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V/A - Get Your Wonk On (sonic dragon recs)
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lurk
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
32
Posts :
226
Posted : May 22, 2007 10:15
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review by damion psyreviews:
Being honest is good, so I’m going to be honest. British DJ Tom Lurk, who compiled this album, is a good mate of mine. A very good mate of mine, in fact: I’ve known him in various states and on various continents for years, we’ve talked 13,576 hours of abject shit, and I’ve stayed at his house more times than anyone else I’ve ever known in my life (an utterly pointless bit of trivia that I only realised when sitting down to write this review.)
It came as something of a concern, then, when I learned he was compiling an album. Obviously I would be expected to provide a review, which would presumably go some way into deciding whether or not I would continue to receive Christmas cards from the Lurk family in the future.
It would probably be fair to say that Tom Lurk and I disagree with about 80% of what we think is brilliant, and agree with about 80% of what we think is shit. Somewhere in the middle there is evidently some sort of crossover, and happily that’s exactly where Get Your Wonk On sits.
The vibe here is sophisticated, understated, and rather cool. Much like Lurk’s DJ sets, there are no cheesy breakdowns; no dodgy keychanges, no Michele Adamson and no Raja Ram. He’s given space to fresh new talent (Hemi-Sync, Beatnik, Fromem_Ory), and of the more established acts (Fractal Glider, OOOD, Zen Mehanics, Rastaliens) he’s plucked artists who share a discernable common thread: groovy without being too funky, baggy without being lazy, focused without being moody.
None of these tracks will tear the roof off, but that’s sort of the point. The sequencing and selection all point to maintaining a tight vibe, like a slow-boiling casserole rather than a microwave vindaloo. This means, of course, that the album grows on you the more you listen to it – which is a good thing.
Rastaliens’ Chaos Theory is exceedingly fine, as is Beatnik’s appropriately wobbly Balloon Tricks. Braincell’s Total Control has some lovely little melodic flecks, although hearing that “LSD unsanity” sample again is something of a drain.
OOOD’s Starseeker has some of the finest trans-track progression around at the moment, a pure wide-eyed fantasy that picks up exactly the right amount of melody at exactly the right time. My personal favourite is probably the Flip Flop remix of Zen Mechanics’ New Propulsion Technology: you can hear Zen Mechanics in there, but you’re not sure where or how – and the spacing between the sounds is like an old friend with a wet nose to those of us who believe that less is more.
Your obvious reaction to this review is that I’m being cod-positive, telling you to buy a mate’s album because “it’s flawless”. It’s not flawless, nothing is: Touch Tone’s crisp, French-sounding Ammo sounds out of place amidst the other, far more solid tunes; and Fractal Glider’s Spherical has a melody that gets too silly. This may be the point, but it’s still silly.
Get Your Wonk On is another segment in the orange of decent new UK psytrance. It’s fresh, it’s fun, and it deserves points for sticking to its guns and not going over the top with big choons which, while selling well, make you want to cut your ears off.
Confident, tight and unswervingly not gay. Tom, you’ve done well here mate.
8/10
it would be great to hear other people's opinions about it, if you've got hold of it 
  I said no to drugs... but they didn't listen |
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survey1
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
36
Posts :
165
Posted : May 22, 2007 11:38
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Tracklist plz.
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lurk
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
32
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226
Posted : May 22, 2007 12:08
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Hemi-Sync ~ New Method
Tron vs Vazik ~ Insane Man
Rastaliens - Chaos Theory
Touch Tone (aka Crispy) ~ Party Ammo
Beatnik - Balloon Tricks
Braincell ~ Total Control
Fractal Glider ~ Spherical
Zen Mechanics ~ New Propulsion Technology (Flip Flop rmx)
Fromem_Ory ~ Insect Room
OOOD ~ Starseeker
http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=6460
I said no to drugs... but they didn't listen |
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Ah-sid
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
610
Posted : May 22, 2007 15:58
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xcellent release by sonic dragon guys.....
very good +ve energy throught the cd,cud feel it hitting me from the speakers :0
very good new saikodelic sound emiters had made this compilation a huge suxcess
v need more like this SD guyz : ) |
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Voice of All
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
Posts :
762
Posted : May 30, 2007 00:40
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great review... and i have listened your set recently - very nice!
Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom. |
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zen mechanics
Zen Mechanics
Started Topics :
2
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89
Posted : Jun 8, 2007 02:00
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Congrats Tom...Some real belters on this one. Hemi-sync and Fromem Ory are my personal highlights....and the Flipflop rmx 8) |
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-Abatwa-
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
42
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1087
Posted : Jun 8, 2007 04:24
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rastaliens track massive!
`Bottomless wonders spring from simple rules, which are repeated without end` Mandelbrot |
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lurk
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
32
Posts :
226
Posted : Jul 6, 2007 10:20
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cheers guys, the best thing for me is that every track seems to be someone's favourite and every party i hear a couple of them played
I said no to drugs... but they didn't listen |
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sentient
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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91
Posted : Jul 18, 2007 21:44
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This CD is one of those that shows that yes, there still is tasteful psytrance. Seems like the UK and South Africa (among others) are leading the new wave of compelling, intelligent and fun (!!!) psytrance without stupid vocals or a focus on production instead of content.
My faves are the Rastaliens (wicked, bouncy twilight chugger!), Fromem Ory (wowowow! pure spacial trance bliss, with hardly ANY breakdowns, let alone some lame ass "israeli" style breakdown that causes the whole dancefloor to stop dancing) and the Flip Flop Rmx of Zen Mechanics (way to go boys, another killer remix of a killer track!)
Brian Petterson
DJ Sentient - (Alchemy Records) California
Email: soundofmind@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/djsentient
"Watching television is like taking black spraypaint to your third eye." - Bill Hicks |
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squirm
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
254
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2638
Posted : Dec 7, 2007 07:05
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have been listening to this compilation of late and it really does grow on you with every listen. its intelligen, groovy, and spacey morning music much in the vein of top labels like alchemy and nano. iv really been digging the beatnik, fractal glider and flip flop solo tunes (hemi sync + touch tone = flip flop) as well as their wonderful rmx. this is what good morning music should sound like . big up to sonic dragon and dj lurk for putting this great cd out
-angad
p.s.
this is great for home listening 
www.soundcloud.com/ishikawa
www.mechanikrecords.com
www.phonix-records.com
www.mixcloud.com/ishikawa/ |
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Voice of All
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
Posts :
762
Posted : Apr 29, 2008 23:42
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great compilation! all of the tracks are outstanding! bring us more!
Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom. |
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