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V/A - Amalgama (Transition/Dark Prisma Records 2005) CD
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DeathPosture
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Posted : Nov 18, 2005 00:22
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V/A - Amalgama
Cover: http://tinyurl.com/cmtj7
Artist: Various (Argentina)
Title: Amalgama – primer compilado de psytrance argentino
Format: CD (jewel case w/cardboard wrap-around)
Label: Transition Records / Dark Prisma Records split (Argentina)
Cat. #: TRDK001
Distribution: AP Records
Date: 17 November 2005
Track listing:
01. 02’36” Prismatix - Preludio
02. 07’48” Frantic Noise – Blues Brothers (Twist Remix)
03. 07’33” Prismatix – Tallarins With Tea
04. 07’23” Pragmatix – Relacion De Esencias
05. 08’11” Cosmos Vibrations - Genoma
06. 07’17” Durbmata – The Field
07. 07’08” Frantic Noise vs. Pragmatix – Balada Hardtrance
08. 07’36” Megalopsy - Megalupis
09. 07’51” Mindprobe – Where Do They Come From?
10. 07’05” Prisma – Goblin Twist
Review:
Gaucho tranco!
Behold the very first psytrance release from Argentina! That’s right – Argentina! Visionary labels Transition Records and Dark Prisma Records have teamed up to showcase the best Argentinean psytrance… From looking at the tracklist, only Megalopsy looks familiar to me, but the promotional info reveals that those talented cowboys are involved in several tracks here… So I’m guessing we’re in for a treat… Let’s find out!
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Prismatix – Preludio [120 BPM]
We kick things in gear by a short prelude from Jorge Uema (Pragmatix) & Nicolás Di Bernado (Prisma ~ Filter from Megalopsy). Basically, this is a downtempo emotional piece… Cleaning the pipes and setting the mood… The murky atmosphere is brewing and you sense a dark Sith lord lurking around somewhere…
#02: Frantic Noise – Blues Brothers (Twist Remix) [141 BPM]
This is solo project of z1P (Matías Benamo) from Megalopsy… Although kept within a framework of night-time trance, this is still pretty melodic and somewhat uplifting… We start with a robotic voice sample – and then the melodies start emerging… Pretty simple, but strangely effective and hypnotizing… Full-on in structure, but with enough twists and turns to maintain a psychedelic edge… Packed to the rim with arpeggios and high-pitched synth-action which is pretty sweet – and I gave up counting the layers here… There are loads! Nice stuff, though somewhat lacking ‘bite’…
#03: Prismatix – Tallarins With Tea [138 BPM]
Jorge & Nicolás in cahoots again here… The orchestral break-down intro is pretty sweet – and those playful, simple bleeps are pretty fucking sweet in all their simplicity… Yeah, we’ve upped the trip-factor a little here – this is very shroomy! Also the breakz and the morphs really make this track stand out from the crowd! I like how the guys are really experimenting here – it works like a charm! A very unique, transcending track… Kick-ass track!
#04: Pragmatix – Relacion De Esencias [143 BPM]
“We’re sending you back to the future!” This is 20-year old Jorge Uema from Buenos Aires – describing the relations of essence… I’m sure there’s some deeper psychological meaning to that, but that’s really besides the point… What’s interesting about this is the music – and this kid knows his shit… This is a very, very atmospheric track… It’s both shady and mysterious – and uplifting and smiling! A very nicely done hybrid – rich in textures and with constant twists… Impressive!
#05: Cosmos Vibrations – Genoma [143 BPM]
This is the debut release by 22 year-old producer Alejo Galvan… He ups the ante, and takes on a more dancefloor orientated approach on this powerful track… Night-time friendly yes, but with just enough melodies not to cross completely over into darkness… The subtle acid-bits underline the message and again I’m impressed by the quality here… Well done!
#06: Durbmata – The Field [145 BPM]
21 year-old Tomas Rajlevsky is another debutant… This is among the fastest tracks here, and the style is leaning heavily towards uplifting morning trance with progressive elements… Like Protoculture or Etic… The undecipherable voice-samples are pretty neat and I like the metallic-tribal percussion here… The breakdown has some problems, and I could have asked for a more closely knit flow… But considering it’s a debut, this is indeed nice!
#07: Frantic Noise vs. Pragmatix – Balada Hardtrance [143 BPM]
z1P teams up with Jorge Uema for a hard trance ballad… This isn’t hard trance in the NU-NRG sense – this is more like pumping psytrance – with floating, melodic elements and enough acid-lines to keep me interested… The rippling FX are nothing short of impressive and this is a very energetic track… Tasty!
#08: Megalopsy – Megalupis [145 BPM]
Ahh – good old Megalopsy! Matias Benamo (z1P) and Nicolas Di Bernardo (Filter) released their very impressive debut album The Abstract Machine on Trishula Records earlier this year. An unprecedented conceptual album which really challenged the conventional album flow… And yeah – this is challenging music too! Surprising twists and turns – and a general playfulness which I really like! The demented melodies are maybe a little… Well, too demented! But there’s never a dull moment with Megalopsy – I’ll give them that much! A good track, though not the best here…
#09: Mindprobe – Where Do They Come From? [136 BPM]
“What was I doing? What was the meaning of this trip? Was I just roaming around in a drugs frenzy of some kind?” Mindprobe is a duo consisting of Panoramix (Diego Juarez) and Rave-N (Federico Cardoso). They’ve had a couple of tracks released on obscure labels, so this is my first encounter with their music… We take it down a notch or two on this spooky, atmospheric track… The intro is pretty damn eerie and the blunt beats add to the haunted atmosphere… Where do they come from? Not from this world! This would be the perfect track to open a Halloween set with… Scary stuff! And I like getting scared…
#10: Prisma – Goblin Twist [145 BPM]
Nicolás Di Bernado (Filter) finishes things off with the goblin track… Another highly experimental track… Dubby basslines, freaky sampling, morphing synths, evil stabs, twirling acid-lines – all in the first minute! A very forest-like track – would mix very will with some downtempo Derango or similar Ørebro stuff… Trippy stuff!
Well well well… I already knew that Megalopsy were huge talents, and this compilation shows that there’s even more talent lurking in Argentina! For a debut release this compilation is indeed impressive… I like how we’re exposed to a variety of styles within darkish psytrance… Also, the level of experimentation is high here – and I like labels taking chances! There’s no boring, mind-numbing, formulated full-on here… This is high-quality, well-crafted psytrance – from Argentina with love!
The cover art is pretty boring, but the music more than makes up for that – trust me! A unique, experimental compilation… Solid too! Megalopsy fans will take well to this, as will fans of darkish, crossover psytrance… Enjoy!
Favourites: 3(!), 4, 5, 7, 9(!)
DeathPosture
External links:
Dark Prisma Records: http://www.darkprisma.com.ar
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/558921
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/7hl39
Wirikuta: http://tinyurl.com/7usdb
Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/bvhge
  On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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Cymoon
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Posted : Nov 18, 2005 16:47
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Rah
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Nov 18, 2005 20:23
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che, this looks really nice...
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filter
Moderator
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Posted : Nov 20, 2005 06:37
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RoMa Jr
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Posted : Nov 25, 2005 14:14
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ive heard the album and i thynk is argentinian music is passing to another level of production,,, cobgratulations and keep going!!
roma jr  |
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jap0
Pragmatix
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Posted : Nov 29, 2005 19:15
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i would like to thankz all the ppl for the feedbacks...
and this is only the beginning ! 
ieba ieba~!!
peace -.-
.:: www.pragmatix.com.ar ::.
.::www.facebook.com/pragmatix1 ::.
-----------------------
.:: www.heterogenesis.com.ar ::.
.::www.facebook.com/heterogenesis ::. |
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DurbamatA
Started Topics :
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Posted : Dec 2, 2005 02:48
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thx people!
like Japo says...this is just the begining of something big!
respect. |
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Astatic
Started Topics :
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3
Posted : Dec 6, 2005 22:21
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After listenin this comp. for a wile , I can say that its one tripy ride! Thats how I feel about this music . Its starting slowly and more lighter but deep and hypnotic and then its gettin more uplifting with dark melodys and a lots of layers of sound! And the flow here is great!
I like a lot old goa sound , and that what this music reminds me about! It was nice surprise from Argentina , can't wait for more!
Favorits: #3 , 4, 5, 7 , 8 , 10~~~
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Transition Records
Started Topics :
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Posted : Dec 11, 2005 06:56
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We're so happy to receive your feedbacks...we promess more great music for 2006 !
If you felt this release was a surprise, get ready 'cose there are many more to come
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scobbah
Kiriyama
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Posted : Dec 21, 2005 17:11
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You don't read 'psytrance' and 'Argentina' in the same sentence everyday and whenever it happens you surely sharpen your senses to find out more. Not that this release only is considered to be the first pytrance-compilation from Argentina, this release also invites me for a very personal get-to-know-round as I only recognize Megalopsy from the tracklist.
The vast majority of the tracks here's about 140-143 BPM and the fastest track measures 145 BPM, a bit different from what usually goes around these days. It's time for Argentinian psytrance so put on your headphones and put away the chipsbag for a moment.
01 – Prismatix - Preludio (02:36)
The CD takes tone in 120 BPM and prepares all frequencies around the listener for the upcoming journey. There's nothing special here really, some usual twists resides among chilled beats. It doesn't come as a surprise that my thoughts are brought to Megalopsy and their intro/outro-sequences at Trishula Records, as Primatix consists of Di Bernado from Megalopsy and Uema (a.k.a. Pragmatix. there's a lot of -tix in here).
02 – Frantic Noise – Blues Brothers (Twist Remix) (07:48)
Benamo takes off and enters the realms of the dancefloor. The first two minutes are a bit funky while the track's slowly building with atmospherical environments. Anyone who was prepared for nightstuff will probably get surprised as the track's more a product of morning characteristics with a pretty accepted full-on formula. It is quite hypnotic and it is charming though. I don't know whether I'd like to skip the track or not. Even though it might not be totally my taste, the track's still belonging well on the CD and it creates a good opening element.
03 – Prismatix – Tallarins With Tea (7:33)
Time for another Prismatix-delivery and we're up for backbeat and driving melodies. These seven and a half minutes are filled with a lot of floating sounds and it causes feelings who are much like the ones I got from the previous track: a some what of hypnotic-atmospherical feeling. I have to admit though that this one feels a bit boring and like it's lacking character and personality, the elements that makes me want to go back and listen to the track again.
04 – Pragmatix – Relacion De Esencias (7:23)
Dressed out as track number four we find a really tasty melodical piece and if you enjoy the style of Megalopsy you're ought to like this track. A bit floaty like the previous track, driving and with a great dose of lovely melodies - everything well woven into beautiful atmospheres. The vibrations from the track are slightly closing in to night time, but it still does its best while the party's still bathing in the evening lights.
05 – Cosmos Vibrations – Genoma (08:11)
This track feels a bit too cheesy for me. It offers moody basslines and a pile of melodies, whereas some might feel a bit melancholy at times. Again I feel that this is a floaty track, but this one just goes on and on without really going somewhere and I don't connect well here...
06 – Durbamata – The Field (07:17)
More full-on and Durbamata starts spinning in the stereo. The sonic picture feels exaggeratedly familiar and I pretty soon draw the conclusion that this track is one of the less well-sounding ingrediences so far on the CD. This might be the closest to cheesy morningtrance we'll get here. Some people enjoy this kind of morningtrance, but it won't get any good props from my part.
07 – Frantic Noise vs. Pragmatix – Balada Hardtrance (07:08)
Here's probably the CD's most well-sounding element presenting itself to the listener. It's offering a supernice moody driving force, sweet leads and beautiful soundscapes. With the exception of a short session in the track's mid-part, this track's really offering the groove! The latter part of the track will seriously get the people moving during the night's last hour!
08 – Megalopsy - Megalupis (07:36)
If you got a special liking about Megalopsy's album this might come as a surprise. This is morning full-on but with no cheese served at all. It is deep-driving and offers a great taste of atmosphere while the track eagerly whispers its tail in the ear of the listener. Megalopsy really succeeds here, as they always in my humble opinion seem to do, with making a great plot and a nice development. Thumbs up guys!
09 – Mindprobe – Where Do They Come From ? (07:51)
The Mindprobe project consists of Frederico Cardoso and Diego Juarez, and here we're moving in 136 BPM, but the speed and groove still feels a bit faster and more driving. I don't connect with this track at all. The melodies are going on and on and there's no element here that I feel I'd like to hug and get more of. There are definitely people enjoying this kind of stuff, but I feel that this is just simply not my cup of tea.
10 – Prisma – Goblin Twist (07:05)
Prisma is the musical expression of Nicolas Di Bernado who's previously been involved multiple times already on the CD in different tracks. Here we're facing the subject of chillout and it is heavy and tired beats who accompanies us while we're saying bye bye to the disc. The track itself is a good finisher of the compilation. It is not too much happening around here, but we're moving forward together with a lot of atmosphere and a lesser dose of melodies.
Summary
Where should I begin. This compilation is special, and even if not all tracks individually are top-performers they are belonging together in some way, and the compilation have judging by my ears a clear story from the start to the end. There's no tracks here that stands out as being "less good", but there are a few tracks here that I just don't seem to connect well with and I haven't been captured by em. The superior moments here are for sure Megalopsy and Frantic Noise vs. Pragmatix, and the CD as whole stands out because it feels different. May it be that the atmospheres surrounding it feels different, I can't honestly point out what makes it special, but it still feels different. An interesting debut release, and I hope we're going to see more from these labels in the near future.
Favorites: 7 and 8.
More information
– http://www.darkprisma.com.ar
– http://www.transitionmusic.com.ar
Aural transmissions from the deep forests of Sweden
www.dvsmrecords.org - 'Patterns II EP' by Silent Horror out now! |
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filter
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Posted : Jan 25, 2006 19:15
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Taken from Psyreviews.com
Compiled by the Megalopsy boys, Amalgama is the first compilation from Argentina, and a definite sign that things there are on the up. After Prismatix’s swirly intro, Frantic Noise open up with the chunky, pleasing Blues Brothers (remix). It’s got a fairly snarly vibe to it, the bass is definitely in keeping with harsh, mushroomy nighttime music, but with a more accessible topend edge. It’s a pretty good cover of the Blues Brothers theme, with a few extra added twinks. Not bad. Prismatix’s Tallarins With Tea plods, as does Pragmatix’s Relacion De Esencias. Nothing wrong with these tracks, the sounds are fine and everything but… they just don’t have a lot of energy to them. Pragmatix is half-saved by a nice, mesmerising ending section but it’s lost its punch by the time it drops properly. Much more interesting is Cosmos Vibrations’ Genoma, which is the best newskool oldskool track yet. It’s got phasing like Infinity Project, and the balance of the sound plus the way the melodies don’t so much layer as conspire, all makes it sound very exciting, very fresh. Like finding an undiscovered gem: in fact, I would go so far as to suggest that we all submit our copies of Tip Yellow to have it re-pressed with this track included. Durbamata’s This Field is a quirky one, it has that rumblerumble bass and layers fairly odd sounds over the top – sounds a bit like you left an oldskool Talamasca out in the forest for a couple of nights with only a water canteen, spiked with LSD. Best track on the album alert: Frantic Noise vs Pragmatix’s Balada Hardtrance. It has everything you need. From the opening rumbles you know it’s going to be a belter. Deep, bubbling, with a great balance beteren hellish nighttime and melody-driven oldskool psy. The riffs are individual and effective, the sucks-you-in motion is strong, and its final run is an utterly sublime little magic carpet ride to hades (in a good way). Perfect. Up next, psyreviews’ serial 2005 favourites Megalopsy, and Megalupis is full of what I love about these fuckers. Deep, swirling stuff that almost makes you forget how frantically you’re dancing. The wedge here is more over to the manic side, and I’m sort of reminded of older dark-matter stuff; with edgy, fairytale melodies sitting uneasily over the top. Genius. Mindprobe’s Where Do They Come From has a very acidy, lysergic wobble going on. Pretty nice stuff, and incredibly clever in the way it moves around, but I can see its relentless topend getting a bit much for most pairs of ears. Finally, Prisma step forth with possibly the most worrying track on here… Goblin Twist is a wonderfully fucked-up piece of music, that I would urge every chillout DJ to play so they can get all the people who are “peaking a little bit too much” out and off the fucking beanbags and back into the mainroom where they belong. It’s like every horror film you’ve ever seen coming back to scare the shit of you. All at the same time. A nice ending to a patchy album, basically: there’s some great stuff here, and while the remainder are mostly interesting and slightly quirky tunes, it’s not an essential purchase.
7
Psychedelic Trance from Argentina
www.darkprisma.com.ar
www.megalopsy.com.ar
www.psytrance.com.ar
Megalopsy Travel Blog
http://megalopsy.blogspot.com |
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[Ada-superwoman]
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Posted : Jan 26, 2006 21:17
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