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preview: Twisted Sessions Volume 2: Hallucinogen Live (Twisted, ???????)

Kaz
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  90
Posts :  2268
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 02:37
Two days ago, I've got a package from the UK. "I don't know anyone from the UK who was supposed to send me a package" I thought to myself, and as I opened it, I saw one unmarked CD, no artwork, no writing, no mastering, no processing of any kind - and then it hit me. After a long time exchanging emails, comments on forums, and generally sucking up on ICQ like the rabid fanboy that I am, it finally got here, as promised. I've been listening to it ever since.

I can't say that I've waited a short time for this. I waited years. The rumors of Hallucinogen's Live album have been out there, he's talked about it in his interviews, and it was recorded nearly a year ago in Glastonbury. I've been asking the Hallucinogenius to review it as soon as I first heard these rumors, and I guess it payed off

To say I'm a Hallucinogen fan is probably an understatement - he is the best artist in the history of psytrance in my book. High expectations? After 8 years since the last Hallucinogen album? THE HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS EVER.

Tracklist:

1) Hallucinogen - Thugs in Tye-Dye
2) Hallucinogen - Gamma Goblins
3) Metal Sharon - Balloon Dance
4) Hallucinogen - Horrorgram
5) Pink Floyd - On the Run (Hallucinogen Remix) + Hallucinogen - Deranger
6) ???????????
7) Hallucinogen - Angelic Particles
8) The Infinity Project - Stimuli (Hallucinogen Remix)
9) Growlmonizer - Eject
10) ???????????
11) Younger Brother - The Finger
12) Hallucinogen - LSD

Can't give you the time on each of these tracks as they're pretty much integrated, and hey, I am so far away from objective here all I can do is compare these versions to the originals.

but starting with Thugs in Tye-Dye, taken 3-4bpm under the original track speed, with that screeching synth and thick bassline that I love so much... Not much of a change over the original track, but rather built with a longer opening and much more to the point once the bassdrum/bassline start to kick in. Much more modern-dancefloor, seeming nearly like a dumbed-down version... until around 4 minutes into the track, the laughing starts.

The transition from the last track begins gradually with the famous laughing samples slowly creeping in but abruptly gets cut short and without further adew, Gamma Goblins . Gamma Goblins has 4 versions that I know of, the GMS version, the originals (part 1 and 2), and the Infected Mushroom remix which was never released. This one has a combination of elements from each version, something that I've heard in two live acts so far and it works SO WELL. Unfortunately, barely any elements remain from the original versions which I liked more, but this is about the dancefloor I guess - and the GMS bassline switches to Metal Sharon's (Simon Posford and Merv Peppler of Eat Static and Ozric Tentacles) Balloon Dance seemlessly, and the transition is probably 98% perfect but something sounds a bit off beat in one of the effects there.

No perfection, but very close.

Balloon Dance is basically the same version as released on UNS2, only a bit shorter - not much of an opening or ending here. A really nice dancefloor track, and a release of pressure after the last two very intense tracks.

Horrorgram has to be one of Posford's favorite tracks, he's been playing it in nearly every live act of his since 1997, and FINALLY, the revamped live version, with a much thicker bass and a groovier flow is available. The leading melody there just goes and twists and twists does so until it nearly resembles the laughing samples from Gamma Goblins near the end. Don't ask me how that was done, I have no idea. I don't know how to describe this track other than the complete, hands down victory of psychedelia on the dancefloor. I used to say Posford was 5-10 years ahead of the psytrance scene. I was wrong. It feels more like a century.

Pink Floyd's On the Run remixed and melded into the ending sequence of Deranger has been the winning combination with the sunrise for a long time in Hallucinogen's live act, and finally, it gets released. I don't think I need to expand beyond this really.

Hallucinogen making breakbeat? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?! A 3 minute drum'n'bass intro to a track caught me completely by surprise. Not that I don't like it, it's really great, kind of like the final track from the Secret of the 13 Crystal Skulls only with a lot more grit to the percussion. Dirty snares a'plenty. When the 4-on-the-floor beat enters it feels like the whole track suddenly begins to move at fast-forward. The bpm changes 2 times in this track, once lower and then higher again, the signature-shifting tricks are taken up a notch, and if the transitions in older tracks like Deranger seemed undanceable, the shift here is done by changing the groove of the track and shifting it in a non-linear way. It works. It's danceable and groovy. The technical side is probably mind-boggling, so I won't even try to explain how this was done (I have no idea other than hours and hours of work at a slowed down to 5bpm and without any quantization). Another new level in sonic manipulation, with the effects seeming to jump in and out of the track, and the leads seeming much more dominant than the bass (don't worry, it's figurative speech, not in volumes - this track is VERY dancefloor friendly). Another mind-blowing track that may just out-shine his older works. I'm not objective enough yet.

The transition to Angelic Particles is probably the low point of this album, basically like a DJ transition from bass to bass, but hey, I love this track. The live version of this track is less goaish and much more minimalist (in this case, sounding like laid-back full-on), but for a change, the who "bell" sequence was played in this live. I can't thank Simon enough, it's probably one of my favorite psytrance sequences.

The somewhat clubby remix of The Infinity Project's Stimuli and it's combination with Growlmonizer (Hallucinogen + GMS) - Eject is probably what I consider the low point of this album. Not that it's bad, but this is the standard-dancefloorish-bit (well, relatively) of this album. Their bpms have been matched around 144, and the transition is smooth and no doubt that this combination is dancefloor madness, but probably the least imaginative tracks on this album.

Another unkown track, this one goes with simple elegance and a switching-back-and-forth between two main themes attitude to it, very theatrical and bombastic sound to it. I can't compare it to any other psytrance track I heard, but just wait until you hear the sequence from 2:05-3:42, I promise you have never heard anything like it. Not as good as the other track I didn't recognize, but definately an instant classic. I'd rank it up their on the same level as I would the better Younger Brother tracks... Like The Finger. Starting off with a nearly exact replica of the GMS remix, but moving in 2 minutes to the original with a much more open sound as a contrast to the rather standard dancefloor style (sorry GMS, you've got a bit left to learn about how to make people jump HIGH). A wonderful track, with the ending sequence already with the famous Ken Kessey vocal.

The usual mish-mash of versions of LSD is much simpler this time - starting off with a bit from the Synthetic remix, moving on to the original single's live mix of the track, and finally, the original track's ending sequence, what I consider to be the single greatest bit of psytrance ever.

Is this album a must-buy? Yup. Because at the very least, the 2 previously-unreleased tracks from here will dominate the dancefloors the entire summer, and different than most other artists, you can hear one hell of a difference between the album and live versions here, and you feel the live tweaking and structure work here, nearly without a hitch all the way - no wonder he kept getting annoyed at his recordings from live acts, it took a long while to get it this right I guess.

When will this album be released though? Still waiting for the email to answer that, along with the names for the two tracks I don't recognize. I can only assume that it will be released in the next 3-4 months though, as it sounds nearly ready. Then again, the same could be said about the third Shpongle album, the Metal Sharon project and a few others. The world will never know (until they'll release it).

To the Twisted Records people: Please, please, please, release it soon. People must hear this fast. Enjoy the old in a new way to dance. Track lengths from 3 minutes (On the Run/Deranger) to 7:30 (Horrorgram), this is 73:29 of joy and psychedelia.

9.8 out of 10, only because of the Stimuli and Growlmonizer tracks being just "good".           http://www.myspace.com/Hooloovoo222
full_on
IsraTrance Team

Started Topics :  279
Posts :  5475
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 02:45
Great Review!!!

Were can I buy it??? Please answer FAST! (I read you said in few months...)
Respect!
          .
...Be gentle with the earth...
...Dance like nobody's watching...
.
...I don't mind not going to Heaven, as long as they've got Coffee in Hell...
The Journey Man Project
Inactive User

Started Topics :  128
Posts :  931
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 06:42
sounds good... it's not even mentioned on the Twisted site though so I'd say it is a inimum 2 years in the making of an official release hehe
tom anteater
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  56
Posts :  1637
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 12:09
asaf, you lucky bugger!           >>love will tear us apart...<<
Coomzy
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  30
Posts :  270
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 12:46
wow.



I hope one day the whole world gets to hear this, must be amazing.

The master of trance!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  168
Posts :  2984
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 19:07
If this is an April Fool's review, that sure is a lot of detail
*crosses fingers this is actually true*
Surrender
IsraTrance Team

Started Topics :  506
Posts :  5388
Posted : Apr 1, 2005 20:54
kaz im so happy you are finally "allowed" to review this... keeping this under wraps cant be easy.. also - thank you for sending the promo... ihave a bit of a problem with "the finger" being on it... i mean come on... how many releases does this track need?           "On the other hand, you have different fingers."
http://myspace.com/gadimon
traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  234
Posts :  3803
Posted : May 7, 2005 18:45
          "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
- Larry Niven
Sputer
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  315
Posts :  2709
Posted : May 7, 2005 19:06
why it does'nt get released ?           ..."Be yourself, let your conscience guide you...
Follow your heart, not the people around you"
...
Sputer
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  315
Posts :  2709
Posted : May 7, 2005 21:44
lol its was written in 1st April.... what i need to think ? hehe           ..."Be yourself, let your conscience guide you...
Follow your heart, not the people around you"
...
Trance Forum » » Forum  Music Reviews - preview: Twisted Sessions Volume 2: Hallucinogen Live (Twisted, ???????)
 
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