kazuku
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 28, 2011 18:28:31
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Artist: Secret Society
Album: Explosive Diorama
Label: Akashic Record
D.O.R: 07/2011
Where to buy:
http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/aka/aka1cd002.html
http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.aspx?id=6179
http://www.goastore.ch/product_info.php?products_id=4553
Links:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Secret-Society/235067982591
http://www.lastfm.de/music/Secret+Society
Tracklist:
1. Beginning The Cycle (By Squee)
2. Wudka Weekend
3. Me, myslef and I
4. S(laugter)
5. Middle hand toe
6. Crystal Math (with Facehead)
7. Explosive Diorama (with Cindervomit)
8. Apocolympics
9. Mercury in Retroclub
Secret Society are Greg Williams and Kevin Coe from Portland, . Greg also produces under his solo project name Squee, and with Jamie Larson (Freaks of Nature) as „Quantize Mechanics“ .I have always had an affinity towards psy from the „other side of the big pond“. I guess this stems from a time may years ago when U.S psytrance was rarerer, yet nevertheless chock full of fresh suprises. Quasar, the heavy Mubali sound...... I could go on, but without rabbeling I will just say that traditionally I have been impressed with the „clarity of psychedlia“ that seems to run through the best of the music like a astral umbilical chord. Secret Society represent the high BPM experimental and humour drenched spectrum of U.S psy. (Which seems pretty wide as it turns out). Lets jump straight into the frenzy and see what „Explosive Diorama“ has on offer.
Beginning the Cycle initiates the ritualistic openining of Pandora´s box with an earthy and tribal rythm intro, which is equally mesmerizing as it is short – the otherworldly entities that are evoked by the drumming dissapear as quickly and suddenly as they manifested, the telling lull before the storm.
Wudka Weekend bursts onto the scene with a relatively down to earth pace (152 BPM) and angry, steady baseline. Intesinty levels and atmospheric density rise rapidly, all kinds of prdatory creatures from other dimensions materialize through the shameless wudka guzzling, waiting their turn to feed as they swirl around their intoxicated targets. Although we can feel soil under our feet, our senses are drawn to the colour and sensation of rust – that mettalic taste and feel, an AI hooked into the earth, spawning semi-organic landcapes, the plants are coated with thin sheets of tin.
Took me a few listens to appreciate fully, but after a while I understood what in was getting to – for me it works in a kind of reverse action, instead of driving/building the insanity mercilessley untill the end, the ride becomes comparitavily smooth in the later stages of the journey, at a particular point in space/time the veil drops and the biomechanical jungle is revealed in all its clarity. The otherworld is an ecosystem. Track remains grounded with the tip of an overlong toenail, and we are reminded by this by sparsley scattered but recognisable tribaldelica. (ie. Somewhere in the closet, there is a Shamanic pygmie who wakes up from his trance once or thrice to beat his drum):
Me, Myself and I picks the pace up a little (155 BPM) – something I noticed about this album is that the sense of tempo seems to be suspended in a time bubble of sorts at times – although one part of the mind wants to say „155=fast“, events seem to unfold with an almost slow motion like quality. I guess to put it in clearer terms – the tempo seldomly seems hectic, and although the baseline and kick accomblish their mission very well, they provide a large, clean canvas on which the mind-and time bending fxs can unfold. Shiftic rhythms and a large degree of unpredictability contribute to this. At some point, time stops, and we are showered in psychedlic beauty for a while. In some places the earth is still earth, and sun flowers havnt grown metallic coatings. Throughout the track and album, humour remains a driving force, manifested in vocal samples, fx and tricky rhythm and percussion elements, energy winding and undwinding. Found this one easy to get into a thoroughly enjoyed it.
Next up is (S)laughter. Now, I could spend days writing about only the title of this track. I wont though instead I will focus on the music and boil it down to the fact that I find it very clever, meaningful and truth-charged.
For me this track is magic, as it creates a psychedelic reality with an ease I have seldom experience – something that must stem from the potency of alchemical resources and metaphysical contacts this Secret Society harbors Very free flowing, liberated from stylistic boundries, and enlightend in its ability to capture the essence of the title on sonic canvas. What I expressed above for Me, Myself and I about a „timeless“ quality remains true here more than ever. A disturbing, yet soothing ride on the outer boundries of psyche. Inmho a psychedelic masterpiece that should be heard and not talked about too much, and approached with an open mind. Although you propably dont evenneed an open mind, because it will simply be ripped open. Help,!!Alien rape!!! Its a massacre.
With Middle Hand Toe we move into definite high BPMs, (168) - nevertheless, tempo still seems rwisely selected and smooth flowing – sometimes with releases that go into these tempos, we have witnessed a total descent into chaos, imho this is not the case here. The pace seems dictated by the natural flow of alien communications as they want to burst through, and again should be treated as a „lift off station“ - to me the base and kick are „there“ and do posess crispy punch, but their main role is definetly „ground work.“, provinding a steady background for the psychdelic thearte performance that takes place and takes away the mind like a hypnotist in pin stripe suit – here look at the finger.....1,2, 3 gone. Abducted.
Crystal Math (with Face Head) keeps the tempo steady. All normal in the space/time tempo abnomalilty zone this album inhabits. After an atmosphere and tension developing ignition phase, the audio rocket slowly rises towards orb infested skies, but it seems to struggle with an increased force of gravity, as if a force field is holding it back. This is sonically expressed in earthen, dirt covered rhythms that seem to resist the lighter elements in an emmerging struggle. Later the grounded elements are gradually dissolved by a relentless assault of surgical extraterrestrial strikes until landing phase is initiated again. The baseline, with its micro breakdowns, is a bit more predominent, rough and willing to become pushy this time round – definetly an intense rollercoaster ride.
The title track Explosive Diorama with Cindervomit continues the journey of exploring these hyperspeed territories while remaining smooth and well lubricated in metaphsical audio-ektoplasm, seemingly sliding in an out of inter-dimensional portals with ease, like a greasy, winding snake. Again the track, floats – and tempo itself only seems linked to reality in distant micro rythms that serve to usher in the next sequence. One of my favorite tracks on this album and definetly a must-listen imho.
Apocalympics is another psychedelic beast of a track, surfing along on a bubbling and crackling audio carpet towards its flashback inducing, climatic psycho-breakdown which develops into a DnB style sequence before the fx assault continues, carved around relentless bouncy tendencies and a baseline that refuses to settle down, attacking in bursts.
Mercury in Retroclub is thes fastest track on the album (175 BMP) and has a very „liquid“ and wet feel to me, not suprsing with the title it carries.High energy contraction and release mixed with a big portion of humor, alot of which comes from the vocal/grunting samples that give their flavour to the tune and hold a few suprises. An insane and ferocious finale.
Conclusion
This is definetly an intense ride, but I came across it at the right time and connected with it in a good way. Like I mentioned, it has a „time-suspended“ quality about it so I often felt myself not paying attention to the high BPMs. My suggestion is that even if you usually feel dettered by releases at this high tempo, give this a try, it definetly deserves it, it may be smoother than you would expect. Explosive Diorama captures and retells the psychedelic experience in its own experimental and defiant codes and does so very lucidly – to me this is a clear sign of „mission accomplished“.
Like xplicit psychedelic porn, somewhere machine elves are masturbating to this.
Favourite tracks: 3, 4 (!!!), 7(!!), 8
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