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V/A - Ibiza 10 A.M. [Harmonia 2005] CD
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jun 7, 2005 19:05
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V/A - Ibiza 10 A.M. [Harmonia 2005] CD
Harmonia is back with a new compilation, this time showcasing the morning sound of psychedelic trance with some clear Ibiza influences. Much like their first release, the featured artists are a mix of veteran and amateur. I'm not sure what's up with the cover here - it's sort of amusing, in a way. Different, anyhow. Let's see how the music is...
A new track from the legendary Pleiadians opens the compilation. Asteroids is one of the better modern offerings from the pared-down Etnica side project, but don't expect anything as mind-blowing as their old material. Nonetheless, this is a solid track. The samples are all very cool - on the subject of planet Earth's genesis in the early solar system - sprinkled liberally throughout the song. The bass and kick combination has such a strong resonance, and the crispy clean break rhythms and big squelchy sounds in the early minutes distinctly remind me of none other than Cosma. Soon enough some huge melodic riffs come spiralling in and that similarity fades, to an extent. The remainder of the song is a talented series of tension building sequences, all adeptly arranged. Overall, a very strong and distinct track - the best I've heard from the Pleiadians in years.
Ion's Everybody on the Floor is another irritating example of the commercial influence of Infected Mushroom on plastic full-on these days... an otherwise unremarkable track with a slightly dark and mysterious quality is invaded by a totally cheezy vocal in the breakdown, and then the last stretch is a 3/4 ode to Sub6 and the artistically bankrupt Israeli pop style. Rubbish.
Super Signal from S>Range is a continuation of that artist's fat full-on adventures. Like many fans, I prefer the deeper synthetic scandosound of years past... however, for an energetic party tune, this is rather solid. Bouncy bass lines give the track a playful quality, and numerous melodic lines squelch around the sound field. Without dropping the beat, the song makes a transition with the sample "listen to me, I have something I want to talk to you about... it's all right, I blocked the signals so no one else can hear us". Hints of melody continue to dabble around in the background, and then a screwy sample is dropped and the song leaps into another rather strange segment full of weird noises and fiesty synthwork. Out of the chaos a rather childish melody emerges, something out of a comical insectile cabaret. With a dripping psychedelic atmosphere everything begins to take off, leading up to a big rushing crescendo and a strong melodic hook. The outro is standard, drifting by on an atmospheric guitar sound. Overall, something suprising from S>Range - it almost sounds as if he's been taking lessons from Logic Bomb. In the end it's a rather upbeat and innocent psychedelic morning song. The contrast between the easy mood and the rather tripped out sound effects is something not often heard these days - it's distinct, if nothing else. It's perhaps too early tos tell but I would give this one a shot on the festival dancefloors this summer!
Biotonic delivers another vocalized full-on track with The Right Place, sounding rather similar to their recently released album on Solstice with this offering. There's something of the Eskimo sound to the light beats and rolling bass - I refer to this as the "diet trance" sound since it lacks punch at lower volumes. Anything sounds heavy when you play it loud on a big rig at the events... anyway, this is a cheap melodic sound that lacks the kind of depth I'm looking for in what is nominally called psychedelic trance. Even with a big layered riff in the last minutes, nothing can save this song from arousing my distaste, mainly due to the cheddary vocals and hackneyed full-on "lite" style.
Overlap has made a curious shift from the material featured on their debut album released at the end of 2003. Their compilation appearances have grown increasingly morning-friendly, and Party All Day Long continues the trend. Compare the group's evolving sound to Protoculture or Silicon Sound, with an energetic edge. The atmosphere is nicely melodic from the very early moments of the song, with a groovy synthetic beat arrangement setting the pace. With a few tricky drops new melodies are introduced, compounded by a light backing of zapping electrical effects. Three and a half minutes in, a nice build leads to a gorgeous new melody, layered with small details that really count. Another quick break throws the track into a brief tailspin, and then yet another melody marks the return. This pattern then repeats, with a completely different style of drop and build, melodies trading places, and, in essence, a rather impressive display of creative arrangement. After the final breakdown and a big build-up the track remains steady for a time, with big melodies swirling all over the place in pure morning style. I'm impressed - here's a peak-time morning anthem with some actual substance!
Pan's Pantastic Happiness is somewhat commonplace in a few ways. Scratchy full-on with a driving beat... but at least that beat chugs along with some solid power! Some of the leads have a 'demented trumpet' quality to them that reminds me, very faintly, of nitzhonot. At times the song grows rather hypnotic, with sparkling melodies that rush around. Too bad the corny diva vocal in the breakdown takes a mediocre tune with some potential and makes it unworthy of even considering playing out.
Orion makes another compilation appearance with Electric Pulse. This Danish veteran frequently releases tracks all over the place, and never disappoints. His tracks are always either decent or great, to my ears anyway. This single is well-produced and highly psychedelic, with a focus on smooth flowing riffs that powerfully sweep across the groovy soundscape. The most appealing aspect of Orion's work is the depth, and it is certainly evident here. Electric Pulse has a very sublime quality that makes it difficult to pick out exactly what is good about this, but I really enjoy this one. An excellent track that relies on pure goodness of composition instead of gimmicks to achieve greatness.
Jirah's Crystalline is among the nicest singles I've heard from him since the release of his debut album in 2003. The first thing to notice is the extremely powerful and seductive squarehead bass line on this one, sounding much like some of the modern grooves from Mekkanikka in some ways. Extremely pleasant atmospheres are conjured with light melodic sweeps inserted with excellent timing. A well-placed drop in activity introduces a more distinct melody, which grows as the bass line evolves with new kinks and shifts. Soon enough the first big break is reached, and a beautiful piano wafts in on a delicate breeze. It is magnificent how such a small sound becomes key to the mood of the track, as the light notes are brought in with great subtlety, on smoothly rising trajectories. The later third introduces something of a funky guitar riff that meshes with the mood of the song very well in context. Jirah's style has grown so much, and it's a shame he will be no longer producing. Crystalline is an amazing morning anthem full of depth and feeling!
The compilation comes to a close with Shink by Compressor. This is a straight morning tune with the big twitching bass line and simple melodies. Some Hollywood sample takes up space in the predictable breakdown, and then the track is galloping off again. I can't imagine a piece of allegedly psychedelic morning trance being any more generic than this! Filler.
Much like the first Harmonia compilation, this one contains a mixture of absolutely incredible sounds with a lot of filler and some awful cheese. I'm usually edgy about purchasing a release with such a mixed level of quality, but in this case there are enough gems to make it worthwhile. Four tracks here really stand out in a big way, and are guarunteed floor-fillers, and also pleasant to hear at home. I'd give this a strong recommendation to DJs playing this style - there are some very solid tracks here. Home listeners could also find this album enjoyable, though there may be a few tracks here worth skipping. Any way you look at it, this is another good release worth picking up if you enjoy the melodic style of psytrance.
Faves: 1(!), 3(!), 5(!), 7, 8(!)
Rating: 7/10
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Rah
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jun 7, 2005 19:38
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i agree with your words... fair review (in my eyes)
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----Dawn----
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Jun 8, 2005 05:24
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Not really into comps (so don't usually comment on them) but i really liked this one! One of the best around at the moment (imo) with some really good tracks (they are only 'filler' if you don't like them) - but then again - i like cheese 
Am i the only one who believes in solipsism? |
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Misha(Overlap)
Neogen / Overlap
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281
Posted : Jun 13, 2005 10:33
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realy good cd, for me best Orion track,realy waiting for his new album!
Planet Ben Records |
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*Karma Cola*
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jun 13, 2005 20:25
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this album has been in my car for ages..
great style.. Im a big fan of Pleadians newer stuff and thsi track was great.
The Overlap track is also worth mentioning.
My fav's on teh comp were from Pan and Compressor.. Just got my juices running these two..
happy with this cd
~*** You can tell By the way i use my walk, Im a woman's man, No time to Talk***~ |
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aliened
Started Topics :
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354
Posted : Jun 26, 2005 01:13
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Pan have choosed the awesome tracks for this comp .. and build his own exelent track .. i like that vocal on Biotonic , very funny and nice .. this cd is great
waitin for 3rd Pleiadians album " And as the gods have given us , so we return the gift " - Bill Cosmosis " Gift of the Gods "
" That's right - otherworld lifeforms . A fucking alien ! "
'Strange word like 'psychedelic,' you know - drugs, the whole bit, you know, 'fre |
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