mercury
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Aug 30, 2010 20:26:58
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Psycoholic delivers a treat with his last album, especially to those who bemoan the current state of (Full-on Psychedelic) Trance!
Psycoholic
36 year-old Mihail Pravda founded the Psycoholic project in 2004 in the city of Toronto, Canada, but is currently based out of his homeland in Moscow, Russia. Being involved in music creation and performance through djing and production for at least a decade – playing alongside giants such as BT and John 00 Fleming while having his productions strongly supported by Christopher Lawrence among other underground heaveyweights – the new album Parallel Universe is evidence of maturity and skill in the studio.
Psycoholic – Parallel Universe (Psy Spy Records)
Unfortunately for many of us, "full-on" induces thoughts of chaotic and two-dimensional mush with blazing synth leads that start and end nowhere; to others it means the Israeli version of Euro "Pop-Trance" full of its own cliched elements that have undermined Trance music as such. Psycoholic scoffs at such misconceptions by presenting a bunch of tracks that reflect the thoughtfulness of melody, peak-time energy, and spacey/ambient elements and keeping it constantly interesting. The last thing electronic music needs is new labels to define music, but if there is such a thing as "intelligent full-on": this is it!
1. Psycoholic – Seventh Universe
2. Psycoholic – Delusion
3. Psycoholic feat. Alfida – Kuzlaring
4. Psycoholic feat. Melodica – Alfaville
5. Psycoholic – Light Years Ahead
6. Psycoholic feat. Alfida – Sevgilim
7. Psycoholic – Systema Nervoso (Dub mix)
8. Psycoholic – We Will Make You Happy
9. Psycoholic – Far From Outro
For the record, every track on this album is worth listening to. Certain elements characterize the Psycoholic sound such as the rapid-fire bassline that leaves little room for breath. Not a deep bassline, which may put some people off, but it is a contrast to chugging and thumping bassline noted in the previous Psy and Prog-Psy related releases that have been reviewed. Since most of the tracks sit in the 140-145 bpm tempo range, the avoidance of the proverbial "sonic mud" is no-doubt helped by keeping the pitch a little higher on the basslines. Layered over top of the purposefully crafted bottom end is some unique synthlines that work simultaneously as haunting soundscape and melodic lead lines. These are not instantly memorable 200-mile-an-hour leads, but they are catchy and simple and seem to float over the tracks leading your mind in one direction while your feet move in another. No mind altering substances required as this is Trance music living up to its name!
A very notable track is Kuzlaring which includes a beautiful female vocal singing in Russian that interplays with the elegantly layered synth pads. This number being played in a proper dj set in a proper club achieves a soulful climax surely to create tingles down the spine of even the most soulless punter.
For those that like uplifting melodies, check out the track Alfaville. The break in this track is the culmination of a rhythmic build which opens up and introduces a delay-laden, single-note guitar line one might expect from a balaeric Trance track. But instead of a cliched breakdown with silence and just the melody, the bassline hums along in the background building back up to the rhythmic release and outro, treating it as a teaser that makes you want to hear it again.
For peak time energy and beautiful progression, Sevgilim is the pick. Again using female vocals (and that foreign language, probably Russian, only adds to the mystique), combined with varied synth melodies in the minor key, and you get a soulful and haunting sound that is uniquely Psycoholic.
Verdict: Full-on Psy Trance as it could and ought to be with this latest album from Psycoholic. Looking for something with energy, melody, and creative elements? Look no further.
Tracks to not miss in order of preference: 3, 4, 6.
Rating: 8.5/10
Written by Andrew/Drewfactor for Trancealert.com
For track previews and download links, check out the post on Trancealert.com: http://www.trancealert.com/album/psycoholic-parallel-universe-psy-spy/
For more information about Psycoholic, check out:
www.myspace.com/psycoholic_official
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