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Phi - Phinalizer (ELF Music 2004) CD

DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  142
Posts :  547
Posted : Jun 15, 2004 22:07
Phi - Phinalizer

Cover: http://www.elf-music.net/release/img/phinalizerbig.jpg

Format: CD
Artist: Phi
Title: Phinalizer
Label: Elf Music, Japan
Cat. #: HYCA-5001
Date: June 16th
Year: 2004

Track listing:

01. 05’14” Henro
02. 06’00” We Can Go To Your Country
03. 05’54” Perfect ATK
04. 06’07” Ganja Of It All
05. 07’13” Plz Pass Me Beer & Acid
06. 06’13” Phinalizer
07. 07’02” King & Slave
08. 07’03” Afrobad
09. 08’24” I Don’t Need Your Justice
10. 06’22” Desert Legend

Review:

Japanese tweakers…

Phi consists of Shuji Ichimura and Shinnosuke Masuo, both born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Formed in 2002, they’ve gained massive support in their home-country for their out-standing live performances that are actually as “live” as you can get when we’re talking electronic music. They are touring Europe at the moment, and with this, their debut album these crazy Japanese trancers are sure to turn some heads and gain some fans…

Let me take you thru the tracks…

#01: [142 BPM] An ultra-short intro is soon interrupted by a banging bass, floating analogue synths and good old, pure acid-squelch-a-rama… Very clever use of digital percussion and high pitched melodies… This reminds me of older Infected Mushroom – Very nice! But why is it so short? Should have been much longer… ;o)

#02: [147 BPM] This is the second-fastest track on the album, and that does not go unnoticed… It’s full-power-no-questions-asked from the get-go, and then it just blast its way through your speakers… Full-on goa-trance with a deep, repetitive bassline… The super-fly, versatile, twirling acid-melodies will take you on a musical journey back to 1996 when the TR-303 ruled the scene… Check out the oscillating build-up and climax… Very trippy!

#03: [144 BPM] This starts with some very spacey pitched-up voice samples – and then the mood is set for Japanese psychedelia! Again we are treated to good old analogue basslines with the added flavour of electronic farts, twisted synth melodies and pure acid-lines… Very well structured and there are more layers than you can even begin to count…

#04: [146 BPM] Is that a Tokyo Shock Boys sample in the beginning? And what is Ganja of it All supposed to mean? I’m clueless, but what I can tell you, is that this is still full-on psy-trance but with a darker, more introvert nature… Though there are sweet little acid melodies, they somehow drown in the massive wall of bass and percussion… Well, that is true for the first half of the track at least… Funny Wizard-Demo-like sample btw… ;o)

#05: [141 BPM] “Pass me the beer & acid”… Yes, now I can relate… The acid-squelches have found their way to the top of the sound spectre again on this track... Welcome back! This full-on track has a few changes of pace – at one point it gets almost minimal, but only for a short while and always maintaining focus… The small build-up/climax part that starts @ 4’55 is just pure nostalgic brain food for an old-school dreamer as me… Not bad at all…

#06: [146 BPM] The title track is another fast-paced, hectic track… This time with a more moody, dark atmosphere… Clever use of laughing samples and great synthesizer action… There are a lot of ‘silent’ parts here – and some crazy breaks… I have a feeling the madness is only just beginning…

#07: [138 BPM] Despite the ‘low’ BPM-range on this track, it is a brutal assault on your eardrums… The bass is banging, and the guys are tweaking their knobs like crazy leaving us with a sick, sick tune… And that was meant as a superlative… I mean, that melody is just so damn hypnotizing… Japan meets Finland… Sushi-Sauna trance… *sS*

#08: [145 BPM] Not much is worse than a bad afro – we all know that! Yikes, it gets even darker now as we sound-wise move from Finland across the border into Russia… ‘Cause this is Sushi-Vodka-trance… With all the elements we know from the darker side of the Russian trance scene… The melodies and joyfulness are replaced by darker, more distorted beats… With just a sip of the usual Japanese psychedelia… Great, driving night time track!

#09: [148 BPM] Nice organic intro… After a few secs we launch straight into the fastest track on the album… After a few minutes of hard-hitting night-trance the guys really start spitting out all kinds of trippy FX… A sick, sick melody – some crazy drums – another sick melody – etc… There is SO much stuff going on here, but somehow it manages to stay focused… The absolute highlight is the climax @ 5’07 – I mean, DAMN!! … Pure full-on acid bliss… Well done guys! ;o)

#10: [136 BPM] As legend prescribes it, it’s chill time on the last track… But in Japan chilling is done at 136 bpms… This IS a slower track – with lighter, fluffier melodies… The pillar is some kind of synth-guitar-sound and there is a soothing dubby bassline holding it all together…

This album really surprised me in a positive way… I mean, the production seems flawless to me, the layers are countless and the Japanese creativity unfolds beautifully…At parts it’s a trip down memory lane – with modern production techniques… Not bad at all for a debut album… I could have wished for some of the tracks to be longer though – and at some of the tracks have parts that are not instantly head-bang friendly. But overall I like the variation here – it’s good!

Before receiving this CD, I had absolutely no knowledge of Phi, but I will for sure keep an ear out for them in the future – and I encourage anyone who likes old-school-experimental-crazy-highly-psychedelic trance to do the same…

8.5/10

Favourites: 1(!!), 2(!!!), 3, 5, 8(!), 9(!!)

DeathPosture

External links:
Phi: http://www.phi-music.net (Audio samples available!)
ELF Music: http://www.elf-music.net/
Wirikuta Distribution: http://www.wirikuta.at (Should be in European distribution shortly…)

          On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion...
Insomniac
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  24
Posts :  306
Posted : Jun 16, 2004 17:55
Hey man nice review, i think im going to order it, it seem like a nice album.

By the way Ganja is marihuana in Jamaica....


Peace....
ChoBo
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  50
Posts :  536
Posted : Jun 17, 2004 03:45
very nice review as usual Deathman, yeap these guys are great and asian! Heard their samples before. Cant wait to get a copy of their album. Hope there is more Asian talents!!!!
ELF music
Elf Music

Started Topics :  24
Posts :  142
Posted : Jun 22, 2004 07:57
Distribution of "PHINALIZER" changed.
Saiko Sounds due to distribution of World wide.
It available pretty soon...

http://www.saikosounds.com
Digital Syndicate

Started Topics :  5
Posts :  326
Posted : Jun 22, 2004 18:00
this is a killer album ever from japan...maybe too long ago when we had realy psy....

Experience japanese underground vibes

shed
Jikkenteki
Jikkenteki

Started Topics :  20
Posts :  356
Posted : Jun 23, 2004 16:31
I'll gladly add my voice to those recommending this album. I just picked it up at HMV in Sendai today and have basically been listening to it all day. Tracks 8 and 9 are monsters, but its all high quality stuff. A nice mixture of full on vibe and good old ripping old school sounds. Excellent....           New Album: Jikkenteki - Flights Of Infinity
Available for free at http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/jikkenteki-flights-of-infinity/
PAR-2 Productions http://www.par-2.com
ELF music
Elf Music

Started Topics :  24
Posts :  142
Posted : Jun 24, 2004 13:16
Finally available @ Saiko Sounds
http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4186

Don't miss it!!
Le Lotus Bleu
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  114
Posts :  438
Posted : Jun 26, 2004 23:09
2 main interesting aspects with this debut release for this new japanese based label Elf music, they’re releasing, with Phi (Shuji & Shinnorama), an artist from their own country which seems to be an exception for japanese labels according to me & a duo which focus his production on a mix of full on combined with goaish flavor.

Henro starts full on, but you don’t have to wait long (1 minute) for some goaish lead to appear. This one is quite muffled & subtle, not the most kickin or powerfull even if some 303 lines can be heard after 4’00. Indeed it’s kinda soft warm up for your eardrums for not having one’s ears pierced with too brutal begining.

Now everybody’s ready, We can go to your country offers you a fast groovy bassline coppled with electrictrising guitar riffs (yes not only Sun Project can do it).

Perfect Atk is fill in with electric tones, there’s a fat ambience, a kickin stuff here. The particularity of the track is a slighty sour tornado-cycling arpeggios.

Ganja of it all results moore goaish for me than the 3 previous one, very raving with people laughing (5’05) & inhalation (several times all along the tune) samples without forgetting an intense moment of fx on sound between 4’30-5’00.

The melody sounds very much goa upto 2’35 (indeed the leads i should have said), pure old school feeling here with the difference of a more original rythmic than the traditionnal goaish ones.

We’re going a step beyond into crazyness due to a fast funky bassline married with fat metallic vibrating lead at first then a lead made of half brass, half electric guitar.

A more bouncy bass, some goa leads are also back here & another stomper rythmn are constituting King & Slave, special mention here for the swaying ringphone sequence at 3’00.

First of all, a little sample of someone clearing one’s throat after rolling bassline plus explosive kick preparing for the fury, during it, the climax is reach with changing tone, throwing you a floor higher in the sky, each time the tone is changing.

Hard kickin & heavy bass confers I Don’t Need Your Justice avery rough ambience. Then a fireworks of snipers sounds pounces on your ears. Be carefull, if upto now you’re in the mood of the track coz an drastic unexpected musical changing cap is happening (2’15) based on hacked-weird-funny sounds, a little tribal session also is coming after that. But that’s only few things of all that’ll be occuring during this song as Phi, don’t seem to wanna let you fall asleep as they give you subliminal message which could be their slogan , something like ’Dance till you’ll collapse on the dancefloor & don’t stop before’ ; indeed kinda modern japanese way of life : a psytrance hara-kiri.

Time to slow in Desert Legend, i don’t like too much when the lead gets fully agressive by moment ; the track would have resulted better with a constant use of his more muffled one version, nervermind.

Best moments :2,3,6,8,9

A debut album which should fit to all goafreaks lacking of new fesh inventive stuffs.
8,5/10
Le Lotus Bleu
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  114
Posts :  438
Posted : Jul 5, 2004 01:11
some news about the distribution of the album:

http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3858&osCsid=690d6a0f80c7898c01b593527cadb60a

http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=HYCACD01


REL


Started Topics :  3
Posts :  4
Posted : Jul 19, 2004 17:06
http://layla.ynet.co.il/newLayla/magazine.asp?storyID=430           Rel, Rel, Rel - R.E.L
baba


Started Topics :  4
Posts :  126
Posted : Jul 20, 2004 15:56
Boom!!!

Nice Album like it

Jikkenteki
Jikkenteki

Started Topics :  20
Posts :  356
Posted : Aug 7, 2004 14:55
Phi - Phinalizer

ELF Records 2004

01 - Henro
02 - We Can Go To Your Country
03 - Perfect Atk
04 - Ganja Of It All
05 - Plz Pass Me Beer & Acid
06 - Phinalizer
07 - King & Slave
08 - Afrobad
09 - I Don't Need Your Justice
10 - Desert Legend

One thing that has often confused me is the fact that psy-trance is very healthy in Japan, yet there seem to be next to no Japanese psy-trance artists releasing music. Phi is one of the new generation of Japanese psy-artists and their debut album starts things off right for these future monsters.

While the general "style" of Phi is full on, the term doesn't really do them justice. The full on power is covered with a heavy dash of acidy goa lines and the term "new school hard goa" that was used in a lot of the Japanese press about this album fits very well. Imagine modern full on beefy basslines dripping with a mixture of full on leads and thick acidy old school goa leads and you have a good idea of where Phi is.

All the tracks are quality here. Henro starts us off stomping right out of the gate and things only get crazier from there. Afrobad is a monster track that should destory any dancefloor with its steady throbbing bass line and nasty busy leads. I Don't Need Your Justice kicks things up even higher (at a full 148 bpm) and mixes all the best of full on with the best of old busy goa.

Its only the last track on the album, Desert Legend, that I have any issues with at all. Desert Legend is a bit of a down"er" tempo number (its not downtempo by any means) and in an of itself is it s very nice track. However with the pure madness of the rest of the album it does some a little bit out of place. That said, it is really a minor point on what is otherwise a fantastic debut for Shuji and Shin of Phi. Keep an eye on these guys, there's something good a brewin' here.

Highly recommend 8.5/10           New Album: Jikkenteki - Flights Of Infinity
Available for free at http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/jikkenteki-flights-of-infinity/
PAR-2 Productions http://www.par-2.com
ELF music
Elf Music

Started Topics :  24
Posts :  142
Posted : Aug 18, 2004 11:53
> Le Lotus Bleu, Jikkenteki

Thank U for your gre8 reviews
..and full support!
Keep in my mind..





          ‡“ Far East Technology ‡“
www.elf-music.net
Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  168
Posts :  2984
Posted : Sep 2, 2004 18:56
This is EXCELLENT. All this time that full-on hell has been eating up the scene I've been griping about how Goa trance could be taken into the new millenium and really rip up all the copycat crap that infests the psy world... well, here's your first brilliant example of what creativity in sound can inject into the pattern! The album is consistent, there are no samples that offend anywhere to be seen, there is no cloning, and it's a debut drawn straight out of the ether. Here we are on planet earth with thousands of artists - why is it that it took so long for a new release of this style and calibre to emerge? All full-on artists should take a lesson at the school of PHI. I'll be looking forward to future Elf Music releases, especially as they seem to be picking up a track here and there from my favourite Japanese artist - UNI. Wicked stuff, keep it coming!!
fullom
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  13
Posts :  132
Posted : Sep 3, 2004 00:33
yeah this is good shit, some of the acid lines on this cd are just greatttttttttt! This is the kind of music that will really get the punters moving. Also has enough Japanese bentness in it to make me laugh.
Ganbate!!
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