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The Higher Human Form - Neurohighways [Z.M.A. 2004] CD
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 5, 2005 17:05
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The Higher Human Form - Neurohighways [Zillion Mental Anarchie 2004] CD
Immobilized
The Processible Agony
Assymetric Duty Ratio [Remix]
I Hear Them Call
Bridges on Fire
A Thinkless World
Vision of Failing
Almost God
People
Human-Like Feeling
The Higher Human Form first came to my attention through their compilation appearance on Battle Royal. I was intrigued by their different approach to psychedelic trance - here's an artist not afraid to leave the kicks on the weaker side and develop some heretofore unheard melodic resonances. When their album came out I snatched it up quickly to see what else they might be up to and have grown to enjoy the diverse assortment of sounds they've assembled. Strangely, this release has received absolutely no attention from reviewers or anyone else in all these months of availability, so I theorize this hasn't done so well on the stereos of the listening public. I'm not certain why this might be, as I have grown to really enjoy the distinct style the group has forged for their debut. A note on the packaging and contents... the cover isn't anything special - for a quality label ZMA really needs to get some better art for their releases. The CD runs for 74 minutes however, which is a very welcome length giving trance buyers great value for the money. Now on to the music...
Immobilized opens the album with a solid groove composed of a pulsating bass line and liquid atmospheres weaving patterns in the space above. Progressive-styled chord strikes lend a certain gravitas to the development of the song, which grows to be a dramatic and spacious piece of trance. The original style of the artist is only beginning to become evident on this low-key beginning, which churns and slinks casually straight through to the end. In those last seconds a haunting cinematic chord is struck up and rapidly fades into the background. With this subtle introduction the inertial flow of the album is initially established.
The Processible Agony remains deep and mysterious with a heavy bottom-end and a sinuous progression to the numerous melodic lines which are churned up by the forward motion of the song. There is a theme here - something to do with a rocket launch - with samples about hydraulics, propulsion, countdowns, and so forth. A good use of the sudden reverse of the kick drum is made in all sorts of key locations, giving the driving beat that extra punch. The chord arrangements remains nicely complex with different levels of notes playing off each other, providing a constant melodic presence that never seems to stagnate. In the last third of the song some of the melodies start to probe the soundscape from deeper realms, rising through the octaves and swirling with sweet abandon. Another good song that ups the ante and fleshes out the developing story of the album.
Assymetric Duty Ratio, formerly released on an older ZMA compilation, gets a slight remix treatment for inclusion on the album. It is the shortest to be found here, at slightly under six minutes. Tight and concise with a throbbing beat and plenty of cinematic flourishes. Haunting chords and catchy percussive loops fade in and out, giving the sensation of a ghost train passing through the deep forest at night. The older production style may be evident here but it doesn't trouble my ears at all. Moody and mysterious, another great stopover on the journey through the sound of the Higher Human Form.
I Hear Them Call is a unique piece of trance. One of the first things you will notice is the high-pitched and hollow-sounding kick drum. What is this, you wonder - isn't this 2004? Rather than being badly produced I suspect this is intentional - a sort of ode to the old school kick drum which gave much more space to the melodic progression of the music than the heavy modern version. Indeed, by the time the first epic chord strikes the song sounds much richer. The approach is extremely dramatic, beautiful, and mystic. The atmospheric sounds ebb and flow in time as choirs ignite and the rhythms proceed. Every once in a while the beat is sublimely pulled back and the epic lead makes a full strike, which is a great technique to incrementally increase tension. After a lush break the song returns to plod along in a spacious mid-section, soon accumulating a strange distorted vocal sound that is, once again, utterly gorgeous. Former elements begin to return as the song ramps up again, but the artists haven't exhausted their cache of tricks just yet. Nearing the end a pleasant harp-like lullaby melody develops, tinkling away in the swirling atmospheres until the chords take charge for one last run. This song sounds so mystical I'd really be inclined to call it a modern Goa masterpiece rather than progressive or psychedelic trance. Beautiful sounds for the outdoors!
Bridges on Fire is the first song that doesn't entirely impress. The beat is heavy but very dirty, and even the percussive lines sound somewhat sloppy. Unlike the rest the progression is rather slow, and focuses more on a style that works well when the production sounds much better. The leads sound weak and grind in a vaguely unpleasant fashion through some segments, and never seem to take on much life. By the time the break occurs at the five minute mark the listener has heard about as many ideas as the artist has packed into any single minute of the preceeding tracks. Quite disappointing - the flow of the album is interrupted and it doesn't regain the cohesive story-telling feeling until later.
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Jul 5, 2005 17:05
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A Thinkless World returns to the mystical cinematic sound that makes this album stand out. After a growing introduction the beat pumps away and symphonic melodies persistantly drive the song forward. Pleasant choirs provide atmospheric backing while subtle electric synths tickle the ear. The groove builds at a steady pace as percussive features slide in, with pressure developing through the continued presence of unique orchestral sounds. Tension is relieved without letting the beat drop, and the focus returns to the slow build mid-way through the song. The creation that the group has manifested here is really sweet - full of energy, eminently dancefloor-friendly, yet deeply hypnotic. I believe a tighter remix would benefit this track but it's great as it is.
Vision of Failing bounces from the very beginning, pumping away with this loping beat and small sounds. There are some nearly incomprehensible samples chopped and filtered into the mix, somehow giving the track a lascivious feel. The hooks are small sounds that cycle back and forth as the rolling kicks rumble by. The key to this song is the slow percussive progressions, and the faint fluffy atmospheres that lightly swish by, almost unnoticed. Overall it's not a bad song but I wouldn't ever play it out. It is overly repetative and somewhat lacking in outstanding characteristics.
No intro greets you on the eighth, entitled Almost God. The beat rolls out with another bouncy energetic groove, and a slow accumulation of sounds begins to fill up the atmosphere with melodic overtones that waver between moody and upbeat. As the story emerges it becomes clear this is more on the side of morning, with clean synths that soar and swirl. One might find this somewhere between the full-on and progressive sounds; with the strong beat and smooth chords it is clearly a hybrid. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of development over the duration of the track - this one has a drifting structure that keeps to the same sound through-out. Good to listen to in context of the album, nice to trance out to, but overall not all that noteworthy.
The ninth song is a real surprise. Not since Infected's None of this is Real and California Sunshine's Undercover have I heard such a haunting piece of trance fused with guitar. People is the title, and the style is really quite unique for a modern release. The introduction previews the guitar riffs you will hear later, from an ethereal strumming to a grinding stab that echoes across the stereo field. A low-end beat kicks in with a moody linear bass hit, and the story begins in earnest. The arrangement is very spacious, and some of the more colourful strokes of the synthetic brush are single tones with very specific placement. A haunting note strikes up from time to time, and several breaks are encountered as the song progresses. The mood remains fixated on a drifting melancholic vibe, thoughtful and moody. Many subtly different sequences featuring very detailed electronic components compliment the ongoing guitar strikes and gurgles, yielding a cohesive atmosphere that remains true throughout the duration. I'm not sure how well this will suit anyone else's taste, but I really enjoy this kind of guitar-laden trance when it is done right, and I haven't heard something quite like this in years. I'm not convinced how well this might fare at a party, but as a distinct piece of music suitable for many other contexts it succeeds with an ominous grace. An incredible piece of work!
Human-Like Feeling closes the album with a slower and more emotional offering. The introduction is great: light notes are plucked on the guitar to open it up and then a languid beat slides in while atmospheres swirl with aqueous aplomb. The lead melodies are on the rough side, despite unfolding with a melodic approach. As the drive picks up the song becomes very warm and pleasant, with a relaxed pace of development and continued inclusion of light guitar that really compliments the sound. The last few minutes coalesce into a beautiful shimmering comedown for the album as a whole, leaving the listener with a completed feeling. Some downsides to this track do come to mind however. There is something to the production here that irks my ears - a combination of a weak plodding sound to the beat and a roughness to the melodies that inhibits the articulation of the message... neither factor ruins the track, but it does make for another song which would benefit from a remixing treatment. Nonetheless I do enjoy this final offering, and it ends the album in a respectable fashion.
Neurohighways is a noteworthy release from an interesting new artist on the scene. The style varies all across this album yet remains strikingly original in most instances. There is no denying that the release is rough around the edges - there are a few dull songs, and a few that are good but could be much better. Production-wise this is not consisently up to the standards set by the progressive giants in the breakthrough year of 2004, but this is a different sort of release, and I wouldn't say it is much of a drawback. The flow of the album itself is solid for the first four songs and then it goes off in a few different directions, with one bad song and a few merely ordinary ones... but there are some late highlights, which I have pointed out. People, in particular, is a great piece of music. Considering the album as a whole one can't help but think that the group would have benefitted from more time invested into their debut, in order to manifest a more consistently high quality release. That being said, Neurohighways remains one of the more remarkable releases of 2004, as there are few others like it. There is some difficulty in figuring who to pitch this one to - so I would simply have to recommend it widely to all psytrance fans who enjoy deep, cinematic, and emotional sounds. Kudos to the Higher Human Form for a very respectable debut album!
Faves: 1, 2, 3(!), 4(!), 6, 9(!)
Rating: 8/10
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I had to dig this one out of my archive after finding no reviews for this anywhere... this album deserves a listen! And crikey, you know my reviews are long when they don't fit into one message 
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kikola
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 5, 2005 18:47
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The Assymetric Duty Ratio [Remix] is my fav. here. I like the clear bass line and the kick very much. Great track !!!!  |
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----Dawn----
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Jul 5, 2005 18:49
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I remember this one. I loved 'Vision of Failing' - excellent track - proper big and bouncy!
 Am i the only one who believes in solipsism? |
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CRX(HSS Records)
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 5, 2005 20:08
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Quote:
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On 2005-07-05 18:49, ----Dawn---- wrote:
I remember this one. I loved 'Vision of Failing' - excellent track - proper big and bouncy!
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vision is falling is my fav also great morning track
Helicon Sounds Music
www.hssr.gr |
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
168
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2984
Posted : Jul 5, 2005 22:14
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I've had some friends tell me the same thing - they're really into that one! I just haven't gotten into the groove with it...
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