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POTS - Creating Social Success
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DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
142
Posts :
547
Posted : Dec 16, 2005 01:15
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P.O.T.S. – Creating Social Success
Cover: http://tinyurl.com/cod7l (front) + http://tinyurl.com/cf9av (back)
Artist: Prisoners Of The Sun (Germany)
Title: Creating Social Success
Format: CD (jewel case)
Label: Tribal Vision Records (Czech Republic)
Cat. #: TVRCD005
Distribution: Psyshop.com
Date: November 2005
Track listing:
01. 08’45” Crystal Cream
02. 09’45” Hello Kitty
03. 08’33” Trance Popper
04. 08’13” Bravo
05. 08’40” Botox Party
06. 07’47” Groove Garden
07. 08’19” Eifelgold
08. 09’40“ Dandy Division
09. 09’42“ Tussy De Luxe
.m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/94shj (all tracks!)
Review:
Music for dancing, trancing and romancing!
Prisoners Of The Sun are German producers Thomas Wilhelmy & Joachim Lüthje – and they’ve been in the game since 2000… 2001 saw the release of their debut album Are You Scientific Enough?… An album I purchased back then, but to be honest I got rid of it again as it kinda drowned in the minimal release craze… But now my taste buds have matured, and I’m ready to digest their second album released on visionary Czech label Tribal Vision… Take no prisoners!
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Crystal Cream [130 BPM]
Two sugars and plenty of cream! Oh yeah, this is indeed a nice cup of java… It starts out kinda minimal and reminiscent of their old loopy sound, but soon the track is embraced by some sweet-sweet-sweet melodic pads which are tied up in some extremely pleasant grooves… This is one sexy opening track… Smooth as a motherfucker! Music for dancing, trancing and romancing! A brilliant opener!
#02: Hello Kitty [132 BPM]
Hello crossover Kitty! The second track sees the Prisoners showcase their diverse production talents…On this track we get everything from dirty house music, over uplifting morning trance to rich progressive trance… And everything in between! Whereas the first couple of minutes might suffer a little from stand-still syndrome, the latter half easily compensates for that with its rich, bubbling playfulness… A text book example on how to create an evolving track… Maybe it’s a little too stretched out though – but as such, it’s perfect for opening a progressive DJ set… Nice, but not among the best tracks here…
#03: Trance Popper [128 BPM]
Despite the lower BPM count here, this track seems more in-ya-face and dirty – and the title is a dead give away… This track takes you by the hand, shakes you up and leaves you in a tranced-up state… Especially the last half of the track is something else – a deep, crawling, lazy groove makes up 90% of the sound spectre and just leaves you panting… Trancy indeed – and very hypnotizing! A very nice, unique track!
#04: Bravo [132 BPM]
The pace has quickened and we’re somewhere outdoors now… Nature sounds are mixed perfectly with the smooth percussion creating a very unique sounding rhythm section here… The uplifting, well-placed melodies alongside the phat reverb-groove are soooooo nicely done, and really make this track reach higher levels… I’m impressed – this is fine music! Progressive trance at it’s best!
#05: Botox Party [128 BPM]
Botox sees the return of the big, shiny synth leads from older POTS tunes – and despite its deeper, murkier nature this track has evident epic, even clubby, passages… I like the drive here – it’s like the Imperial March in a progressive trance version… A nice track for sure, but it lacks some of the jaw-drop qualities of some of the previous tracks…
#06: Groove Garden [134 BPM]
Whereas the previous track had epic qualities, this track goes down the tech-trance path… The bassline is meaner than ever and the electro-stabs are dominant. This is uplifting tech-trance mind you - we’re getting some solid melodic synth-action here too… A hybrid really, which crosses back and forth between melodic and techy trance… Hard-hitting at times and uplifting at others = a match made in prog-heaven! Sweet!
#07: Eifelgold [140 BPM]
The track with the weird title is also the fastest here… And I’m sorry to say so, but most parts of this are too fast… I mean, for progressive trance we’re in borderline territory now… Put pitched down a little, I’m sure this track will work wonders… My CD-player won’t let me adjust the pitch though… This is the ‘worst’ track on the CD – and that’s saying a lot, since this is still a pretty decent tune… It just seems oddly out of place here… What a shame!
#08: Dandy Division [138 BPM]
Do not despise – DD is here to save the day! Well, almost… This is still a little too fast for my progressive taste, but still better balanced than the previous track… The old trance-meter has been cranked up on this one, and we’re getting some serious synth excursions here… Luckily they are mixed well into a fast-paced, tightly-knit rhythm-section – creating a pumping dancefloor track… Nothing groundbreaking, but a nice ‘transition track’ nevertheless…
#09: Tussy De Luxe [134 BPM]
The closing track takes us back to a more familiar pace... Epic in structure, this is indeed uplifting progressive trance which reminds me of the work of some of the Swedish masters… Instantly groovy and lush as hell! I cannot think of a better, sexier way to end this magnificent album!
Lush, plush and sexy… Smooth, groovy and funky… Epic, uplifting and immensely danceable! Need I go on? Thought not… This is indeed a very fine and diverse album… A big old melting pot ranging from fast-paced progressive dancefloor stompers – to laid-back beach groovers… The faster tracks were maybe a little too… Ehrm… Fast! But I still admire the diversity here – something that I often find lacking in progressive albums (Antix anyone? Gaudium?). I’m happy say, that that is NOT the case here… On the contrary! This is a rich, mature album – and the production quality is among the best I’ve heard this year!
As always with Tribal Vision we get a very informative, high-quality booklet with DJ case insert… The cover-art could use some spark, but who the hell cares when the music speaks for itself like this does!? A sweet album and a no-brainer purchase for any fan of diverse progressive trance. Enjoy!
Favourites: 1(!), 3, 4(!!), 6, 9
DeathPosture
External links:
Tribal Vision Records: http://www.tribalvision.cz
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/570070
Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/8jko6
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/7w3nc
Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/85y9m
Wakyo: http://tinyurl.com/c6bjm
Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/72urb
Juno: http://tinyurl.com/8cbxe
  On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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ND
ProSect
Started Topics :
44
Posts :
919
Posted : Dec 24, 2005 16:21
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Wasn't amazed by their previous album back in the days, so this CD would be my real introduction of their work.
Crystal Cream is something deeply hypnotizing, something you can smoothly dance to or even dive in your sofa. Hello Kitty got a good and an easy progression, slightly funky and electronic. Shake your ass carefully to the Trance Popper beats - it's something deep and lazy, no overheat. Bravo is something to navigate with far from the urban place, tribal parts and some small light signs within. With Botox Party we're getting even deeper. Dark shades of sound remind me of a ride on a train through the night. Groove Garden by the first part of it leaves you clueless, on the second part of it you're getting more towards the discovering of the paradox. Eifelgold is like a cube full of spirals. metallic percussion and weird noises. Dandy Division tries to be clear but the noises and muddy pads scrambling on the light sources. The jounrey ends with Tussy De Luxe, a good sound simulation of electronic streaming information, futuristic vibes.
Creating Social Success didn't set any new standarts, but it definitely a step for a success. No stress in this album, feels totally relaxed, you may move on your own, smooth. Cover art is enjoyable as well, with lot of philosophy! 
ND
www.prosectorium.com
Without Deviation, Progress Is Not Possible.
www.andivision.com
Sound Field / ProSect / Sonify / Radio Mess |
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Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
76
Posts :
2014
Posted : Jan 19, 2006 15:32
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Just listened to this again and I must say it's a great album, much like their first one, albeit a little more relaxed in vibe. There is a nice variation in the tracks as well. It starts off with Crystal Cream, which just has some nice soft melodies, then it moves into a somewhat more minimal region, like older material of theirs. The album switches between these styles easily and it's really great. Highlights to me are: 1,4,6,7,8. But all tracks just fit on this.
Like ND says, nothing feels forced here. I hope they keep this up. Oh yeah, and thumbs up to Tribal Vision for trusting these guys and supporting them. I'm looking forward to the remixes of this.  Bring it on!!
"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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zhyin
Minimal Criminal
Started Topics :
43
Posts :
134
Posted : Jan 24, 2006 19:06
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Let me start off this review by giving a little history of this project...POTS (PRISONERS OF THE SUN) is Thomas Wilheimy and Achim Luthje from Germany. They've been together since the late 90s and had their first release in the year 2000 by sunset records. Ever since, they've had several releases on labels such as Flow, Spiral Trax, Iboga, Manta, and Plastik Park.
After their “Are You Scientific Enough?” cd (Sunset rec.), they worked on different projects like Groove Express and did some sound design work for multimedia productions. In late 2005, tribal records (Czech rep.) released their 2nd album, "creating social success". what does this title mean? I have no idea.
I’m a big fan of their older tunes so, naturally, I was very excited about this release. After hearing their “Pole Position Club” tune off the “Inner Circle”(Tribal Vision rec.) cd, I was expecting a deeper and darker album. Therefore, I was a bit disappointed when I first heard this cd.
However, what we have here is a perfect example of a well-produced, proper progressive trance album ideal for the morning dance floor. Upon further listening sessions, the material grew on me rather nicely.
Here's a brief synopsis of the tunes:
- CRYSTAL CREAM kicks off the album with a kinda retro feel. It's a light and mellow tune, about 130 bpm, with a slightly kraftwerkian riff running through the entire track.
- next, is HELLO KITTY. This one keeps up the retro feel and is also a light tune with a soft kick. The bpm goes up a few notches.
- however, on the next track, TRANCE POPPER, the bpm goes back down, now to 128bpm.
The tune starts out with a killah housey swing. I like this style alot more so now it's booty-shakin' time! At 3:30 a really cool and deep bass riff comes in and the rest of the track is disco-licious.
- BRAVO, a deep tune as well, keeps up the swing at around 132bpm. Then, a really nice tribal groove kicks in the middle of the track and carries it forth in that manner. Rockin'!
- the 5th tune, BOTOX PARTY, has a nice and thumpy kick and a big proggy-house groove .A cool riff comes in towards the last 4 minutes of the track, giving it a dreamy feel....
- next is GROOVE GARDEN. This one reminds me a bit of the older POTS tunes and is 135bpm.
- EIFELGOLD has a pure progressive morning style and is a very stylish and flowing track. I really like the bass lines on this little corker. It's also the fastest tune on the cd at 140bpm...pumping stuff!!!
- next is my favorite, and, perhaps, the best track on the album. I’m talking about the oh-so-kool DANDY DIVISION. Man, talk about a purrfect track. The kick is ultra-thumpy and a beautiful riff appears in the middle of the track...very uplifting without being cheesy-sounding. It's no wonder a remixes cd of this choon has been released.
- the album finishes off with TUSSY DE LUXE. It's a really dreamy sort of track right from the beginning, 134 bpm. Very hypnotic and just the tune to conclude the journey.
All the tunes on the album flow very nicely together, like a journey. Every tune would do quite well during the day at some big trance festival out in a paradise beach somewhere.
In fact, that’s the picture that I got every time I listened to this cd. I would definitely play some of these tunes in a morning set.
The overall production sound quality and mastering is superb! A true model of first-rate sound design.
Lastly, as with all other releases from Tribal Vision rec., the cover and booklet art is supercool and classy. Plus, you get lots of information from the booklet including a slip with the bpms of the tracks that you can tear out and put in your dj cases.
So, go out and buy it and help promote quality trance!
dj zhyin
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
168
Posts :
2984
Posted : Feb 8, 2006 19:05
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Sorry it took so long... as I state in the review, I found it very hard to get into, but knew the quality was worth diving deep for...
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Prisoners of the Sun, a duo formed by Thomas Wilhelmy & Achim Lüthje, describe their mission as one of manufacturing “scientific darkness”. They were a part of the original wave of minimal psychedelia back in 2001, releasing the album Are You Scientific Enough? on Sunset Recordings out of Germany. I will admit I was never a fan of their early work with the exception of the throbbing monster single Pomo Sabaku. It wasn’t until Aspirin + Cola was released on Tatsu’s Pure Bliss compilation that I realized what a talent this duo possessed for creating deep and groovy progressive with an uncommon character. Two tracks previously released on compilations with Tribal Vision reinforced this impression - Polish Lips and Pole Position Club were both near-instant favourites. The announcement of a second POTS album was therefore met with growing anticipation on my behalf, and I’m glad to have the finished product in my possession ready for the fine-toothed review treatment.
Crystal Cream opens the album with a tour of the group’s signature sound. The technique is quite elegant, cycling through a small assortment of melodic hooks both thoughtful and innocent while a peaceful beat churns beneath. Denouement is reached when the primary leads layer up in the final moments. While it doesn’t take any risks this introductory song is a warm and pleasant beginning for the album.
Hello Kitty brings it back a bit, cruising softly through the sounds of sand and surf. Hailed as a progressive crossover tune, it remains resolutely sublime for the duration. It’s just enough to get one wiggling comfortably, and is sure to appeal to seekers of low-key grooves.
Trance Popper begins to elaborate on the dirty tribal style that I enjoyed so much on Pole Position Club, though it isn’t quite as overt as that excellent single from Inner Circle. The fat groove is thoroughly enjoyable, and the gloomy melodic tones close to the fourth minute blend admirably. The last two minutes chart a different course, as the story transitions into a more delicate phase, lush with faint hints of sparkling melodies. This song is the first notable highlight of the album; a sure winner on discerning dancefloors, and blissful home listening.
Bravo is one of the sweeter tracks found here, with a smart and snappy groove complimented by a catchy laidback hook. The crunchy percussive loops are noticeably distinct, locking the listener into the mathematically precise patterns of this slick twilight manifesto. The result is a memorable exploration of the group’s primary motif: scientific darkness.
Botox Party is another nod towards tribal house, with a thick hearty groove topped off with a scattershot assortment of funky drum work. The tone of this piece is once again marginally on the dark side, traversing melancholic territory with assured grace. The squelchy lead that develops in the last third really compliments the rest of the composition, and the arrangement is once again developed with an advanced aesthetic in mind. Another solid piece of work!
Groove Garden carries on with the sophisticated cocktail hour sound, suavely expressing a serene and tranquil vision of progressive trance. The hooks in this one are tightly wrapped around the pulsating rhythms, which wriggle through cautious permutations. Once established, the track drifts on in a hypnotic fashion, maintaining a pleasant atmosphere. It’s not challenging, and it might get a little dry in some circumstances, but the quality of the production can easily be heard.
Eifelgold is the most upbeat track of the album, cracking away at 140 BPM. The pacing is put to good use, luckily! An intricate rhythmic section is complimented by one of the more prominent bass lines on the album, which shines in several key moments. The atmosphere proves to be epic, mysterious, and slightly melancholic at times, distilling a tangible emotional depth. Despite the speed, this song is incredibly gentle. The result is not short on charm, and a sure highlight from the album.
Dandy Division is the real definition of progressive trance, working with small elements over ten minutes of steady grooving to collect a considerable amount of energy. The sum is greater than the parts on this carefully crafted sleeper, which is doused in the casual blend of dark and light influences heard all across Creating Social Success. The nature of the approach means it’s not really a stand-out track, but it’s still quality material.
Tussy De Luxe closes the album with one of the strongest tracks here. This deep trance piece is lush with stunning atmospheric qualities and an impeccably smooth flow. There is a sublime sort of magic at work here, conjuring sounds which feel as if they might go on forever. Despite being the last track of the album, this one seems to express the most raw emotional energy, and the album is that much stronger for it. A beautiful finale!
Creating Social Success is a commendable release that crosses boundaries while maintaining a high quality standard. The tracks are ordered in such a way that the entire listening experience possesses a cohesive flow. The sound is often so soft and delicate that this is one of the rare albums that may in fact be more suited for lounging around at home than the party environment, but qualified DJs are sure to be putting these tracks to good use in the right moments. Personally I found this to be a very challenging piece of music, as so much of what makes this good is oblique, covert, and not readily apparent. It’s the sort of release you need to throw on and simply soak in to get a proper sense of it, and it may take quite some time! An open-mind and an attention that does not wander will be useful in processing this album, which may prove to be impervious to some listeners. There is the danger of it being too sublime, and this may result in a disaffected response. Progressive fans have a much better chance of digesting it, as long as one can appreciate the tranquil approach. Despite all that, the album is a substantial work brimming with vivid soundscapes with a highly polished sheen. Creating Social Success is a fine pick for lazy home listening, and a key purchase for progressive DJs dabbling around in the afternoon hours.
Favourites: 3(!), 4, 5(!), 7, 9
Rating: 7
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Paladin
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
62
Posted : Feb 10, 2006 18:15
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Can't wait for the remixes cd of this , gonna be interesting!!! 
If you point your cart North,
when you want to go South,
How will you find The Way?
----Ryokan---- |
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