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V.A Meteor Swarm (Digital Drugs Coalition) 2009
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kazuku
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
100
Posts :
1123
Posted : Mar 15, 2010 22:39:57
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Artist: V.A
Album: V.A Meteor Swarm – Compiled by Meteor Burn
Label: Digital Drugs Coalition (www.digi-drugs.com)
Release: 07/2009
http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=5181
Tracklist:
1)Stereographic- Out Of This World
2)Cerebral Factory – Disturbed (Electrypnose RMX)
3)Hallucypnotic- Mekanofobia
4)Antagon – Echoes
5)Tricossoma- Satanic Culture
6)Terra Tech Vs Paraforce – Mystical Powers
7)Meteorburn- Space Soldier
8)Zen Mind – Absolution
9)Psychoz – Black Snake
10)Kasatka – Howl Up
This is a V.A. from last year that I didn’t get round to reviewing yet- it has some strong tracks on it so I think it’s not too late to give this a closer look. What we are dealing with here is in a Portugalien invasion, reinforced by some foreign trance legionnaires. In the cockpit we have Lisbon duo Sergio Chaves and Alexandre Ribeiro, also known as Meteor Burn. They compiled this album and also contributed track 7, Space Soldier. Sergio and Alexandre seem to have been very busy in the last year building their style, which I will talk about in a little more detail once we get to their track.
The album shows a constant progression in terms of tempo and insanity, the BPM´s starting at 146 and reaching up to 158. Meteor Burn seem to have a fetish for 154 BPM in particular, and I am not only talking about this album, but other MB material I have heard from them, It seems to be a tempo which sits in a sweet spot for them. Also on this album we have 4 tracks sitting at exactly that BPM.
1)Introducing the album is Andre Santana Camargos from Brazil, he has been heard on compilations such as V.A First Oracle and V.A Sound Safari. To me this is essentially an atmospheric night-time space full-on track , along with break downs and all we would expect.
Although it knows no messing around, I have heard faster material by this guy (up to 160 BPM) so at 146 this is still relatively cruisy -the interplanetary meteor bombardment is only warming up.
Reminiscent of a style akin to EVP and others, with extra effort in the atmospherics department making the difference- in this case coming in the form of choir samples, eerie pads and extended vocal samples forming otherworldly vibes.
Dear fellow trancers, at what BPM range do you change dance mode? For me there is usually a point where I shift from leg based dancing to “sound wave surfing” where I begin to move more to the FX than to the beat. For me, this tempo is still very much in stomp mode.
Decent nocturnal mechano-fullonish track with enough creepy atmosphere and space weirdness to keep the listener interested. Personally Im getting a bit allergic against extended space vocal samples, these ones irritated me and tasted a little like cheese sticks.
2)Next on the list is the Electrypnose remix of Cerebral Factory “Disturbed”, the track stays “in the family”,..no introduction needed and no big suprises or disappointments, the usual sublime quality. The Cerebral Factory project always seems to me to be the zone in which Electrypnose and Karash mellow down a little bit, it never flips out as much as things we have heard from these 2 in the past. Typical electrypnose-esque hyper tech melodies and slick, smooth, burrowing leads slowly building up to a truly disturbing crescendo full of nervous energy. Top tune.
3)Often we find ourselves looking at track names that encapture the atmosphere of the music very well. With Hallucypnotics track “Mekanofobia” we find ourselves to a rich organic environment full of toiling mammals, chirping birds, humming insects and plants of all shapes and sizes..think Avatar  Slowly but surely this vibrant world is invaded by cold, machine like entities…as they roam the surface of the planets like titans, they crush rare beatles and hallucinogenic flowers under their heavy mech-suit boots.
Mekanofobia is rampant….will this world be destroyed? No! The answer lies in evolution, in symbiosis. The planet and its machine invaders realize co-existence is possible, as machine and nature melt together forming something greater. This merging is reflected in the melodic passages towards the end. Beautiful.
4)Next up is the dark wizard Antagon from Hamburg.
Remember, before we were talking about BPMs and dance styles? Are you still stomping or are you already wave surfing? By now I find myself sound surfing with this deeply disturbed heavy piece. It seems to me here the twisted effects whooshing around are the cornerstones of this tune, with the beat and percussion elements providing a backdrop rather than a battery. Throughout we find ourselves harassed by rabid, blood thirsty mosquitos….but hey, its our own fault for camping at a swampy lake full of stagnant water.
The peacefully inhabitants of the planet described in 3) would go beyond Mekanofobia in face of this relentless industrial assault, they would have been so traumatized that their brain would have immediately fragmented into 1000 alters.
Definetely the wildest track so far, interplanetary meteor bombardment is gradually peeking…..will the shields hold?
5)Luis Palma aka Tricossoma from Brazil lets us know that he is not taking us on a trip to Disney Land with his track “Satanic Culture”. We find ourselves as observers of a bizarre, unholy ritual as we are plunged into a dark sonic Abyss. I did not find this track that great, we do get some dramatic atmospherics as the ritual comes to a climax, but I found myself losing interest at some point.
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kazuku
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
100
Posts :
1123
Posted : Mar 15, 2010 22:43
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6)Terra tech and Paraforce are a Portuguese/Indian combo which take us for a rough ride with “Mystical powers”. This is a bit on the playful side with mini-breaks, baseline shifts and high pithched samples with an ethno touch.
On the whole this has a more earthy, grounded feel to it. Whereas most tracks up to here had a distinct “space” atmosphere, this almost come across a little foresty, rich with croaking, crackling, meowing and other noises we would expect from lovable forest animals  . This one gets a little glitchy at times, I liked it.
7)Ahhh……we find ourselves with our 154 BPM fetishists from Portugal . From what I´ve heard from them we should expect a lot. Their sound has grown on me and it seems they have found a style that is powerful and fast yet remaining in frequency ranges that are easy enough on the ears for home listening.
The nr.1 aspect of their sound imo are their baseline shifts which have a very driving effect, digging a tunnel for the fx to whoosh through. All of this happens in an atmosphere reminiscent of an intergalactic hospital, the smell of alien antiseptic fills the air, the scalpels cut very precisely here and the staff operate under extremely sterile and hygienic conditions. In this particular track we have a very long vocal sample under which a baseline slowly builds.
Maeh, like I said, I got space sample hemorrhoids these days, so I won´t comment much. Otherwise fairly strong tune with those lovely slight baseline shifts. Some percussion work sounds a little lifeless and hollow to me, as if imposed upon the rest. Good, but I´m sure we have a lot, ,lot more coming from these guys in future. Nice style, I like it.
8)In my opinion, Zen Mind delivers a real bomb here. We get a shifty power baseline which furiously surges through the deep night. At this level the track is rough and ruthless, heavy and industrial. It is on top of this steady flow the tune achieves its brilliance.
Sharp, interstellar melodies pierce the night and trickle down into the fiery lake below like falling stars. In this mechano-hell we receive a calling, patterns we can hold to while we whiz along at hyper speed.
As the song nears the end, the anger gradually subsides, cleansing melodies heal the rage. Finally we receive “absolution” from an alien pope as we trickle down into a warm pond of tranquility…
9)….which is promptly violently disrupted as Psychoz gatecrashes the portal with a thump, riding on a Black Snake. This beast ploughs its way through the cosmos steadily, hunting energetic prey. Although we are winding along at 155 BPM there is no less of power, the sensations are heavy and constricting, we have a thick “wall of sound” quality hitting us hard..
This is definitely in “wave surfing” territory but nevertheless the snake clearly knows where it wants to go and keeps focus throughout. Perhaps a little too much focus?
I was waiting for the snake to coil up, or perhaps even a gentle kiss of wisdom….yet this snake knows no mercy. If you come to close it will devour you. Don’t try to kiss this snake. Very solid track, yet missing that last epic touch for my taste.
10)With Kasatka we reach the climax of the meteor bombardment, rocks flying in at 158 BPM. Very nice shifty helicopter baseline over which a thick blanket of alien communication.
Through this we have atmospheric glitters ripping themselves through. More quirky and coily than other tracks on the album, also more edgy and nervous. Also has a Noise Poison quality about it at times with characteristic mini-breaks, glitchyness and coil/un-coil pressure building/release techniques.
Conclusion
This is a heavy, industrial and ruthless album which doesn’t rely on shock effects, but tries to keep a melodic influence throughout.
Overall quality is solid with some stand out tracks. I think Meteor Burn will really establish themselves this year, what I´ve heard from them has been stylish and slick. We can expect some heavy Meteor showers in near future. (did I mention they have a fetish for 154 BPM?) )
Zen Mind track immediately stood out for me, hope to hear more of this melodic style for the darkest of nights as well as Hallucyptonic.
Naturally the Electrypnose remix is also a bomb. Overall we have a very solid album with few weak moments. I hate applying numerical ratings to music but oh well……
7/10
oh yeah....the album art is kinda ugly imo |
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