
The song opens with a peaking selection of heavenly pads, quickly clearing the road for what is undoubtedly the strongest, deepest rhythm in the album. The kicks are cyclic, redoubling on top of effects and a few filter sweeps. Another slightly dumb sample unconvincingly explains why it is called the ‘Master Plan' ruining the flow a bit personally, while it opens the doors to mellodica land. The first round of synth's this time around sounds a little flat. There after that the song presents a truly awe inspiring melody, as if someone had thrown a life saver on a sinking castaway… and the rescue mission is a total success.


09. Play Ball (With Duckeraf)
Play ball fittingly begins with the samples of a couple playing squash… the sneakers sliding, the balls bouncing on the walls; it shouldn't be hard to figure out names in this album, judging by the samples alone. On this match Duckeraf lends a hand on the production. Throughout the first part you can feel those squeaks in the upper ranges ducking like a slightly annoying trumpet. Thankfully an unannounced break comes in with the adapted melody at much lower octaves, working well to improve the cool factor of the song. We slowly return to hight pitch chaos and a whole lot bang for your buck. On the whole a few too many screeches for my virgin ears, but i have heard lots worse.

* Favourites


All and all

A very convincing album full of groove and strong beats to back up the madness. A crossover exploration that remains on the whole fresh, with very a snappy melodic intend that is never jaded. Strongly recommended if the description seems to fit your taste. I would have removed 90% of the voice samples but it's judging it in my opinion. The digi-pack is colorful and you can see the strong resemblance in the visual touches with V/A – Multiple Personalities, that if you happened to pick up, it will look great next to each other.


Where to get

PsyShop > http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/mdr/mdr1cd002.html

Saiko Samples > http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4932

Samples, artwork, more reviews > http://sonic-energy.net
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Sonic-energy.net
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labyrinth
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  37
Posts :  275
Posted : Sep 8, 2005 08:52
Really enjoying this album, has the old school vibe with the new school production. Starting to hear more artists blending the old with the new, very cool sound. Favorite tracks: 7 n 8           Ovnimoon Records
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Surrender
IsraTrance Team

Started Topics :  506
Posts :  5388
Posted : Sep 8, 2005 17:42
i had a good listen to this one too, but it didnt grab me. i think the production actually is not so good... the build is old and not so interesting to me... some synths are very nice, but nothing new under the sun.
track 4 has those shanti samples... liked it in his version much more.          "On the other hand, you have different fingers."
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Rah
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  77
Posts :  498
Posted : Sep 10, 2005 19:43
i think the production is very good. It is nothing new under the sun, but then again how many new things are new under the sun these days? the fact you have a proposal here that combines progressive, techno influences, full-on (i suppose ?) is actually very refrshing and something i don't hear too often.
          elementoftime.net
musique à la carte in mp3 & wav.

Sonic-energy.net
Reviews, interviews, downloads, articles.
RastaFarai


Started Topics :  0
Posts :  8
Posted : Sep 11, 2005 14:09
Knife is killa, the whole album is solid and interesting, too. But his first album is better, imho ;-)
          --------------------------------------------
-Name?

-Abu Dalah Sarafi.

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-Four times a week.

-No, no, no..... male or female?

-Male, female...... sometimes camel.......
ori_k
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  13
Posts :  222
Posted : Sep 11, 2005 16:21
didn't like it-not too sophisticated & not so good production
Dai
IsraTrance Junior Member
Dai aka Amatti

Started Topics :  12
Posts :  553
Posted : Sep 16, 2005 01:40
I love it...highly psychedelic stuff...deeply thought out structure. Sounds production slightly different one track another, but does not bother much. Amazing cover-art done by Androcell, nice coraboration Jocid and Quasga!
          Tell me what you listen, and I'll tell you what you are.
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Mistress of Evil
Mistress Of Evil Records

Started Topics :  101
Posts :  961
Posted : Sep 16, 2005 19:43
a big change from the older Jocid stuff that i was a big fan of- can't say the new Jocid style does it for me           Bringing Dreams to Life!
www.encantadaproductions.com
sashe atriohm
Atriohm

Started Topics :  1
Posts :  110
Posted : Sep 18, 2005 22:57
And I was a big fan of Jocid but this album I didn't like it,not about production,it's about style that he changed.
Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  76
Posts :  2014
Posted : Oct 30, 2005 03:25
Quote:

On 2005-09-18 22:57, sashe atriohm wrote:
And I was a big fan of Jocid but this album I didn't like it,not about production,it's about style that he changed.



Yep, his first album (on Doof records) still is the best he's made up until now. And whatever happened to his genius, the genius he put in play on tracks like 'Copda'?? This album had a change of that style and while it's not bad, the first album just wipes this one off the chart IMO. Jocid was always one to NOT play entirely by the standards, and here he's opting for more standard stuff. So, if you're reading this Jocid... please return back to the style you first had           "Subconscious unravels at the point of death, and all time it has known erupts into a moment. As death extinguishes us, so we become it."

[Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum]
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