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Protoculture Love Technology (Nano Records)
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mercury
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
21
Posts :
30
Posted : Jun 23, 2010 18:54:22
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Here is the review of Protoculture new album by the most recent recruit of Trancealert.com, Quethas. 
After 4 years and one EP, Protoculture is back with a new album. That is a long time to wait and one question rises. Does this album live up to the expectations?
Protoculture
Protoculture is Nate Raubenheimer's project. In 2002 his track appeared in Nano Records's compilation and one year later he released his debut album Refractions. After that Nano Records have released one album (Circadians), one EP (Premonition EP) and one compilation (Natural Selection) from him. And now 4 years after Circadians, Nano Records have released the follow-up called Love Technology.
Protoculture Love Technology (Nano Records)
1. Music Is Forever
2. Naked
3. Love Technology
4. Big Blue
5. Euphoric Recall
6. Impala
7. Stars of Sanbona
8. Binary Finary 1998 (Protoculture Remix)
9. Midnight Mass
It is always a tough job to make a good album. But it seems especially tough for Trance artists. Albums should be more than just a bunch of tracks. Of course album can be good if all the tracks are solid. But the result is even better if an album sounds like one. And you can get that result when you have succeeded in making good tracks, having a clear sound all the way through and still having some variety.
Love Technology is full of variety. At least for an artist considered to make mostly Psy-Trance. This album has all kind of stuff: modern Progressive Trance, an updated take of 90's Progressive Trance and the expected Psy-Trance, from the more progressive side to full-on. This gives the album the feeling that it has just too much of everything. There is not that one idea which would carry us all the way through. But there is of course one saving grace. If the tracks are solid, then this album is solid.
Quality of tracks is also bit varied. For example we do not like Naked at all. It just reminds about weak and powerless stuff Trance is nowadays full of. Also I have never quite understood the meaning of all those remakes of old classics. The same goes for Protoculture's remix of 1998. It is not that bad and it does have clear changes compared to original track but still seems unnecessary. Luckily there are highlights too. Two tracks especially caught our attention. Big Blue is one of the more energetic tracks of the album, it has nice sounds and track reaches a wonderful climax when some female voices are introduced. Euphoric Recall on the other hand is a nice fresh update of the old school Progressive Trance sound.
Verdict: This is a pretty decent effort. It is not bad but it goes too much all over the place and overall the level of tracks just is not good enough. Luckily there are some quality tracks too which in my opinion are worthy of checking. At the same time this albums also gets better towards the end. The first tracks are pretty bland, but Big Blue and Euphoric Recall seems to take the album to a new level. The overall level of the last songs does not quite match the level of the best tracks, but is surely superior than the productions that opened the album. With a bit more consistency and better tracks this album would have been much better, but as it is it feels incomplete.
Rating: 6/10
Tracks to not miss in order of preference: 4, 5.
For Youtube and purchasing links, check out the post on Trancealert.com: http://www.trancealert.com/album/protoculture-love-technology-nano-records/.
For more information about Protoculture and Nano Records, check out:
http://www.myspace.com/protocultureonline
http://www.nanorecords.co.uk
  Track the best in Trance with http://www.trancealert.com
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Nathan
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
301
Posts :
3605
Posted : Jun 24, 2010 22:28
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Best Protocalture album Since "Refractions". This is emotional Full on With a good atmosphere. "Impala" and "stars of sanbona" have Cheesy Melodies and moments inside, but the rest off the album is Pure Gold. Way better than "Circadians" Album.
-=The Meaning Of Life Is To Give Life A Meaning= |
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aXis
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
116
Posts :
2562
Posted : Jun 25, 2010 07:18
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and protoculture are now on aarmin van buren's label.
expecting fireworks now. |
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exotic
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
200
Posts :
5057
Posted : Jun 25, 2010 07:39
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There are a lot of euro trance influences in the album but all done in very good taste. the climaxes & breakdowns are superb. overall a very good album. no complaints.
8/10
missing plug-in |
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Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Jun 25, 2010 19:31
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Ticks all the boxes of a well made trance album, but nothing to do with psy-trance imho. Its like a waterfall of cheese.
Surprised it got released on Nano and not on a label like Armada music.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
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Jakethesnake
Started Topics :
1
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6
Posted : Jun 25, 2010 21:58
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This is probably the worst album ive listened to in years. Absolutely terrible. This isnt psytrance by any defination. Fucking shit. |
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Addictive Elements
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
859
Posted : Jul 1, 2010 16:24
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lol theres a sample running in the 1st track 4:40 onwards dat goes "homosexual homosexual homosexual" !!
i mean wtf !!!!!
----- Hippies...they wanna save the earth....but all they ever do is smoke pot ---- |
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mk47
Inactive User
Started Topics :
118
Posts :
4444
Posted : Jul 2, 2010 08:50
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^ 
ya , terrible music , deleted , not even worth 120 megabytes on my 1 TB HDD , fucking shit
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jonsta
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
313
Posted : Jul 2, 2010 21:34
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Quote:
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On 2010-07-01 16:24, Addictive Elements wrote:
lol theres a sample running in the 1st track 4:40 onwards dat goes "homosexual homosexual homosexual" !!
i mean wtf !!!!!
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The sample goes "music music music" not "homosexual" xD
But yes, this was terribly cheesy trance music  |
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Wizack Twizack
Wizack Twizack
Started Topics :
239
Posts :
3486
Posted : Jul 3, 2010 15:56
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pr0fane
Multiphase
Started Topics :
418
Posts :
3816
Posted : Jul 4, 2010 11:53
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I don't think it's THAT bad really. Sure, it's quite cheesy compared to his earlier (and the other Nano Records) output, but there are definitely good elements in here.
Instead of using the age-old "he's in it for the money argument" maybe the fact is, that he just loves trance-music? Although I love techno and minimal, I don't see his current route as more commercial than many more artists are taking down the tech or electro-routes, which are definitely more popular at the moment.
And this is pure trance (with a few exceptions bordering towards progressive house). Full-on without hundreds of those annoying "killer" breakdowns in every track, but pure, uplifting melodies, big, reverbed stabs and massive pads.
My personal gripe is with some of the vocals, and when the leads take that sharp, over the top israeli (think later Astrix) route.
There are times where it still shines through that Protoculture can make some truly outstanding melodies though, and he made so much great music in the past that still sounds amazing. Tracks like "New Directions", "Peekaboo", "Oceanic", the 2004 Glastonbury Live Edit of "Magnetik", "Sweet Fine Crystaline" and many more tracks are still among the best morning full on ever made in my opinion.
He didn't take quite the direction I was hoping for on the new album, but I think it's ok.
DJ pr0fane (Iboga Records) | Multiphase
www.sunrisesupplies.com | www.iboga.dk | www.soundcloud.com/pr0fane |
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Ricciardo
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
188
Posted : Jul 4, 2010 17:49
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the problem about this album is that people still see it as psytrance release
i think this is quite amazing electronic music release, great produced tracks with amazing composition
Protoculture is aiming probably into another markets than psytrance, and i serious belive that the guy behind this project, deserves to be in top DJ΄s list
since he is for sure one of the most talented musitians in the scene...
i have said before, this album have alot of crossovers and each track have a singularity touch very good, theres nothing compared with usual psytrance albuns, where you listen it and you barely notice diference between some tracks to anothers...
this is diferent, it has identity as music... it has also deepness
altough not being psytrance, i would not consider it bad for sure
the remix of 1998 is outstanding, probably the best track of the album |
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Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Jul 4, 2010 18:08
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Quote:
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On 2010-07-04 17:49, Ricciardo wrote:
this is diferent, it has identity as music... it has also deepness
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I think this is as shallow as commercial trance can be. I mean anything Van Buren plays, is all chewed up and ready for the listener to digest.
Obviously the hating comes because this got released on Nano and Nano records enjoys the roster of artists like Tristan, Serge, Master Blasters and then they release something that has nothing to do with their output.
Its brilliantly produced and its much better than the shite Buren plays.
I hope it does well on the commercial trance scene cause Protoculture is talented.
I also think that Protoculture's earlier releases were very cheesy and this LP is a natural progression of his musicianship.
I don't rate this kind of music at all, but I appreciate this album for what it is, a trance album for the big arenas where Mixmag's top DJs play.
Peace out.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
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Tex77
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
40
Posted : Jul 5, 2010 04:05
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Quote:
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On 2010-07-03 15:56, Wizack Twizack wrote:
This is obviously made for those big trance events in brazil and stuff and not for the psytrance scene.
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Nathan
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
301
Posts :
3605
Posted : Jul 6, 2010 00:16
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Quote:
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On 2010-07-04 11:53, pr0fane wrote:
I don't think it's THAT bad really. Sure, it's quite cheesy compared to his earlier (and the other Nano Records) output, but there are definitely good elements in here.
Instead of using the age-old "he's in it for the money argument" maybe the fact is, that he just loves trance-music? Although I love techno and minimal, I don't see his current route as more commercial than many more artists are taking down the tech or electro-routes, which are definitely more popular at the moment.
And this is pure trance (with a few exceptions bordering towards progressive house). Full-on without hundreds of those annoying "killer" breakdowns in every track, but pure, uplifting melodies, big, reverbed stabs and massive pads.
My personal gripe is with some of the vocals, and when the leads take that sharp, over the top israeli (think later Astrix) route.
There are times where it still shines through that Protoculture can make some truly outstanding melodies though, and he made so much great music in the past that still sounds amazing. Tracks like "New Directions", "Peekaboo", "Oceanic", the 2004 Glastonbury Live Edit of "Magnetik", "Sweet Fine Crystaline" and many more tracks are still among the best morning full on ever made in my opinion.
He didn't take quite the direction I was hoping for on the new album, but I think it's ok.
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I agree with every word.
-=The Meaning Of Life Is To Give Life A Meaning= |
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