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Smuhg - Balam (Review by Psyreviews)
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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
14
Posted : Nov 30, 2005 20:56
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Latest review of Smuhg – Balam album, by Psyreviews – Damion Brown.
Maybe someone here wants to say anything to this?!?!?
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Decode opens up at a full pelt 150bpm, with a bassline I’ve heard thousands of times before, more stopstarts than an acid techno deejay mucking about with the crossfader after his fifth line of speed, some dreadful vocals and a main run that should give Protoculture ample grounds to sue. Next up, title track Balam opens up at full pelt 150bpm, with a bassline I’ve heard a thousand times before, yucky swirly topends and more keychanges than the Belgian entry for the Eurovision contest. It also has more stopstarts than an acid techno deejay mucking about with the crossfader after his fifth line of speed, some dreadful vocals and a main run that should give Protoculture ample grounds to sue. El Guarian Del Sol opens up at full pelt 150bpm, with a bassline I’ve heard thousands of times before, more stopstarts than an acid techno deejay mucking about with the crossfader on his fifth line of speed, some dreadful vocals and a main run that should give Protoculture ample grounds to sue. There is a mistake on Killer Elephants: it is only 148bpm. It has more stopstarts than a football match between two teams of eleven lepers, and as much originality and flair as something I’d wipe off my shoe after walking the dog in the park. Flow slows the pace down and uses all the sounds we’ve already heard on previous tracks, and does the same thing, only slower. I’m trying to look for something positive to say about this, incidentally. But there’s nothing. There’s no soul to the music, there’s nothing impressive about it, and I cant even see it really working that well on a dancefloor. Flow and Blue Sky seem to have this nonsensical voice over it, and the latter tune is so weak it’s almost unlistenable. Utopia runs in the same way, there’s absolutely no excitement or energy anywhere to be found, and all I can see is a club full of people making their way to the bar. It’s limp, generic, uninspired stuff. Self Portrait is horrendous, it’s 135bpm and four-undeniably-to-the-floor, sort of like a dark industrial disco nailhammer nightmare. I can think of dozens of tracks that have the same vibe, or the same goal, but just accomplish it so much better. Progressive track: 130bpm and fluid, Evolution more or less gets away with what it’s doing but contains most of the annoyances on the rest of the album; and it’s still a long, long way off any of the top-shelf progressive that’s been coming out lately. Obligatory closing track Thank You has some laughably wonky melodies, and once again it sounds like a daft impersonation of any number of more able artists. I’m just going to reiterate how psyreviews does its reviews here, because I don’t want anyone accusing me of ripping into something out of hand. Every single CD starts out with 5/10 when it slides into the CD player. The album has to impress to get bonus marks; impressing psyreviews in a way that lifts it over the crowd of other releases, offers something unique, or moves a dancefloor in a facemelting way. And absolutely nothing on this album does anything of the sort. It’s utterly generic, derivative stuff devoid of soul, expression or meaning, and a lot of it doesn’t even have enough grounding to keep a pilled-up dancefloor amused for six minutes. Quite seriously one of the worst CD’s I have ever listened to in four years of psyreviews.
0
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listen to it here;
http://www.ap-records.com/doc/ap141/AP141_SMUHG_BALAM_05.htm |
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Surrender
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
506
Posts :
5388
Posted : Nov 30, 2005 22:40
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ap record, luckily for us, damion has his own user here and posts his own reviews... lets wait for him to do so out of respect ok?
 "On the other hand, you have different fingers."
http://myspace.com/gadimon |
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kristyandmoe
Started Topics :
4
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224
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 00:12
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Big deal its his opinion, so what? It's not like he just said pile of shit. Seems like he backed up all his comments and said why he didnt like it. |
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psyreviews
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
71
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204
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 00:39
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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
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14
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 11:20
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I'm really & sincerely interested in what people have to say about SMUHG's music in regards to this review, positive & negative.
Please write your opinion about that.
Thanks
AP |
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Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
76
Posts :
2014
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 11:46
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I agree with Damion here. This album is absolutely devoid of any inspiration and just lacks a certain spark that other releases do have. I wouldn´t go as far as to give it 0/10, but 5-10 says enough. It´s just utterly generic. If you´re looking for this style there are countless albums out there that are better than this. Shame, because this album could´ve been much better.
"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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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
14
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 12:08
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Thanx Acidhive. This is the kind of discussion I was looking for.
People, please participate here. This discussion is important. Especially because as far as I know most of the people who know Smuhg (the artist in general) and who are following his career, are aware of Smuhg’s exceptional & divers musical talent. I think that people were expecting a lot of this album.
Thanx again |
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psyreviews
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
71
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204
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 16:15
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Quote:
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most of the people who know Smuhg (the artist in general) and who are following his career, are aware of Smuhg’s exceptional & divers musical talent. |
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if this is the case then the problem would seem to rest in the decision to release it. is it the opinion of AP Records that this album is as good as they hoped?
surrender has asked me to post a tracklist to keep the thread formats consistent:-
1. Decode
2. Balam
3. El guarian del sol
4. Koller elephants
5. Flow
6. Blue sky
7. Utopia
8. Self portrait
9. Evolution
10. Thank you
http://www.psyreviews.com/clothing/ |
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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
14
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 16:59
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psyreviews... to your comments;
1. There is NO "problem" at all.
2. "Hopes" are not what we are dealing with... what we do is releasing the music.
If its "good" or not is for you people to say.
By the way, 2 track names were misspelled;
03. El Guardian Del Sol
04. Killer Elephants
People, I am asking again, please try to keep the discussion about the music and the review.
Thanks! |
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bluespectralmonkey
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
80
Posts :
1336
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 17:19
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its a great review for a weak release.
what makes less sense is why the label would be the one to post a review stating that thier recent release is wankin'
and i thought after all the debate regarding promotional comments and such, that it was taboo for a label to post regarding thier own releases... its like youre trying to get other people to say "no no no its awesome!" makes me laugh hehee www.bluespectralmonkey.com
www.touchsamadhi.com
www.interchill.com
www.metacrew.com
www.nw-psy.com |
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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
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14
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 17:37
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No, not at all.
I honestly want to see opinions and a discussion. No hidden messages.
I don’t understand why I have to explain this so many times…
Don’t you believe in the genuineness of my intentions?
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Surrender
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
506
Posts :
5388
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 18:10
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well, bluespectralmonkey has a point - we do discourage labels from posting reviews about their own stuff - it has the stink of prmotion, in this case negative promotion in my view... we understand that you wish to get feedback on your releases - but perhaps you can see the lack of reviews or the absence of reviews (until this one) as an indicator. usually, people dont take the time to post an at length review of a cd they didnt enjoy - if they do comment negatively, they rather do it on an existing review.
"On the other hand, you have different fingers."
http://myspace.com/gadimon |
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Templar^
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
105
Posts :
382
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 18:37
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I've posted this in ths Promotional section in the topic concerning Smuhg's album, but I think it more belong here. If not, mods will know what to do. 
Quote:
| Please look at this topic and write your opinion about the review. |
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- by AP Records.
Quote:
| Latest review of Smuhg – Balam album, by Psyreviews – Damion Brown.
Maybe someone here wants to say anything to this?!?!? |
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- by AP Records.
Well, I do...
First of all, I see that you cannot get over the fact that Damion graded the album you've released with a zero note. Still, your reaction is not strange for me, as many labels want only killargh-wank-wank-this-is-so-great reviews. Maybe sending a copy of this CD to guy cohen would help ya to boost up the sales? 
Secondly, I think people should write reviews about the album itself, not about the review, which I personally find interesting and to the point, considering the fact that D-man is one of the best and honest reviewers there are. If something is crap, he will say so. Period.
Thirdly... get a life. Who ever said that life is just beer and skittles?
www.ektoplazm.com/2011/panta-deus - download for free Psytrance.pl's 10th anniversary compilation featuring 100% Polish psy-music (goa, prog, dark, full-on, chillout): Artha, Sundial Aeon and many more
www.psytrance.pl - Polish psytrance website |
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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
14
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 18:47
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Surrender… Yes, I understand what you are saying.
I didn’t know about the labels vs. posting reviews (stink) thing that you mentioned.
I will not post any reviews as a “label” here in the future.
Still looking forward for a discussion about music, anyone?
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AP Records
AP Records
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
14
Posted : Dec 1, 2005 18:52
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Templar^… yes, I meant about the album & the music in general and in regards to the review. |
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